Remembering Those who Served...

Charles Victor Hewson
Served WWI

Killed 1916, Royal Flying Corps

Excerpt from a letter found in the breast pocket of his jacket and returned with his effects.

26^th, December, 1915

My dear old Victor,

You can’t imagine what a quiet little party we are tonight and how much we miss you. Is it not nice to be loved and to know that we shall always be with you and I trust when not on duty — for of course that must be your first and highest ideal­— that your thoughts will turn to those who are thinking of you.

I thought and had about decided to say “Goodbye” to you here — then I decided that would have been a most cowardly thing for your mother to do — hence my reason for not going to the boat with you...

Now it is late — Theo is lying here asleep—so I will stop—With a whole lot of love from us all—and most from

Your Ever Loving Mother

Just received enclosed – give to your father with my love.

Major Frederick W Ayre
Served WWII
Letter written to his wife, 11th January 1943

Jim Watson 
Served WWII
Letters written in POW camp 1943-1944

Harold Johns

Served in WWII

Excerpt from a letter written to his older brother, 15^th February 1944

Hope you are studying hard and making fair marks. You don’t know how lucky you are to be in Canada & at College. Some of the sights here are pretty pitiful. Children & older people are glad to eat garbage what (sic) we throw away. I haven’t seen any dying from hunger, but they are always hanging around the camps glad to eat what we throw away. Fruit and nuts seem to be plentiful. They can always get oranges, but I guess a steady diet of them is not so good. Most of the Italians appear well fed, but there is a poor class that is hard up... 

Your brother Harold

Peter White

Served WWII

Excerpt from a letter written to his sister-in-law, November 1944

We do lots of exercise and eat like horses as it’s so damned cold — the damp penetrating kind and what the boys call “sooner wind” sooner go thru you than around you. We’ve had a very easy time for the past month — busy but no real shelling coming our way. Have managed a bath once a week and even the occasional egg for breakfast. We’ve been sort of on the fringe of the real fighting – sort of spectators with the occasional job to do. At the moment we are resting for a day or two before going back in to the line in a new sector – the other one has been rolled up...

Lots of love

Peter    

Bennett Beatty 
Served WWII
Missing in action July 1st 1944 

John Renouf

Served in WWII

From a letter written on the Isle of Jersey, 12^th May 1945

My dear darling Esmé,

I have seen JOHN! --- It was the most thrilling moment in all these long years to see him arrive along with Captain Taylor, as one of the first deliverers of our endless captivity... Oh you can’t imagine how thrilled I was. Dear John—one of our own little gang! — It was more than I had dreamed of! He came on Wednesday afternoon when people were so worked up that they were carrying members of the Army & Navy shoulder high —kissing and hugging them...

Well cherrio for the present dear, I shall be sending more letters when possible & hope they will be less disjointed than this one... How I long to hear from you!!!

Tons & tons of love --- Dotty xxx