10 December 1942

10/12/42

Dear Angela
I received your letter dated Nov 6th a few days ago and I am answering it now in the hope that this letter will arrive in time for your birthday.
You certainly seem to be having a busy time working and going to college at the same time, it would be impossible for me to have a part time job because I have six full days a week at college and the rest of the time is taken up with homework. I have come to the conclusion that after three years at college I will still know nothing about engineering, because the more I learn the more there seems to be, however it is such a large subject I must be content with a small fraction of it. At present we are looking forward to the Xmas vacation which is preceded by the Annual Xmas Dance and Concert, however a little of the fun has gone because our Maths lecturer has decided to have a little exam on the last day of term, who ever heard of such a thing? I have already been asked to two parties but it is a wonder because catering for a party is quite a problem now and most people just can’t be bothered. I can’t say I am feeling very keen about the vacation, because we already have a pile of work to do for next term, and, above all I am firewatching at college on Xmas eve! However such is life.
Mam is going to have a quiet Xmas because I will be out and dad will be at work, it seems as if it is going to be a real “austerity” Xmas.
I can’t find a great deal to say as the last few weeks have just been bed and work with a little firewatching and dancing thrown in.
I am hoping to enclose a photograph if it is printed in time, I had quite a job to find a place open during my dinner hour but I managed to get one taken.
I will close now, wishing you a happy birthday
Love and best wishes
Harold
P.S. Please excuse short letter

22 November 1942 - A great example of a patriotic Christmas card

22 Nov 1942

Dear Angela
I am writing this letter in the midst of a pile of homework, because if I don’t write soon, it will not arrive before Xmas. Your card arrived yesterday and I must thank you very much for it and the letter. Your warning about being good was a little late but I don’t think it was necessary. I think I was fairly good on my birthday – I had two nights off homework for a change: and had a really late night at a dance instead of a late night at homework. I am having to get my work done over the weekend because I am going to the Training Corps Dance on Tuesday and if you don’t go there (even if you can’t dance) you will soon become unpopular with the N.C.O.’s. However I am not going because of that, but because I am sure to have a grand time.
I think that Sunderland Technical College must be a very small place compared to your college, we are just a very small college of Durham University, and our subjects are all Science and include – Pure Science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths etc) Civil, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering and Pharmacy. Even though the college is small, we are very proud of it, as some of the best aircraft designers in the country got their degrees at Sunderland “Tech”. The main part of the University is at Durham & Newcastle; and you can easily get lost there because of the number of buildings and lecture rooms. Will you take your four subjects all the time you are at college, or will you specialise in one in the last year? In England you take about four subjects in your first year and you usually drop three and just take one in your final year, you can however take a general degree in more than one. However these rules are not rigid and there are numerous alternatives. It seems as if you will soon be quoting English Litt. to me and so give me a little of my own medicine.
As it is so soon after your last letter I haven’t much to say and in order to save paper I will close now, wishing you and yours a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year.
Love
Harold

23 September 1942

23 Sept 1942

Dear Angela
I will begin as usual with “I was very pleased to receive your letter”, I am replying as soon as possible. I will tell my pal to write to Virginia again and I hope his letter arrives this time.
I am sure that you would not have liked the work in the cannery and I think it would have been much more monotonous than your own work – even if it was shaving discs.
I have been “tool fettling” for the last month, this is just a form of blacksmithing and my hands don’t seem to like a hammer-shaft judging by the blisters. However I have had a rest as I was ill in bed with influenza last week, it was very boring with nothing to do.
You will probably have started college when you receive this letter and I hope you are not having to work too hard. I begin my Second Year B.Sc. course on Oct. 1st and I have just received my time table and found that I have no free periods, and that I have extra half hours at all odd times during the week; so it seems as if I will have some work to plough through. If I can remember, you will find enclosed a cutting from the newspaper about the State Bursaries won by the College and more by luck than good management I happened to be the only Mechanical Engineer among them, the rest were Electrical. I felt proud when one of the young apprentices at work won a free scholarship to college as I had been teaching him – I suppose he would have done just as well with anyone else teaching him.
You will probably find plenty of trouble if your everlasting curiosity makes you read Shakespeare – if you want to read him read his comedies first, and don’t try to discover all his puns and subtleness at the first reading. I think a very short description of his life would amuse you, in case you have not seen them before the lines over his grave are:-
Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare
To dig the dust encloased heare
Blese be Ye man Yt spares thes stones
And curst be he Yt moves my bones
Don’t think my spelling is as bad as above but that is the original English and you can read it as you think fit.
I can’t think of any more news as so very little seems to happen across here – I hope you can understand this letter but I have been trying to teach mam to dance and write this at the same time. My brain seems too dull even to prattle. I will close
Love & “all the best”
Harold

30 August 1942 - Censor at work again!

30 July 1942 - A Load of Prattle!

30 July 1942

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived two days ago Diane’s arrived yesterday and Tommy has replied.
At present I am on a weeks holiday from work and the weather has been very kind to me, it rained every day for three weeks and when my holiday started the sun came out. I had better not say too much or it may start to rain. I am obeying the “posters” and having “a holiday at home”, I had a day at Newcastle with mam; I went to Wolsingham on my bicycle on Tuesday – it is just a nice ride, about 30 miles – through Durham with its Castle and Cathedral, then Brancepeth which has a lovely old castle in its own grounds, and then up the Wear valley to Wolsingham which is a lovely little village in the valley. I stayed there about two hours and got a very rough sketch of the village. Yesterday I spent at the sea-front and I am fairly well sunburned by now. Mam, dad and I intend to have a day at Durham tomorrow, this will mean dad and I rowing a boat on the river while mam goes to sleep – however a holiday at home would not be complete without a visit to Durham.
I think I am beginning to be searching for something to say already, because very little has happened in the last week or two –it has just been bed and work for me –there has been one or two “alerts” but no bombs dropped.
You said that you do not get many English films in America – if “Dangerous Moonlight” ever comes I advise you to see it, I admit that most English films are inferior to the American but not this one. It is the film in which the Warsaw Concerto is the theme.
You will have heard about “sweets” being rationed over here – we are allowed 2 oz a week, and as yet I have not decided whether I should have 2 oz of chocolate a week or have a half pound once a month. Another trouble is that both mam and dad like chocolate and I don’t seem to have much hope of having more than my ration.
I am afraid I will have to resort to your method and “prattle” for a half page or so in order to prevent myself from closing at the top of a page. However I don’t think it is a sin to prattle.
“Poor prattler! How thou talk’st” – so said Shakespeare via Lady Macduff in Macbeth, and as far as I can remember there was a choice piece of prattling (or p’raps “prattellation” sounds better) in the scene with L. Macduff and her son who was of course Macduffs son – but “father’d he is and yet he’s fatherless”
If you can’t understand the above I would not worry, unless you hear a “prattle” of thunder.
If you can understand the above “you’re a better man than I am Gunga Din” and you had better see a doctor.
If by any chance you can read any of the above you should see an eye specialist or become a language expert–but why worry even blind men go to see eye specialists.
And now having avoided finishing at the top of a page I will close with
Love and prattle
Harold
P.S. I am sorry I have not found more to write but I am absolutely “on the rocks” for news – hoping you don’t mind the crazy last page

