From Hugh - July 23, 1945

23 July 1945

Dear Dorothy,

There was no mail tonight but from the weekend and the letters I got yesterday I should be able to write.

Saturday I got off at noon and we left here on the 2 o'clock bus.  By the time we got there it was almost 5 o'clock.  There were too many buses to catch.  We had a queue to sweat out for every bus.  Saturday we went to the hospital to see Olga and the baby.  From 7 to 8 they let fathers in and I just walked around with him and no one said anything.  The baby was in the nursery so we had to go there too.  They were both fine.  The nurses would not let Olga stop the baby from crying and that made her nervous so they took the baby to the nursery.

Before we went to the hospital we ate.  We had fresh eggs, sausage and fried ham.  It was really good too.  I have about learned to like eggs.  I had plenty of catsup to put on them.

After we came back we ate again.  In fact we spent most of the time eating.  Sunday morning we went to church at the Parish church.  As usual I tried to keep up with the service in the prayer book and kept busy turning the pages and didn't know where they were half the time.  The sermon was good tho.  It was about needing God's help in everything we do.  The hospital allows Olga to have 2 visitors Sunday afternoon so her father and mother went.  It was raining so John and I stayed in.  I didn't go back with John Sunday night.  The bus queues were so big Sunday night it took me almost 4 hours to get back.

My bunk was still broken up from Saturday and I couldn't get it made up quick enough to read my letters.  By then I didn't have much time to write.  That was the first mail I had in almost a week.

I can understand why you would be about mad at the author of "I Discover the English."  I didn't like her style of writing at all but it was so near the truth I thought it would give you a surprise.  It really was a shock to me when I got here and saw how so many of the people live.  About all I had heard of was about the nobility etc.  Maybe she did chum around with the wrong people but she seemed to learn the truth about the English.

Tonight I put some cement on the floor to stick the rubber matting down and got it all over my hands.  It will not wash off but did smear on one of the pages.

From now on we work 5 1/2 days a week.  The extra half day comes on a different day each week and every 6 weeks it comes in connection with the regular day off.  I don't know why they don't give it with the day off every week.  That's G.I.'s, never satisfied.  I don't see why we didn't get some more time off in the U.S. while we were there instead of here.  They don't seem to have used the fellows for what they were trained for so they could have given us a lot of time off.

Faulconer's wife wrote him she was going to see about buying from the Air Base near them.  They may have several things that you cannot get in town.  One fellow got a nice watch from our P.X. here today.  He signed up for it in April tho.  It is so nice I have about decided to sign up for one myself.  Don't know why just yet but I'll think of an excuse.

Pag still thinks we will be here a long time yet.  Maybe I'll be lucky to be home by Christmas.  Sometimes I wonder if even then.  Everything moves so slow now but when it gets started it's really fast.  Two fellows were transferred from our hangar last week and they went to an ordnance outfit.  They are going to the U.S. and then to the Pacific.  They get 30 days furlough and 8 weeks training in the U.S.  I guess that's not too good tho.

I can understand that you could not digest all of guides etc. of London.  I don't think I ever read all of them.  By the tine I get there I will have forgotten about all of them.  The things I underscored in "Jimmy's" account of London are places I saw.

I knew that the Baptist Church was started by Christ and all that but got mixed up in my letter.  I was thinking the course you were talking about was ahistory of the Baptist Church in America.

I guess I'll save the other letters for tomorrow night.  The mail is so slow now I probably will not get any mail for a day or two.  Anyhow I love you.

Love,
Hugh

From Hugh - June 25, 1945

25 June

Dear Dorothy,

In just a little my furlough will be officially over. 2 1/2 hours to be exact.

I went for the trousers this afternoon and took my jacket to have the sleeves shortened.  She said she would fix the jacket today if I came back between 5 & 6 o'clock.  I went to Manchester and changed trousers at the R.C. and put a pr. in the cleaners.  The barber was off so I just sat there a while and then went back to Altvincham.  The trousers were ready so I came right back.  I stopped at the R.C. in Warrington to eat but it was anything I particularly wanted so I came to camp.  I have just come from the R.C. here and am drinking a can of fruit juice.

