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From: "Chris Sackett" <>
Subject: [SACKETT-L] Lillie.88
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 00:53:46 -0000

Dear All

All my presents are wrapped, so a few minutes are available to type & send
another Lillie letter.

Thinking of Christmas, Ros & I were in Birmingham last weekend for a 21st
birthday party [this is Birmingham, England - not Alabama, or wherever else
there are Birminghams] & were shocked to discover that Christmas has been
banned there! Apparently, the Loony Lefties who run the city council have
decided that 'Christmas' is not appropriate given the large cosmopolitan
population there & all the ethnic minorities. It seems non-Christians are
not to be offended.

Now, I've nothing against ethnic minorities or non-Christians but, if my
history serves me correctly, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of
Christ. Worst of all, the Birmingham city politicos have ordained that
Christmas is to be termed "Winterval".

Has the world gone mad - or is it just me?

Enough of my soap-box. Here's Lillie. At least, she talked sense. What, I
wonder, would dear Lillie have made of such tosh!

Regards,
Chris
___________
Lillie.88

Sunday, November 12th [1944]

Much has happened since last I wrote to you. Two boats with a noted Pilot
on board have managed to get away from the Island during the past two
weeks. This has caused very much excitements & we are all hoping they have
safely arrived at their destination. The Germans are very furious with them
&, as a reprisal, they claimed lots of our food - all the beans which were
to have been sold as rations, & some of our wheat and potatoes.

We are now in sight of total want. Our Gas & Electricity will only last
until Dec 13th. We have been told today by a prominent baker that there is
only one month's supply of flour in the Island. Our rations now consist of
Butter, Sugar, & Flour or Macaroni. We have this week had our Monthly
ration of meat, 1/10d worth of pork for we two. We have greatly enjoyed it,
such a treat to have a little fat.

The potato ration is now 5 lbs per week. Fortunately, we are not dependent
on that. We have not taken our ration since we started digging our own &,
between Will & us, we shall have enough for the winter, but the poor people
who have not been able to grow any are in a poor way. Now that the Germans
are buying up such a lot of vegetables, it is very hard for them.

On Friday, there were long queues hoping to get a Cabbage. Douglas told me
all he was able to get was 2 ½ lbs of Carrots. He has been cooking for
himself 4 lbs of vegetables per day. Will was able to let him have some
potatoes. It is a good thing Lydia is in Hospital for they always come
first.

The Germans are demanding certain head of our Cattle too each week You
see, they can't get any supplies now that we are cut off from France, &
they are getting to the end of their stores too.We are hoping & praying
that something will soon happen to bring us release. It is getting very
serious indeed.

Arthur had a shock last Monday. When he got to the office, he was met by a
"Policeman" who told him his sister, Edith, had been found wandering in the
early hours of that morning & had been taken to the "Police Station" by two
soldiers. It seems she had been to tea with a friend up this way in the
afternoon & had left there at six o'clock, & of course it was getting dark
then. She evidently lost her way & had been wandering about all night until
she was found by the soldiers. They took her to the P. Station & they took
her to her home at 3 a.m. She was in a deplorable condition. It was a
fearfully wet & stormy night.Her landlady told me it gave her a fearful
shock to see her. Arthur went to see her & found her in bed, naked. She
said she was too hot to bear any clothes on. Arthur was afraid for her, so
he went back to the office & phoned to me. I went down at once. Arthur had
phoned the Dr. I just missed seeing him, but the Ambulance came & we got
her ready, & got her off to the Town Hospital where she is now under
observation. She has been doing queer things for some time now & has taken
to wandering about in the evenings. I'm afraid we shall have trouble with
her as she has been managing her own affairs for so long & has a very
strong will. However, she is now safe for a little while.

We have now four people to visit in Hospital: Tom at the "Sanatorium",
Gladys at the "Mental Home", Lydia at the "Blancheland Nursing Home", & now
Edith at the Town Hospital. It has been too wet for Arthur to go & see Tom
today. It has rained all the day, but it is not as cold as it has been.

All last week, it was so cold & stormy.We do hope you are all keeping well.
It is such a long time since we were able to hear from any of you.

There is no Coal in the Island & some poor people have not even any wood.
Will has been fortunate & has been able to get us quite a nice lot, so we
are able to have a fire in the evenings with the logs which we were able to
buy, but which are not available any more.

Plans are being made for "Communal Cooking." I hope to be able to manage my
own. It takes such a long time preparing vegetables, which is our staple
food now, but we are very thankful to have them at all. When will this
terrible war end?

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• [SACKETT-L] Lillie.88 by "Chris Sackett" <>