Letter From Stanley
How Time Flew By Fast
May 21-31, 1944. Stanely writes five V-mails to Dad in this span of time. He recollects that a year ago in the middle of May he was home on furlough. He comments “Boy, how time flew by fast.” He brings Dad up to speed on the day-to-day goings on at Deenethorpe. Spring has come to … Continue reading
Funny Weather
May 10, 16 and 18, 1944: Stanley writes a few V-mails to Dad. He writes two on the 10th and one on each of the other days. Stanley focuses on the everyday details of life at Deenethorpe, including the weather, the movies he’s seen at the base theater, and the many other things that they … Continue reading
Satisfied Where I Am
May 1, 4 and 8, 1944: A few V-mails and a letter to Dad from his brother Stanley who is stationed at Deenethorpe with the 401st Bomb Group. The weather is warming up in England with the spring. Sanely writes, “It is nice and warm outside and everyone is outside playing ball.” As is usually … Continue reading
Level and True
April 18, 20, 21 and 24, 1944: Some V-mails from Stanley Murawski, who is with the 401st Bomb Group in Deenethorpe, to his brother, Anthony who is stationed at Topeka Army Air Base. Stanley writes about a few of the USO shows that where held on base and shares a humorous poem about Army clerks. … Continue reading
Pretty Good Service
April 1, 6 and 10, 1944: a few V-mails from Stanley to Dad. Stanley is still with the 401st Bomb Group in Deenethorpe, England. As is the case back home in Albany and in Topeka where Dad is, Easter and spring time are on the way, Stanley gets to see some of London while on … Continue reading
Read the Headlines
March 18, 20, 22 and 25, 1944: a handful of V-mails from Stanley to Dad. Uncle Stanley is at Deenethorpe, England with the 613th Bomb Squadron of the 401st Bomb Group. While his squadron has been spending the month bombing strategic Nazi targets in Europe, Stanley has been careful to write about regular base life … Continue reading
Sixteen Months
March 6 and 13, 1944, a few short notes from Stanley to Dad. Stanley has settled back into life on base at Deenethorpe after seeing a bit of the countryside on a 48 hour pass. He’s been given additional help in the office so he is managing to catch upon his work and is taking … Continue reading
The English Sure Like Their Tea
February 17, 21, 27 and 29, 1944. We get a few V-mails from Stanley to Dad. Given the format they are short letters with a lot of single sentence paragraphs. The information is concise and to the point. Apparently in a recent letter Dad had asked Stanley if he would like a pocket chess game. … Continue reading
A Military Crease
January 21, 26, 28 & 30, 1944: four V-mails from Stanley to Dad. Stanley is in Deenethorpe, England with the 613th Bombardment Squadron of the 401st Bomb Group while dad is in Topeka with the 21st Bomb Wing. Stanley reports that “life is going on as usual.” He mentions that he is enjoying some music on … Continue reading
The Dampness Gets Me
January 12, 13 and 17: Three V-Mails to Dad in Topeka from his brother Stanley in Deenethorpe. Given the space limitations of the V-Mail format, the self-censorship, and the active military censorship (each V-Mail passes through and is signed off by a censor) substantive information is often hard to come across. However, the V-mails are … Continue reading