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George Shephard Johns George Shephard JohnsGeorge - An Evacuee's Story
Letter from Nurse Field to George

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Letter from Nurse Field to George - 1st November 1940

George and Bill's mother became very ill, and died from cancer in 1940.
This is the event referred to in this letter.

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Transcript of the Whole Letter

Telephone No. 58,
Mayfield Nursing Home,
Upper Gungate, Tamworth
Friday Nov. 1st 1940

My dear George,

I was pleased to get your letter today, but so sorry to hear the news.  We send your father and all of you our deepest sympathy;  Roy is very sad about it, and he wishes you were coming here for your half term 's holiday, perhaps you and Brian could have managed it if we had known earlier in the week, by the time you receive this I expect your holiday will be over.  I am very pleased your father has a housekeeper who will be kind to you and Billy.  You had an excellent mother and I'm sure you will all miss her very much.  My mother died when I was 18 months old and when I was young I always envied boys and girls who had a mother's love.  We were hoping during the summer your father and mother would have a trip to Tamworth, but this awful war has altered everything for everybody.  Tamworth has 500 children evacuated here and last Saturday came the same number of mothers and their children from London who have been bombed out of their homes. 

The outskirts have had bombs but nearly all of them fell in fields, but Tamworth itself has suffered no damage whatever up to now.  We get the sirens and we can hear the A.A. Guns going off at Birmingham and Coventry.  We have four beds made up in the cellar and the two girls and my daughter's two children from London sleep down there, it is much better than having to get them up every time the siren goes.

Well, now about Roy, he left school last term (July) and passed his final exam, also in his Spanish.  He gained a scholarship which has admitted him to Birmingham University; he comes home very night.  He has been told by one of the big Professors in Languages that he can take his degree so now he is an undergraduate studying for French Honours.  He will be a the University for three years I expect and when he has passed his exams he will take a post in a secondary school as a Master of Languages.

When you see Rhona and Pauline give them my love and the news about Roy's success and please tell them I will write to them one day.  You will be sorry to know Mr. Upton died September 29th.  He was 85 years old.  He had a good span of life but we miss him very much.

Mr. Tildesley is now an Inspector in a Government Factory about 6 miles from Stafford.  He comes home weekends when he can get away.  We are hoping to see him tomorrow.

Now remember we shall be pleased to have you and Brian when you can come.  Our love to you all.  Yours sincerely, Nurse.

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Page last updated: 25th February 2014