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Black - Armstrong
1940s letters from Thomas (Tommy) Black to his girlfriend Eva
Armstrong, then Eva Black,
Santiago Street seems to be his parents house.
1940
  
    
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1) 30th May 1940 Postmark From H.M. Ship Passed by Censor O.H.M.S. to
Miss Eva Armstrong, 18 Woodvale Gardens, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.I. -
30/5/40 T. Black, A.B. D.S.S./X. 23148, 4 Mess, S.S. Manchester City,
c/o G.P.O. London. My Dear Eva, Just a few lines to let you know that
I arrived O.K. and am keeping well. I hope you got home safe on Tuesday
night, did you call at our house for your dog? well I hope you got it O.K. I
suppose you will be going to Lanarck (Lanark) St, dance to-morrow night with
Ena and Rita, well I hope you will enjoy yourself, and you can learn me how
to dance when I come home again. Do not forget to send me a photo-graph of
yourself, and when I go ashore I shall get mine taken, and send you one as
soon as I get there. I am just sitting thinking what I was doing this time
last week, well you remember we were at the Foram? I wish I was still with
you but maby it will not be long till I do be with you again. I hope your
mother is keeping well tell her I was asking for her. Tell Lily, and your
other sister, also young Ron I was asking for them also. I hope you wont
forget to pay father and Ena a visit for you will be quite welcome any time,
also to Harriet and you can wipe them up at ludo. We had a good time coming
back of leave I reached my destination at nine o'clock on Wed. Well darling
sorry I haven't time to say any more but you know what it is coming off
leave you have to get everything ready so I will close hopeing that this
finds you as well as it leaves me. Your With Love Tommy (x's) Write
Soon & Long P.S. Don't forget the photo. I Love You xxxx
2) 19th July 1940 - Royal Navy Received
from H.M. Ships M. M. to Miss E. Armstrong, 18 Woodvale Gardens, Woodvale
Road, Belfast N.I. (on back S.W.A.L.K. x) - 19/7/40 Friday T. Black,
A.B., D.S.S./x.23148, 4 Mess, S.S. Manchester City, c/o G.P.O. London - Dear
Evelyn, Just a few lines to let you know I got your letter O.K. and the
reason you were so long in getting my letter was I wrote to you over two
weeks ago and I got my own letter back to-day for you had the wrong address
on it you had 36 Woodvale Gardens instead of 18 so I was surprised when I
saw my own letter to-day. I thought I had wrote to myself it had been all
over Belfast, I think you must have been dreaming when you wrote to me. I
hope you like the envelope I got it done especially for you by a chap abroad
as he does them all by hand with water colored paints. You were quite a long
time answering my last letter so dont let it happen again. I hope you
enjoyed your holidays O.K. and I was sorry I could not be there to spend
them with you but I will make up for it when I go home at Xmas. I got your
photo and I think it is very nice you look well in it and no matter what
they say about it at home I think it is lovely. I showed it to my mess-mates
and they all said they wish they had as good looking a girl as I had so it
must be good. I was looking foreward to having a letter from you and instead
I got my own one back I think it was a very stupid thing to do so be careful
next time you write. I had a letter from my sister Ina and she said you had
not been up to our house since I left so I told her you were very backward
but she said you have nothing to be backward about visiting her as you are
welcome at anytime, so dont forget and go up to see her. Tell Lily I was
asking for her and hope she enjoyed herself at the holidays. Well Eva I will
draw to a close now hopeing you are as well as I am, and give my best to
your Mother and the rest of the family. I. Remain Always Yours Tommy (x's)
Save all these x's up till I come home. P.S. Write Soon & Long
 