11 July 1942

11 July 1942

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived a few days ago having taken longer than usual to come. But the main thing is that it did arrive. I must thank you very much for the photo and I disagree with you when you say it isn’t very good, if the rest of the class looked the same as you it must have been a ‘super’ graduation day. I think I told you that we have no graduation days over here, we just leave the Secondary Schools without any fuss, just as if we were glad to be out of the place. We had a “speech day” before the war, when prizes were given for good work in each class of the school, and the school choir and orchestra rendered or murdered a few songs. Even if we had a graduation day it would not be very good as we have no mixed classes, and to make it a good day we need a few graduation dresses like yours, and girls in them like you. (I am now getting my own back to your mention of being formal, which is the last thing in the world I would like to be). In short – I think you look very charming – “short and sweet” as we say about any short sentence which states a fact plainly. I don’t know if you ever use “Master” in America, in England we use it for boys who are fairly young or who have the same initials as their father – perhaps I am not “fairly young” but I have the same initials as dad, but that doesn’t give you any excuse to use MASTER in inch high capitals or to use JUNIOR either – just keep to “Mr” – I have started my letter “stupid” because you finished yours “stupid”. The rest of my letter may be “stupid” yet – I don’t know!
I think I was preparing for an exam the last time I wrote, well the results are out and I am pleased to say that I have managed to scrape through, there were only 10 out of the 20 boys who sat that got through – I didn’t do so bad! I have had an interview with the “recruiting board” and my calling up papers will be deferred until after my next exam in July 1943 and perhaps later – on condition I remain in the Training Corps and make good progress at college.
We had the college sports about a fortnight ago and “Degree”, which was the section I ran for, won the championship. I am afraid I didn’t do very grand, I won the 880 yds and got 3 – 3rds in the 100yds, 220 yds & 440 yds. I then pulled in the tug-o-war team and as I had no time to train I was in awful shape and could hardly walk, so I didn’t run in the relay team but let another chap run in my place. There was a dance after the sports but my legs were in no state for dancing so I did not go – I had pains for about a week afterwards. I went into the sea for my first bathe this year but I was only in a few minutes as it was so cold. We are allowed on the beaches during certain times for bathing only, but it is not as good as before the war when we spent the whole day on the beach – however we can put up with it until after the war.
I am working now in the fitting shops for three months, and I am enjoying myself again in boiler suits and lots of oil and grease. This is perhaps the reason why my writing (?) is much worse than usual as I can hardly hold a pen after holding hammers and files.
You mention how peculiar it was in San Francisco without the wind, I suppose I have had a similar feeling to-night. Wet weather is part of an English summer but not weather like to-night, it has been pouring down to-night, the thunder was much louder than any bombs and it has been shaking the houses, lightening also had a large part in the show – and to crown it all hailstones the size of peas fell for about an hour. I am not sure if it is July or not.
You seem to have the same dreams as me, I want to take a trip around the world but I don’t think I will ever have the money. However I intend to get some engineering experience abroad and I may get a chance to look you up some day in the future.
I was at an aquarium about six years ago and I can still remember some of the fishes and crabs, a small octopus seemed to be the most disagreeable to me.
I will close on this sheet of paper in order to save paper. I hope you can read the above.
Lots of love
Harold (another hit at your formality!)

16 May 1942

16.5.42

Dear Angela
I am surprising myself by answering your letter almost immediately, at present I am “fire watching” at college and I have taken the chance to write to you. I don’t think you will have anything like fire watching in America, I am on about once a week.
We had plenty of “your” canned fruit before the war but I don’t think I have seen any since the war started. All canned and dried fruit is rationed over here, in fact there are not many things which are not.
Mam almost fainted when she heard about you refurnishing your room, there is very little new furniture made and the prices are fairly high. Other things which are very scarce are pots, pans, kettles, cups, tea pots, etc – dad and I are always hearing about the lack of various things from mam. Next month chocolate and sweets will be rationed – I wonder if they will ever ration homework?
You must excuse me if this letter is rather dry and muddled. The reason is that I have an exam in two weeks time and I am so full of formulae and proofs that I can hardly think about everyday things. After the exam I am going to work in the Borough Engineers Office and I hope to have a rather easy time compared to college.
I cannot say much about the war as it is still changing very quickly. You will about the Augsberg and Lubeck raids by the R.A.F., well we were all very pleased when we heard that one of our pals was in both raids. It also made me think about how little I was doing just swotting at college, however the Government seem to think that we are quite alright where we are.
I hope you got my letter about Diane’s correspondent, I enclosed his address and if she has written it will be alright, if not I will tell Tommy to write after your next letter arrives (i.e. after Diane’s letter would have arrived if she had written). – I hope you can understand but I doubt it! I have also got a correspondent for Virginia, he is one of my fire watching pals on fire-watching with me now and he is about 17 years old.
The novelty of your design had a great appeal to me, I must admit I have never tried to ‘stylize’ anything in your manner. I have made landscapes of castles into designs in pen and ink and they seem to give a very eerie touch to the scene. However I must admit that your design is much better than any of mine. The exhibition in town at present is of the 1941 Royal Academy Exhibits and some of the water colours and a pencil sketch are marvellous. Do you have many art exhibitions in America?
Well I will leave the letter for a while as I seem to have “dried up” for the present.
Well I am afraid I am still hard up for news – every time I try to think I remember the amount of Maths or Physics I don’t know and in order not to prolong the agony I will close now.
I hope, as usual, that you can read the above and perhaps get some sense out of it – I shall be in a better frame of mind when I write next (after the exam).
I remain
Yours sincerely
Harold

20 April 1942 - Durham Castle

20.4.42

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived two days ago having taken about five weeks to get here. I was quite surprised to hear that you had started work - you seem to have a good deal to do. I don’t think I would feel very keen about starting work at 7.15 am - I suppose it will be a matter of - ‘Early to bed - Early to rise’. I used to have plenty trouble in getting to work at 7.30 even when it was not very far away, and, I think you must have some will-power to get out of bed so early.
I hope you manage to win a scholarship to college. What subjects will you take? Would you please explain a little about you College and University system in America - about the American degrees etc - I am still a little perplexed about the American systems. You said that the colleges would be run on three terms a year - over here it is the normal procedure - 3 terms

Michaelmas Oct - Dec
Epiphany Jan - April
Easter April - July
We have just started Easter or Summer Term and I have my University Exam in six weeks time exactly. I did not do too bad in the college exams - two tops, three seconds and a third - I feel quite pleased with these results.
I have just returned from a week at Durham with the Training Corps. We lived under infantry conditions - rise 6.00, breakfast 8.00 etc. I don’t think I have ever polished boots or cleaned buttons etc so much in all my life. We all came back feeling fit but a little tired. We dined in the Castle - I will send a view if I can find a large enough envelope - I think you already have a view of the Cathedral.
I have registered with my age group for National Service which means that I am liable to be ‘called up’ any time, unless I get time allowed in order to pass my exams. I think I once mentioned a pal who was in London during the air raids - he is in America now with the RAF and he seems to be having a grand time - don’t be surprised if he calls on you sometime as he may get near to you.
You mentioned shortages of various things but I still envy you because, if all I hear about California is true, you will never be short of fruit - however things could be worse and we are willing to go short to win the war.
You asked me to get a correspondent for a young friend of yours - Miss Diane Read - the little boy next door wrote before Xmas but he has had no reply - if she did not get the letter and wants to write the address is
Master Thomas Moffat
55 Bond St
Sunderland
Co Durham
He is usually called ‘Tommy’ and is about 12 years old.
I often wonder if most of the 19 year olds and over, are away in America as they are in England. Nearly all my pals have been called up and there are only a few 18 year olds left, and nearly every girl you meet is joining up or wants to join up. We will have a grand time when this war is over. If your brother should happen to be sent over here when he is drafted, ‘he must not forget to look us up’ as mam puts it.
Well I must close now for the simple reason that I can’t think of any more news.
All my best
Harold

