Description
Object description
A collection of letters written to his father in Sheffield and his wife, Elsie, in Keswick, by a Church of England Chaplain to the Forces attached to 66th British General Hospital, Eighth Army in North Africa, the Middle East, Sicily, Italy, (1942 – 45), and then attached to 69th Field Regiment Royal Artillery (RA), CMF (September 1945 – March 1946). Including: 84 well written letters and airgraphs (209pp, plus envelopes) to his father (June 1942 – March 1946), with details of embarking for destination unknown (June 1942), brief details of the voyage to the Middle East, the long delay in correspondence, visiting Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the weather, food, Christmas 1942, leave in Damascus (March 1943), Easter Services for patients (April 1943), the small number of patients due to the fighting ending in that part of the world and wondering where they will go next, moving to Sicily, CMF (August 1943), brief details of the journey and his bad first impressions of the island, diseases and unpleasant experience, increasing numbers of patients (October 1943), the strain on staff, more details of his move from Palestine to Sicily, rampant disease on the 'loathsome insanitary island', his Christian faith, Christmas 1943, his admiration for the medical staff, conducting the wedding of one of the nursing sisters (March 1944), travels round Sicily with an RAF Chaplain, reminiscences of his two years as Chaplain with the 66th GH and the changes to the unit (June 1944), leaving Sicily and crossing to mainland Italy (September 1944), first in transit camps then based in billets in Ancona, moving to Rimini, leave in Rome (December 1944), spending Christmas Eve visiting detachments of men of a Railway Operating Company, the 66th GH opening up again in poor billets (January 1945), a Chaplains Course in Assisi (February 1945), the expansion of the hospital with more surgical staff, a trip to Bologna (April 1945), the celebrations of VE Day (May 1945), discussions of leave and demobilisation, leave in Sorrento (June 1945), applying for a change of posting as hospital work was becoming monotonous, moving to 1 Corps Reinforcement Unit near Florence, home leave (August 1945), returning to Italy (September 1945), staying at a transit hotel in Padua as his unit had been disbanded, moving back to 1 CRU, then to Bologna, being posted to 68th (South Midlands) Field Regiment RA (10th Indian Infantry Division) in Bolzano near the Austrian border, driving around and trips to Milan, a quieter Christmas in 1945, a trip to Rimini to see a friend (January 1946), plans for the future in a country parish in Somerset, the disbanding of 68th Field Regiment (February 1946), and his return to England and demobilisation (March 1946); ten ms letters (48pp, plus some envelopes) to his wife, Elsie (November 1942 – August 1943, July 1944 - October 1945), one letter detailing all his movements throughout 1942, Palestine, a tour of the Holy Land, Bethlehem (January 1943), moving from Palestine to Egypt and then to Sicily with details of the movement of the 66th General Hospital (August 1943), climbing Mount Etna (July 1944), the difficulties faced by long separation from his wife, seeing men separated from loved ones coping in different ways, planning their future life together and fears about what will happen post demobilisation with his church duties, details of patients and the prevalence of skin diseases. Throughout the letters have details of his faith and optimism, his accommodation, books he had read, commenting on news from home and other fronts, his hatred of Sicily, long periods of monotony, disquiet at the home leave and demobilisation schemes, memories of Magdalen College Oxford, battle casualties including Germans, and burials in Italy, his depression at the suffering of patients, weather, his batmen / drivers, and friends. Together with: his Birth and marriage certificates; his Letters of Orders, Deacon (September 1929) and Priest (September 1930) in Sheffield; General Instructions for the Guidance of Chaplains Under Orders to Proceed Overseas (7pp); An Order to report to ACG (Assistant Chaplain General) for posting instructions (March 1942); a Christmas Card from Jerusalem (1942); a booklet entitled 'Soldier's Guide to Sicily'; a letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury, York and Wales to Chaplains of the C of E on problems of release (March 1945); a letter (2pp) from General Sir Richard McCreery thanking padres for their service; two orders of service for Services of Thanksgiving for British Forces in the CMF and Eighth Army (May 1945); his Release papers (March 1946); and 19 photographs of him and others in North Africa and Italy, including one of him conducting a marriage ceremony between a soldier and a nurse.
