18 July 1943
Dear Angela
Please excuse the paper, it is the best I can do at the present. Large writing pads are almost impossible to buy now so I am using some of my stock of college paper. I am “fire-watching” at present and as the table was not made for writing on you must also excuse the scribble being worse than usual.
I think I had just finished exams when I last wrote to you – well I have the results now and am pleased to say that I got through. I am rather sorry at being the only Mechanical Engineer in 2nd Year to pass out of six – I will certainly miss the other chaps. I should learn something next year as I will be the only person in at each lecture. I have been given another year before being called up into the services, and when the time comes I will go in at my own work.
We had the college sports a fortnight ago, and even though I wasn’t very fit and hadn’t recovered from the fatigue of exams, I managed to win the 100 yds, 120 hurdles and the high jump and got second in the 220 yds and the long jump – the times and distances were very poor because hardly anyone had had time to do any training – however it was a grand day.
I had a fortnight holiday after the exams and it was just a series of dances, visits to the “pictures”, and rides on my bike – however I have once again donned boiler suits and gone back to work among oil and grease for 3 months. I don’t really mind work but the early rising doesn’t seem to agree with me at all.
Rod has received Ginny’s letter and has a reply written but not yet posted – he is with me now and we have both been having a good laugh because we are both as red as cherries with sun-burn. I must thank you for the photo, I think it is very good and that “sweet and prim” is the best way of describing you or perhaps I could put some more expression in to a whistle or a sigh – in short – I don’t think you would be short of ‘dates’ if you were over here!!! I am afraid you won’t be able to say anything as complimentary as the above about my photo as it does make me look a little sullen, but I suppose I do look like that, but I don’t think I am sullen.
I can’t think of any more to write and I haven’t any questions to ask at present, and I have none to answer so I will close with your advice –
Be good and write soon
Love
Harold
18 July 1943
20 June 1943
Dear Angela
I have been waiting for a reply from you but as none has arrived I have decided to put pen to paper myself.
At present I am having a short vacation before going back to work. I have just finished a week of exams and am waiting for the dreaded list being pinned up at College. I can’t quite realise that if I pass this year I will be taking my finals next year – however that remains to be seen.
I have been in the sea for a bathe twice this week and quite enjoyed it even if it was a little cold. The college sports are next Saturday and it seems as if I am going to have a ‘job’ to get a place in the sprints as some of the new students are fairly fast; and they have the advantage of being fit which is more than I am.
You will have heard about the Home Guard over here, well the College Company are going to enter a team for the H.G. sports so it seems as if I will have to get myself fit some-time.
I can’t remember if I gave you an address for Ginny Barnett to write to, but my friend has written three times in all and has had no reply. I will give you his address now just in case I haven’t sent it before
Mr RD Holt
Rostherne
Park Lea Road
Roker
Sunderland
I think I did send his address because I can recollect saying that he is usually called Rod – however there is no harm done in sending it a second time – (I must be losing my memory). However I can remember sending you a terrible photo and promising to send a better one, well I think you will agree that the one enclosed is better than the other one, even if is only a little better.
I had a ‘medical’ a few weeks ago and they seemed to think I was A.1 but I didn’t feel it – I will have to have an interview after the exam results are published, in order to decide my fate when I get my degree. At present I am neutral – I can’t decide which of the three services is the best for an engineer (?). Excuse the long sentences – my English never was very good.
I believe I once mentioned one of my pals being in the R.A.F. – he got the D.F.M. last week and every one at the ‘old’ school feels quite proud of him.
I don’t seem to have said much about the war yet but I am afraid I can’t tell you all I would like to – except that we had quite a taste of it during the last month or so – it is quite a sickly taste too. I don’t know whether the censor will let this pass or not, however I have left out all the details in the hope that he will.
Well, I must close now as I have run out of news. Hoping you receive the photo.
Love
Harold
17 March 1943
17/3/43
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived the same day that I posted my reply to your previous letter (I hope this makes sense). However I must admit that to prevent crowding of the letters is not my only excuse for not replying sooner – I have been absolutely full of work lately and have had very little time to myself, on top of that we have had a few unwanted visitors lately, but I am glad to report that some of them never went back. Well so much for excuses!
You will be over the shock of your exams and probably the shock of the results when you receive this. I have got mine to come yet. I had one paper last week and even though I did make a mess of it I was given a good pass – so I can’t quite grumble. The others come next week and last 8 days with two papers each day, I think I will have to cram the night before as I have done very little swotting up to the present. – however these are only college exams and I have until June to work for the University Exams. I think my Physics has reached a stage similar to your Spanish, I have thought about giving it up but it is of no use because I have to pass in it, I suppose I will just have to learn it like a parrot, because I am sure the human mind was not made to understand the depths of Heat and Light.