7 March 1942

7 Mar 1942

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived a few days ago and I am beginning to answer it now - at 11.00 pm it is the only time I can find; I suppose you will know what kind of a letter to expect when it is written at this hour of the night.
You certainly seem to do things in style in America, there is no ceremony at school when we receive our School Leaving Certificates from Secondary School, even when I matriculated (i.e. became a member of Durham University) there was very little fuss. I have heard quite a deal about ‘Graduation Day’ but I am still not quite clear about what really does take place - please excuse my ignorance! I was glad to hear that you got through you exams alright even if you did take them late. Do you sit you main exams during the winter? Nearly all British exams are set in June or July just when you feel like going out at nights instead of swotting.
Sunderland had its ‘Warship Week’ about three weeks ago and we raised over 1.25x106 pounds (as the engineer would write it) or a million and a quarter pounds. I was given the task of writing to the Prime Minister for one of his cigars to raffle in aid of ‘Warship Week’, however the most I got was a typed note and a piece of paper with his coat of arms on. I think if some ‘official’ had written up we would have got the cigar as many other towns have done so.
I must admit that I laughed a little about your ‘blackout news bulletin’ but you seemed to have the same feelings as I had when it first began. You are lucky because you seem to be just blacked you for a few hours at a time - over here there has never been a street lamp on or any window lights showing since the beginning of the war. We are not so lucky as you, because the Hun can come to us in a few hours; and you get to know when anyone is coming to you a good while beforehand. We haven’t had much activity over here for a while and I hope we don’t have any more. As for the war in general, it seems to be ‘ups and downs’ like wave motion, but, we will rise to the crest of a wave and stay on top.
You mention going on the beach - I am afraid that is impossible over here, unless you wish to go through about six coils of barbed wire and other obstacles, this wire stretches for miles along the coast and I would like to see it all piled up - I bet the heap would be a size.
I have just been to an art exhibition this afternoon (I decided to have an afternoon off to do some shopping), the exhibits were very good and included some illustrations to one of GB Shaw’s books, they were very abstract in style for book illustrations but they seemed to create the emotions in the story, rather than illustrate it. Some very fine paintings have been made of the bomb damage in London, I have a catalogue somewhere with a photo of one of them - if I can find it I will send it in some future letter. I have done very little painting lately but I will do some in the summer. My last painting was my first attempt at abstract painting and my old art master said it was very good, however the more I look at it the more I am amazed that I painted it. I hope I am not boring you and that you do not dislike ‘modern’ art, if you do dislike it - I will say that I am not an artist and will not argue any more. Do you still keep your drawing and painting up? If you do - I think it is only fair that you send me some of your attempts in exchange for those terrible distortions on paper that I sent you - in short - send a sketch if you can!
I have been asked so often to go to dances and I have had to refuse so often, that, in spite of all my work, I have started dancing classes. Dancing is about the only thing left to do over here. Do you have many dances? The procedure of my dancing lessons is as follows - I attend my class and when I come home I have to try and teach mam the modern steps - you can imagine what happens!
Well I must close now as it is about time to get some ‘shut-eye’. Your letter was opened as usual - the only reasons I can give for mine not being opened are
(a) The censor has decided that I haven’t made any more slips of the pen since the first one.
OR
(b) Someone recognised the writing (highly improbable) and remembered being bored by the last one and so just missed it.
Please take these reasons hot on a cold plate with custard and a pinch of salt.
I am in no fit state to write any more

Yours sincerely
Harold

18 Jan 1942 - USA has entered the war

18 Jan 1942

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived on Jan 1st and as you can see I have been a good while in answering it. You must excuse me as I have had very little time. I started college on Jan 5th and since then I have been up to the eyes in work, before Jan 5th I was regaining lost sleep from the holidays. I was out “first footing” on New Years Eve and mam expected me back about 12.30 a.m. alone, instead I came in about 2.30 with about nine friends - we had a sing song and dance around the piano until 4.00 and then went to another friends house to be first foot - the result was that it was after 5 a.m. when I got to bed. On New Years day I went to a party and did not get to bed until 1.30 a.m. well after all that it took me a week or two to recover lost sleep. However in all I had a quiet time compared with last year as Xmas was spent reading at home. Interwoven with the holidays was a week of intensive training with the Training Corps - we had a grand time, climbing up cliffs, crawling along hedges, “fighting” in villages etc. but I must say that I was fairly tired at the end of it. I only hope that you have had as good a Xmas and New Year as I have.
At present I am back at college with plenty of work to do, we only had one exam at Xmas and I managed to get 2nd place. My next exam is in March in all subjects. I have just started Calculus in Mathematics and I find it very interesting compared with other Maths. Have you to study it at all? We are going to have another Rag day at college in aid of the town’s warship week and I am looking forward to some more fun.
As for the war - I don’t really know what to say. There is one point that has struck me since the U.S.A. declared war and that is we feel as if the people in U.S.A. will really begin to work harder now than they were before - however that is just my own idea and I don’t know whether they really understood the situation before or not. We have had four raids in the last three days; one day last week the sirens went and about a minute afterwards some bombs were dropped in a park and near the Art School, a few seconds after that dad and I ran out of the house and saw the German twin-engined bomber flying very low over the house, tracer bullets were flying from all directions and I felt as if I could have hit it with a rifle - well he was brought down and all the crew were killed. Excuse such along sentence - I think I would have got a “sentence” for such a thing in an English class.
I must close now as I seem to have run out of material, before I close I must thank you very much for the Card, and I hope you are getting used to blackouts and the other restrictions which accompany war. I close (as I began on the top of a sheet) wishing you “all the best” and hoping that we are not much older when the last all clear sounds.
Yours sincerely
Harold

7 December 1941

7.12.41

Dear Angela
I received the very welcome birthday-card just over a week ago - it has taken “ages” to come, but thank you very much. I am hoping that this reaches you before you add another year to your score. You may pick some tips on swimming from the card. I suppose it will be after Xmas by the time you receive this, I am going to have quite a busy time during that time. I have a Chemistry exam in a fortnights’ time, and a week intensive training with the Training Corps during the vacation. We are going out all day, on rough country executing an attack scheme drawn up by one of our officers. I will also have to do some swotting during the vacation as we have to cover about two years work in one. Up til now I have not even been invited to any parties and I don’t think there will be many this year because of the rationing etc. Mam says we will have to do without Xmas dinner and the usual excess of good food - she says it will do us no harm - well I don’t suppose it will.
You had “hard luck” in the tennis tournament to be matched against the probable champion in the semi-final - however I can’t say that you did extra well in the doubles - but who cares it’s all good fun. I hope your swimming and life-saving class is going strong and that you pass the tests. If the Life Saving tests are the same as I got, your Red Cross training will be helpful in the theory. I have very little time for sport now - we have a Swimming Club at college but I haven’t time to go, and I have been asked to run in cross-country races, but I have to go to Training Corps instead, mam is glad of this as she says it is too far to run.
I must say that you are doing a good deal of work at school, I was never any good at English which seems to be one of your main subjects, and Civics - well I have never had a lesson on it in my life. I am just managing to keep up with my work; and I seem to suffer from the same complaint as you - handing in essays each week, - I usually have two each week and they are on such dry subjects as – “special types of engines” – “design of machines etc” - but I suppose it is my job and I had better do it.
Dad has just gone to bed and I must follow suit soon. He has to go on fire-watching at work at 4.00 o’clock this (tomorrow) morning - I suppose you will have heard all about our fire-watching system.
We have had no air-raids since the last time I wrote - but the moon is full now. I used to look upon the moon as a romantic thing which appeared at certain times and made the world very romantic (if you were of a romantic turn of mind) - now it is looked upon with almost hate as it usually (not always) brings at least one raid - I must “cross my fingers” or “touch wood” as he hasn’t been this moon - yet.
Well so much for the war and situation over here - as for the situation over there and in Japan, it is beyond my depth - or perhaps I just don’t understand it.
I must close now wishing you a very happy birthday.
Yours sincerely
Harold

P.S. If you can’t read this I will forward the code on application! I hope the envelope manages to hold together, it is the strongest I can get, and the white ones are very thin - rationing again.