Donald got my mail for me.  There were two letters from you 16 & 18 June, one from Ruth 14 June and Challengers from 31 May and 7 June.  The letters didn't sound like you were too happy.  Maybe the wrong time.  I can never remember.

It seems like they were getting the schools in Muskogee out of a mess when I went there.  At that time Mr. Cardwell was the one to get it fixed.  That's the way it goes tho.  For that reason I am glad E.K. got out of the schools. That's one thing politics should be kept out but it always gets mixed up somehow.

There is a rumor that they are going to cancel furlough for some reason or other in a little while.  I am glad to get mine before that starts.  Some think there will be a shipment but it may be just to get everything packed up and ready to leave.  I don't see how they can ship many men out before the supplies are taken care of.  I have not gotten to the point to think I can figure out what the Army will do but I can't help having opinions.

I don't know what you would do without your mother to look out for you when you "raise a nasty fuss."  She seems to have done pretty well tho. When I get back I may try a little different experiment by spanking even if you have threatened to "beat the tar" out of me.

Ruth wrote a little news about her family.  They had invited some children from the Baptist orphanage to have a Sunday dinner with them.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  They bought a watermelon, the first they had.

I got the packages off today.  There is one rather mixed up.  It has something from Stratford-on-Avon that I missed sending and the coins from Southern Ireland.  I never did manage to get a complete set of coins.

Mrs. Bell has a lady helping her sew and she thinks it is the most wonderful thing that we have fruit juice every morning for breakfast.  She also thought it awful that I don't eat breakfast.  She asked me how the "wife and baby" are.  I said "She's o.k.".  I am just teasing now.  Someone showed her a picture of a wife and baby and she thought it was me.

I guess I have done enough damage for tonight.  Anyhow I love you.

Love,
Hugh

From Hugh - May 8, 1945

8 May

Dear Dorothy,

Although Churchill has not made his talk everyone has started celebrating.  We went to work this morning but didn't hurt ourselves and didn't go back after chow.  They called while we were gone and said "It's here" or words to that meaning.  All but 2 or 3 from our hut started getting ready to go out.  They started celebrating last night.  The section next to use have a "non-com" club and were having open house last night.

The fellows in our hut found out after 10 oclock but that didn't stop them from going down and getting in on the party.

They came in making such a row they must have woke up the whole area.  This morning it did me the most good to go around and wake them up.  I had my celebration then.  They all had hangovers and swore off drinking but at noon they were ready to go again.  I hope they don't come back tonight.  We are off tomorrow so they may stay out.

I am in the Red Cross Library and am going back to the hut to hear Churchill at 3 oclock.  I understand the President will be on the air at the same time but don't suppose we will hear him until the broadcast a recording of it.  The King is on tonight at nine oclock.  The Limey stores have been selling fireworks for 2 or 3 days.  I have not heard any in a long time.

They say the towns are really decorate3d.  I want to see them and make some pictures etc. but not today.  It's raining for one thing and I don't want to get mixed up in that mob for another. Maybe I am too much a pessimist to celebrate much.  There was a cartoon in the Stars & Stripes that fits me pretty good.  Among hundreds of celebrating G.I.s one was sitting there reading a guide to Japan.

The mail is in.  There were two letters from you, bot written 27 April.  Mama is ahead of you for once with her letters.  I already have her 1 May letter.  Usually hers are behind yours.

A lot of fellows were picked for special guard duty to start as soon as V-E Day took effect.  I think they will probably put the regular guards in town and put the extras here on the base.  With this rain I am surely glad I didn't get into it.

There is a sign on the door of the R.C. saying "FREE FOOD. OPEN 24 HOURS."

I think I will just spend the night here instead of going to the hut.  It's raining harder now and I was about ready to go over and listen to the radio.  On second thought maybe I better not stay here all night even for free food.  I would hate to be sick for the trip to the Pacific.  The Stars & Stripes today had an article about taking a "sizeable force in the Pacific in 4 months.  With a month for traveling that does not have much time.

