All posts tagged Mary

Thurs Nov 18/43 8.15 a.m. [1943]
# PLANES RETURNING EARLY MORNING
# DRESSED CHICKEN PRICED
# NEWS FROM A NOTTINGHAM FAMILY
# GREAT NIECE MAIZIE AND BABY RETURN

It is bright and clear and cold this morning tho’ it was hailing when we went to bed and I heard rain or hail in the night. There is a morning moon, when it is waned the mornings will seem very dark, still it is only 5 weeks to Xmas and the shortest day. Jean has gone to school. Just as she was going a lot of planes came over, probably returning from or setting out for a raid. Jean thought returning as they were heading more inland than towards the sea. “Snip” is washing herself after a plate of porage. I told her it was hot and she carefully skirted round the edges of the plate but very soon finished it. The animals always seem hungry these cold days. We had another rabbit yesterday, it was very good indeed as they are in cold weather. Sent Mrs Leivers word how much her fowl was. It weighed 7 lbs with feathers off, just over I think, and is 1/10 lb so charged 13/0. There is not supposed to be any profiteering but there always seems to be a loophole. Fowls, young and old are 1/4 live weight but 1/10 with feathers off so in a good fowl they get over 2/0 for that. Then if they take insides out and head and legs off they can charge up to 2/6 lb.

Had a letter from Mrs. L. Lees yesterday, it was a long time since she had written. Joan is married (she sent a PG [photograph] of group). She [Joan] will be 29 I think. They all look very nice. Len looks about 70 but Mrs. L is getting plump and looks quite young. Rosemary is 19 in WAAFs [Women’s Auxiliary Air Force], she looks quite the modern young miss, is as tall as her father and fat too. Anne and Susan look very nice in their bridesmaids dresses, Joan was not in white but looked very nice in short dress. Billy has been in India and Ceylon for two years. I think he is a Lieut. now. Want to know if we can send them fowls for Xmas. Nothing doing. Now we are not in the trade it’s not worthwhile.

Have fitted Jean’s skirt, think it will look very nice. Cut out a velveteen dog last night, and did some of my cardigan. Rene washed a few clothes for me, we did not put them out, but have got them dry indoors. There is very little wind now, it seems very quiet. Father took Gran to Aunt Mary’s yesterday when he came from Sk[egness]. She is staying there a few days. Jean said Maisie and baby and Cis were on bus’ Tue night. I believe she is coming to live with Con for the present. Ben is away for some months. She was with Mary but babies make too much untidiness for Mary. It’s a pity she hasn’t one or two.

Anne and Susan Lees, not mentioned previously, were presumably younger children of Mr and Mrs Lees (see 16 Dec 1940), and bridesmaids at their sister Joan’s wedding.

Aunt Mary, with whom Grandma was staying, was Charles Hill’s wife, Jean’s aunt.

Ben McGuigan, Maizie’s husband (see 22 Mar 1942), was at sea, serving in the Royal Navy. At one time he served on HMS Aurora.

Mary Blythe (married name), with whom Maizie and baby had temporarily stayed, was a sister of Ciss and Connie. She was a teacher, living near Grimsby, who never had children of her own.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Fri. 29 Oct 8.20 a.m [1943]
# FAMILY VISITORS BRING NEWS
# NEPHEW FRANK’S WEDDING
# PRISONER EXCHANGE REPORTED
# RED CROSS PRAISED
# BLIND P.OW. CENTRE IN GERMANY
# PARCEL POSTED TO RON

The fog has persisted all the week. Think it will clear to-day. On Wed it cleared a few hours in the middle of the day and the clothes finished drying. I had put a fire in room as I did not think it would clear but as soon as I had got a [clothes-] horse-full round fire the sun broke thro’! I put sheets and heavy things out and everything was dry by dinner time and ironed before tea. Keith and Marian came on Thur aft. Also Lau[rence] who had travelled by night to get an extra day at home. He walked in before 8 a.m. to his mother’s surprise. Mary came with them but would not stay tea. Marian’s brother is in India now. He was in N.A. [North Africa] last year when Ron was. He has been hurt or wounded. He does not tell them what happened, only they are not to worry. He is out of hospital and on crutches now. Lau. has a stripe, he is in office work. He amused himself on piano for an hour or more after tea. Jean did not get much homework done. Keith and Marian chuckled over Nip. Ann [Nipper Annual] part of the time. She does her hair in the fashionable roll now. It is so pretty it looks nice however she does it. I had a letter from Frank Lewis’s new wife on Wed and a large piece of bride’s cake which was very good.

A lot of prisoners have been exchanged with Gers this week, the wounded of course. How pleased they will be to get home. They all say the Red + is a marvellous institution and that they would fare badly but for its care. We must give all we can to it. It does one good to read about the selfless actions amongst the prisoners. When one ship docked a man ran to the side and called “Cynthia”. A woman on quay-side answered and scores of men took up the cry. It seems she was taken prisoner in France whilst lorry driving and in the camp where she was interned she tended and nursed the sick and wounded. She is a cousin of Earl of Southesk. Then there is Viscount Normanton who thro’ the Red + got materials sent to him and taught 15 blind men to read Braille. Above all there is the major who would not come home, he is an ophthalmic surgeon and spends all his time operating and doctoring men whose eyes are injured. The Gers. have been very good in giving him facilities for doing this, and he wrote home to his wife for his case of instruments which was despatched and received. He has a wife and three bonny children yet altho’ he could have come home he elected to remain a prisoner so that he can continue to help his wounded, blinded fellow prisoners. He has already helped many back to sight again. He had written to his wife some time since to tell her he should not come this time. In spite of her disappointment, how proud she must feel and what a noble heritage to hand down to his children. All honour to those and countless more we shall never know of who imitate their Master who “went about doing good”.

