When I began this blog posting the letters of a daughter to a mother, I suggested that nothing very harrowing or emotional would be revealed in them, because no daughter wants to upset her mother living far away in time and distance, unable to console, comfort or rejoice in the moment. An event may be described, it is certainly personal, but it is in the past, and has been survived, and the telling of it is reassuring in to both writer and reader. When I got t0 Cec’s war letters home, I realized this was true of sons as well, especially of events the Admiralty frowned upon sharing. I discovered, however, that other letters crept in, and occasionally were of the moment and emotional. Carol’s letter to her husband as she was on the point of leaving him, was harrowing. And love letters are intensely personal and emotional. They are intended to be read by only one person and I feel a little guilty about sharing them with the world, but they are part of the story. These two notes, treasured by her, were found in one of the slots of Cyn’s writing case.
Cyn and Cec got engaged at the beginning of March 1949, and planned and booked their wedding for July 26th, 1949, at 2:30. The March letter suggests the wedding invitations had already been sent out, and Cec’s friends in England were responding to them.
11 Park St.
Cambridge.
March 23, 1949
My Darling,
Here I am back home, with no chance to see you. I got a telegram yesterday to tell me to come back for a dinner in honour of Dr. Sutherland on his F.R.S. So I came back, went to the dinner at K.P at 7:30 & then onto Sutherlands till 12:30. It was great fun at times, but my cold had just reached its climax (I hope) & I didn’t feel much like celebrating. I was hoping I would be able to slip away early & come & see you, sweetheart, but I didn’t get the opportunity.
I hope you didn’t have the same germs as I did, Cyn, the little —— were at work inside my nose with pickaxes. Also, I missed the licensing hours & couldn’t get any medicine. However, I am on the mend now & should be OK by Friday.
I’ll miss most of today – Wed. in Baldock, but it’s not much loss since they are having a big official “visitors day” & will be overrun by boffins.
I had a letter from Cliff asking us to stay with them for a day or so. He says “It will mean of course, your sleeping on the floor (unless it is two single beds in the back bedroom!) but I know you won’t mind this, will you?” I’m not sure which it is he thinks I won’t mind!!
I miss you, Cyn darling. It’s awful spending a week away from you. But it’s only 17 weeks yesterday! Then I won’t have to leave you again.
I also heard from Al Bryce. He said when he saw the writing on the envelope he said to himself “There goes Cec!”. He said I seemed to have that “subdued self satisfied look” about me a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t think my self-satisfied look was quite so obvious, darling. Al is sailing on July 26, darling mine, so I think it would be nice for us to get over for a visit at Easter.
Must catch my train to Baldock, lover, so I’ll say goodbye till Friday.
I love you,
Cec.
My Darling,
I’m not allowed to see you until 2:30 today, but I don’t think there is any custom which stops me from writing you a letter to tell you how much I love you.
A Family History in Letters 