Description
Object description
Collection of 114 ms and ts letters (261pp) sent to her parents in Somerset and then Leeds, and her brother and sister-in-law in London (June 1940 - December 1943), covering her wartime service with SOE in the Middle East (August 1940 - December 1943), describing her journey via Cape Town by sea onboard the SS WINDSOR CASTLE and by air (July - August 1940), settling into life in Cairo, especially the hectic socialising (August 1940), her concern for her family and friends at home during the Blitz, her secondment to Belgrade (January - March 1941) where she worked as a secretary in a busy office, her impressions of the locals and preference of both the work and countryside to that in Egypt, her eventful return to Cairo via Greece where several of the staff were injured by enemy action, her transfer to Palestine (May - July 1941), discussing with her brother, who also served with SOE, how communication within the organisation might be more effective, the arrival of her brother, Colonel Bickham Sweet-Escott, to work alongside her in Cairo (August - November 1941), leave in Syria (May 1942), the return of her brother to Cairo (July 1943), her betrothal (September 1943) and marriage the following month to Brigadier E C W ('Eddie') Myers and their honeymoon in Syria, and getting used to life as a married woman, with comments throughout on the social life, her homesickness, her desire for news from home and sense of guilt about her comparatively carefree, luxurious lifestyle; together with 22 ms and ts letters (41pp, July 1940 - April 1944) from her family and friends, including 3 letters (8pp, January 1941 - September 1943) from another brother, Harold Sweet-Escott, in India, in which he refers to life in India, the fall of Rangoon (March 1942) and his own wedding (August 1943); a ts letter (5pp, 12 October 1943) to her mother, Mary Sweet-Escott, from her flatmate describing the build up to the wedding and reception; ts letter informing her of a Mention in Despatches for her services in the Middle East; together with ephemeral items including a ts guide to Jerusalem (published 1935), a ts pass for the British Embassy in Istanbul (January 1942), ts menu for breakfast on SS WINDSOR CASTLE (July 1940), 4 photographs of her with friends, and a silk handkerchief sent by friends as a wedding present.
Content description
Collection of 114 ms and ts letters (261pp) sent to her parents in Somerset and then Leeds, and her brother and sister-in-law in London (June 1940 - December 1943), covering her wartime service with SOE in the Middle East (August 1940 - December 1943), describing her journey via Cape Town by sea onboard the SS WINDSOR CASTLE and by air (July - August 1940), settling into life in Cairo, especially the hectic socialising (August 1940), her concern for her family and friends at home during the Blitz, her secondment to Belgrade (January - March 1941) where she worked as a secretary in a busy office, her impressions of the locals and preference of both the work and countryside to that in Egypt, her eventful return to Cairo via Greece where several of the staff were injured by enemy action, her transfer to Palestine (May - July 1941), discussing with her brother, who also served with SOE, how communication within the organisation might be more effective, the arrival of her brother, Colonel Bickham Sweet-Escott, to work alongside her in Cairo (August - November 1941), leave in Syria (May 1942), the return of her brother to Cairo (July 1943), her betrothal (September 1943) and marriage the following month to Brigadier E C W ('Eddie') Myers and their honeymoon in Syria, and getting used to life as a married woman, with comments throughout on the social life, her homesickness, her desire for news from home and sense of guilt about her comparatively carefree, luxurious lifestyle; together with 22 ms and ts letters (41pp, July 1940 - April 1944) from her family and friends, including 3 letters (8pp, January 1941 - September 1943) from another brother, Harold Sweet-Escott, in India, in which he refers to life in India, the fall of Rangoon (March 1942) and his own wedding (August 1943); a ts letter (5pp, 12 October 1943) to her mother, Mary Sweet-Escott, from her flatmate describing the build up to the wedding and reception; ts letter informing her of a Mention in Despatches for her services in the Middle East; together with ephemeral items including a ts guide to Jerusalem (published 1935), a ts pass for the British Embassy in Istanbul (January 1942), ts menu for breakfast on SS WINDSOR CASTLE (July 1940), 4 photographs of her with friends, and a silk handkerchief sent by friends as a wedding present.
History note
Cataloguer KM