16 November 1941 - College Rag Day

16.11.41

Dear Angela
I am sending this in the hope that you will receive it before Xmas. We are having typical November weather - it has rained every day for over a fortnight and it is showing no signs of ceasing. It has just started again I can hear it on the windows - outside it is pitch black - no stars, no moon and no lights, I think you appreciate home and a fire more than ever on “black-out nights”.
I haven’t a great deal of news as nothing very unusual has happened, except - we have had some eating apples and oranges again - this is a great event, and the fruit is kept and put on show, until you can bear it no longer, and you are unable to resist and put your teeth into them. Mam has managed to save some oranges and our “jam” ration is being spread out with home-made marmalade. At present we are discussing the possibility of fruit loaf at Xmas but no resolution has been obtained yet. In spite of all this we are nowhere near starving and just like to have a laugh out of the rationing.
The college held its rag-day a week or two ago and what a time I had. We were all dressed up and collecting for charity. I had an old battered hat, a big false nose, gloves with a few fingers missing, trousers half way up my legs and a loud Scotch tie on with no collar on my shirt. My body, attired in the above clothes, was linking with a fat “lady” (a boy dressed up) and pushing a pram, containing a “baby”, on two wheels. The wheels came off in the main street, the baby rolled out, the traffic was held up and to crown it all a “bull” (two boys) came and sat in the pram - we took charge of the town, going through the stores and offices from top to bottom. I can tell you that I could hardly walk home after it all. Does your school have a rag-day like this?
I am not sure how I stand with the new “call-up” at eighteen years old, I may be exempt with being in the Training Corps on condition that I do well in my exams.
I hope the strike situation across there is a little better, when you get this, than it is now. If the strikers had heard bombs falling, seen them explode, seen the damage, and anxious people reading the casualty lists I don’t think they would behave the way they are doing.
We have had a raid or two lately and bombs were dropped on some houses not so far from here. We heard the plane diving down and then the scream of the bombs falling, mam got under the bed and I dropped flat on the ground, the explosion just about shook the house off its foundations. These bombs all hit private houses and a few persons were killed. I am afraid that I am stuck for news and I will close now wishing you and all at home a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Harold

12 October 1941 - Starting college

12th Oct 1941

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived over a week ago but I simply have not had time to answer it. You will have been back at school about six weeks by now - I have been at college for just over one week, this is the reason why I have had so little time to answer your letter. I will start at my first day at college and give my experiences in order. I began on Oct 1st at 9.15, an address from the principal of the college was about all we got that morning. We were supposed to have the afternoon free - but we had to put in three hours squad drill under a terrible sergeant - you have seen pictures of “raw recruits” well I was one, the next “parade” was on Oct 4th when we got drill and lectures - this means that I am “in the army” for 6 hours each week, however I think it is grand. The rest of the week (except Sunday) is spent in lectures and lab. work, and piles of work to do at home; out of the 37½ hours I spend at college about 26 hours are spent with maths - they call it various names, but it still boils down to maths. You can imagine the amount of work I have to do now. As I am taking a degree I will have to become a member of Durham University - this will mean going through a ceremony adorned in a mortar-board and gown - I will look great.
I hope you got your dress and skirt made in time - you should be over here; mam is always making something out of something else, as you are only allowed so many clothes coupons a year. Most of the girls have finished their coupons, and are about half way through their brother’s or dad’s coupons.
We have had a busy night or two, when the moon was out, bombs were dropped near a friend of mine - the houses on each side of his were down to the ground and yet not one of the windows in his house was broken. When you walk around the streets you often hear snatches of conversation such as these:-
“I keep all the valuables in a case in the shelter - just to make sure if anything happens”
“The two men managed to get some sleep in the shelter, but I stayed awake because the guns were so noisy”
Or “Such and such a shop has got chocolate and cigarettes”
You asked why the July 4th ceremony was held in a school. The Elementary Schools don’t close until the second or third week in July and open about a month afterwards. The colleges close about the last week in June and open about Oct 1st.
The only topic left is the war and I don’t want to mention it, so I will close.
Yours sincerely
Harold

24 August 1941 - Holiday in Lake District

24.8.41

Dear Angela
I received your letter a few days ago and I was very sorry that you have not had any letters. I wrote about May 20th and I think the next letter was July 5th, let me know if you get these letters.
Your description of the wharf at San Francisco reminds me of some of the small fishing villages on our coast. Just above the Tyne there are some of the most quaint and beautiful villages I have seen, Cullercoats, Tynemouth, North Shields and Whitley Bay. Most of the people are fisher folk and they sit on the stone walls mending their nets, or hanging the nets out to dry; at present most of the fishing vessels are on patrol work, mine sweeping and other dangerous jobs, but I hope the quiet of these places will return with the end of the war.
I had one week holiday this year, a friend and I had hoped to ride to the Lake District on his motor bike, but we couldn’t get enough petrol - so we had to travel by train. It was a grand to go to a place which hardly knew there was a war on and to be able to get up in a morning and not have to spend the day among the noise of machines and hammers. We stayed the week at a farm out on the fells, three miles from the nearest village. We had hoped for a quiet week - but we found three girls from Newcastle were staying at the farm - a quiet week was turned into a hectic one. Hay-making, milking, mountain climbing, rowing on the lake and making ourselves general nuisances around the farm, took up most of the week. I had a grand time and did not feel like starting work again; enclosed are two photos of Derwentwater and one of me on the farm gate (the snapshot is not very clear because the printing paper is very hard to obtain now).
Congratulations on your results at school, you seem to have done very well even in Chemistry which you have not studied long. Congratulations on winning your letter for athletics, I am afraid we have very little sport over here now as most of the tracks and playing fields have “suffered” in the “dig for victory” campaign. I think I said I was waiting for my results, they came out about a fortnight ago, I managed to win a prize and also a free studentship at College. The asterisks on the cutting are just for free studentships at evening classes, I will not need this with my studentship at College. I was quite pleased with the results as I will not have to don a boiler-suit, and get covered in grease and oil anymore. My subjects will be Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Engineering and Engineering Drawing which I will have to take in my Intermediate B.Sc. next summer.
I am sorry to disagree with you, but I do on the question of the Russians, if the Russians had not resisted I am certain we would have had twice as many air-raids and twice as many civilians killed. From another point of view, they are keeping him occupied on a very long front and giving heart to the countries under him. However it would not be freedom if we could not have our own views.
I saw the meeting of The President and The Premier on the screen, and every one in the cinema was moved by it.
I have found a correspondent for Diane, so she can expect a letter soon. A pal of mine who was in Coventry during the “blitz” described it in a letter to his correspondent, it was published in an American paper shortly afterwards. However as my descriptions are never very grand, you will get a better idea of the war from the papers than an engineer can give you.
Yours sincerely
Harold

6 July 1941 - Local July 4th Celebrations - John Bull shakes hands with Uncle Sam

6.7.41

Dear Angela
Having thought, for fully five minutes for a new opening, I am afraid I must resort to the usual: - “received your letter about three days ago and have just found time to answer it”.
Perhaps if it had been a little cooler lately I would have been able to think better. We have had a heat wave for over a fortnight now and it is much too hot to do anything. I have only had one bathe during the heat because the beaches are closed except for a few hours during the day. This means that full days on the beach will be out of the question during the war.
I am expecting a weeks vacation but it will have to be spent at home as none of the country places near have any room for visitors, because of soldiers and evacuees. I would have liked a change during the week, but it would mean travelling a good distance and that is not fair during war time, as the railways have more valuable things to carry than me.
There is quite a deal of celebration here on July 4th, we heard the President’s speech at 11.00 o’clock p.m. The cutting is taken from our local paper and is at one of the schools near Washington - which is a small village about four miles from here.
A miracle happened last week - I had half an orange - the first for months. I had forgotten that apples and oranges existed until I saw some oranges last week. Mam is always making rhubarb jam to “make ends meet”, but she is expecting some English apples soon. Dad and I are always in trouble because we eat “twice as much as anyone else” - as mam says - I suppose we will do without when we can’t get it, but up to the present we haven’t suffered much.
You will be on your vacation when you read this, I hope you are having a good time, and not much “liquid sunshine”. I am finding a great difference in the holidays - I used to have eight weeks at school - I may get one at work.
You mentioned the zoo at San Francisco, I suppose you will have heard that most of the dangerous animals are being killed in our zoos because of air-raids, when they might escape.
I seem to be springing from one topic to another, but the only spring left brings me to the war, and, I don’t want to mention it during such fine weather.
Hoping you will excuse all mistakes - I remain yours sincerely
Harold

