England Sept. 19, 1943

                               1

Dear Mother & all,

     Well another week has passed

by and time for a letter to you.

I have been looking for a letter

from you for two weeks now

but none as yet. The mail

is certainly mixed up lately.

About the shortest in comeing

here now is V-mail. It comes

in about 10 days. Some of my

letters are 30 days old by the 

time I get them.

     Nothing much exciting has

happened here this week. I've

received a few letters and have

answered a few. It seems like

a typical fall out and makes

me think more of home everyday.

                             2

     I have made one of my weekly

visits to London again. I had 

a little different experience here

this time. I don't suppose I 

dare tell about so I must let

it wait until I get home and

tell of my experiences abroad.

     Luella stated in her letter

Freeman was working out and you

would probably explain more

later on. But no letters but I

look for some very soon now.

There is very little mail on 

Sunday here but we do receive

it. No one would know it was 

Sunday if the chaplain quit

comeing around. He comes around

and we knock off of work for

a short time and go to a short

church services held in some

                         3

of the building here at our base.

It always makes me think

of our little church back home.

As I sit there and listen my

mind sometimes gets to wandering

and I think how surprise

everyone would be if I could

just drop in on them back 

home. When I sit down to eat

my dinner I think that back 

home you are just about ready

to get up and it really doesn't

seem like the same world.

I suppose it won't be by the

time I get home. I know

everything will be changed. Even

the towns will probably look

odd and strange and there will

be a lot of folks missing I once

knew and there will be new ones.

                         4

     About Christmas this year

mother. I wish I could be there

with all of you, but that is out

of the question. So I will just be

there in thought and I will think

alot about it. I don't know

how I will manage on the 

presents. But I want you to

buy something for Irene out

of my allotments. I don't care

if it takes the whole check.

Then I am asking her over there

for dinner. You also ask her.

If she doesn't accept try to 

persuade her folks into having

her come. I want her there with

you this year.

     We have had a grand day here

today. It reminds me of Indian

summer at home. I'll bet it

                          5

is beginning to look pretty

around there now with the

leaves turning. They haven't

started here as yet.

     Mother could you send me

a package containing, peanuts

the canned type, candy, gum

and etc. It is all rationed here

and we don't get much.

I must close for now. Good

luck to everyone and hope to

hear from you soon.

                           Love Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on Sept. 26th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Here is some information about rationing in Great Britain during WWII. If you would like the entire article, the website is http://www.cooksinfo.com/british-wartime-food

In the 1930s, before the outbreak of the Second World War, the British population was somewhere between 46 million and 52 million.

Britain imported 70% of its food; this required 20 million tons of shipping a year. 50% of meat was imported, 70% of cheese and sugar, 80% of fruits, 70% of cereals and fats, 91% of butter. Of this, 1/6th of meat imports, 1/4 of butter imports and 1/2 of cheese imports came from New Zealand alone, a long ways away by shipping lanes.

Knowing this would lead the Axis powers into hoping to starve the British population into submission, by cutting off those food supply lines.

The British government began planning for wartime rationing in 1936. Should war occur again, this time they hoped to be better prepared based on their experiences the last time around. A Food (Defence Plans) Department was set up as part of the Board of Trade to do the project planning. Ration booklets were printed up in 1938, ready to go.