JuanRuiz has been kind enough to translate some letters from my great-great-aunt to my great-great-grandmother. My great aunt lived in Paris during WWII.

Below is the contents of one of the letters. For references, Camille is my great-great-grandmother who lived in America, John is her son, who was American and fought with the Army. Loretta is her daughter. My great aunt's name was Marie.

At this time of war, I thought this letter could help us have a little perspective. I think Marie would be happy that her words could help us all gain that, and that her suffering at least provided that one bit of good.

quote:

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little Camille and Loretta,
I am responding with a few lines that I have been waiting to receive a letter from you or Loretta, but nothing. I must tell you that we had the chance to have John at our [illegible]. If you had been at our little corner and seen your great giant of a son hold me in his arms like a little girl of 15 years. I am suffering from the very great privations that we have had. I am in [next several words illegible] the whole winter without heat or food. I [illegible] to die from the cold. We can't find anything to eat. We are suffering from privations that you could never believe. I no longer have the large figure of a [illegible].

I have avoided the cleverness of a poet; I don't need any emotions of the heart. I have only seen this happen at Jean's, twice, three hours once, the first time, he had just drunk a café au lait and the second time the same thing. They were going to military school with a friend and then we saw that he changed from the first time we saw him. [next sentence illegible] I didn't know where he was [illegible] and that he was close to me [illegible words]. He was wounded in Germany and transported by plane to England. And then after sent to Paris. [Illegible words]. I am very worried about this. He was [illegible] since the 18th of March and I don't have any news. I haven't found out anything since he left, but indirectly I have learned this: he told us that he was [illegible]. I was shocked especially during the war...

I am writing, but quickly, a long letter in order to calm myself. About your question, your dear little John says he misses you. He is so loving and I think he his good. I hug you, Mommy Camille, for him, all the time. He repeats it always in talking and Loretta is in a chain on his arm. There was never a day with us together, neither breakfast nor dinner, no wonder I am sick. That is not [illegible] if you didn't eat anymore than we are. I complain to you with all my heart. Maybe I will not see the end of the war, if I am lacking as I have been for five years. Especially without heat for the winter and water dripping here. Because of the humidity my bones hurt so badly and I am white as a corpse. I would scare a thousand thousand lions. Kisses to poor Leon, also to Edouard. Loretta doesn't know me anymore. The sister and aunt who loves you always.

[John] Frank Fitzgerald, etc...he is going to be assigned to an aviation corps in France if possible. I don't know what he is doing. I don't know anything about him. We still have nothing to eat. I had asked him to bring us something to eat us not finding anything to nourish us. I haven't smoked [?] anything since the 11th of March. We haven't found anything for two days in our search for something to eat. It was a great pleasure seeing John. Imagine a child of Camille was here only for us but no longer. Our chagrin is great, you can believe me. How is Leon doing? Jean is good, I believe. I have been sick from all the chores [tasks, requirements] Because you are my whole family, I would like to see you my poor little Camille as well as Loretta.

Dear Camille,
I think you are doing well as is Loretta. We are wondering how Edouard is, also Leon your brother. Also Jean's wife who we don't know. If you know tell us where Jean is so that we can write him and maybe make it possible for us to see him. We have gotten very thin over the past month. We would love to hug you tightly [illegible words] in each others' arms and not die [illegible] to know.

Dear Camille,
Writing for the pleasure of seeing you and Loretta. Louise and I hug you and send you a thousand, thousand, and thousand kisses from our [illegible]. Also we should not die without seeing again all the [illegible] and the other ends of the days of our existence. At our age we close our eyes to the hands of the family but not to the hands of strangers. That is too often seen on earth, to be separated one from the other.

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This correspondence is in April 1945, weeks before the end of the war in Europe. Paris had been liberated in August 1944 some 7 months or so before. So the privations described were during the months well after the Germans had left the city and the country.Germany surrendered on May 7th.

What happened to the characters later ?

The people in a liberated country may suffer more , in some ways, for a while after liberation than they had before it. It is part of the price of the freedom sometimes and has happened there. The old order is driven out and in the course of fighting much of the infra structure for supply may get damaged or destroyed too. No doubt this happened, to a degree in Iraq, initially.

It would be interesting to know why this lady was suffering and whether that was universal in Paris. It would be quite wrong to think that France suffered shortages of food during the German occupation. One galling feature for victorious British troops entering France was just that; back home rigorous food rationing was in force, and continued for years post-war, whereas the defeated French had spent years without any apparent rationing or restriction of food or wine whatsoever.That should hardly have been surprising. France was an agricultural country with a range of climates and territories, so could well provide for herself and her unwelcome visiters. Britain, on the other hand, had become increasingly dependent on imported food.

Another surprise, even irritation, was that on entering Paris the British found that nearly all the buildings were still standing, whereas great swathes of London and British towns were just bombsites.Our soldiers had thought that France would be like England in both these respects.

Perhaps I should clarify that by saying that at the start of the war the French themselves had put some restrictions on meat. When the Germans invaded they did have a system for rationing available but they only used it as a weapon of control of dissidents or against any hated minorities rather than as a device of necessity; those who kept peaceful would not suffer; in Britain rationing was in force simply because there was no other way.

quote:

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What happened to the characters later ?

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Uh, Fred...they aren't characters, they're real people. Well, they were...now they are dead.

As far as I know, Marie died shortly after the war ended. She may have had cancer. She was suffering in large part because her husband died in the war and she could not find employment, as per my aunt (Marie's great-neice).

Also because her only marketable skill was as an acrobat, for which there was no call during a war.

Her visitor was very much NOT unwelcome. She was very happy to see her nephew, as she stated.

quote:

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It was a great pleasure seeing John. Imagine a child of Camille was here only for us but no longer.

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He was injured and thought dead for a while.

I mean no offense, but it does seem that my intended point in posting this is being missed.

Mx2,'Unwelcome visiters' meant 'the Germans'

'Characters' is simply British for people who figure in an account; if they are not real we usually call them 'fictional characters', in full.

Your point is , I take it, that here we have history from real people showing us that wars are a lot more than politics, statistics or territory but have affected our families and will affect us, ordinary people, at a personal level.It is well proven by these letters, a link between you, your blood and history

Okay--wow, I'm releaved to see it was me not understanding British-English, I was wondering at you there for a minute! I barely understand American-English, go easy on me! (You should see when I email back and forth with my Australian cousin )

Yes, that was my point entirely. We think of it from our point of view, while the people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time are really suffering.

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Originally posted by MommyTimesTwo:
Okay--wow, I'm releaved to see it was me not understanding British-English,

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Ah don't tell the British Folk, but they really don't speak English - Been there, can't hardly understand them at all! Again shhhh don't tell.



Interesting war-story told in the form of letters. Treasures to be kept, maybe even published at some time in the future. Thanks for sharing they make one think and count the blessings.

David

I used to be pen-friends with a guy in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and man I couldn't understand a word he said on the phone!

You're welcome David. This is the first time they've been translated--I've already found out a LOT about my family that I didn't know (like that I'm Italian! )