War Letter
A copy of a letter I have that was written around 1940 when the Germans were bombing our ports and industrial areas and cities.
It was sent to my Grandmother, who was called Hetty (Henrietta), by her sister, who lived with most of her family in Liverpool, right by the docks.
‘God knows we have gone through hell, nobody knows the terrible experience we have had, but thank God we are all well up to now. If you were here and saw Liverpool you would go mad, there is not a part of it that hasn’t had a hit (by a bomb).
We all thought we were finished last Saturday week, a land mine dropped in Teulon Street (the next road), and the top of our street is awful.
We have not got a window or frame; all our doors were blown open. So we have to go out at night to sleep and come home in the morning.
Harold Williams takes a lorry load from our street each night and they sleep in a Mission Hall. They go to St Helens (10 miles inland).
A neighbour came up for me and said ‘for Gods sake come with us and try and get a place’. So I packed some bedding and went out to Huyton (6 miles inland), and a friend of his brothers took us both in. So we sleep there each night and come home each morning.
It is pitiful to see the roads each night with people and children carrying bedding going to the outskirts, anywhere they can get (to get away from the bombing).
My son was home on leave (from fighting) while the Blitz was on, he went away broken hearted at what we were going through.
We have all been deadbeat, and need a good sleep.
Our sister Aggie has been bombed out and has been staying with us.
We have been told not to sleep in our houses at night (because of the bombs).
We are looking forward to having a good time when this war is over, whoever lives to see it.’
It was sent to my Grandmother, who was called Hetty (Henrietta), by her sister, who lived with most of her family in Liverpool, right by the docks.
‘God knows we have gone through hell, nobody knows the terrible experience we have had, but thank God we are all well up to now. If you were here and saw Liverpool you would go mad, there is not a part of it that hasn’t had a hit (by a bomb).
We all thought we were finished last Saturday week, a land mine dropped in Teulon Street (the next road), and the top of our street is awful.
We have not got a window or frame; all our doors were blown open. So we have to go out at night to sleep and come home in the morning.
Harold Williams takes a lorry load from our street each night and they sleep in a Mission Hall. They go to St Helens (10 miles inland).
A neighbour came up for me and said ‘for Gods sake come with us and try and get a place’. So I packed some bedding and went out to Huyton (6 miles inland), and a friend of his brothers took us both in. So we sleep there each night and come home each morning.
It is pitiful to see the roads each night with people and children carrying bedding going to the outskirts, anywhere they can get (to get away from the bombing).
My son was home on leave (from fighting) while the Blitz was on, he went away broken hearted at what we were going through.
We have all been deadbeat, and need a good sleep.
Our sister Aggie has been bombed out and has been staying with us.
We have been told not to sleep in our houses at night (because of the bombs).
We are looking forward to having a good time when this war is over, whoever lives to see it.’