I am back in the hut after the speech and now we are waiting for chow time.  Heckman & I went to the Soda Shop and had a Coke and we could hear the bells etc. in town ringing.  From the radio announcements London must really be having a "do."  All of the squares etc. are packed with people.  I suppose a big portion of them are "Yanks."  I know the English will be glad when they have seen the last of the Yank uniforms.  Some have already expressed such.

This morning I called the Chaplain to see if the church services would be today or tomorrow.  He said he had to wait on the official announcement from headquarters and did not know himself.  He wanted to have it today so I will go down that way about 7 oclock.  If it is not tonight it will be in the morning at 11.

The headlines on the S. & S. were 3 3/4" high.  I never saw any that big before.

"GERMANY QUITS."

I tried to get more than one copy and some English papers but couldn't.  They were all gone early.  I kept putting this down and then starting over again.  No telling what it will sound like  Anyhow I love you.

Love,
Hugh

From Victor Bowers to Hugh - March 23, 1945

Pembroke, GA

March 23rd, 1945

Dear Hugh:-

I do most of my writing nowadays on the typewriter both for speed and that the other fellow may be able to read but I always try to write you boys in the service as Paul says: "With my own hand."

Your letter is appreciated more than I can tell you.  The money of course is appreciated but there are things that are worth more than money and this is one of them.  The spirit that prompted it and the testimony of your faith both directly in God and in the power of prayer.  So many of our boys get away from and even in the face of death forget their maker and their soulds.

Your Dad was a good man and my good friend.  We loved Bryan County and often wished together that we could rid it of fractional politics and fashion it into one of the best and most progressive Counties in the state.  We realized that we could not do it along nor could it be in our generation, but we dreamed that our childre and children's children could carry on until the vision was accomplished.  Providence willed that he should be called away before I was but I have been true to the purpose and today am happy that the son of my friend is following in the way of his father and will possibly come back to Bryan County to take up our cause and carry on.  Only men of vision and with a back-ground to inspire them will carry through.

Our son is in the South Pacific but has been very fortunate thus far.  He was at San Juan, Porto Rico for 12 months; then back in the states for 9 and now out again for 8.  He is on one of the new ships and not having a Chaplain, he is conducting services regularly.  I hope that he too will make this his home when released from the Navy.

We have about 75 per cent of the estimated cash of reguilding in hand and some of the brick on the ground for the new church.  Friends like you will put it over.  May the Lord bless and keep you.  Write me when it is convenient and call upon me if ever I can serve you, and don't forget that from the other and better shore your father and I will be watching you boys and rejoicing in your clean lives and good deeds.

Sincerely your friend,
Victor Bowers

From Hugh - May 25, 1944

England

May 25, 1944

Dear Dorothy,

Today the V-letter written May 12 and air mail for May 15 came today.  I have had a nap and before that I washed my field jacket.  Since I was not off Sunday it was awfully dirty and I didn't do too good a job.  After that I aired my blankets.  Now my bed is all made and it is a big temptation to go to bed.
Donald just came in and we are going over and call Mrs. Renshaw.  We waited a little late in the week to call.  They may already have something planned.

The letter that came today was the one that was all mixed up.  I enjoyed it. It was a nice long one.

Bob could make reservations for you if you made the trip to Colorado.  That would really be a nice trip.  I hope you can make.  Colorado is a very pretty place, I hear.  Some day when I have rested about 4 years I would like to make a trip there.  Maybe we could look up Ray and Fay.

We went over to call Mrs. Renshaw but there was a line waiting for the phone and it was already late so we decided to wait until tomorrow.  There is only one phone here that we can use so there is usually a long line.

I had the lable from a pr. of socks that you sent me and John Heckman said he used to work in the mill where they were made.  It is in Reding, Pa.

Everyone else is in bed so I suppose it is time for me to quit, but not before I say, I love you.

Love,
Hugh.