13 March 1941

13.3.41

Dear Angela
I received your letter of Jan 23rd about a week ago, before I had time to answer your letter of Feb 15th arrived. Without any more ado or excuses I will answer both.
May I congratulate you on your exam results, they seem quite good considering you did very little work. I think I prefer Art and Chemistry from your three subjects. My English is very poor even if I do read quite a deal; I would have done better in English but I never could understand analysis – and I got it in the exam. However I don’t think I will ever have to take English again.
I will explain the whole system of English education – which I think could be greatly improved. Children sometimes go to a nursery school and when they are five they begin the Elementary School, at eleven or twelve they sit an exam, the top one’s are chosen to attend a Secondary or Grammar School. If you do not pass for a Secondary School you will leave school when fourteen years old. Some leave the Secondary School at sixteen and begin work, others stay on until they are eighteen or nineteen and then they go to College to take a degree, before going to College however you must reach a certain standard in your exams. If you are lucky you can win scholarships and have all your fees paid, I have been lucky so far, but if I am not near the top in my next exams, then I am afraid I shall have to pay my fees for College. I had to depart from the general scheme as I could not study Engineering at a Secondary School, so I have to work a year in an engineering works. Well - that is the usual education in England - I have left out private and public schools as it would have taken a book. I don’t think it is a very good system because it depends on an exam set to children of eleven, whether they will go to college or not, of course a few manage by studying at home. I will leave that before you become bored stiff.
I agree with your neighbour to a certain extent about the bridges - but they have to be built and I think they are made to harmonize with the surroundings as much as possible. I went to a water-colour exhibition the other week and about 30% of the paintings were of bridges, of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps British artists cannot find nature, because of the abundance of bridges and buildings, and have been able to find beauty in them. One of our most famous paintings is “Old Battersea Bridge” by Whistler, so I remain neutral half artist and half engineer.
It seems funny you having to go to an ice rink when we were “up to the eyes” in snow and ice. I suppose you will have heard all about it by now, but I will tell you from what I saw. There was a little snow one day and when I got up for work the next day, it was about two feet six inches deep, and about six to seven feet in the drifts. All the traffic was stopped for the whole day, men had to walk as far as twelve miles from work during the night, the nearby villages were snowed up and cut off from the town, and the telephone wires hung like white ropes from the leaning poles. The thaw was quite gradual and the expected flood did not mature. It is said to have been the worst winter for over sixty years.
About four of your letters have been censored but nothing has been cut out at all.
I must close now as I have run out of news.
Yours Sincerely
Harold

13 February 1941

13.2.41


Dear Angela
Your letter of December 30th arrived about a week ago and as I am not at work, because of influenza, I am taking this chance to answer it. Mam is not feeling too good either and I think dad will get his turn soon. I certainly hope that you are feeling better than we are.
We have had the ice for skating here, but I have not had the time this year, like last. I enjoyed ice-skating very much in Northallerton, but I would have to go to Durham for the nearest Ice Rink. We have a Roller Skating Rink here, it is about three years ago since I was there.
I have managed to find time to visit the Cinema lately, I thought “Waterloo Bridge” with Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh was very good; I enjoyed Errol Flynn in “Sea Hawk”. I heard an English version of Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” on the radio and I don’t mind admitting that I was nearly crying at the end. It is not very often that I listen to opera, but I did enjoy that. Six of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas are on at the theatre this week, and mam and dad would like to have gone - but not with the influenza.
We usually hear President Roosevelt’s speeches, if the reception is poor an account of it is given in the news. I always listen to Mr. Churchill’s speeches, they are quite funny at times when he compares modern Italy with the classics. Mr. Wilkie seems to have had a busy time when he was over here, his photos were in the papers and on the screen. I can’t say much about North Africa as our troops may be miles farther on when you get this. So much for the war - I may be under suspicion if I get any more cut out.
I hope you did work hard and got good grades in your finals, or better still got good grades without working hard. I will be glad when May is here, and my exams are over.
I have managed to hold my post as Sunday School Teacher for a few weeks now, I think this is because I often do illustrations of the story to keep them quiet.
It seems as if the 18 year olds will have to register for military service, I am not sure whether I will be called up or not, as some of the engineering students are exempt until they get their degrees. If I am exempt I think I will feel queer when nearly all the others are doing military service, but it can’t be helped.
I must close now hoping that all in the family are in much better health than we are.

Yours sincerely
Harold

12 Jan 1941

56 Bond St
Sunderland

12.1. 194(0)1

Dear Angela
Please excuse the first mistake, but I have not got used to the New Year yet. You must also excuse me for being late with your birthday greetings, I intended to write just before Xmas but I am afraid that I forgot in the Xmas rush.
I am glad that Xmas is over, it may seem funny but in my fortnight’s vacation from Evening Classes I had to work overtime every night but two, and after that I had parties until early morning. My friend came up from London and we certainly had a good time with all the parties and the snow.
We have not had a raid for about six weeks now but, now that the snow has gone we may get something. The snow came just after Xmas, I would have liked it at Xmas as it seems to be a more real Xmas.
I am still enjoying work although there is too much of it. We got our Xmas exam results in Engineering and I was top - it seems I must be suited for Engineering. Well I only have until May for Evening Classes now and then a rest until September when I start College. I only hope that your reports have been as good as mine. When will you have to leave school and think about work? I feel having to stay at home when others are in the forces, but mam will not let me join up because of spoiling my future (if I have any). I suppose I will just have to wait until I am called up (if the war lasts).
I was reading about the building of the suspension bridge at San Francisco, it was a marvellous piece of engineering and must be lovely to see. One of the lecturers at the College helped to build our bridge and I am looking forward to meeting him.
I haven’t done any sketching for a while now. My last attempt was a water colour of Hylton Castle, it was fairly good from a distance - but close up it was all splashes. I intend to go to Durham sometime and if I remember I will send you a photo of the Cathedral or perhaps a sketch (if it turns out OK). It’s a pity that so many of Wrens churches have been bombed, I have read a good few books on them. St Paul’s must be wonderful as the dome is kept together by large chains inside the walls. What are the oldest buildings in America? I don’t suppose you will have as many or as old, historic places as we have, but you must have some.
I was promoted at Sunday School to-day - I was made a teacher. I have a class of five, two girls and three boys, who are eight and nine years old. I am looking forward to a hectic time telling them stories.
I am afraid that I have no more news to say as I am not answering a letter, but just sending you birthday greetings. I hope you will excuse them being so late.
I close hoping you have had a good time at Xmas and that you will have one during this year.
Yours sincerely
Harold
P.S. Enclosed is an Australian stamp

28 November 1940

56 Bond St
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland

28.11.40

Dear Angela
May I excuse myself for not writing before now, and may I thank you very much for the birthday-card, it arrived a little late - but what is the difference. I hope this letter reaches you before Xmas - I think it will, I have used the strongest envelope I could find as the others were very thin. I am not certain what kind of Xmas I will have this year, as I may have to work all the holidays. I am expecting at least three parties - allowing for air-raids. I will have a fortnight’s holiday from evening classes at Xmas but there will be no moon out, and it will be too dark to go out. One of my pals is coming home from London at Xmas, so I have something to look forward to, even if not holidays.
I had my first and probably last Cross-Country run the other Saturday, I was running for Sunderland Harriers Junior Club against my old school, the result was the best possible - a draw. I don’t think I will run any more this year as it is too tiring after work and I didn’t run very good - 7th out of 16 runners. I am having to do nothing else but work these days and my weekly table-tennis has been replaced by homework - I hope you don’t get as much work to do.
You will have seen some photos of the damage in Coventry and Birmingham, it must have been terrible. Everyone says our turn will come soon so we are just hoping for the best. If we do get bombed here I don’t know what dad and I will do, as mam will be called out nursing - but we haven’t been bombed yet! I hope we are doing just as much in Germany. I often wonder where my French and German correspondents are, and I think I will try and contact them when all of this is over. Another plane was brought down here a few days ago, the “Jerries” haven’t been over for about two days, but they will give us a call soon.
There was a war -poster exhibition in the Art Gallery and one of the Bede girls won a prize. The exhibition was in connection with War Weapons Week. There was also an exhibition of war weapons ranging from prehistoric axes to machine guns, the sword of Dundee, who fought in the Battle of Killiecrankie, was there. The total war savings of the town was well over one million pounds which wasn’t too bad.
There was no parade on Armistice Day, as is usual; the poppies were sold. - The siren is blowing now - I will continue writing until any explosions are heard - mam is complaining about the shelter being cold (and saying nasty things about the Germans under her breath) I should say the sirens - as others have joined in. Mam has just gone out like a scarecrow - carrying blankets, rugs, scarves etc. into the shelter.
I must close now as I have run out of news-
A Merry Xmas
And
A Happy New Year
Harold
P.S. Excuse style and mistakes as I have a headache, and I am not feeling extra good

