After a flurry of letters in the middle of June, the letters between 26th June and 5th July are missing. Rather than leave people following the story with nothing to read, I thought that it would be interesting to have a glimpse of what life was like in 1942 from a different voice. The writer, J. B. Priestley, made a series of regular broadcasts on the BBC to the people of Britain during the war. Between April 1940 and 1943 he also made broadcasts directed at the USA and the Commonwealth, to rally these countries to Britain's cause. The text of some of these broadcasts has been gathered together in the book "Britain Speaks: J. B. Priestley takes on the Nazi war machine" by Austin Mitchell. The following is taken from the broadcast of 18 June, 1942. Priestley is speaking specifically to the USA, trying to explain what daily life is like for the British people during the war, as there appears to be a perception in the USA that things in Britain '...
Home Forces Sunday My own Dear Grace, I was looking forward to a letter from you yesterday afternoon, but as there was none forthcoming I take it that you have been doing lots of work and swotting during the past three or four days. Perhaps one will arrive tomorrow. The lads that work in my office say they sincerely hope one does arrive to-morrow, because it puts me in a bad mood when I am disappointed and consequently they suffer!! Have you had that exam you were “looking forward” to? If so, let’s know how you fared – and just remember my warning. The more I see of the weather this week, I am convinced those nine days of hot weather were just for our benefit. It rained continuously all the day yesterday. I went to the pictures in the late afternoon to see “Ladies in Retirement” then on to a small cafe I know for supper – and then back to billets and bed. This cafe I go to is a rather dirt...
G.H. Annexe, Selston Notts (14) 10. 4.43 3 p.m. I received No. 6 from you this morning but No. 5 has yet to come. I was very disappointed to hear that up to you writing you had not received any more of my letters. If no more have arrived yet you might receive a dozen or so all at once. Think how nice that will be – or will it? I liked the “Carte Po...
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