Letter find reveals how a girl’s mittens warmed soldier’s heart
A LETTER from a Second World War soldier thanking a girl for knitting mittens for troops has reached her family 77 years on .
LCpl John Wheldon- Williams wrote to High Wycombe teenager Pat Moore from Italy in February 1944 – and the note has resurfaced, tucked inside a book being prepared for resale.
He said she should be “proud of the part you played within this great war machine with your weapons, a few knitting needles”.
He added: “You are performing a great service, a service that breathes the spirit of England.”
Staff at World Of Books in Worthing, West Sussex enlisted the help of the British Red Cross to track down Pat or her relatives. The letter has now been returned to her only surviving child, Lynn Cook. Mrs Cook, of Surrey, said she was “delighted” to be reunited with the piece of family history. She said her mother had died aged 36 in 1964.
She said: “It’s incredibly moving to know how much my mum’s contribution to the war effort meant on a personal level. I have early memories of watching my mother knit at home – it’s something she always enjoyed.
“And I remember her telling me stories of her writing to pen pals during the war. I suspect she snuck a little note in with the package in the hope a soldier would eventually reply.
“She’d have been overjoyed with this. I’ll treasure it for ever.”
Mrs Cook found more details about LCpl Wheldon- Williams with the help of historian Dave Thacker. He lived in London until he died in 1970 and his son Brian was a West End actor, appearing in Cabaret with Dame Judi Dench. He passed away in 2017.
Graham Bell, chief executive of World Of Books Group, said he was thrilled the firm had been able to track down the families.
He said: “It’s surprisingly common for people to place memories inside books for safe- keeping, whether it be photographs or letters from loved ones. This find was particularly poignant. We’re delighted to have found Lynn and learnt more about the letter.”