WW II Letters To My Mother: January 7, 1945

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Liberation Of Heerlen, Part 2

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At this point in the Second World War, my father has been in the army since 1941, moved from a small northern town, moved to Brandon Manitoba, and shipped off to England.  Shortly before Christmas 1943 he was moved to Holland to help maintain the beachhead there and participate in the liberation of Holland.  At the same time he's trying to stay connected to those "back home" in Canada.

January 7, 1945                             Canadian Army Overseas Somewhere in Holland

My Darlings Jean and Diana,

How are my little angels today?  I hope you are well and happy Darling and still love your honey as much as always.  Today is Sunday and we have just finished dinner and the dishes.  We do our own cooking at noon, most of which comes from our parcels.  Today we had potatoes, canned chicken, fried pork(that we found canned), bread and marge, tea and for dessert I made a butterscotch pudding and put some of that chocolate in that you sent me.  It was quite good.  Before it cooled too much I poured it out into fancy individual glass fruit dishes.

We are using dishes from a nice china set and to start our dinner off we had a small glass tumbler full of rum.  Hardly any one of us in Pln#2 drink our rum ration except on a very cold night or we may have a hot-rum before we go to bed, so I guess you won't mind me having that much, eh.

My Darling, I got two letters from you on January 3, written Dec. 15 and 18. I hope you weren't too lonesome on Christmas Day,  Honey and that Diana enjoyed herself.  My Christmas wasn't so hot but I really wasn't looking forward to much anyway.  My deep thoughts were with you Dearest and I'm sure looking forward to being with you at least by next Christmas.

I hope you are getting along alright with your music lessons Honey.  I think it's keen that you are learning to play the Hawaiian guitar.

I hope the pup turns out to be a good companion for Diana.  It is a male isn't it?  I'll bet Diana looked sweet in her little red plaid dress and white shoes.

I had a letter from Rennie last night also a letter from John Landeen and a short letter from Aunt Ethel and Uncle Eric.  I got a Christmas card from John's girl friend, also a card and letter from Maria.

I hope you get Diana out of the habit of taking things that she wants when other people are using them.  I don't like to see a kid that's selfish, but I suppose if I were there I'd be letting her have a lot of her own way.

We found a cabinet gramaphone in one of the houses here, so we brought it up to the Pln. HQ.  There are only 6 or 8 records, one is "Oh Play to me Gypsy" but of course they are all in Dutch language. 

I'm intending to send Mother and Rennie some dishes and a beverage set or something if I can get something to wrap them securely in.  You should be getting those dishes in a few weeks that I sent you from Germany.  What would you like in the way of souveniers other than the few little ones I sent you first?  I hope the dishes get there alright.

Well, my Precious Sweetheart, I'll have to say nighty-nite for now.  I love you Darling with all my heart and I'm thinking of you always.  I'll write you in a few days.  God bless you and Diana and may He keep you safe for alway.

Yours only, Johnnie xxxxxx