    
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1) 26th July 1940 - Friday 26/7/40 T. Black,
A.B., D.S.S./x. 23148. 4 Mess, S.S. Manchester City, c/o G.P.O., London - My
Dear Evelyn, Just a few lines to let you know that I have sent you a parcel
and that I have put the wrong address on it through your own fault for your
last letter was addressed 36 instead of 17 and I got my own letter back. You
see when I got your letter I sent to a firm for a present for you and then I
found your address was wrong so I wrote to the firm but I was too late as
they had sent the parcel to 36 and they dont know you there so if you go up
to 36 and ask them did it arrive you may get it before it is sent back if
you enquire at the G.P.O. It is over a month now since I have heard from you
through putting your wrong address on your letter so you want to be very
carefull the next time well I will close now hopeing that you get the
present O.K. and I will be expecting to hear from you soon. Yours as Always
Tommy (x's)
2) 12th September 1940 - Royal Navy Received from H.M. Ships to Miss E.
Armstrong, 18 Woodvale Gardens, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N. Ireland (on back
S.W.A.L.K.) - 12/9/40 Thursday T. Black, A.B., D.S.S./ x. 23148, 4 Mess,
S.S. Manchester City, c/o G.P.O., London My Dear Evelyn, Just a few
lines to let you know I am keeping well and hope you are the same. I am sure
you are wondering what is wrong at not hearing from me, but to tell you the
truth I am still waiting on your letter, for we have been at sea this last
two weeks and just put into harbour to-day for the first, and I can tell you
I was very much fed up, to put it in Navy talk (two Blocks) but I am
expecting one from you to-morrow. I got Lily's post card to-day as I
expected, and I was all delighted, but dissappointed at not getting one from
you, as a matter of fact I did not get one from home so you can guess what I
felt like for you see it will take quite a long time for my letters to reach
you, & my people & yours to reach me, for I am a long long way from you, but
just as dear so as soon as you get my letters answer right away. I miss you
a lot Evelyn as I cant get an argument with anyone here like I do with you.
You mind that Sunday morning, my last day with you, we argued all morning
but it was all in fun, you mind I threw you down on the grass I thought you
were going to fall out with me, but you were only playing with me (I hope)
well I wish I was with you again walking up the Glen-Cairn Road, or that
Road we went up that Sunday. I hope your Mother and all at home are keeping
well, tell her to put the tea on as I wont be there, but I bet the first
time I walk in to your house it will be a meal time. I do miss you a lot
Evelyn and I hope that you feel the same too you mind the 3d piece you gave
me well I still have it, and I will always keep it for every time I look at
it it makes me home sick or should I say love sick (doughey) I hope Jack and
your sister are still going strong tell Jack I was asking for him & hope he
is keeping well. I shall have to close now hopeing this finds you in the
pink and dont forget & write a good Long Loving Letter & Soon. I Still
Remain Yours Always, Tommy. Lots of Love & Kisses. (x's) P.S. Save
these up till I come home for I want them all Back. P.S.S. Write Soon
& Long
1941
  
   
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1) 10th July 1941 - Royal Navy Postmark 13 July
1941 Received from H.M. Ships to Miss E. Armstrong, 18 Woodvale Gardens,
Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.I. - 10/7/41 Thursday D.S.S./x. 23148. 1
Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O. London My Dear Evelyn, Just a few
lines to let you know that I am keeping well and have got over my home
sickness though I am still very love sick. Well Darling I am still waiting
on a reply to my last letter, as I am writing this letter now for it will
probably be a few weeks before I can write again, but that wont stop you
from writing so I shall be expecting a few letters from you by that time. I
do not know when I shall be home again but I think it will be quite a while
yet. I hope you haven't forgot that proposition I made when I was home as I
am looking foreward to it. It is Thursday to-day just this time last week we
were sitting arguing that was the night we had the row and I shall never
forget the expression on your face, you mind you said that you were going to
join up well I hope you do not mean it. What about Lily Moffat did she come
back to your house yet if she is tell her I was asking for her and hopes she
is keeping well. Are you back on the shifts again yet I hope not. Tell Lily
I was asking for her and give her my love and tell her I have still got her
lucky charm. Well sweetheart I shall close now hopeing this finds you and
all at 18 as well as it leaves me. I remain, Yours Always Tommy (x's) P.S. I
am expecting a big long letter. Good Night
2) 28th July 1941 - Royal Navy Postmark
31 July 1941 Received from H.M. Ships to Miss E. Armstrong, 18 Woodvale
Gardens, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.I. - 28/7/41 Thursday T. Black, A.B.,
D.S.S./ x. 23148. 1 Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O., London. My Dear
Evelyn, I am writing to you once more to let you know I am keeping O.K. and
I hope this finds you as well as I am. Well Darling I have not had any word
from you since I came back of leave and this is my third letter to you, of
course I am not getting on to you, ! as we have not had the opportunity to
get our mail yet, for we have not been n harbour for two weeks only just for
oil and we did not stop long so I shall be expecting quite a few from you
when I do get in. I wish you would write more often as I told you about it
when I was home for as soon as I get a letter from you I can't get it
answered quick enough, and I suppose only for Lily I would have to wait
longer. I wrote you a letter before I went home and you were still answering
it when I got home. Well I suppose you think I am looking for another now
well I am not as I miss you a lot and would give anything just to be walking
up Woodvale Road with you now. We night have our little rows, but true love
never runs smooth, and I know that you do love me. I was not sure untill we
had that row for at times I thought you did not care or you did not trust
me, but when we fell out and I told you I would not see you any more I saw
then how much we meant to each other. But there was times when I was fed up
as you saw yourself of course you cant blame me for I am sure you knew what
was wrong with me. That night I proposed to you I was not jokeing for I
think it would be the best thing ever happened to us for we can settle down
and then we have a good start as we shall have a house. Of course we are
taking a big risk what with this war on, and say it was over and I came
outside I would not have a job or anything of course there are thousands
just like us, and some are worse of. I must be getting doughy for I never
wrote you a letter like this before still, I must be slipping. How is Lily
keeping is she still thinking of leaving the house. Tell her I was asking
for her and give her my love. I am very much looking foreward to that big
day and tell Lily she can live with us, for she would be company for you
when I am away. Well Sweetheart I think I will have to close now and dont
forget I will be looking foreward to getting a nice long letter from you and
I want to know what you have to say about my proposal so till then I send
you all my love. I Remain, Yours forever, Tommy (x's) P.S. Give my best
regards to all at home. Good Night xxx P.S. Please Excuse pencil as I have
run out of ink. Write Soon & Long.
  
