9-29-44

Dear Mother,
         Well here it is Friday already and time I was
writing another letter this week. This is the only
letter I have written since Sunday. I have only
received two this week. One from Luella and
Marie. Mail seems to be awlful mixed up lately.
         How is everyone at home now? It seems
so long since I have had a letter from you.
I do hope I receive some mail today.
         It seems as if the week has gone so slow
for me. I haven't heard from Harley as yet. I
really can't understand why I haven't heard from
him. Have you heard from him lately? We
are haveing regular fall weather here now. I seen
a few loads of sugar beets go by. I never did
get to visit the sugar plant over here. I suppose
the one at home has started again. Well this is
all for now. Write soon as possible.
                                                        Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on October 3rd.

Background Information (and comments):

• This was sent as a V mail. I cannot read the censor's date, but it was postmarked on October 7 at 9 PM. So, mail really is slow. Ralph will be writing his next letter 4 days before this one even got postmarked.
• At one time, either before or after the war, Ralph worked at a sugar beet factory in Blissfield MI. Here's what I found:

The following listing displays the Michigan cities in which sugar factories were built, the capacity of tons sliced at the date of construction and the capacity at the time the factory discontinued operations or, for those still in operation, the current slicing capacity.

Blissfield 600 - 1000 1905 - 1950

Blissfield Dyer Company Continental Sugar Company

England. Sun. Sept. 24.

Dear Mother & all,
         Sunday again and I
must write you a few lines
tonight. Tell the rest of them
I will write when I have time.
Just at present I am rather
rushed with work.
         It is anything but a
nice day today. Rain, wind
and rather cold. We have
a good fire tonight though, so
it isn't so bad in the hut.
Very little mail is getting
through now. I don't know
if the war ballots are crowding
out the regular mail or not.
I don't think I have had a letter
from you this week or from

any of the family. I think I had
a V mail from Lenore and I
received a V mail from Marie
today.
         Had an airmail letter from
Charles Stutzman today. He has
returned to Texas, but occording
to his letter he won't be there
long. I guess he will be moving
out.
         I have had only one letter
from Harley since he arrived
here. I guess you will have
to give me the news on him.
Don't worry if my mail is slow
in comeing. I am busy and might
not have time to write when
I want to.
         Well I really can't think of
much more to write about

tonight. So I guess this will just
about be all. I hope you are
feeling much better by now.
         I sent in my ballot last
week. So I had a chance to
vote this year also. Goodbye
for now.
                          Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on September 29th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Here are some articles I found about soldiers voting in the 1944 election. And, yes, there was controversy over it.
• http://archives.chicagotribune.com

A ballot for a military member.

England. Sept. 17, 1944.

Dear Mother & all,
       Received you letter of
Sept 6 this week. I am glad
you like the present I sent
you from Ireland. There is one
place that I always wanted
to visit. I guess I am seeing
quite a bit of this country during
this war.
      I suppose it will seem strange
to just have you and Dad sit
down to a meal now. I sure
would like to sit down to a
meal with you folks. It
seems so long since I have
been home now. I won't know
what to do after I do get home.
That will be grand when I do

get home. I guess I will just
have you folks to come home
to.
       I haven't heard from Harley
since the one letter. I suppose
he is in France by now. If
he isn't he probably will beat
me over there. I am trying to
make connections with him if
possible.
       Just how much is my account
now? I haven't increased my
accum allotment yet since
making staff. Maybe I will soon.
Let me know what my account
is now.
       I never thought about Labor
Day. I guess I have forgotten
all the holidays anyway. One
would hardly know this was

even Sunday. There has been
a lot going on today. I suppose
you are listening to all the
news.
       This nurse is Pearl Meyers
niece. I told you about he before.
She wants me to come and see
her, but I don't think I will be
able to see her. I would like
to though.
       Well this is about all for
now. I was in London last week.
It is beginning to look like London
again. Once it looked deserted.
Goodnight for now.
                               Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on Sept.24th.

Background Information (and comments):

• September 17th was the start of Operation Market Garden. Of course, Ralph could not know that it would turn out to be an unsuccessful Allied military operation.
• "Operation Market Garden, which includes the Battle for Arnhem, in September 1944, was the largest airborne battle in history, being bigger than Operation Mercury, the German airborne invasion of Crete in 1941, which was the only successful strategic airborne operation of World War Two. It was also the only real attempt by the Allies to use airborne forces in a strategic role in Europe. It was a massive engagement, with its principal combatants being 21 Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery for the Allies and Army Group B under Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model for the Germans. It involved thousands of aircraft and armoured vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of troops and was the only major Allied defeat of the Northwest European campaign."
• Here's a link with a more information and a photo from another website:

https://dailyhistory.org/Why_did_Operation_Market_Garden_in_1944_fail%3F

England. Sept. 10, 1944

Dear Mother & all,
        Received your letter of Aug. 18
just a few days ago. I have
received later ones then this
already, but will answer your
questions now.
        I suppose Ariel is glad to be
home and out of the army. I would
sure like to be there myself
but not under the same conditions.
He never did leave the states
either. Some people are lucky
I guess. But I am getting to see
a lot of this country.
        I wrote Harley another letter
tonight. I am going to try and
make some connections to see
him if I can. It is rather

hard to locate him now. I have
a good idea where he is though.
       I have written Irene about the
chest and the ring. I don't know
if she will give them up or
not, but I told her to have her
folks take the chest to you and
send me the ring. I can sell it
over here. I keep thinking of her,
but there are a lot of other
things that keep my mind
occuppied. Maybe it is best
it turned out this way. She was
set in her ways. She said
she would never let me know
if she realizes after a while
that she is makeing a mistake.
I'll never let her know that I
miss her either. You haven't
talked with her mother have you.