2 November 1940

56 Bond Street
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland

2 Nov 1940

Dear Angela
You may have noticed that my writing is worse than usual, you must excuse it, as I have a black and blue finger nail and I have to hold my pen between my thumb and second finger. I hurt my finger when I was drilling some holes with an electric drill on some staging about 10 ft from the ground, my foot slipped, I slipped and then the drill slipped; the result was me hanging by one foot, with a sore finger, and my arm burnt a little by the hot drill. I have been working for over a fortnight now, and am quite used to the hours now. We make ships engines and repair them, but we do get other repair jobs in. We all stopped work last Wednesday to see a ship launched in the next yard to ours, it was a wonderful sight as I was quite close to it as it slipped down (or should I say “her” and “she”). I will give you a rough idea of my work, sometimes I help the engineers on the machines when they are doing fine work (i.e. to 1 ⁄1000”) but if it is fairly rough work on the drill or lathe I do it myself; I like to help to “mark off”, that is put the measurements and marks on the rough casting, it is very interesting and full of mathematics. I felt very important the other day when I was given a labourer to help me, this meant that I was telling a man what to do! I also felt quite proud when a ship went out of the river and I had helped to make part of her engines. Well so much for work, I think I will be sorry to leave it next year to go to University, but, I prefer to be clean.
We have had a few raids lately but not very near, I can now sleep through a whole night of gunfiring without bothering about it. Our air-raid shelter is just about completed, but it will not stop a direct hit.
I bet you have a good time in the “lab”, I used to enjoy it very much. I can remember the time I once tried to filter conc. Acid and the filter paper just disappeared. When I have time I still read on the modern discoveries about the structure of the atom, radium and isotopes etc but I liked the “messing around” in the lab better. My new subject is Engine Drawing, it is altogether new to me, my first mark was 6/10 for a half finished drawing, my others were 9/10 and 8/10 so I don’t think I am doing too bad.
I haven’t much time for sport, but I play table tennis every Saturday night, I am not very good but it is a little relaxation.
I went to see a parade this afternoon, it was for “armaments” week, there were the three forces; tanks, searchlights; and an undamaged Messerschmidt was on view.
We are hearing plenty about your election but I don’t think we quite understand its importance as we have the King and Queen as the first persons in the country. It must take a lot of thinking out to select your candidate as they both seem so promising.
The girl next door has been teaching me how to dance, but I don’t seem to have made enough progress to go to a big dance yet - I may some day as miracles still happen! I went to a Halloween Party last Wednesday (it was early as most of us had to attend evening classes) there were the usual turnips and spooks etc and I had a go at a dance or two but not with an extra lot of success.
If you have a friend who wished to correspond with someone in England here is one of my pal’s address
Mr Harry Royal
73 Newbold Avenue
Newcastle Road
Sunderland
Co. Durham

It is drawing in dark now (6.00 p.m.) and it will soon be dark at 4 p.m. I hate this as we have no lights at all and it takes hours to go a short distance. Everyone will be glad when the winter is over, I hope it will not be like last year, but war is war and we must take what comes.
I must close now, hoping you will excuse the writing and terrible style, but I have some maths to do after this and not much time to do them in.
I remain
Yours sincerely
Harold

13 October 1940 - War censorship in action!

17 August 1940

56 Bond Street
Sunderland

17 Aug

Dear Angela
Please excuse me for not writing before now, but I have just returned from a week at camp. We were out in the wilds of the Pennines. The weather behaved itself fairly well and only rained once, when we were seven miles from camp on the moors! The cooking was much better than last years, we even tried a fruit pudding made of wild fruits which we had gathered. We also helped the country by working on the farm, my hand are tender now, because of the hay forks - but I will get over it.
The results have not been published yet and my chances of passing seem to be getting smaller each day - but I am still hoping!
Dad and I have just returned from the “battlefield” that is where the last bombs were dropped when I was at camp. I believe you asked me what it was like in an air raid, well I can tell you much better now as I have been in one. It was last Friday, I was just retuning from the swimming baths and when I reached the middle of the bridge a terrible crash and a great red flash came from the end of the bridge - only fifty yards away, a few seconds afterwards another crash and flash came from a timber yard below the bridge – I saw the black pieces of shrapnel flying, then I ran for shelter. “He” dropped fourteen bombs, killing four people and wounding about sixty. The latest raid was last Thursday when I was at camp. About 150 planes approached our coast, our fighters went out and brought over 40 down before the raiders reached the coast, the total of Germans brought down here was 52. Out of 1,000 planes over England 169 were shot down. About 40 bombs must have been dropped and we have just been touring about ten wrecked houses and some bomb holes in the roads. Only four were killed and about ten wounded. In “his” first raid military objects were bombed, but not in his second as only houses were hit. These raids were during the day, we also have many at nights when the convoys are attacked, but little damage has been done by these. Well so much for that, we are quite confident of our fighter planes and A.A. guns.
We have started a “Spitfire” fund in Sunderland. It is a fund to gather £5,000 to buy a “Spitfire”. Everyone is selling old things, having concerts, raffles etc to raise money. One man has already given £10,000 to buy two planes. Many other towns are doing this in order to replace the fighters we have lost.
Mam has had a busy time lately as she has been allowed extra sugar to make jam with. We have had a busy time too - taking samples. We have started to take the rationing as a matter of course now, it seemed very little at first but with care it lasts out.
Well I must close now - hoping you will excuse this letter being so full of “war”, it is the only thing we have to think of over here. Please excuse the muddled style and writing but it is very hot here and my blistered hands don’t seem to have been made for a pen.
I remain your war weary, but, never been hit correspondent
Harold

23 July 1940 -Middleham Church and Northallerton Church

56 Bond Street
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland

23rd July

Dear Angela
Please excuse this late answer, but your letter arrived during my exams, and as I had left all my work until the night before I had not time to write. The “ordeal” began on the 11th July and ended on the 19th, I was very unlucky as I had to take the most exams, that was eighteen papers for eight subjects. The three art papers were fairly easy, the “object” was a polished saucepan, two plates, a table napkin and two wooden spoons in 1½ hrs; the “memory” was a drinking trough for animals which had to be drawn once, and then in a different position with a group of suitable objects; the third paper was a piece of embroidered cloth. Well so much for that. I am going to enjoy myself during the seven weeks before the results are published.
I suppose you will have seen by now that I am home again, it is great to be here for a while. I will probably have to return to Northallerton in a few weeks time. I will be able to take it easy for a year as my next exam doesn’t come until 1942. I intend to send you a school “mag” with this, or this with a mag. if I remember You will notice that it is a fairly “stiff” affair, it is censored by the masters and therefore no “skits” can be put in; my poem was rejected because it was said to be insulting to the Board of Education, but I don’t believe it! I am afraid I am not mentioned much in it, I should have been on the cross-country team photo, but I was not told when it was to be taken. My cross-country running is very poor anyway. You will probably find one or two boys who are writing to correspondents near you; you will also find one or two mistakes in my sketches, I have found plenty, but too late. You can judge the rest on its merits, N.B. III is the lowest form and U VI is the highest. If I remember I will also enclose one or two sketches, which most “critics” think and rightly too, are just moderate.(PS Don’t notice the shadows, they are just to hold the thing together).
I thought that the dress of the boys would surprise you, - that is just how we go to school - some schools enforce a cap and blazer, but ours doesn’t. It is much too cold out here to go without coats and with open necks, I only wish we could. I am afraid I have been unlucky again, my French correspondent has followed my German one, I can’t write to him because he is in enemy country now. His last letter was quite cheerful, he was certain of victory and boasted of his two brothers who were in a tank at the front.
If you haven’t realised by now I will tell you - I am still alive! (this is an official secret) in other words the bomb with my name on it hasn’t been dropped yet. During the first raid about six bombs were dropped within two miles of us, nothing happened except a few thuds and the windows rattling. We had a few visits after that but not many bombs. He was at Sunderland a while ago and put a few holes in some fields and damaged some houses on the cliff, but no-one was hurt. He dropped two, about a mile away, on Friday night, and another on Sunday night. Everyone is fairly calm and we just sit and chat in the shelters.
I was going to have agreat holiday this year but I doubt it now. I had set my mind on playing tennis by the end of it, but I will have to learn another year. All sea bathing is stopped because of barbed wire fencing, and only the smallest swimming bath is open. My trip to London is off because of all this trouble, so I will just have to laze around and get fat. I feel terrible, having nothing to do and far too much time to do it in, as a last resort I may try and find a girlfriend, but not just yet!
I suppose you will have heard all about Dunkirk and Petain, but it can’t be helped. One of my uncles was in Dunkirk and had to leave when the position became impossible. Most of the towns were full of B.E.F. men after the evacuation of France, they were given about a fortnight to recover.
Well I must close now, hoping you will excuse writing and spelling.
Yours sincerely until paper becomes stationary
Harold

11 June 1940 - Fountains Abbey

This is the first letter to be examined by the censor (but nothing of a sensitive nature was found)!