Content description
A collection of letters written to his father in Sheffield and his wife, Elsie, in Keswick, by a Church of England Chaplain to the Forces attached to 66th British General Hospital, Eighth Army in North Africa, the Middle East, Sicily, Italy, (1942 – 45), and then attached to 69th Field Regiment Royal Artillery (RA), CMF (September 1945 – March 1946). Including: 84 well written letters and airgraphs (209pp, plus envelopes) to his father (June 1942 – March 1946), with details of embarking for destination unknown (June 1942), brief details of the voyage to the Middle East, the long delay in correspondence, visiting Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the weather, food, Christmas 1942, leave in Damascus (March 1943), Easter Services for patients (April 1943), the small number of patients due to the fighting ending in that part of the world and wondering where they will go next, moving to Sicily, CMF (August 1943), brief details of the journey and his bad first impressions of the island, diseases and unpleasant experience, increasing numbers of patients (October 1943), the strain on staff, more details of his move from Palestine to Sicily, rampant disease on the 'loathsome insanitary island', his Christian faith, Christmas 1943, his admiration for the medical staff, conducting the wedding of one of the nursing sisters (March 1944), travels round Sicily with an RAF Chaplain, reminiscences of his two years as Chaplain with the 66th GH and the changes to the unit (June 1944), leaving Sicily and crossing to mainland Italy (September 1944), first in transit camps then based in billets in Ancona, moving to Rimini, leave in Rome (December 1944), spending Christmas Eve visiting detachments of men of a Railway Operating Company, the 66th GH opening up again in poor billets (January 1945), a Chaplains Course in Assisi (February 1945), the expansion of the hospital with more surgical staff, a trip to Bologna (April 1945), the celebrations of VE Day (May 1945), discussions of leave and demobilisation, leave in Sorrento (June 1945), applying for a change of posting as hospital work was becoming monotonous, moving to 1 Corps Reinforcement Unit near Florence, home leave (August 1945), returning to Italy (September 1945), staying at a transit hotel in Padua as his unit had been disbanded, moving back to 1 CRU, then to Bologna, being posted to 68th (South Midlands) Field Regiment RA (10th Indian Infantry Division) in Bolzano near the Austrian border, driving around and trips to Milan, a quieter Christmas in 1945, a trip to Rimini to see a friend (January 1946), plans for the future in a country parish in Somerset, the disbanding of 68th Field Regiment (February 1946), and his return to England and demobilisation (March 1946); ten ms letters (48pp, plus some envelopes) to his wife, Elsie (November 1942 – August 1943, July 1944 - October 1945), one letter detailing all his movements throughout 1942, Palestine, a tour of the Holy Land, Bethlehem (January 1943), moving from Palestine to Egypt and then to Sicily with details of the movement of the 66th General Hospital (August 1943), climbing Mount Etna (July 1944), the difficulties faced by long separation from his wife, seeing men separated from loved ones coping in different ways, planning their future life together and fears about what will happen post demobilisation with his church duties, details of patients and the prevalence of skin diseases. Throughout the letters have details of his faith and optimism, his accommodation, books he had read, commenting on news from home and other fronts, his hatred of Sicily, long periods of monotony, disquiet at the home leave and demobilisation schemes, memories of Magdalen College Oxford, battle casualties including Germans, and burials in Italy, his depression at the suffering of patients, weather, his batmen / drivers, and friends. Together with: his Birth and marriage certificates; his Letters of Orders, Deacon (September 1929) and Priest (September 1930) in Sheffield; General Instructions for the Guidance of Chaplains Under Orders to Proceed Overseas (7pp); An Order to report to ACG (Assistant Chaplain General) for posting instructions (March 1942); a Christmas Card from Jerusalem (1942); a booklet entitled 'Soldier's Guide to Sicily'; a letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury, York and Wales to Chaplains of the C of E on problems of release (March 1945); a letter (2pp) from General Sir Richard McCreery thanking padres for their service; two orders of service for Services of Thanksgiving for British Forces in the CMF and Eighth Army (May 1945); his Release papers (March 1946); and 19 photographs of him and others in North Africa and Italy, including one of him conducting a marriage ceremony between a soldier and a nurse.
History note
Cataloguer SJO