This letter, dated 11 December 1940, forms part of a large collection of wartime letters I have inherited from my Aunt Olive (my father’s sister). Bert & Olly were married in April 1938 which means they were separated for the duration of the war within 2 years of their marriage – Bert joined up in July 1940 and they went on to write hundreds of letters to each other. Bert served in the Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery & this example from the collection was probably written while Bert was still in Britain being trained. Their first (& only) child was eventually born in the Spring of 1946! I have chosen this particular letter because Olly talks here about the experiences of the family during the London Blitz which had started about 3 months earlier. Their home was in the East End of London and a member of the family – Olly’s uncle who lived with them – was later killed during an air raid.