8 Springfield T.E.
Northallerton
Yorks

June 11th ‘40

Dear Angela
I received your letter this morning but I should have got it earlier but I did not write home and mam said that she would not write until I did.
Tuesday is now my only free night in the week to do any writing - no I am not out with girls the rest of the time - I am trying to “swot” (or should that be “swott”?) My exam begins on July 11th and ends on the 19th. I have been looking over some old exam papers and I appear to know nothing. Excuse the writing but it is getting dark so I will put the light on and put the “black out” up.
We have had a heat wave for about a fortnight. It brought out some German bombers and we had two raids both at night. Bombs were dropped within 2 miles of us, most of the chaps have got pieces of them, we have a large piece between all in the house. The sun also had another bad point, I was out riding for 9 hours one day and I nearly went crazy with sunstroke. Most people think that I haven’t recovered!
If I remember I will enclose a view of Fountains Abbey, it is a lovely place with marvellous grounds. My sketch wasn’t too good so I bought some photos. Perhaps I bore you with all this old fashioned “stuff”, I may seem an old fashioned sort of chap, but I don’t think I am.
I suppose you will be on vacation now - you are jolly lucky. We do not finish until after my first public “ordeal”. Don’t be surprised if I write and say that I have failed, because I expect to - my excuse is the war. I hope your report was better than mine is going to be.
Thanks for the stamps, we have a similar tuberculosis stamp but with a different design. They had an open competition for the design, I didn’t enter but one of my pals did, but no luck, the rest of the country was too good. We have not the stamps to help the crippled but we have plenty of flag-days. These flag-days are a nuisance to me, as there is one girl who always “nabs” me, I don’t even know her to speak to (I would have done if I had wanted to, but I am trying to do some work). I got a correspondent for your friend, he will probably be writing soon.
Mrs. Larder (my hostess) was away for a day about a fortnight ago and we (Mr. Larder, Fred and the two little Larders - and myself) had to cook the dinner, you can imagine what it was like. We gave speeches for about 10 minutes and complaints for 1 week and 2 days afterwards. What a dinner!
I have had one or two bathes in the river but it is not as good as the sea.
I am afraid that I must mention the war as it is the only topic of conversation out here - other than films and girls. Dad is still out of it as he is too old and was in the last war. My uncle was one of the lucky ones to get out of Dunkirk and I think he is still whole. Italy has now joined it - but why I can’t see. We have been asked to cut down various things but no one grumbles in fact I am pleased for some things if lipstick and powder are short they will have to be used in moderation, to a great advantage also. The great moment will come when masters and education are rationed. Enough on war.
I have just seen the film “A Girl must Live” with Margaret Lockwood in it, I think it is a British film, if you have not seen it and want a good laugh - it’s just the thing.
Well I must close now
Your overworked friend
Harold

P.S. Please excuse this terrible letter but my only excuse is that all this work and sun stroke must have affected one. On re-reading it certainly is horrible.

12 May 1940 - Stamps and Schoolboys

Harold is in the middle of the back row

56 Bond Street
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland

12.5.40

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived about three days ago, and as you can see I am at home again. - just for four days. I have completed the entrance form for my exam in July and as I am taking nine subjects I have decided to do a little work. Even when that exam is over I will still have to work as I am trying for two scholarships to Universities. I hope to get through in Art and Architecture. The work I have to do for these will not be too bad as it consists of sketches and scale drawings of houses, cathedrals etc. I will send you some photos of Durham and York Cathedrals sometime, as you won’t have any places as old as these. Well so much for work - I don’t suppose it will ever get done.
I have been doing a few pencil sketches lately and I will send you a few of some Yorkshire villages. I am having two printed in the School Mag. this term. If I remember to enclose it you will find a “snap” taken by a chap in our form. It is of a few boys in our form, we may look happy but we are not it is just “put on”. If you can’t spot me, I have put a X on the back, which, if held to the light, covers my face.
You seem to have had some fun at your Winema Initiation, I would love to have seen you in “pigtails”! Which reminds me - I don’t know the meaning of the pigtail but the blue ribbon is for something like this:-
“If your love for me is true
Return to me this ribbon blue”
as I don’t know who sent it I am not able to say.
We had a mock election at school about three years ago and we certainly had plenty of fun - the candidates giving speeches on what they would do if elected. In England they keep the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools separated and it is very rare that we have anything in co-operation, only the country schools have mixed forms.
It seems as if someone in our form thinks I can draw, I am nearly always under severe criticism from the rest. When I send you some sketches you will probably change your mind.
I had just discovered that letters under 2oz could go to America for 1½d - you probably noticed this - well now the Government have raised the postage rates so I will not reap any fruit from my newly discovered tree. I have got a correspondent in France now, he is only fourteen but his English is much better than my French. I will enclose some French stamps from his letter ― they are very common and I am sending you two of the new centenary stamps I am sending them unused as they will probably be of more value. If you want any special French stamps I will try and get them.
I must close now as dinner is calling and I was up early for a Sunday morning 8.30 am.
Yours sincerely
Harold

31 March 1940 - Wuppertal Greets You

56 Bond Street
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland

31.3.40

Dear Angela
Received your welcome letter on March 30th so it has not taken very long to reach me. As you can see I am home again, I returned on March 20th and I will be here until April 9th. After my exam in July I will be leaving school. I have had to give up the idea of going to University because of the war, I would just have one year at College when I would be “called up”. I am trying to become a draughtsman or a chemist in a big “lab”. Well, so much for that as it will come soon enough.
I am afraid I am like you as I have some exam papers to do and I have not even looked at them yet. I have done a little landscape painting in water colour and has turned out much better than I expected, I have also tried portraits in pencil but I am often told they are not much like the person copied. I am sketching Northallerton Church for the school “mag” and if it prints O.K. I will let you have one and you will be able to see what the “village” church is like (I put village in commas as the country people call it a “town”).
Tomorrow is April Fools Day and everyone plays tricks on everyone else until 12 a.m. I will have to “watch my step” tomorrow. Do you have this in the U.S.A? There seems to have been quite a number of “days” lately and I had never wondered before if other countries had them too.
I had quite an exciting day just before I came home. With two pals I went out onto the Cleveland hills and rode across them for a good time, we then went to Stockton and on the way we went down a “Steep Hill” as the sign said. It was really a little cliff and there was a watersplash at the bottom. We returned at 7.45 p.m. having rode or walked for 10 hours. I was on a borrowed cycle with a none too comfortable seat, so you will know what I felt like the next day.
I have heard quite a lot about “Gone with the Wind” but it has not come here yet. I went to see Deanna Durbin in “First Love” last week, I think she is a great singer. I am going to see “The Rains Came” this week, it has been talked about quite a deal.
I have not read many American authors except Mark Twain. In serious books I have read most of Thomas Hardy, but I still like to read a Wodehouse. Do you have Hardy’s and Wodehouse’s books in your libraries? I read more books on art than anything else, as for school books I love to put those away.
The war does not seem to be getting along very quick but I suppose they know what they are doing. The only effects we have has is the blackout and rationing. We are using margarine instead of butter now but only mam can tell the difference, it is all the same to dad and I.
I am enclosing a poster which was on one of my German letters. I noticed it when going through my pre-war correspondence and I thought that it might be a novelty to have in your stamp collection. The German means “Wuppertal (A German town) greets you - The largest town of the mountain lands”.
I may as well confess that you are lucky in being answered so soon. If it had not been raining tonight after church I would have gone for a walk along the sea front, as we usually do here. The walk is partly for fresh air and partly because most of the girls of the town go down too.
I must close now hoping you will excuse writing and spelling but I have had the radio on (any excuse is better than none for my scribble)
Yours til the paper becomes stationary
Harold