  
  
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1) 2nd October 1941 - Postmark 1st October 1941
From H.M. Ships Passed by Censor On Active Service to Miss Evelyn Armstrong,
18 Woodvale Gardens, Woodvale Road, Belfast N.I. - 2/10/41 T. Black, A.B.,
D. S.S./x. 23148 1 Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O., London My
Dear Evelyn, Just a few lines to let you know that I am keeping O.K. and
still waiting on a reply to my last letter. Well Evelyn I have good news for
you, I expect to be home on leave in about two or three weeks time for sure.
I hope you got my last letter O.K. I wrote to you just over a week ago. I
had a letter from Lily and she was telling me about her sending for you, and
I was very angry, as I wrote and told you that I did not believe in stories.
I thought I would have had word from you as your last letter was dated 11th
Sept. which is near on a month now. I have wrote you two letters before but
I have only had a reply to one. I told you before that I always look
foreward to your letters and if you did not hear from me for a while to
still write as we are sometimes not in a position to write. Well I will
close now hopeing to hear from you soon and more often. Yours As Always
Tommy (x's) Write Soon & Long. P.S. Hopeing to be seeing you soon.
2) 26th November 1941 - Postmark 26th
November 1941 Received from H.M. Ships On Active Service to Miss Evelyn
Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.I. - 26/11/41 Wed.
D. S.S./x. 23148 1 Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O. London My
Dear Evelyn, In answer to your most welcome letter which I recieved O.K. and
glad to hear from you. I had a letter from you just before your second one
and you said that you thought your mother got my letters as you had not
heard from me well I wrote you twice in less than a week. I was surprised to
hear about Lily and you leaving the house but I was glad to hear it for I
think you are better of as Mrs. Dillion was no good to you it was near time
you caught on. I have not heard from Maisie yet, you say that you and Lily
were up at her house, so next time you are up tell her to drop me a line. I
was surprised to recieve such a long letter so just keep it up. You say that
you miss me very much well I miss you a lot too and I wish I was only with
you now. I still love you and always will and I hope that we shall soon be
married. Well darling I will draw to a close so give Lily my love and tell
Edie I was asking for her also May. Always Yours Tommy (x's) Write Soon &
Long
3) 7th December 1941 - Postmark 7 Dec. 1941 From H.M. Ship Passed by Censor
On Active Service Afloat to Miss E. Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale
Road, Belfast N.I. - 7/12/41 Sunday 1 Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O.,
London My Dear Evelyn, I am sure you were very disapointed at nig? for
not seeing you on Saturday night, well I left my brother to the boat and
when I came back to the house there was a telegram waiting for me to report
to my ship at once so I could not see you. Marie told me that you waited
till 7 oc and then you went on well I was in at 7.30 and the wire came at 20
to eight, but I could not catch the train as it left at 7.20 so I had to
catch the first train this morning. Honest Evelyn these was nothing I wanted
better than to go with you on Saturday night but you see it was impossible.
Well Darling I still love you and I hope that you still feel the same way
about me. Tell Lily I was sorry I did not see her and give her my love, also
tell Edie and May I was asking for them and hope they enjoyed the dance.
Tell Miss Armstrong I was asking for her also. Well dear there is not much
more I can say so I will draw to a close hopeing to hear from you very soon
and a nice long letter. Yours Forever Tommy (x's)
1942
    
