Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy November 26th, 1941

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

This is the second letter - the first starts here - and was written on 26 November 1941, less than two weeks before the Japanese invaded.

Page 1 is here

Page 2 is here

Page 3

Page 4 is here

Gowland is out of Hospital, but no leave was recommended. Did you know that Parry is only getting 16 weeks, a shame I think, seeing how sick he has been.

I am so glad Nelly gave you a Chinese Chow, you will have to show him big M.G. expect he will be after a job from him when he gets down, as he says he will have to find work when he settles down. Anyway they are going to live in a street, true to their form as they are Dreadnoughts! never mind Dear, I wish them all the luck possible.

You seem to have been the busy Housefrau that Sunday morning, how I wish I could have been there to help Cream and Fish certainly go together, get what I mean. By all means Peg, if Ada can put you up, go with them, how I wish I could come down, and enjoy the company of all of you, will have to see what I can do next year, in the way of my heart and B.P.!

So Sweetie Pie has a sore toe, well I hope it's better now, my face is nearly healed up now, I told the Old Man I fell, when alighting from a bus, Cdr!

I haven't been to the flicks for over a week, maybe when my face heals up, I have to go to the bank on Friday cos I draw the pay for the staff, will have to pull my cap well over my eyes, or else send Stuart down, I hate to be seen in public, showing scars. Yes it's my own fault Dear, and I don't ask for sympathy!