In reply to your views on the Englishman as he appears in America I can only say that from American magazines and films the American men students seem to have a failing for ‘baggy’ looking attire as you call it. I must admit that the American college girl does seem a little neater and tidier than the English, however that may be because I have only seen a small number of each. Everyone over here is wearing ‘baggy’ clothing at present and it is more out of necessity than tradition.
As for the photo I sent you, I must emphasise that it is a very poor one and I only sent it because I promised, I am going to have one taken at Easter when I will have a few days off and will be able to catch the studios open.
You mentioned your brother being ‘called up’ as we put it, and your point of view about him is the same as mam’s about me “I think it will do him good”. I will be having another taste of army life soon as we have another fortnight with the regular army at a camp on the moors – I suppose it will be another kill or cure course like all the rest – however it will mean more sing-songs about a ‘tinny’ piano!
I received one copy of the ‘Daily Cal’ and I quite enjoyed reading it, it appears that the whole University is just a mass of movement and that there is always something happening. I am afraid that we would seem a trifle dead over here at present, because of all the war duties etc which take up most of the time during each week, I have only played about three games of football since I started college, and I have only had running shoes on about four times which is quite a drop from the sport I had before. However such is war!
I saw my pal about writing to ‘Ginny’ and he said he had written twice so it seems that my cliché can be used again ‘Such is war!’ He has written again and she should receive a letter about the same time as you receive this – if not however here is the address
Mr RD Holt
Rostherne
Park Lea Road
Roker
Sunderland
Co Durham
I don’t quite know how he should be addressed as I am not sure of his correct name – he has two in everyday use either ‘Rod’ or ‘Reggie’ however she had better use ‘Rod’.
I close hoping you will excuse mistakes and that you passed your exams.
Love
Harold
17 January 1943 (although the letter is dated 1942) - Harold aged 19
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived a few days ago a little late for Xmas, but as they say “better late than never”; thank you very much for the Xmas card it is a lovely photograph, and I am afraid that Sunderland Tech cannot boast of anything like that. It certainly seems that the University of California is a massive place with grounds and playing fields “on the spot”. I think Durham University would be about the same size if it were “collected”. Sunderland Tech is one college of Durham Univ. and comprises of two buildings one on each side of the street in the town, the rest of Durham Univ. is at Durham and Newcastle; so you can see that we at Sunderland are quite a small community on our own, but we have as good a reputation as any other college and we are quite proud of it.
Monkwearmouth? – I had expected that question and often intended to explain before you asked (if you get my meaning) – however I will try to explain it as short as possible and not be too boring. It all started about 674 A.D. when a monastery called St Peters was built, there are of course monks in a monastery, and hence we have 1/3 of the word, the last 2/3 is easily obtained the “monks” lived at the “mouth” of the river “Wear” and thus we have the complete word. If you care to read any more I will add one or two more facts – it was the first church in England to have glass in it and the original glass works or should I say the original “firm” is still here – in 867 it (the Church) was burned by the Danes – Bede did some of his Bible translation here and the rest at Jarrow a few miles away – St Peters was famous for its educational qualities long before Oxford, Cambridge or Durham – well I am not a Historian but I did dabble in Architecture and I hope the above facts are not in too much detail and do not bore you. I may as well give you the origin of Sunderland – it also goes back to Saxon times when it was called “Sonderlande” because – there are two reasons given now 1) Sunderland was supposed to mean the land owned by the monastery 2) Sunderland meant that the land owned by the monastery was cut asunder by the river – I don’t know which is correct. I believe I forgot to say that the new St Peters – built after the burning in 867 A.D. still stands and part of the original 674 A.D. building is still here. Well so much for that.
I am happy to say that I did not take Spanish at school – I did take French and German and found quite enough pitfalls in these without trying anything in Spanish. It seems I will have to start French or German again – because for an Honours Degree in Engineering some of the papers are on a foreign language – the idea is to show that you could read a foreign technical book.
I have just read your question on Monkwearmouth again and it seems I haven’t completely answered it – you asked what it was – I live in Sunderland but Sunderland is subdivided into districts, wards or parishes call them what you will, well the district I live in is Monkwearmouth. The districts are not villages and are only separated by streets or the river. They also have some names which go back to the Saxon times such as Fulwell & Millfield – these are again “built up” words like Monkwearmouth. I think that does answer your question now and I hope it hasn’t been boring. Have you any such arrangements in America?
As I promised I sent you a photo, it is a very poor one and makes me look about 90 however I kept my promise in spite of it. When I get some time off I will have a better one taken.
Well Bob Hope is now on the radio and I have run out of news now.
Love
Harold
10 December 1942
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
