Another Letter to a Returning FEPOW (24th October 1945)

My father, Robert (Bob) Percy Edmunds,  was a prisoner of the Japanese during the Second World War. I have a number of letters written by family members upon hearing that he was alive and coming home ...

The following is the text of a letter sent by Dad's sister Ciss, The home address is given as "179 Britmore Lane, Semley, Nr Shaftesbury".

"My Dear Bob,

This is just to let you know how pleased we all are that you will be home at last.
How excited you must be as each day you get nearer England.
Last Xmas we so little thought that you would be home for this one as mother had only the one card from you and that nearly two years ago.
We always felt you would come back & mother had such alot to do with this ???? buisness & Mill and for 8 or 10 months, it all helped to occupy her mind in the day time but I guess she sleep's better now.

Mrs Smarts son at Colletts Cottages bottom of hains Hill was missing just before you & Bert Gard (?) who used to be at Conduit they are both safe.

You will be luckier than some of the poor fellows there must be some whose homes have been bombed and families killed.

We are all as you left us with 4 added. Betty, Eric & the twins.

The boys have all grown tremendously, George is taller than Cyril, Arthur as tall as yourself & Bertie a big lad at work, Zillah grown & Sylvia as big as her. Pat is still as fair but her curls are now long.

Dad is a real football fan in his spare time, he is going to make a fortune at it but his turn has not come yet.

Conduit farm has just changed hands again and Fred has been taken on for the new man also Mrs Prior. They are "horsey" people but not sure in what way. Blanchard is the name and they do training, point to point etc.

Fred is busy pulling down old buildings to make new ones so gets both wet and fine weather jobs.

It was nice to see Cliff as he looked so well, he just turned up as usual. I should think he will be soon home again, he was not going back for long. Bert has only about another 8 weeks.

Old Jim, Mrs Teddy, Mr Tom, and old Sally Harrison are still about the same. The other ? have passed on.

I was a most beautiful day when we heard the good news that you were safe, a sat morning followed with 3 weeks of it wonderful for October. We had a rotten summer. Its changed for the worse again have had two very rough nights.

You will probably feel the cold after such a long time in a hotter climate.

Chubbie will be as pleased as anybody to see you, he enjoyed himself when Cliff was home.

We still have Shot she has had two lots of puppies which made a good price,

Jack is a road man now and is glad to be home, he was at Poole some time & lodgings were not so good.

We should all like to see your ship come in especially the boys. You will I expect have a grand welcome.

I have written this on the 24th Oct so we, like you, are counting the days and hope they will not be many more.

Love from us all

Ciss"

A Letter to a Returning FEPOW (13th October 1945)

My father, Robert (Bob) Percy Edmunds,  was a prisoner of the Japanese during the Second World War. I have a number of letters written by family members upon hearing that he was alive and coming home ...

The following is the text of a letter sent by Hannah, the wife of my Dad's brother, Albert. The letter is addressed  to "a.c, 2 R. P. Edmunds, Ex P.O.W. C/o PO Box 164, London". It is dated October 13th (1945) and the senders address is given as "137 Barkers Hill, Donhead St Andrew".

"My Dear Bob

We are all eagerly counting the days now time doesn't really go quick enough to please us, but the weather is lovely at the moment, lovely sunshine all day and hot too. We shall have a lot to talk about and when you see all these boys around, Arthur is much taller than Bert and Bertie he thinks he is quite grown up. Bert is just outside Bremen now waiting to be disbanded, he says he may come back over here, he has had his medical for demobbing so it won't be long now before we get him back and Cliff. I had a nice day in Salisbury with Cliff while he was home, I really never thought he meant to take me, your Dad is off to auntie May for the weekend. I am just about to go to work so will say cherio and all the best till we see you, from Hannah & family"

Notes:

Bert is Dad's older brother (Albert Edmunds)
Bertie and Arthur are Bert and Hannah's sons (Dad's cousins)
Cliff is also Dad's brother (Clifford Edmunds)
Auntie May is Dad's auntie, his father's sister.

Ernest Edward Edmunds (1885 - 1915)

Ernest Edward Edmunds was my second cousin twice removed; his grandfather William Edmunds (born 1806) was the brother of my great great grandfather John Edmunds (born 1814).

Ernest Edward Edmunds was born in 1885; he was the son of Henry and Eleanor Rachel (nee Conduit) of The Road, Boscombe. Ernest worked as an agricultural labourer and enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment at Devizes on 28th December 1914. He was given the service number 18267. After training he embarked at Southampton on the 4th May 1915 with the 14th batch of reinforcements and joined his Battalion four days later. The Battalion were not in the forward trenches when he joined but on the 16th May he had his first experience of real warfare, the whole Battalion was engaged in fierce fighting for two days. The next few months saw the Battalion in a number of major offensives with long periods spent in the trenches. On the 25th September the Battalion were in the Verquin area and marched via La Bourse and Sailly to occupy a reserve line of trenches South East of Noyes at about 3 am. Preceded by an intense bombardment of the enemy lines, the Battalion advanced at 6 am to occupy front line trenches. The fighting was fierce from the start with many casualties suffered by the 2nd Battalion. At dusk the Battalion was relieved by the 9th Devonshire Regiment, but only to take up a new front to the right. The fighting lessened during the night and the next day, the 26th September, the Battalion took up new positions to support the 1st/4th Cameron Highlanders. On the 26th September Private Ernest Edmunds was first reported missing and then killed. He was 29 years old. Ernest Edward Edmunds has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, Panel 102.

With thanks to Tony Lyons for his assistance