Description
Object description
23 ms letters and air mail letters from Edward Henry Williams, to his parents, Harry and Adelaide Williams, then living in Leicester after moving from Romford to avoid bombing, and 1 letter to his grandfather (54pp, August 1944 - June 1945), giving details of his service as a Lance Sergeant in the Royal Corps of Signals, 'A' Section, 1 Company 4th Divisional Signals Regiment (4th Infantry Division), talking about the war where he is in Italy being 'not particularly thrilling', concert parties and mobile film units, listening to the BBC on duty (August 1944), the death of a friend, Sergeant William ('Jock') Rankin, his own fears and thoughts on mortality, talking about his parents' new house and jobs, his living in a tent (October 1944), thoughts on post-war employment, saying that he was now in the area of Athens, Greece (January 1944), Christmas celebrations, learning Greek harder than learning Arabic, advising them not to go back to Romford, deciding to return to his old firm after the war, his finances, moving to a new billet (March 1945), being fed up with moving, his younger brother Arthur being posted overseas, Greek Independence day celebrations (March 1945), sending a photograph home, descriptions of VE Day celebrations (May 1945), feeling the war was justified with news of the German atrocities, his parents returning to Romford now the war was over, voting Labour in the election, and planning for setting up home when he returns, with throughout mentions of the weather, letters and parcels received, his wife Dorothy (married 1943), brother Arthur, Uncle Arthur and Aunt Margorie, family news, war news from other fronts, buzz bombs and rockets, and getting a good amount of entertainment. Together with: two ms letters written to their parents by his brother, Corporal Arthur James Williams, from RAF Calato, Rhodes, the first discussing the shock of hearing that Ted had died (2pp, October 1945), the second giving information he had heard from his brother's CO, Captain Loveless, giving details of Ted's unexplained death on 23 September 1945, how well liked he had been, and what a shock it was to everyone (5pp, January 1946); two photos of Ted's grave in Phaleron, Greece; a protrait photo of Ted; part of his death certificate and covering letter from the War Office (1p each, April 1946).
Content description
23 ms letters and air mail letters from Edward Henry Williams, to his parents, Harry and Adelaide Williams, then living in Leicester after moving from Romford to avoid bombing, and 1 letter to his grandfather (54pp, August 1944 - June 1945), giving details of his service as a Lance Sergeant in the Royal Corps of Signals, 'A' Section, 1 Company 4th Divisional Signals Regiment (4th Infantry Division), talking about the war where he is in Italy being 'not particularly thrilling', concert parties and mobile film units, listening to the BBC on duty (August 1944), the death of a friend, Sergeant William ('Jock') Rankin, his own fears and thoughts on mortality, talking about his parents' new house and jobs, his living in a tent (October 1944), thoughts on post-war employment, saying that he was now in the area of Athens, Greece (January 1944), Christmas celebrations, learning Greek harder than learning Arabic, advising them not to go back to Romford, deciding to return to his old firm after the war, his finances, moving to a new billet (March 1945), being fed up with moving, his younger brother Arthur being posted overseas, Greek Independence day celebrations (March 1945), sending a photograph home, descriptions of VE Day celebrations (May 1945), feeling the war was justified with news of the German atrocities, his parents returning to Romford now the war was over, voting Labour in the election, and planning for setting up home when he returns, with throughout mentions of the weather, letters and parcels received, his wife Dorothy (married 1943), brother Arthur, Uncle Arthur and Aunt Margorie, family news, war news from other fronts, buzz bombs and rockets, and getting a good amount of entertainment. Together with: two ms letters written to their parents by his brother, Corporal Arthur James Williams, from RAF Calato, Rhodes, the first discussing the shock of hearing that Ted had died (2pp, October 1945), the second giving information he had heard from his brother's CO, Captain Loveless, giving details of Ted's unexplained death on 23 September 1945, how well liked he had been, and what a shock it was to everyone (5pp, January 1946); two photos of Ted's grave in Phaleron, Greece; a protrait photo of Ted; part of his death certificate and covering letter from the War Office (1p each, April 1946).
History note
Cataloguer SJO