    
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1) 20th January 1942 - Postmark Belfast From H.M.
Ship Passed by Censor 17th January 1942 to Miss E. Armstrong, 64 Twaddell
Avenue, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.I. from T. Black, A.B., H.M.S. Wanderer,
c/o G.P.O. London - 15/1/42 Thursday D. S.S./x. 23148, 1 Mess, H.M.S.
Wanderer, c/o G.P.O. London My Dear Evelyn, I just recieved your most
welcome letter and I was glad to hear from you once more. Well dear I am
glad to hear that you and Lily are still with Miss Armstrong as I think you
are much better of there. So Jack & Freda have got engaged at last well I
can hardly believe it, I suppose it wont be long now. I am glad to hear that
you are starting to save up, as I have started myself and I intend to keep
it up. I had a letter from Lily and she was telling me that the bloke Rita
was engaged to, you know in the Air Force out in Africa, well he has got
married out there, so there goes her engagement. How is Lily keeping tell
her I was asking for her and give her my love, also tell Edie and Maisie I
was asking for them too. Honest Evelyn I miss you a lot and I am always
thinking of you. We just came in from sea to-day that is why you have not
heard from me this last two weeks. You say that you were at the watch night
service on New Years night, well I was just thinking of the time we went
last year. I am sending you on the money for that hand bag I promised you as
I cannot get one myself that would suit you, it is a bit late as I have not
had the opportunity to send it on before, still better late than ever. Well
darling I will draw to a close now hopeing to hear from you very soon again.
All my love. Yours As Always Tommy (x's)
2) 11th May 1942 - Postmark Received
from H.M. Ships 10 June 42/27 May 1942 On Active Service to Miss E.
Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale Road, Belfast N.I. - 11/5/42 D.
S.S./x. 23148, 1 Mess, H.M.S. Wanderer, c/o G.P.O. London My Dear
Evelyn, I recieved your two letters O.K. one on Saturday dated 7/4/42 and
one dated 21/4/42 and I was glad to hear from you once more. Well darling I
have written quite a few letters to you also Lily & Dad so I hope they have
got them by now. I was glad to hear you got my Airgraph and I will write you
a few more as they get home much quicker. I recieved three Ireland Saturdays
nights and I sure enjoyed reading them, it didn't half make me home sick
when I saw the cinemas attractions and I wish I was only taking you to see
them. Well Evelyn it will be quite a while before I get home again, but I am
always thinking of you every day, and am just longing to be with you once
more. Still we can make up for it when I do get home. I got young Francis &
Ann's note and was glad to know that they still think of me, I must drop
Maisie a line. I got a card from your Lily tell her I want to thank her for
it tell her I was asking for her and give her my love. You say Edie is going
with a red-headed Sailor is she still writing to her boy in Palistine
(Palestine), I bet he wouldn't go much on it I know I wouldn't & you know it
too (Ha Ha) Is there anything you want for we can get anything we like here
without coupons so if you want anything such as stockings face powder or
anything else just write & let me know & dont forget to send me the size of
your stockings. I wrote to Bobby Chisim & I got my letter returned marked
not known, but I wrote again I hope he gets it O.K. So you have been to see
a few weddings, I hope you have not changed your mind about us. I have not
been able to save anything as the cost of living here is pretty stiff and we
dont get any extra money. Oh by the way you must have been giving away
secrets as there was a third of a page cut away. I am sending it back to let
you see it. Well I will close now hopeing this finds you all at home O.K.
All My Love Tommy (x's)
  
