Description
Object description
Circa. 178 (carbon copies and drafts) exceptionally detailed and fluently expressed letters written by him and his wife during his employment with the Petroleum Board (November 1940 - November 1945) to three of his children and their host families in America following their evacuation overseas (September 1940), covering many different aspects of life in England, especially Home Front conditions in Sussex near Bognor and in Totton and Southampton, with numerous references to air raids, bomb damage and crashed enemy aircraft as well as giving an insight into his views on a variety of subjects including the progress of the war, Anglo-American relations, Canadian forces in Britain and mentioning stress caused by separation, overwork and the problems of finding a home suitable for his reunited family. Also with the collection are 94 ms and ts letters and cards from his son Cliff (September 1940 – May 1945) covering his journey to America, stay in a New York children's home and life with a well-to-do family on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio, with interesting details about his school, attitudes to race, American domestic politics and his temporary jobs; 88 ms and ts letters and cards from his daughter, Sheila, and 54 ms letters (mostly undated) from his daughter, Dinah (October 1940 - July 1945) giving details about their daily lives together with their host families near Cincinnati and in Peru, Indiana; 101 lively and informative ms and ts letters (November 1940 – 14 February 1946) from Janet Matthews (also her husband) who fostered Cliff and later also his sisters, covering many aspects of life in America as well as touching on Anglo-American relations, the differences between society in Britain and America, life for British evacuees, reaction to Pearl Harbor, rationing, war work, and the effect of the war on the local community and on the Matthews family; 98 ms and ts letters (October 1940 – April 1945) from Jean Strohmenger (and also her husband, Warren), who fostered Sheila and Dinah (1940 – 1943) giving details of family life, including anxiety about the girls' welfare and behaviour, stress caused by Warren's war service as a Naval medic and reaction to the girls being fostered by Janet and Bill Matthews, and graphic details (in transcripts of Warren's letters) of Dr Strohmenger's experiences with 5th Medical Battalion, 5th Marine Division treating casualties at Iwo Jima, together with 24 ms letters and cards (c.October 1940 – 1944) by the Strohmengers' young daughter, Gloria; 31 ms and ts letters and cards from the Matthews' sons and other American correspondents (1941 – 1944); 35 ms and ts letters and cards from English relatives and friends (1940 – 1945); also files covering the children's evacuation to America and the Kinsmen organisation, education, John Mathews' personal papers, photographs, press cuttings and papers relating to an edited selection of the correspondence published as 'Special Relations' (IWM, 1990).
Content description
Circa. 178 (carbon copies and drafts) exceptionally detailed and fluently expressed letters written by him and his wife during his employment with the Petroleum Board (November 1940 - November 1945) to three of his children and their host families in America following their evacuation overseas (September 1940), covering many different aspects of life in England, especially Home Front conditions in Sussex near Bognor and in Totton and Southampton, with numerous references to air raids, bomb damage and crashed enemy aircraft as well as giving an insight into his views on a variety of subjects including the progress of the war, Anglo-American relations, Canadian forces in Britain and mentioning stress caused by separation, overwork and the problems of finding a home suitable for his reunited family. Also with the collection are 94 ms and ts letters and cards from his son Cliff (September 1940 – May 1945) covering his journey to America, stay in a New York children's home and life with a well-to-do family on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio, with interesting details about his school, attitudes to race, American domestic politics and his temporary jobs; 88 ms and ts letters and cards from his daughter, Sheila, and 54 ms letters (mostly undated) from his daughter, Dinah (October 1940 - July 1945) giving details about their daily lives together with their host families near Cincinnati and in Peru, Indiana; 101 lively and informative ms and ts letters (November 1940 – 14 February 1946) from Janet Matthews (also her husband) who fostered Cliff and later also his sisters, covering many aspects of life in America as well as touching on Anglo-American relations, the differences between society in Britain and America, life for British evacuees, reaction to Pearl Harbor, rationing, war work, and the effect of the war on the local community and on the Matthews family; 98 ms and ts letters (October 1940 – April 1945) from Jean Strohmenger (and also her husband, Warren), who fostered Sheila and Dinah (1940 – 1943) giving details of family life, including anxiety about the girls' welfare and behaviour, stress caused by Warren's war service as a Naval medic and reaction to the girls being fostered by Janet and Bill Matthews, and graphic details (in transcripts of Warren's letters) of Dr Strohmenger's experiences with 5th Medical Battalion, 5th Marine Division treating casualties at Iwo Jima, together with 24 ms letters and cards (c.October 1940 – 1944) by the Strohmengers' young daughter, Gloria; 31 ms and ts letters and cards from the Matthews' sons and other American correspondents (1941 – 1944); 35 ms and ts letters and cards from English relatives and friends (1940 – 1945); also files covering the children's evacuation to America and the Kinsmen organisation, education, John Mathews' personal papers, photographs, press cuttings and papers relating to an edited selection of the correspondence published as 'Special Relations' (IWM, 1990).
History note
Cataloguer AC