[Aside: Household coal supply to be cut down again so must be extra careful.] Yesterday we posted Ron’s parcel and sincerely hope he gets it. Rene and I had both been wishing we could include cakes. As she said, “you don’t get the taste of home so well out of razor blades and soap etc.” However, we are not allowed to send anything eatable and of course they are not in need of it. Tom sent him a new pack of cards like those he gave us last year and we put a new face-flannel in and thread etc. Persil as he has to do his own washing, night-lights in a tin in case they melted. We sewed it up in a cotton covering over the paper one after packing them in a cardboard box. Letters have to be posted before Nov. 10. so must write to Jock again.

Frank Lewis, nephew, son of Jesse and Emily (May’s sister), had married Alice.

11th Earl of Southesk, Lord Carnegie, was related, by marriage, to the Royal family.

Lieutenant the Marquess of Normanby, of the Green Howards (not ‘Viscount Normanton’) and Major David Charters, Royal Army Medical Corps, an ophthalmic surgeon, were both prisoners of war who became attached to the German ‘POW Centre for the Blind’ at Kloster Haina.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Sun Sep 5 9.30 a.m. [1943]
# ‘TAXI’ WORK FOR WILL
# MEAL PLANNING
# FIRST DAYS OF WAR RECALLED
# RUSSIAN CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT REPORTED
# MORE FRUIT BOTTLING AND JAMMING

Father has just gone to take “locals” to their appointments. There are only 2 today as Tom had done some exchanging. Father is taking Mr Miles along with him to Sk[egness] stn. (Mrs Atkinson’s son in law). It is spitting with rain and looks as if it might be a wet day. Wind came East last night and it turned cold. Rene came to fetch her cake. Tom came with her. Jean has just got up and is having bag of crisps for breakfast. Father had porridge and then boiled bacon. I had bread and butter. Our butter ration only lasts until about Wed. We don’t have it at breakfast-time except on Sunday. The bread is very good this week-end, for a change. I could always make a good meal of good bread and butter. I cooked joint yesterday so shall only make a rice pudding to-day, and probably fry the veg. left from yesterday.

It is quite close indoors although it is very dull. The summer seems to have broken very early, tho’ I hope we get a nice lot of fine days before winter comes. It is not a bit like the first Sunday of the war. I remember it was hot and lovely. Ron came from Chapel with the expected news that we were at war. He and Ralph had made up their minds to join the Navy at once. Well, that did not come off and it was more than a year before Ron was actually in the forces though he joined HG or rather L.D.V [Local Defence Volunteers] the day it was formed. I remember him getting up to go on duty at midnight the night the news came that “Hitler had left Berlin” which really meant I think that invasion fleet was on its way. I can recall the cold clammy fear that came over me when Father slipped down from the box to tell us. Jean and I were sleeping in room then and Ron in scull[ery]. Well it was quickly stopped, Gers never got near enough to invade, and we were told later that 30,000 Ger. bodies were washed up on the shores of France. All the story will probably not be told until after the war, but the rumour was that they poured oil on the water to smooth waves for shallow invasion boats and that it was fired.

This morning the Russians announced the forming of an established Church. Molotov had been at conference and Stalin approved of it. I hope this is the beginning of better things. No fresh news from Italy, the heavy fighting there not reached yet. Hope we soon get another letter from Ron. Emmie had one dated Aug 20th and he was fit and well then. I hear on Radio that Reggio (It[aly]) airfield can be used and wonder if he will go there. I hear too of Gers bombing our air bases and wonder how they fare. We know so little, perhaps it is as well.

We have had a busy week jamming and bottling fruit. There is so much fruit and so little sugar. G.ma gave me some of her big pears and Mary sent a basket of hazel pears, fine ones, we had some stewed yesterday with a junket. I must bottle some if I have enough sugar. Have made bramble and apple jam (seedless), bramble vinegar and damson jam this week. Also bottled damsons. We hope to make apple-pulp this week. We have not made any before. F Raynor came yesterday afternoon and plastered ceiling in Wilsons’ room and outside window. No more mice since Mrs W. was here.

William (‘Bill’) Miles, married to Mrs Atkinson’s daughter, Alice, lived in Nottingham and owned a holiday home, ‘Landseer Bungalow’, in Landseer Avenue (see Village Map).

The Local Defence Volunteers or LDV (later known as the Home Guard) was formed of undrafted 17-65 year-old men, following a call by War Minister Anthony Eden after Germany’s unchallenged invasion of France in May 1940. It was nicknamed ‘Look, Duck and Vanish’. (See also 26 May 1942.)

The rumours described apparently resulted from a major British propaganda exercise, supported by demonstrations of some capability to ‘set the Channel on fire’ using oil pipelines. The propaganda was believed to have played a part in the German decision, on 17th September 1940, to postpone indefinitely the planned invasion by sea, ‘Operation Sea Lion’, which never took place.

Stalin gave orders to re-establish the Russian Orthodox Church, resulting in the appointment of Patriarch Sergius, but under very firm political control.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?