Description
Object description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] A collection of letters written by a couple who started out writing to each other as pen pals, and who later married in March 1946, including: ??? letters, airgraphs and telegrams (???pp plus envelopes) from Billie to Eileen (February 1942 – March 1944) written while he was serving as a Corporal with HQ Squadron, Middle East (ME) Commando (February – June 1942), in Egypt and Palestine, HQ 1st Special Service Regiment MEF (June – October 1942), 'A' Squadron, Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) (October 1942 – March 1943), 'B' Company, 10th Parachute Battalion (10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment) (4th Parachute Brigade) (April – May 1943), in hospital with eye problems, HQ Company, 11th Parachute Battalion (4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division) MEF (July 1943 – December 1943), 11 Btn Parachute Regiment attached HQ 21 Area, MEF (December 1943 – January 1944), 2 Company, 3 (MT) Company, 11th Btn Parachute Regiment, Infantry Training Depot, MEF (January – February 1944), 6th (Machine Gun) Company, 11th Btn Paras, ITD MEF (February – March 1944), when his letters end, although he later re-joined the Scots Greys prior to D-Day following which he fought through the Northern Europe theatre;
??? letters from Eileen Bryant to Billie (???pp, plus envelopes) (February 1942 – January 1944, and July 1945), written while working as a shorthand typist in Portsmouth, Devon, and also working in the National Fire Service with her friend, Roma Day, whom Eileen had asked to find her a 'lonely and unattached' soldier with whom she could correspond, and whose boyfriend (later husband), Sergeant Clifford Alford, set her up with Billie. In February 1944 Eileen sent Bill a 'dear John' letter saying that she had fallen in love with someone else, she was returning his ring, but hoped that they could remain friends. He carried on writing until the March when he presumably got the letter. There are no more letters existing from Bill after March, but letters from Eileen start again in July 1945 when the romance is clearly back on;
Three airgraphs and a ms letter by Corporal, later Sergeant Cliff Alford, introducing Bill to Eileen (5pp, February - July 1942).
One ms letter from Roma Day to Bill (2pp, June 1943).
One ms letter from Bill's mother (2pp, plus envelope, December 1940).
Content description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] A collection of letters written by a couple who started out writing to each other as pen pals, and who later married in March 1946, including: ??? letters, airgraphs and telegrams (???pp plus envelopes) from Billie to Eileen (February 1942 – March 1944) written while he was serving as a Corporal with HQ Squadron, Middle East (ME) Commando (February – June 1942), in Egypt and Palestine, HQ 1st Special Service Regiment MEF (June – October 1942), 'A' Squadron, Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) (October 1942 – March 1943), 'B' Company, 10th Parachute Battalion (10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment) (4th Parachute Brigade) (April – May 1943), in hospital with eye problems, HQ Company, 11th Parachute Battalion (4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division) MEF (July 1943 – December 1943), 11 Btn Parachute Regiment attached HQ 21 Area, MEF (December 1943 – January 1944), 2 Company, 3 (MT) Company, 11th Btn Parachute Regiment, Infantry Training Depot, MEF (January – February 1944), 6th (Machine Gun) Company, 11th Btn Paras, ITD MEF (February – March 1944), when his letters end, although he later re-joined the Scots Greys prior to D-Day following which he fought through the Northern Europe theatre;
??? letters from Eileen Bryant to Billie (???pp, plus envelopes) (February 1942 – January 1944, and July 1945), written while working as a shorthand typist in Portsmouth, Devon, and also working in the National Fire Service with her friend, Roma Day, whom Eileen had asked to find her a 'lonely and unattached' soldier with whom she could correspond, and whose boyfriend (later husband), Sergeant Clifford Alford, set her up with Billie. In February 1944 Eileen sent Bill a 'dear John' letter saying that she had fallen in love with someone else, she was returning his ring, but hoped that they could remain friends. He carried on writing until the March when he presumably got the letter. There are no more letters existing from Bill after March, but letters from Eileen start again in July 1945 when the romance is clearly back on;
Three airgraphs and a ms letter by Corporal, later Sergeant Cliff Alford, introducing Bill to Eileen (5pp, February - July 1942).
One ms letter from Roma Day to Bill (2pp, June 1943).
One ms letter from Bill's mother (2pp, plus envelope, December 1940).
History note
Cataloguer SJO