SACKETT-L Archives

From: "Chris Sackett" <>
Subject: Lillie.39
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 07:24:45 +0100

Dear All,

Here is Lillie.39

Regards,
Chris

Jan 12th 1942

I see it is nearly two months since I wrote to you. I did not get over my
dysentery for four weeks & at the last I had to stay in bed for three days.
It is so very difficult for me to stay in bed. There is no one to do
anything for me. We brought my bed downstairs & that made it a bit easier,
but I was real glad when it stopt & I'm feeling quite fit again.

Christmas has come & gone again. We had as nice a time as possible. Will &
Tom Keyho spent the day with us. Mrs de Guerin gave us the usual "Goose",
altho' it was much smaller than usual owing to the lack of grain, etc. Most
people are having to kill off their poultry, there is so little for them to
eat.

I managed to make a pudding of sorts. I'd dried some grapes & made about 1
lb of raisins, that was the only kind of fruit in it, a little mixed spice
which I'd saved, no suet just flour & bicarbonate of soda, no sugar. I made
a sauce with "Nestles Milk", sparing just a little sugar for it, but it was
not very sweet. Anyhow, we had plenty of vegetables. I also made a cake in
like manner, putting into it some dried figs which was rationed out to us
just then. We made the best of it & spent a nice time together.

Our rations were increased a little that week. We had 12 ozs of sugar, just
double our usual amount. Then we had ½ lb Walnuts between us & 25 Guernsey
sweets. I'd saved a tin of Pears & a jelly, so had that for tea, with
sandwiches made of French Cheese & Beans made into a paste. So altogether
we had quite a feast. It was better than the previous year as we had our
"Wireless" & the Curfew was until 12 p.m., but both the boys went off about
11 p.m.

On Boxing Day, we had a tea with Alf, Lydia, & Douglas & had a very nice
time with them. It was bitterly cold so we walked down; it was too cold for
cycling. It was a lovely moonlit night.

You will notice I have not made mention of young Arthur. Poor Will has been
having a very bad time with him. During the two years since he left school
he has had about 6 different jobs of work & has lost them all through
stealing & lying & instability generally. It came to a climax in October
when he entered the house through the fanlight next door to them & stole
£7-0-0. He was brought up at Court & was severely reprimanded & was let off
as it was a first offence, but in another fortnight he was there again. In
the meantime, he left Will & went to live in Town. We have not seen him
since. He had stolen from each of us before this happened & borrowed from
quite a number of people. He is such a nice clean looking boy &, having
been one of us, people never thought anything was wrong.

The Dean & his son have tried to help him & he was put in the charge of the
"Probation Officer", but they are all getting tired of him. He does not
seem to want to do any better. At present, he is working for the Germans as
some sort of errand boy. Will has been alone since he went, but has just
decided to join Tom Keyho at his home. It will be better for them both as
they are both very lonely. There seems very little chance of Gladys getting
better, so I think Will is very wise to take this step.

Alfred has had a bad turn with dysentery & Rupture. He has been home nearly
two weeks now. I went to see him last week. I think he is on the mend
again. There is a lot of sickness here & such a lot of sudden deaths, the
old folk particularly. We are all under-nourished. It is not to be wondered
at that so many fail.

We are having a spell of bitter cold weather. We had a good fall of snow &
it is still lying about. Our taps were frozen this morning. We can't afford
to light our fire until afternoon as our stock of coal is now very low. It
is very trying when we know that the Germans have plenty of coal, but they
won't let us have much. We are now trying to burn Peat with Coke &
Anthracite Coal, with logs of wood, but it is not like a good coal fire.

Yesterday, I cooked for Will a lovely rabbit. He & Tom came round & we all
enjoyed it together. It was a treat. Of course, Will took home the remains
& they lasted him through the week. We are learning some wonderful lessons
through our difficulties. It is wonderful what one can do without when you
have to. We often think about the time when we shall be able to have a
little more to do with than at present.

I go to Town each Friday just to get what rations there are, but it is
really painful to see the empty shops &, in the Market, there is nothing
but roots for sale, not even any flowers now. As for fish, we have not seen
any for months now.

We just get enough "Barley Meal" to make Porridge for breakfast & our meat
lasts generally for three or four days & then it is made to go as far as
possible by vegetables. We are so thankful to have a good stock of them.
What a blessing our garden is to us. The late crop of Potatoes generally
was a failure & there are many people in the Island who have not been able
to get any for weeks now, There are none to buy. The Germans had so many of
the early crop. They don't go without much.

Sidney Marr has a German Officer & his batman living in his house. Sidney
told me the other week he was tired of smelling "Bacon & Eggs" being fried
for their breakfast. We have not seen Bacon since they came to the Island,
but they get it. As for Eggs, I don't think we shall see any more. The
poultry, as I told you, has had to be killed off. However, despite it all
we keep smiling & hoping for better days.

This thread:

• Lillie.39 by "Chris Sackett" <>