Letters from the Home Front

Letters from the Home FrontBetty Stockdale and her two small sons lived with her parents in Bromley Kent for three years from 1942 to 1945 while her husband was away in North Africa and Italy with the 8th Army. She wrote to Rex on average twice a week. Rex kept her letters meticulously throughout the campaign in his personal effects box and then characteristically lost the key to the box. The letters record ordinary life in an extraordinary time. Life in South London during the

Betty Stockdale and her two small sons lived with her parents in Bromley Kent for three years from 1942 to 1945 while her husband was away in North Africa and Italy with the 8th Army. She wrote to Rex on average twice a week. Rex kept her letters meticulously throughout the campaign in his personal effects box and then characteristically lost the key to the box.

The letters record ordinary life in an extraordinary time. Life in South London during the blitz was drab and dangerous Ð at times more dangerous than in the field. As the final phase of the War began with D-Day, the German Revenge weapons, the V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets came into play, and the tone of the letters changes as the continuous uncertainty clearly unsettled the household.

Betty writes well. We hope her letters will appeal to all those interested in military, social and local history at this time.