They have never wrote me
about it at all. They probably
won't now.
       It has been rather cool here in
the mornings. Almost frost.
      Well as usual I don't have
very much to write about. I
guess this will be about all
for now. I attended church again
today. Goodnight for now. Please
write soon and often.
                         Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on Sept. 17th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Ariel was Ariel Lathrop, a classmate and a neighbor of Ralph's. He was stationed in Washington D.C. He was married to Marion Holliker on June 22, 1943. Their first child, Mary Elizabeth was born on July 11, 1944. Perhaps that is how/why he was no longer in the army.

England. Sept. 7, 1944

Dear Mother & all,
      Received your very nice long letter
of Aug. 24 yesterday. I am glad you feel
better. I could even notice it in your
letter. It was longer and a lot more
news in it.
      As for my knowledge I have gained
in my travels. There will never be
a place better than the good old U.S. But
I guess it will be sometime before I see
it. From what I get out of this demobilization
plan it looks as if I might as well
make the Army my life work. Maybe
it won't be so bad after it is straightened
out. It doesn't sound any to good just
now though.
      Well mother I am a gunner now. I
have completed a course in the machine
gun. But it is just for my own benefit.
Probably won't have to touch one even.
      Gee things are going to be so changed
by the time I get home All the painting

remodeling and building. I sure won't
know how home is.
      You said it cooled off at home. We have
had a fire almost every week night for a
week. It takes the dampness out of the
hut. There is plenty of it to. Harley is
probably finding out what English weather
is like now.
      I sure wish I could have a few fresh
peaches to eat. They ask 6 shillings a
piece for them here. That is about $1.20 each.
I don't suppose it costs that much a bushel
there.
      I can't imagine Raymond Ford getting
married. I guess I will just end up being
a bachelor. Where is he working now. He
must have a good job to step out and buy
a home.
      I just receive a very nice letter from
Pearl this week. She sure is doing
her share in writing to me over here.
Said she was trying to get me some
films. She said she believed her niece
would never put any faith in men again.

      I feel the same way. I don't believe I
will put any faith in anymore girls. I guess
it is best it happened to me. Probably be
to old by the time I get out. But whom she
is going with is just a bad off as I am.
He's in the navy. Has her folks ever
said anything to you about it? If they do
just tell them what I think about it. I think
it is mighty low down for her to do this.
      Didn't Ilene's husband go into the Army?
You know I called on them in Texas. He was
ready to leave then.
      No mother there isn't anything I want
special for Christmas. Don't send me anything
I will have to carry around with me. I doubt
if I will always be in England, and we are
overstocked now with things to carry.
I guess this is about all for now. I
hope you continue to improve in health.
Goodbye for now.
                                Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on Sept. 10th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Raymond Ford was one of Ralph's first cousins. One of his brothers was Morgan Ford, who Ralph has mentioned in previous letters. Their mother was Susie Brown Ford, the sister of Ralph's father. Raymond had a hearing impairment.
• The demobilization plan was also called personnel readjustment. Here is some information I found:

2 August 1944

I.Those to be transferred from one theater to another or from US to a theater.
II. Those to be retained for service in theaters, overseas commands, or in US.
III. Those to be inactivated.

Allotments were given by WD to theaters and major commands and CG's, AAF, ASF, and AGF indicating the number of personnel to be designated for separation.

Theaters would designate only those officers who were surplus to theater needs and return them to the US to the control of appropriate major command who in turn would designate those to be separated. Enlisted in accordance with allotments would be designated nonessential by their CG's on basis of ASR cards.

England. Sept. 4, 1944.

Dear Mother & all,
         I had a big surprised today.
I received a letter from Harley and
he is right here in England. I
sure am going to try to see
him. I don't know just exactly
where he is at, but I can
find out. He might be able to
get into London and if he lets
me know I will be able to get
in and see him. I think he
is located down near the place
I spent my vacation.
      We have been haveing some
typical fall weather here. It
is real damp and rainy out. In
fact the roof is leaking above

my bunk tonight. I had to move
it over a little. We have had
a small fire now for three
nights to take the dampness out
of the hut.
        Had a very nice letter from
Luella yesterday. She sent me
some pictures of Harley, and while
they were at the lake. I might have
some pictures that some of the
fellows took in Ireland. I hope
they turn out ok.
       Gosh mother, I really can't
think of much to write about
tonight. I heard from Irene about
a week ago, but no word from
her folks yet. I don't think they
know we have broken up. I
and going to tell her to send
the cedar chest and the mix master

over to you folks. I don't want
her to have anything that will
remind her of me. If she can be
mean, I can too. I guess all is
fair in love and war and I am
in war now. I sure hope she
is satisfied in what she is doing.
I know I can get along without
her and there will be plenty more
girls after I get home. I am glad
it happened now, then after I had
been home for sometime.
I guess this will be all for
tonight. Please write soon
and often.
                         Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on Sept. 7th.