{"id":5839,"date":"2024-03-22T11:24:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T11:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olddays.co.uk\/?p=5839"},"modified":"2025-08-01T16:05:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T15:05:06","slug":"letter-from-american-soldier","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/letter-from-american-soldier\/","title":{"rendered":"Armstrong to Kitchingman July 16 1946"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"First<\/a><\/p>\n

Letter from American Soldier to British Wartime Friend<\/h2>\n

A heartfelt letter from a former American soldier, Sgt. B. Armstrong, now residing in New York, to his wartime buddy in Blackpool, England, reflects a profound and enduring sense of camaraderie and deep-rooted friendship between the two men. The letter recalls their close bond formed while the American was stationed in Britain during the Second World War. Its contents convey not only fond memories of their time together but also an abiding appreciation for the support and companionship they shared amid the challenges of wartime. Sgt. Armstrong\u2019s words suggest that he continues to hold this transatlantic connection in high regard, treasuring it as one of the most meaningful relationships of that pivotal period in his life.<\/p>\n

\"Third<\/a>Firstly, the letter begins with an apology for the delay in writing, indicating a desire to maintain communication despite the physical distance. The soldier expresses his gratitude for the letter received from his friend and congratulates him on his current situation, expressing relief that his friend is no longer working in the coal mine, despite it not being the Royal Navy (RN) as initially hoped.<\/p>\n

There is a clear sense of nostalgia and longing for England expressed throughout the letter. The soldier admits to missing England more than expected, describing it as a “swell country” and expressing a desire to find a good excuse to return and live there. This sentiment suggests a deep affection for England and its people, possibly influenced by the warmth and hospitality shown to him during his time as a foreign soldier.<\/p>\n

The soldier acknowledges the differences between military and civilian life, admitting that the transition has been challenging, referring to the “horrors of civilian life.” Despite this, he expresses solidarity with his friend, affirming his support for England and its people.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the soldier reminisces about the good times they shared and expresses a desire to experience similar moments again. He mentions various places they used to frequent together, indicating a longing for the past and a desire to relive those memories.<\/p>\n

The letter ends with well-wishes for his friend’s army career and an offer of assistance, suggesting a continued willingness to support each other despite the physical distance and change in circumstances.<\/p>\n

\"Second<\/a>Overall, the letter portrays a deep bond between the two friends, characterised by mutual respect, nostalgia, and a shared history of experiences. Despite being separated by distance and different paths in life, their friendship remains strong, with the soldier expressing a genuine desire to maintain their connection and support each other in their respective journeys.<\/p>\n

The Letter<\/h2>\n

65 West\u00a0 89th Street New York<\/p>\n

Dear Neil ,<\/p>\n

Thank you for your letter and forgive me for my failure to write to you as soon as I got home as I promised I would.\u00a0 I sailed from Germany on Easter Sunday arriving home a few days later bemobed \u2013 holiday travel \u2013 Now working in New York \u2013 sweating out the horrors of civilian life .<\/p>\n

Congratulations on your present situation.\u00a0 I am glad you are out of the bloody coal mine. \u00a0\u00a0Sorry it was not the RN but I am sure the BA is OK.\u00a0 I always found some swell goes in that organisation.<\/p>\n

Buddy, I miss England more than anybody would think.\u00a0 Yours is a swell country and I for one would like to find a good excuse to go back there and live. What an awful admission for an American who is supposed to live in a semi utopia!<\/p>\n

Of course the splendid treatment you and your country men gave me as a foreign soldier \u2013 perhaps spoiled me a little.<\/p>\n

Perhaps as a civilian I would not fare so well.\u00a0 In any case you can always count on one ardent British supporter over here!<\/p>\n

I am glad to hear about the spots<\/u> your being introduced to.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sure wish I could hit the Fitzroy, French, Swiss and Aunty Mays tonight.<\/p>\n

New York is quite mad these days.\u00a0 Most of the gay crowd are vets and most of them I learned their stuff in the army \u2013 a great many were stationed in England at one time.<\/p>\n

Well buddy our positions was are reversed now.\u00a0 You are the soldier and I am the civilian, so let\u2019s go all the way \u2013 now you can visit my country and I will introduce you to our version of \u201cPearl Harbour\u201d.<\/p>\n

Good luck in your army career \u2013 write again and tell me what I can send you.<\/p>\n

Soldiers always need something and we civilians are happy to help.\u00a0 As I was saying to George on Thursday \u2013 it\u2019s time to stop.<\/p>\n

Sincerely, Your buddy,<\/p>\n

‘Durward’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Letter from American Soldier to British Wartime Friend A heartfelt letter from a former American soldier, Sgt. B. Armstrong, now residing in New York, to his wartime buddy in Blackpool, England, reflects a profound and enduring sense of camaraderie and deep-rooted friendship between the two men. The letter recalls their close bond formed while the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5841,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5839","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","czr-hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5839"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6063,"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5839\/revisions\/6063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ianwaugh.com\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}