14 March 1940

14. March 1940

Dear Angela
Your letter arrived on March 8th and I was at home when it came. Please excuse me for not writing, but we have just been having the exams, and I think I have done fairly awful in everything as I did not do any “swotting”. I think my writing has become worse since the exams, that is because we have to write so much in such a short time.
It has been snowing now for two days but the sun comes out and melts it. I am fed up with the sight of snow and I think snow at Easter is going to be terrible. We are getting three weeks holiday at Easter but we are advised by the Government not to return home - out of about 400 boys evacuated about 390 are returning home - it shows what we think of the Government’s advice. I went to see my uncle the other week, he is an officer in the Army and is camping near here, we had a great time at the camp and had an “army tea”. If the war lasts I will be in the Army or Air-Force in three years time - I have very pleasant prospects haven’t I.
I managed to escape St Valentines Day this year although my pal did not. I still have a problem to work out, as a few months ago someone sent me a pig’s tail with a piece of blue ribbon on, and a short note! Does anything like this happen in America?
We have not had any football for a few months now as the fields were either under snow or water, I rather enjoy playing in mud. I bet you looked beautiful “up to the eyes” in mud after hockey.
I read a “Piedmont Highlander” which one of my pals got from his correspondent. It is much more “free and easy” than our school mag. ours is published once a term and is fairly “dry” consisting of a few works of art, literature and reports of the school societies. It also seems as if your school is much different from ours. Ours seems to be much more strict than yours even though it is considered fairly “democratic” over here. Well so much for “ours” and “yours”.
I think pencil sketching is much easier, as you can rub your mistakes out and hide them with shading. I have some sketches to do for the “Bedan”, and the “Editorial” has to be drawn. It will be published in about three days time so I have plenty to do - but why worry? I will try anything once.
I am hoping to go for a ride in the Clevelands on Saturday if the snow has gone. It is great to ride on the moors and you often find ruined abbeys with their proverbial “ghosts” who walk at midnight. We usually ride to Richmond to see the girls from our school, of course we go to see the ancient village. I will be seeing, or at least hope to see some of the girls at home at Easter.
Well I must close now, but I am hoping for the best, expecting the worst so that I won’t be disappointed - this applies to the exam results.
Yours sincerely
Harold
P.S. Please excuse the crossing out

12 February 1940

12.2.40

Dear Angela
Received your letter last week, so it has taken about three weeks to come over. If you sent your letters straight home (that is billets) I would only get them one day sooner, and as we are still hoping to get back to Sunderland you may as well send them to Sunderland. But you can do as you please.
I have turned a “crook” in the last week ----- no not quite a burglar. I will explain. As you know we have a job to get a week end leave. Well last week a pal and I wanted to go home and give mam and dad a surprise. I wrote to my uncle, who is in the army, and he sent me a letter as if dad had written it asking me to go home, ------ that got my permit. I then took a hand in the dealings, and wrote a letter as if my pals mother had been writing, I was quite “motherly” telling him not to get his feet wet or he would catch cold etc. ----- this obtained a permit for him. We then discovered that we had not enough money for the fare, so we rode the 50 miles and got home at 10 am after starting at 6.45 am. We have just returned - in the train as the snow was too deep to ride. Well that is all to say about my “forgery”, ----- it was quite exciting riding before dawn in the dark.
I suppose you will have heard by now that we have had the coldest winter for45 years. The snow thawed last week but last night a fresh fall of about one foot has arrived.
I hope that you got through your finals OK. I have some exams in about a months time but I am just going to hope for the best, it won’t be much use. Although it is a little late, I wish you many happy returns for your birthday. I don’t know whether I told you but I was sixteen on November 10th 1939.
We had “pancake Tuesday” last week, it is a day when everyone eats a kind of flat cake which is cooked in a frying pan, it is an old religious custom. Do you have a “pancake Tuesday” in America? Next Wednesday is “Valentine Day” it is a day when you send comic cards which express your feelings towards someone, no name is put on them however. Do you have Valentines in America? I will explain about the “flicks”, it is a slang term for the films, it comes from the days when they used to flicker on the screen. The other sentence which you couldn’t understand is:- if a person pays two shillings he can buy two one-shilling seats, and as he does not need two seats and he wouldn’t pay for a “boy friend” it works itself out. Do you understand now?
We are now doing America in Geography and it is a terrific size compared with England. California seems to get very little snow or rain and I think you should be thankful that you do not get our weather.
I must close now, please excuse writing as I am half asleep after a hectic week end at home and getting up in the “middle” of the night to ride 50 miles on my bicycle which is just about falling to bits.
I close now wishing you
All o’the best
Harold

20 January 1940 - South Otterington Church, North Yorkshire

20.1.40

Dear Angela
I suppose that you will also be wondering what has happened to this letter. You posted yours on December 18th and I received it on January 19th, that is yesterday. Well I suppose, it is lucky to get any letters at all because of the war. I must thank you for the Xmas card I think that it is a very good “lino cut”. I hope that you received my Xmas card in time. If possible I will send you a print of one of my sketches, it was printed in the “Bedan”, that is the school magazine.
As you can see I am still away from home. I managed to get home for16 days at Xmas and was at six parties and never in bed before 3 o’clock in the morning, so you can tell what kind of time I had. I did not feel like returning but I had to as I sit my first exam in July. I hope to sit another exam when I am 18, to go to University and be an architect. This is looking ahead however.
We are having some great fun now as we have about 6” of snow. It snows nearly every day now. Before it snowed we had 12° of frost and I had quite a lot of ice-skating, it is great fun. One day I was on the ice for 5 hours. I went and swept some of the pond this afternoon so that we could skate. Tonight I went “sledging” with the two boys in my billet, we had a great time on the banks. These sports may sound alright but as it is about 10° below freezing point it is very cold. You will laugh if I tell you what I had on to keep me warm:- two shirts, one waistcoat, one “pullover”, one sweater, two pair of trousers, two pair of stockings and football boots. I looked very “tubby”.
I was supposed to be on our under 17 cross country team to-day but the team we were running against were ill with measles. I am glad that the race was put off because of the snow. Last Monday I ran 4 miles over terrible country in 10° of frost, when I finished I was blue.
We saw three German planes the other day but there was no anti aircraft shooting. Mam and dad have seen the shells busting around the planes at home and they saw one brought down. As yet we have had no bombs and we do not want any.
We see most of the American films over here and I think that they are better than most of the English ones. Do you see any British films? My favourite film star is Loretta Young. At Northallerton we do not see the films until about three years after they have been released, as it is so small.
We are rationed now but nearly every one is taking it as a joke. I could not get any writing paper with lines on and I had a job to get envelopes. So please excuse the writing.
Well I must close now, it is still “as card as owt” or “”could as owt” which means as cold as anything.
I will leave the letter open until I manage to get a print from the printers.
I remain
Yours Sincerely
Harold
-------/-------

Sunday 21st
I did not get up until 10.30am this morning. I then went sledging on a new “run” which has a series of bumps in it. I had three crashes into the hedge and am feeling quite sore on my hip bones. I went skating again this afternoon but it began to snow and I got “home” looking like a snow man. There is now about one foot of snow and some drifts about six feet deep. It was the coldest night we have ever had last night, it was supposed to have been 24° below freezing point. The bath will not empty as the pipes are frozen and even the water taps inside were frozen There has been a cover of frost inside our bedroom windows for quite some time.
I may seem to be talking about the weather a great deal but it is the only topic of conversation over here.
I will leave letter open until tomorrow at latest. I am enclosing some Australian stamps.
Monday
Will definitely close now as I have got the first print which is enclosed.
Yours sincerely
Harold