March 28, 1944.

     Just to let you know I am ok and everything
is fine. Haven't heard from you for quite awhile now.
I hope some of the letters will be arriving soon.
I have been receiving some of Irene's back letters
lately. Some of them are three weeks old already.
   This new address is just a formal change I guess.
   How is everything back home now? I bet everyone
is getting the spring fever notion now. I have
had it the last few days. Let the rest of them know
of my change in address, also the papers. Please
write soon. Goodbye for now.   Love
                                                         Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on April 3rd.

Background Information (and comments):

• This was a V-Mail sent on a NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS form (see below). The previous address was APO 638. The new one is APO 149. Despite being written on March 28 and censor stamped on March 29, it was not postmarked until April 4.
• APO 638 was used for those stationed in Sunninghill, England.
• Then I found this on the internet about APO 149; I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
• APO 149, assigned to HQ, IX Air Service Command, was established December 1, 1943.
  
  Sunninghill, England          February 10, 1944
  Creil, France          September 26, 1944
  Luxembourg City, Luxembourg     April 27, 1945
  Erlanger, Germany          August 13, 1945

England. March 26.

Dear Mother,
          Sunday night again so again
it is time for me to have my
weekly visit with you. While Mr.
Churchill is making his speech I
am writing this letter. Is the
speech being broadcast in the states?
     I received the package today
from Glenn. Tell him I said thanks
an awlfully lot. Everything arrived
ok. It sure is grand to have a
few mixed nuts to eat again. The
hickory nuts sure are good, and the
candy is just the thing. Quite a few
of the fellows received packages this
week so each night one of us

passes a package of candy around.
     Our mail is awlfully slow in
comeing through. Just V mail letters
are comeing now.I suppose in a day
or so now we will be getting regular
mail again. Although I have received
a letter almost everyday this week.
They all have been V letters though.
I haven't received any letters from
Irene for over a week now. I
hope I hear from her soon.
     I sent you a package this
week. I want you to divide it up
among Luella, Marie, Lenore, Mrs.
Setzler and yourself. I sent Irene
hers already. You might get this
letter before you do the package so
I won't say what it contained

unless you have already guessed.
     I received two copies of the Record
today and one copy of the Advance. So
I have plenty of reading matter for a
while now.
     I attended church services this
morning and also tonight. They have
been haveing a pre invasion preaching
mission this past week. Very good
attendance every night. The speaker
was a chaplin from an Engineering
Unit here at our base. He was
very good. I could set an listen to
him by the hour.
     There isn't so very much news
to write for tonight. I guess this
will just about bring this letter
to a close. We are really have

grand spring weather out now. The
people around here are all out
making gardens and everyone is
working in the fields. I suppose
everyone is anxious to get to work
on the farm at home now. Did Fred
King get a new tractor? What kind?
Goodnight for now. Please write
often. I know you have more letter
writing to do now. But a letter from
home really means an awlfully lot
to me. Goodnight.
                            Love
                                 Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on March 28th.

Background Information (and comments):

• I found a 50-second video clip and the entire text of Churchill's speech made on March 26, 1944:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvujHiCj2U4

http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1944/1944-03-26a.html

Sunday Night March 19, 1944.

Dear Mother,
          Here it is time for me to
drop you a letter again. The time
has gone so fast for me. It seems
as ownly yesterday I wrote to you.
I didn't receive any letters from you
this last week. I received two
V mail from Luella. She said Harley
had to leave March 11. I suppose
he is gone by now. Oh well I guess
he really isn't alone. It is a hard
life ahead of him. What branch of
the services did he get into or don't
you know yet?
       This month has gone so fast.
I haven't had much time to myself

at all this month. I have been
very busy. I hope it let up a little
for me soon.
       I was at our Sunday Services
again today. The chaplain really had
a grand sermon for us today. It was
the biggest crowd I have seen at the
church. I suppose you were at church
again today. I sure wish I could drop
in at one of the services and surprise
everyone. It would even be a surprise
to me if I could drop in.
       There isn't very much to write
about tonight. We have had some
beautiful spring weather lately. It
makes a fellow a little homesick
I guess.
       I have been receiving letters from
Irene quite regular lately. Next

month April 20 is her birthday.
Please get some little gift for her.
Something for her hope chest. Get it
out of my allotment money.
In my allotment checks, are
they $20 checks or $40 checks? They
should be forty dollars. If they are
please let me know, if you can
when they were increased. They
should have been increased from $20
to include last September pay. Let
me know what the standings are.
I guess this is about all for
tonight. I am sending you a little
gift in this letter. Let me know
how it arrives and how you like it.
Goodnight for now.
                               Love Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on March 26th.

Background Information (and comments):

• I have no idea what the little gift was as just the letter was in the envelope as the Easter card was in a separate mailing.
• I found 3 sources about military pay during WW2. Ralph's allotment checks are the amount he sent home (and not his monthly total). The article compares military pay to civilian pay:
• http://www.usmm.org/barrons.html


• 
  

March 18, 1944

No letter, just this card:

The next letter will be posted on March 19th.
Background Information:

• In 1944, Easter was on April 9th.

