Letters September 1940

19th. September 1940
To Fus. WA Barter 6472227,
No. 1 Platoon,
Block No. 2,
Somerset Barracks,
Shorncliff,
Kent. Jessie Barter
Goring
Berks.
Dear Walt,

How are you getting on? I haven’t had your letter this week yet but I thought I had better write as they take such a time to get anywhere now. It’s because the post offices everywhere shut up every time there is an alarm. They were complaining about it in the papers so I expect they will soon do something about it.

I got your letter last Wed. and wrote to you last Thursday and sent two newspapers. I wonder if you have had that by now? I had a letter from Mum, they got down there alright. The raids seem to be getting worse in London. I wish they could get a cottage down here and move some of the furniture but I expect that is impossible now.

I have finished another pair of grey socks but I haven’t sent them in case you have moved as you said you were going to this week. If you get your leave you will have to go to Aunt Ethel’s. Shame it isn’t until the 1st. but that is when I leave here, next Tuesday week.

That blaze in the East End the other Sunday, was 50 barges of sugar belonging to Tate’s, a bomb got the lot. So it looks as though we shall have to go without our extra ration. Our gardener’s brother in law and family have arrived here from Silvertown in the East End. They say you can’t describe it, there is hardly a factory or house left standing. Reading and all the villages around are full of refugees looking for somewhere to stay.

Write as often as you can Walt. Did you get your extra 3/6 this week? I’ll get on with the other socks, so that if you get leave soon, you can take them back with you. I’m also in the middle of a pair of gloves. I reminded Glad to hurry with the pullover she is making you. I expect it is cold by the sea now although it has turned a lot warmer the last two days.

Best Love,
Jess

19th. Sept. 1940
To Fus. WA Barter 6472227,
No. 1 Platoon,
Block No. 2,
Somerset Barracks,
Shorncliff,
Kent.
Helions Bumpstead,
Nr. Haverhill,
Suffolk

Dear Wally,

Just a line to let you know we are alright, and I hope you have not been getting it too bad. It is quite nice down here and in a way I am enjoying it although I hope it does not last too long. I went up to London last Monday to have a look around but everything seemed the same. The sirens went about five times that day but I must go up now and again. East London had it the worst, that is round the docks, Woolwich, Greenwich, Aldgate etc. but every part of London has had a taste of it.

Uncle Walt has got a puppy, a nice chubby little chap he is too. I think he will be a fairly big dog when he is full grown, just at present we have to keep Joe away from him because he wants to play and Joe, being an old man, doesn’t. Our dog likes the country and the exercise does him good. The weather these last two or three days has been very windy but it might be to our advantage, Jerry can’t cross the Channel when it is so rough. In any case, how they can get through the minefields and past the navy and coastal defences, I don’t know.

Todd and his wife Alice came to tea last Sunday, Albert also came and they put thistles in Lill’s and Gladys’ bed. Just as kiddish as ever. We all went over to Todd’s to tea yesterday (Wednesday). They have got a nice old fashioned cottage. They have spent something on it, all new slates put on the roof and drainage and a flush cistern in the lavatory but the cottage is really cosy, low ceilings and beams and the garden is large with plenty of fruit trees. Todd has made a nice place for pigs but just at present it is difficult to keep them, so he has got his hens in it instead. When it was nearly dark, Todd and I went into the garden to get some plums. I got up into the tree, it wasn’t a very big tree, and Todd came up the ladder behind me. He was telling me to get further up the tree, it would take my weight, but I wasn’t too sure. Anyway we got plenty of plums.

Maud is over at Wakeland’s Farm, that is near Steeple Bumpstead, I am going over there one day to see the farm. I have got a girl’s bike, it is quite a nice bike too, easy running. This wind is blowing the pears and apples down. Some of the pears are heard and we bake them in the oven, they are good, Well, this is all for the present so,

Cheerio, Harry

21st. Sept. 1940
To Fus. WA Barter 6472227,
No. 1 Platoon,
Block No. 2,
Somerset Barracks,
Shorncliff,
Kent.
Mrs. Barter
Helions Bumpstead.
Nr. Haverhill,
Suffolk

Dear Walter,

I received your letter this morning it only took three days this time. I expect you have received my last one by this time, so you know now what has happened up in London. There was quite a lot of damage done round about us in Ashmore and the Avenues and three houses brought down in Dilhorne Road and in High Road Kilburn two shops were brought down. Madame Tausauds in Baker Street was done in and a lot of damage done round there. It was really terrible round about us.

The Wicks are supposed to have moved away from 58 last Saturday , a week today but Harry went up last week and their things are still there but they went before us or I should not have gone away and Miss Sawyer goes to her sister’s to sleep so she only goes in day. The old lady is with her sister in Barnsdale Road as all her windows are broken and they have boarded them up so it is pitch dark. Dad is going to put them in as soon as we go back which I hope will not be long now but it is such a job to get the glass. Our front ones are broken also on the first floor and two of Jessie’s, so you can imagine what it was like. Harry and Dad are going up on Monday to have a look round to see if there is any work in. They were doing nothing, hardly doing (anything) for some time before we left or we should have had to stick it.

Bill next door is sleeping there while we are away as he had nowhere to go as he has lost everything but he is lucky to be alive. Mrs. Hurley at 37 has lost everything too, it must be heartrending having a nice home broken up like that. I had a letter from Ray yesterday, I will enclose it and you will see what he says. He has mislaid your address.

