We inherited a box of documents relating to our grandparents after they died and their house was sorted out. In it was a bundle of letters with the following handwritten note from my grandpa: “A few of the many letters sent to me by Marjorie, when I was abroad 1944-6. W.G., Nov 1990. [Rather later than the dates when letters written – mustn’t hurry these things!]”
Amongst the bundle was this incredible letter, describing in detail my grandma’s experience of VJ Day; in particular of how the evening unfolded in her hometown of Sunderland. My grandpa, her fiancee at the time, was away in India & Burma from 1944-6 so even though the war in Europe had been declared over, she was still waiting for him to return home.
Grandma was always a good writer and includes lots of detail of the early hours of August 15th 1945 in this letter – the relief and jubilation at the war finally being over shines through, as well as love and hope for the future. It was to be another 5 months or so before they were reunited, with Grandpa making his long journey home over land and sea back the North-East. They were married in 1947 for over 70 years and both lived into their 90s. I have included a photo of Bill and Marjorie around 1947 not long after they were married.
