John is using, & my tyres will not last long either.
I am afraid John cannot write on this letter because he is in school. I am going on Thursday.
Lots of love from,
Andrew
25 June 1940
Dear Mum & Dad,
I am afraid I cannot be quite as prompt in my reply as you might have expected, because the matter of reevacuation naturally wants a great deal of consideration & I admit that I have not yet come to a conclusion & I have had no adequate chance to speak to a master yet.
However, here are my arguments. Naturally it would be hard for all of us to be separated for such a long time, but if other things point to the fact that it would be more advantageous for us to forget the sentimental side of the question then we shall drop that. Of course it would be a grand thing to go overseas for a short time especially to the U.S.A. In fact I should ask you to consult Uncle Arthur 18 on the matter. But another more important question is, how will it affect our education! I shall be sixteen in December so I shall probably have to come back then, & I doubt if John would want to stay there any longer whereas I do not see how he could come back, since you sent him to be safe. My Cambridge studies will have to be interrupted, & I do not know whether it would not ruin my career if I did not get that, as you cannot get very far without some qualification as the Cambridge, Oxford or Matriculation. Naturally it would have a good effect if I could see something of the New World, but am I not too young to go & ‘see the world’? I think that the time for that will come when I shall have finished my home education & shall be called Dr. Andrew Forbat.
Another point for which we might not be eligible in that we are not British subjects. They can only take a limited number at a time & the first 20,000 has been over applied for. I rather think that they will consider British boys’ applications first, & by the time our turn might come I shall be sixteen.
I shall not say whether I want to go or not. It is a question of is it better to stay or go. Certainly it would be adventure, fun, new experience & friends, but on the other hand I might lose valuable education & a career of a lifetime. The other two factors are more of safety, & sentimental feeling. I leave you to balance all these up one against the other & decide.
We had an air-raid warning last night when a south west town was raided, but no bombs were dropped in or near Melksham & I think it was a waste of time staying under the stairs, for two hours. I bet Granny was excited when the sirens were sounding in London.
I endeavour to post the letter tomorrow which a few lines from John & do not be cross for being slow to reply.
The winder of my watch fell off & I took it in. It will cost me 3/6. Besides, my bicycle tyres are really worn through, & they will cost me in the neighbourhood of 5/6. It seems to me that I shall have to try & get a part time job outside school-hours, with your permission of course.
With lots of love from,
Andrew
2 July 1940
Dear Mum & Dad,
Thank you very much fo[r] your last letter, & as I was disappointed in the ‘enclosure’, I am afraid this will have to be an ‘expensive’ letter.
I have not got the job of taking the paper round but I shall try with the milk, or other before-school jobs. I must earn a few shillings a week, because I very badly need new tyres for my bike, as they are so worn-out that I get a puncture every other day.
I have had a very pleasant time at camp last week-end. Mrs. Kelly gave me 2/6 as my share towards buying the food, otherwise I could not have gone. This week-end I hope to go to a Patrol-Leaders’ Camp at Lacock, & after that John will be able to come with me every time.
I thank you for the advice about air-raids – of course we should not have been looking out of the windows anyhow. From now on, I ask you to carry your gasmasks all the time. In my opinion, the Germans are likely to invade us any hour now, & I
I am afraid John cannot write on this letter because he is in school. I am going on Thursday.
Lots of love from,
Andrew
25 June 1940
Dear Mum & Dad,
I am afraid I cannot be quite as prompt in my reply as you might have expected, because the matter of reevacuation naturally wants a great deal of consideration & I admit that I have not yet come to a conclusion & I have had no adequate chance to speak to a master yet.
However, here are my arguments. Naturally it would be hard for all of us to be separated for such a long time, but if other things point to the fact that it would be more advantageous for us to forget the sentimental side of the question then we shall drop that. Of course it would be a grand thing to go overseas for a short time especially to the U.S.A. In fact I should ask you to consult Uncle Arthur 18 on the matter. But another more important question is, how will it affect our education! I shall be sixteen in December so I shall probably have to come back then, & I doubt if John would want to stay there any longer whereas I do not see how he could come back, since you sent him to be safe. My Cambridge studies will have to be interrupted, & I do not know whether it would not ruin my career if I did not get that, as you cannot get very far without some qualification as the Cambridge, Oxford or Matriculation. Naturally it would have a good effect if I could see something of the New World, but am I not too young to go & ‘see the world’? I think that the time for that will come when I shall have finished my home education & shall be called Dr. Andrew Forbat.
Another point for which we might not be eligible in that we are not British subjects. They can only take a limited number at a time & the first 20,000 has been over applied for. I rather think that they will consider British boys’ applications first, & by the time our turn might come I shall be sixteen.
I shall not say whether I want to go or not. It is a question of is it better to stay or go. Certainly it would be adventure, fun, new experience & friends, but on the other hand I might lose valuable education & a career of a lifetime. The other two factors are more of safety, & sentimental feeling. I leave you to balance all these up one against the other & decide.
We had an air-raid warning last night when a south west town was raided, but no bombs were dropped in or near Melksham & I think it was a waste of time staying under the stairs, for two hours. I bet Granny was excited when the sirens were sounding in London.
I endeavour to post the letter tomorrow which a few lines from John & do not be cross for being slow to reply.
The winder of my watch fell off & I took it in. It will cost me 3/6. Besides, my bicycle tyres are really worn through, & they will cost me in the neighbourhood of 5/6. It seems to me that I shall have to try & get a part time job outside school-hours, with your permission of course.
With lots of love from,
Andrew
2 July 1940
Dear Mum & Dad,
Thank you very much fo[r] your last letter, & as I was disappointed in the ‘enclosure’, I am afraid this will have to be an ‘expensive’ letter.
I have not got the job of taking the paper round but I shall try with the milk, or other before-school jobs. I must earn a few shillings a week, because I very badly need new tyres for my bike, as they are so worn-out that I get a puncture every other day.
I have had a very pleasant time at camp last week-end. Mrs. Kelly gave me 2/6 as my share towards buying the food, otherwise I could not have gone. This week-end I hope to go to a Patrol-Leaders’ Camp at Lacock, & after that John will be able to come with me every time.
I thank you for the advice about air-raids – of course we should not have been looking out of the windows anyhow. From now on, I ask you to carry your gasmasks all the time. In my opinion, the Germans are likely to invade us any hour now, & I
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