EVELYN AND LAWRENCE BATTY

Candy Wilson wrote these are my grandparents Evelyn and Lawrence Batty, they were married in 1940 at Mosborough Chapel. When Lol (as he was most commonly known) went to serve in the Royal Marines, he sent a letter home to his wife and daughter who were at the time being cared for by her parents on Duke Street, he had not yet met his daughter Val who must have been around 2 at the time. He eventually came home safely, and they lived most of their lives on Cadman Street and Plumbley, having another daughter, my mum Cindy Shawcroft. They were married for 65 years. God bless them both 🇬🇧x🇬🇧

My dearest,

How are you both going on now darling. I hope you are not too disappointed over my last letter, but you know how things are these days we all have to make these small sacrifices don’t we. I am chewing the last of the mintoes you sent me.

This place that I am at now is right in the heart of the country. Three miles from the nearest shops. I went for a walk with my pal last night for a drink.

We arrived in Havant and all the pubs were sold out but one. Anyway, we went in this one and had one drink, and as we soon as we went out of the door to the back, they closed the door on us and we couldn’t get back in, so that finished that. The had sold out too. I am on duty tonight; I might just as well be on duty every night because there is no where to go. I have enclosed as you see a couple of primroses, I picked up in the fields. I would like to send you bunches of them. The field and woods are yellow with them around here, but Val would be able to pick them all day. The place is alive with game, we will be having one or two of these birds and rabbits in the pot during the next two weeks.

Would you like me to send you a couple of bags?

This house that we are in must have been lovely at one time but a while ago a stray bomb dropped alongside it and ahem! Slightly cloak it, In the mess here where I am writing this, there is no plaster on the ceiling just the plain lathes. Apart from that it is alright. Nice grounds to look out onto, all but for the tin huts that we have build up right in the middle of it.

Well precious how did you find your Easter weekend. I don’t expect you went very far. Did Ann and Marg and family arrive, did you manage to get out with them for drink. What was the weather like at home? It was raining off and on here most of the time. I had better get cracking with my duties now.

So, I will love you and leave you darlin until Wed. I shall not be able to write tomorrow as I have got a night stunt on. So, until then remember me to all at home. Tell our Val, I will arrive home on that “choo choo train” one of these days when we have finished this bit of a job that we have got to do.

Cheerio duck here, all my love to the best little wife in all the world.

Yours ever sweetheart.

Lol xxxxxxxxx