Description: [029243] (World War II - United Kingdom - Home Front - Society) 1945 - 1946 Group of Correspondence Written to Charles Renick, U.S. Merchant Marine from Friends in Southampton, England. (18) pieces of correspondence, letters written by members of the Daniel family in Southampton England to Charles M. Renick (1926 - 2019) of Keyser, West Virginia who attended the US Merchant Marine Academy, and had a long and distinguished maritime career, sailing during WWII in both the Atlantic and Pacific, on active duty during the Korean War and in the Navy Reserves for 30 years. Most of these letters have multiple pages, sometimes a dozen or so; they are very clearly hand-written and relate the ‘home front’ situation in England at the end of WWII, with all its privations, continuing optimism and great appreciation for U.S. support. A few of them are directed to C.M. Renick’s mother in W. Virginia, giving thanks for various gifts of hard-to-find food items, treats and candies. The Daniels are educated, sporty English folks who write with humor and good expositive detail. May 1945 Signed Phyllis, “…the “foreign girl” who wore your hat”; with VE Day news and thanks for gifts & well-wishes from family; including a one-page poem by her, expressing her sentiments at his departure. The envelope has several official stamps and seems to have traveled from Europe to New York and back, eventually reaching Renick in August of 1945. (Several letters from Phyllis are accompanied by her poetry.) June 1945 Signed Peter; Grateful for Renick’s gift of tennis balls that bounce “…they are making an amazing difference…” and hoping that R.’s ship does not get sent to the Pacific war theater. June 1945 Signed Dorothy Daniel, to Mrs. (Eloise) Renick in Keyser, WV, thanking her for a parcel sent. Good content concerning preparations for the D-Day invasion of the previous year, describing the billeting of American troops in Southampton, and the ‘points’ system of rationing various items to the British public during the war. Sept. 1945. Another acknowledgment of package sent, “…because they are things we have not seen for ages…” With content on the Women’s Voluntary Service and curious, questioning “…Do all American houses have the lovely kitchens you see in American films & books or are they only in the new flats & houses? Very few people here have refrigerators…” and lack of much coal for heat “except when it’s really cold & then we do to keep the pipes from freezing. Last month we had all the water pipes frozen for about a week…We are lucky here, compared with a lot of other parts of the country we can get plenty of logs to burn...” And telling of the Americans coming through on their way home from the European war theater, explaining that there isn’t enough in the town to “keep them occupied & they get into mischief…” Some edge, tips wear and age to the letter paper and envelopes; they are of the ‘airmail’ tissue type; generally, in very good condition.
Price: 85 USD
Location: Bolivia, North Carolina
End Time: 2024-11-01T23:43:54.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.63 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Date of Publication: 1945
Type: Handwritten Manuscript
Place of Publication: SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND
Language: English
Region: Europe
Material: Paper
Subject: WORLD WAR TWO & ENGLAND
Original/Facsimile: Original
