SPIRIT OF ENGLAND

Evening Star, Issue 23696, 2 October 1940, Page 3

SPIRIT OF ENGLAND

" DON'T FEAR FOR US " LETTERS TO GREEN ISLAND RELATIVE “ Don’t worry about us. Wo will keep the old flag flying, and, if the invader gets here, he will never get out again.. Wo are waiting, so let them all come, and ‘ thumbs up.’ ” Typical of the spirit of the British people, tho above is from a London woman in a letter to her sister in Green Island. The writer enumerates all her relatives who are in the fighting forces, and tells how proud she is of them. “ We’ll win,” she writes. “We are bored stiff waiting for Adolf. I can tell you we are more than prepared. This” place is a fortress—you would never believe it. I cannot describe it and would not do so. We are not a bit scared and have our air raid shelter in the back garden. We had an air raid warning once in the daytime and went in there. We have quite a few night disturbers, but nothing to write home about. It’s a great sight to see tho searchlights playing on the skies. What a thrill when we hear the guns. The reports from the guns shake the floors and windows, as wo are not far from an A.A. battery. Wc have our windows all done over with sticky paper to save their breaking. “ Mother is wonderful and is hoping she is spared for the ‘ day of victory.’ Her blindness won’t stop her from enjoying that great day. Desmond (the writer’s son) has got a huge Union Jack. He had it for the King’s Coronation, and the day he left home to join up ho called me upstairs. He had the Union Jack nailed on the wall behind his bed, and his words were: ‘ Now, mother, remember you are British. There are to be no tears, no grieving over Colin or me, and no, matter how dusty the old flag gets leave it. When I come home we will blow the dust off when tho day of victory, arrives. That day is coming.’ How J kept up I don't know, but I knew he was going away and I wanted him to go away seeing me facing the facts. Then I went down and put, the gramophone on. The records were ‘ Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Good-bye ’ and ‘ We’ll Meet Again.’ ” The brother of.the woman at Green Island has also sent her a letter from London. Ho served in the last war, and after many attempts to join again has been accepted. “ You would be amazed at the wonderful and determined spirit of the people,” ho writes. “ It truly is magnificent, and one feels proud to be British. Wo are expecting Herr Hitler to come at any minute, either to breakfast, lunch, or supper, and, believe me, what a welcome he is going to receive. Do not fear for us. Wo are really quite all right, and especially now we have your line boys and the Aussies. There is not a child to bo seen in London, and-I.think it is wise, too. . . . Thank you for your generous offer regarding the kiddies. Wo have thought the matter ever most carefully, but, to be candid, we just feel we could not spare them to be so very, very far away frond us.”