We get the Germans over here a bit, of a night. They have not dropped any bombs just here but they dropped two at Wicker? where Em’s mother lives and on the hospital at Walden. I don’t think anyone was hurt. Peggie had the day off on Tuesday as the ? had been hit somewhere near Haverhill where she works at the factory. We went to Toddies to tea on Wednesday. We are supposed to go to Albert’s today. The others are going but I have something wrong with my leg so I cannot go. Joe is with us, he loves the country. Bill is looking after the cat for us.

We ought to have had an Anderson shelter after all but if we had most likely the house would have been burnt down. (they were playing cards in the front room with a couple of cousins and listening to the raid and managed to get the fire out themselves)The people in the next house didn’t know the house had been hit until the ARP went to find them. We had got the fire out by then so it was for the best.

Your insurance will be alright as it is not due again yet. I hope to be in London before that, as soon as the raids are not so bad we shall go back and get cleaned up. You never saw such a mess and the smell of the bombs was horrible. It was an oil bomb so of course it was alight when it came down. We all had to go away the night the time bomb dropped. We went at eleven and got home about seven in the morning. We had hundreds of people in front of the house. For about three days it was miserable to look out or go out but still we will get over it. I must close now as I want to catch this post, as it takes such a time to get the letters through. With love from all, Mum.

I hope you soon get your leave. I am alright so far about money. We must go to London to draw it. Dads and my love,

Mum xxxxxxx

22nd. Sept. 1940
To Fus. WA Barter 6472227,
No. 1 Platoon,
Block No. 2,
Somerset Barracks,
Shorncliff,
Kent.
Gladys Barter
Helions Bumpstead,
Nr. Haverhill,
Suffolk

Dear Walter,

I suppose you were surprised to find we were down here. As you know the house was slightly damaged by a fire bomb. Nobody was hurt but it rather upset Mum and we thought it would be best to get her away and as she wouldn’t come down by herself, we all came. Harry is going up on Monday to see how things are at the house and if it isn’t too bad up there he is going to stay. I think I will go up too to keep house for him so Mum can stay down here. I think it would be best for her to stay here until after the raids are over don’t you? Jess, I think, is going to get a job in London and I will just get a morning job so I will be able to cook for Harry and keep the house clean. So there won’t be any need for Mum to be in London, so when you write will you ask her to stay here? There is no need for you to worry about us, we can look after ourselves alright so long as we know Mum is alright, that’s everything.

You were asking about the house, it looks a bit of a mess at the moment. The bomb, as you know, was an oil one and it has splashed all up the side of the house and has made it look very dirty and has smashed most of the windows which the ARP have sealed up with black American cloth. It has not hurt the inside of the house, only the concussion has shaken the soot down and a bit of the plaster from the ceiling. Mrs. Wicks carpet got splashed with oil and the old ladies plant pot was smashed. Our lace curtains were rather badly splashed with oil, whether they will be any more good I don’t know but I will wash them and see. It was a good thing the new curtains were not up wasn’t it? Well, that was all that happened to our place, nothing else much or anybody was hurt.

The house next door came off worse, the bomb hit the garden and splashed the oil into old Bill’s room which was nearly burnt out. It also smashed the brickwork of the bay and blew a hole in the ceiling and burnt a bit of the room above. Bill was at work at the time so didn’t know anything about it until he came home. He is living in our place at the moment and looking after the cat. We have brought Joe with us, he likes the country and seems much better in himself.

Well, I will close now as Lily keeps gassing and I can’t concentrate on writing, so

Cheerio, Glad
? Sept. or Oct. 1940

To Mr. H. Barter,
58 Walterton Road,
Paddington,
London W.9.
Mrs. Barter
Helions Bumpstead,
Nr. Haverhill,
Suffolk

Dear Harry,

Thank you for the letter and the £1 you sent. I hope you don’t go short yourself to send to me. Have you got Dad’s ration book and your own yet? If not you will have to enquire about them at the food office in Praed Street as we will not be able to get any rations after this week. The address is on the old book . I hope you get your ? and butter and sugar each week. You will still get them at the same place but I think you have to give your book each week for them to take the coupons out. They will tell you if you take your book to them. I should reg. with the butchers, you know, the one up Chippenham Road next to the greengrocers.

I hope you are keeping alright, it has been so cold. I have thought about you a lot at night and morning, having to turn out. So, I will send your pullover as soon as I can. I should have finished it nearly by now but Ethel has been ill in bed so I have had a lot to do. She is getting better now. Mrs. Claydon at the Peggie died this morning. We have had the kiddie here since Wed. what a treat it has been! They called us up at three o’clock on Wed. morning to take the kid, so I have had a happy time with Ethel in bed and her.

I hope you have been able to light the fire in the front room and Jessie’s room as things will get mouldy if the damp gets to them. By the way, the blackout curtains are in the cupboard in my room if you want to blackout the front room and, I dare say, the big one would cover your window if at any time you wanted to sit there with the fire. Do you think we should come home on account of this fire watching affair? The reflection of the fire in London was seen down here last Sunday but I didn’t see it. They have been over a lot this week. They bombed Stradshell? air base Monday, killed a soldier and wounded about four others they said, we saw the German plane quite plainly.

If Gladys comes up and you think of it, tell her to look in Jessie’s bed and see if the hot water bottle is there. Write soon and tell me all the news. I had a letter from the old lady, she is anxious to get back. How are they getting on with next door? Dad, I expect will be up again soon. Lill comes up again tomorrow, Monday. She wanted me to come too but it is not worth it so often but I hope to soon come for good.

Love, Mum

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