England Mar. 11

Dear Mother,
        I have received all four
of your Feb. letters this past
week. Gee it sure seems good
to hear from you again. Also
received 3 Metamora Records.
So now I have plenty of
reading to do.
       In one of your letters was
the pictures. It sure seems
good to see a barn again.
Over here they have very old
fashion barns. Lots of them
have thatch roofs, but most
of the that roofs are on houses.
I'll bet the old home place
really looks good all painted
up. I know it would look

good to me. I am getting tired
of all this old English stuff.
The oil well derrick reminds
me of Texas. While I was down
there I saw mile after mile
of them.
       The weather over here now
is just like spring. It give
me a bad case of spring fever
yesterday. The farmers are all
drilling grain now and working
in the fields.They also are
still doing there thrashing.
They use a steam engine and
a hand fed thrasher with
a straw carrier. You can see
how far behind the people are
over here. They do have a
few modern machinery here.

       I guess by this time I have
a brother in the services. The
way your letter read he won't
be alone in comeing into the
army. I guess everyone will
be in soon.
       I have quite a few letters
to write so I thought I would
start with yours first. I might
not have the time to write
tomorrow night.
       Please write soon and
often. I will write when I
can. Goodbye for now.
                            Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on March 18th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Photo found on the internet of an English barn with a thatched roof:

• Photo found on the internet of an English cottage with a thatched roof:

• 
  

March 7, 1944

Dear Mother,
        Received your letter today of February 14. It was
a long time in comeing but I really appreciate it
no matter how old a letter it may be. Has Harley
left yet? Your weather there of 2 below zero sounds
cold. It has been cold over here but it is so damp.
I suppose that is why we feel it more. It hasn't
rained for quite awhile now.
        I suppose Glenn is still using my car. I have
been thinking a lot. If it is possible I want to sell it
and buy myself a new one when I get situated in
civilian life once again. That will probably be
sometime yet.
        There isn't so much to write about tonight.
Had a letter from Charlie S. today. He said Irene
is cuter that she was when I was home, and
there is no doubt she is really true to me.
Said he would probably be overseas soon. If he
comes to England I want to hunt him up. I guess
this will be a letter for tonight. Write as
often as you can. We are always busy.
                                                   Love Ralph


The next letter will be posted on March 11th.

Background Information (and comments):

• This was sent as a v-mail letter, and censor checked on March 9, but not postmarked until March 14.
• Why is Ralph so busy? Here's an excerpt about the role of the Ninth Air Force (his unit):

Moved to England in Oct 1943 to become the tactical air force for the invasion of the Continent. Helped prepare for the assault on Normandy, supported operations on the beach in Jun 1944, and took part in the drive that carried the Allies across France and culminated in victory over Germany in May 1945.

England. Mar. 2, 1944.

Dear Mother,

         Somehow I haven't been

receiving any of your letters. I know

you are writing and hope they

will be comeing in soon. If you

write airmail on Sunday nights and

then during the week send out a 

couple of vmail. This would give

me more news of home. Lenore

said in her letter today Harley

had received his notice for induction.

I hope he gets into a good branch

of the service, and hope he never 

has to come overseas. It is plenty

rough living over here.

     Received the Metamora record

today. It gives me a little of

the home town gossip. I can find

out where a few of the fellows

are located.

     I received a letter from Pearl

Meyers niece. Hope to meet her

somewhere over here. It seems

good just to go into town and

talk with the American Red Cross

girls. One is from Illinois. She

is really nice to visit with.

     I guess I am a little browned

off tonight. I have had some

steady important work today. It is

tiresome work too.

     I try to write everytime I

have time and when I have 

something to write about. It is

a busy place over here and 

I guess it will be for sometime.

I suppose you know I am in

the Ninth Air Force. Do you see

anything in the papers about it?

Goodnight for now. Please 

write a little more often, if you

can. Your mail comeing this way

isn't censored. Goodnight.

                               Love Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on March 7th.

Background Information (and comments):

• What did Ralph mean by "browned off"? Here's what I found:

“Browned off,” meaning angry or annoyed, originated as British service slang, with the OED's

 first citation coming from 1938. 'Browned off' is most widely associated with the British forces, especially the RAF, and is generally dated from around the time of WWII.

• What was happening that Ralph thought his mother & family might have seen in the papers? Here's what I found:

• Feb 20 World War II: The "Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
• 
  

• Here's some information on the Ninth Air Force, which will also give you an idea of Ralph's important, but tiresome, work:

9th USAF History The Ninth Air Force became operational November, 1942 when the U.S. Middle East A.F. was re-designated the Ninth under command of Major General Lewis H. Bremerton. Its air support of the British and U.S. Armies in North Africa against the Nazis' Rommel were critical. General Brereton was ordered to take the 9th HQ to England in October 1943 to build a Tactical Air Armada for the coming invasion of Europe. By June 6, 1944, D-Day, it had become the largest air force ever assembled under one command - 250,000 people with 3,500 airplanes in 1,500 units. It consisted of Fighter, Bomber, Troop Carrier, Air Defense, Engineer and Service Commands. During the invasion, their massive parachute and glider drops were guarded by P-47's, P-38's, and P-51's some of which doubled as pin-point dive bombers at the front lines, while the A-20 and B-26 bombers took out key rail and bridges to isolate the Nazis from reinforcing the battle for the Normandy Beaches. Within hours of the beach assaults, the 9th's Engineers were building airstrips in Normandy so our planes could operate with the minimum time lost in direct support of the front line soldiers. Thereafter, by continuously moving our fighters to strips just behind the front lines. The "NINTH" supported Armies dashing across Western Europe ending up deep in the heart of Germany on VE Day. This great mobility with combat pilots riding at the head of every armored column providing forward air control plus a Tactical Air Command Headquarters working directly alongside each U.S. Army Commander proved to be the most effective use of the air-ground cooperation in the history of warfare.