From Hugh - April 6, 1944

England

April 6, 1944

Dear Dorothy,

I have just come from a show where James Cagney made a personal appearance.  It was a ver good U.S.O. show and he came on at the last and told a few old jokes and did a few dance steps.  It was only a personal appearance but the rest of the program was very good.  "Truth or Consequences" is on the air.  They are playing from Atlanta.

Tonight I got a box with 2 boxes of candy in it, from Aileen.  I just got her letter saying she had sent it.  It was Easter Greetings candy.  I have really hit the jack pot this week but no letters from you tonight.

I am feeling much better tonight thatn I did last night.  I am satisfied it was something I ate so it just had to have time to clean out.  Who said I am a chow hound?

I guess we have been listening to English jokes too much.  None of us seem to get the point of Joe Childens' joke about Bob Burns new song: "I wish I had a paper doll- or I could call my own."  We could figure out the one about Wilkie having his eye on the presidential seat.

I don't have any information about the allotment for mama.  Maybe they could find it by checking my serial number.  You did enclose that didn't you?

I intended mentioning this but I don't htink I did.  The Red Cross Club buildings in most cases were hotels before they were taken over.  The point I was getting at is that none I have been in have connecting baths.  You just had to "follow the arrow" as it were.  There are a lot of things that I have learned about the English that I didn't know.  The English are nicknamed Limeys."  There are several explanations as to the origin but that cannot be blamed on the G.I's.  It is a lot older than since we came over.  Everything English is called Limey, usually not complimentary.

I have Mrs. Ree's address but not her initials:

Mrs. Ree

15 Mauldeth Road

Withington

Manchester 20,

Lanc. England.

I don't know what it all means but Lanc. is the County, Lancashire.

The radio stations are going off witht he Star Spangled Banner so I must sign off with love.

Love,

Hugh

P.S. I know how the Camp Gruber soldiers could go to England and get rained on too.  H.R.

From Hugh - November 8, 1943

England

Nov. 8, 1943

Dear Dorothy,

I still don't have any V-mail so I have to use this.  Tonight I am tired.  We have been having exercises and it is the first I have had for some time.  I will probably be stif tomorrow.

I did not get to go to church yesterday.  There was only one service and I could not make it to that one.  On the way over there was only one Chaplain.  He was Catholic but held services for us.  It was mostly prayer services.

I surely do miss you but there is one thing sure, each day that passes means that it is one day closer to the time I will be back with you.  I love you and think about you all the time.

I am still looking for a letter from you.  I have no idea when they will catch me.

Love,

Hugh

From Hugh - November 3, 1943

England,

11-3-43

Dear Dorothy,

This is the first chance I have had to write for some time so I suppose you have been wondering.  I am getting along fine.  I have been seeing lots of interesting things but there is so little to talk about now.  There doesn't seem to be a lot of difference in the people.  A few different customers etc.  I can tell you how much I love you tho.  I miss you so much.  It is very nice here and I wish I hae you here to stay while I am here.  That is out tho.  I expect to have a new A.P.O. but in the meantime use this one.  If I change it will be forwarded.  Today a man came around to take cablegrams.  I sent one to you and Mama.

I had some V mail forms with red borders but here we hae to use black borders so it will probably take this longer to get to you.  As soon as I can get some I will start using that.  I am taking for granted you will be home by the time this gets there.  I was not sure about the cable but I knew you would see Mama's if you were there.

I still don't have any English money.  I hae a chart showing what they have but I don't understand much about it.  I suppose it will be easier when I get some to look at and compare.

I have been trying to think who I am supposed to know in England but I would not know where to look for them.

Do you ever hear from Marion?  I thought about her when I was in N.J. but I didn't know what town she was in and I probably didn't have a chance to get in touch with her if I had know.

We have to have ration tickets to use at the P.X. and so far I don't have any.  I had some candy and cookies so I have not needed it.  We should get them in a day or two.  I could use my civilian shoes if I stay here but until I find out something certain I will let things stay as they are.  There are several things I could have brought if I had known about it.  I must stop now and gee I sure do love you.

Love,
Hugh.