Reference
FAC172
Title
Letters Home to Evelyn or To Hell and Back Again. Edited transcript by Elizabeth A Mortimer of letters from her father Eric George Alan Mortimer (1908-1989) to her mother Evelyn Mary Mortimer (nee Gilby) (1913-1990).
Date free text
1940-1946 transcript 1995
Production date
From: 1940 To: 1997
Scope and Content
Letters written during and immediately after the Second World War. Pages 130-136 contain photographs and maps, these pages are available as digital scans should better images be required than those in the hard copy. Eric's letters to Evelyn commence in May 1940 when he was on holiday at Boscombe, near Bournemouth (pp.2-3) where he describes visits to the cinema and hearing an air raid on Southampton. Letters from Cambridge and Diss follow, and describe bombing there in some detail (3-5). In July 1941 Eric joined the RAF as a radio operator, initially at Cardington, then at Great Yarmouth, where he describes his training, food and conditions, weather and illnesses, feelings about the war and social life in some detail (6-14). He moved to the RAF Radio School at Cranwell, Lincs. on 29 August 1941 where the letters continue in a similar vein (14-27). Moved to RAF Great Bromley, near Colchester, Essex, 3 October 1941 (27). On 5 December 1941 Eric embarked on the Athlone Castle for the Far East (48) and the following letters describe life on board (48-53) arriving at Singapore, (via Freetown, Sierre Leone, West Africa, and Durban, South Africa) on 5-6 February 1942 . Describes capitulation of the garrison (54) on his 21st birthday and arrival at Lyceum School, Sourabaya, which had been converted into a prisoner of war camp. Worked on extending runway at Semarang (55); then left Semarang and arrived at Haruku on 4 May 1943 (56). Describes appalling conditions there, followed by general summary of events until the end of the War.
After the capture of Eric Mortimer his wife Evelyn received no news for a long time: there follows her correspondence with the War Office and the British Red Cross Society and various other agencies, June 1942 - August 1943 (61-67). Eventually she was sent official word that Eric was a prisoner of war (67). A few postcards were received from him (69) but it was not until the end of the war that postcards and letters arrived regularly (70 on). The first correspondence is to various relatives as well as Evelyn, written from RAF Cycle Camp Batavia Camp, Java. Detailed letters to his wife re-commence (after a gap since December 1941) on 17 September 1945 (72-76) . Describes diet and medical problems (ulcers) and work regime, and visit of Lady Louis Mountbatten. Moved to No 47 Military Hospital, Singapore on 29 September 1945 (76-79); letters continue in similar vein. At Clearing Hospital, Rangoon, Burma, 9 October 1945 (79), then in hospital at Calcutta, India, October 1945 - February 1946 (79-125) before return home in March 1946.
Description by Jean Mortimer Franklin of how his experiences during the War had changed her father Eric (127).
(130) Wedding photographs of Eric Mortimer and Evelyn Gilby. Kempston church, 11 August 1940
(131) Family snapshots sent to Eric when he was a POW, including Gladys, Jack and Jean Ford, Hugh and May Mortimer, and Henry, Ethel and Don Mortimer
(132) Portrait photograph of Eric Mortimer in RAF uniform; Eric Mortimer in uniform with wife Evelyn and dog Bill
(133) Photographs of Margaret and Deborah Gilby and Evelyn Mortimer typing letter to Eric. Japanese guards after capture. Elizabeth Mortimer with Mac and Brenda in 1992
(134-135) maps of Singapore, Borneo and Java area
(136) Photographs of Eric Mortimer and friend Benny Lynch in uniform after release, n.d. [c1946]
(137-138) Letters from Imperial War Museum thanking Miss E A Mortimer for the transcript of her father's letters, April- May 1997
Exent
139 pages
Format
photocopy
Currently (2011) held by Elizabeth Mortimer but will be deposited with the Imperial War Museum eventually.
Level of description
item