   
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1) 4th September 1942 - Postmark 13 Sep. 1942 From
H.M. Ship Passed by Censor signed M. Haywood On Active Service to Miss E.
Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N. Ireland - 4/9/42
Friday Same Address My Dear Evelyn, Just a few lines to let you
know that I am keeping O.K. and hope that this finds you just as well.
Well darling I wrote to you just over a week ago, but I haven't had any word
from you since July I have had the papers pretty regular but your last
letter was dated 17/7/42, and that is nearly two months I was expecting a
few letters since, so in your last letter you said you would write again the
next day but I haven't recieved it yet, still the mail now is very
irregular, as we keep shifting about, but I told you in my last letter that
we were somewhere in the U.S.A. and you can now send your letters by Air
Mail. Honest darling I sure miss you now more than ever, as I always say
there is no place like home, and it is nearly eight months now since I last
saw you but it seeme's longer than that to me. I hope you still love me just
as much as ever. I still do not know when I shall see you again but I hope
it is pretty soon. Well dear I think this is about all I can write about at
present, but I wish that you would write more often as I said at the
beginning of this letter that I haven't had any word from you for near on
eight weeks, so pleas write more often. I Remain, Always Yours, Tommy (x's)
2) 13th August/September? 1942 - Postmark from H.M. Ship Passed by Censor
By Air Mail Par Avion to Miss E. Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale
Road, Belfast, N.I. - 13/8-9/42 Same Address My Dear Evelyn, I
just recieved your letter to-day dated 10/8/42 and was very glad to hear
from you as I thought you were never going to write. I just wrote to you on
Friday asking you if there was anything wrong but you will get this one
before it as I am sending this by air mail. By the way you can now send your
letters by air mail now too, also airagraphs as ordinary letters take too
long. I sent you a greeting cableghram for your birthday early last month
but I do not know if you recieved it yet or not. I cant understand you not
recieving any mail as I write very regular. Well darling I told you in my
last two letters that we were now somewhere in the U.S.A. and are having
quite a good time tons of everything you dont need coupons here, but you
know for all of it I would sooner be in Belfast. I am sorry to hear that you
are on the half seven shift again but I hope you are of it by the time I get
home which I hope is very soon. Darling I have been away nearly 7? months
now and I sure have missed you a lot and thinking of you every day & night,
as I know that you must be thinking of me. You say my big brother has been
home again that is the second time since I was home last still I shall make
up for it when I do get home (I hope) Tell Lily I was asking for her
and give her my love also tell all at home I was asking for them. Sorry I
missed your birthday party but I think I have only been home once for it and
I haven't had a birthday at home once since I joined this regiment, and only
one xmas. You asked me if I noticed the picture in the Ulster, well I
did, and it sure does bring back memories especially that bit (arm in arm
with you sweetheart) not forgetting the pub (Ha Ha) I sure do wish we were
there right now we did have some very nice walks. Tell Miss Armstrong I was
asking for her and hope she is keeping well. I think this is about all I can
say at the present but I will write again in a couple of days or so. Always
Yours Tommy (x's) Write Soon & Long
1943
   
4th March 1943 - Postmark 2 Mar 43 Woodvale Belfast
Registered Letter to Miss E. Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Belfast, N.I.
from T. Black, A.B., 37 Mess H.M.S. Osprey, c/o G.P.O. London - 4/3/43
Tuesday D./S.S.x. 23148 ditto - My Dear Evelyn, Just a few lines to
let you know I am still keeping well and missing you as much as ever if not
more. Well darling I wrote you a letter on Saturday & I also sent you on £2.
I hope you have got it by now. By the way guess who I run into on Sat Bobby
Macanto???? he came into our quarters looking for his young brother his
brother is in the same mess as myself so we all went ashore on Saturday
night to a danch? we had a good night. The dance was O.K. but I would sooner
have been at the B.L. with you. I was just thinking of the Saturday night we
all went to it & then you were sick the last one. Honest darling I do miss
you a lot & I wish I was only sitting in the Stadium with you now. I suppose
Rita, Lily, & you were at the B.L. on Saturday night, well I hope you
enjoyed yourselfs. Tell Rita I will drop her a line to-morrow & I was sorry
I did not get up to see her, you know. I start classes to-morrow & you
should see the books & different colored pencils we get more swotting up
than that I'll have to do to pass this. When I finish this course, if I pass
I will get 14 + 2 days leave wont that be great that will be in about 14
weeks time then you will be Mrs. Black I hope. This cant come soon enough
for me. How is Miss Armstrong is she out of hospital yet. Tell Lily I
send her my love. Well Evelyn this is all at present I am hopeing to get a
letter from you soon so write as often as you can. I Remain Yours As Always
Tommy (x's)
      
13th March 1943 - Postmark 15th March? registered
Letter to Miss E. Armstrong, 64 Twaddell Avenue, Woodvale Road, Belfast, N.
Ireland from T. Black, A.B., H.M.S. Osprey, c/o G.P.O. London - 13/3/43
Saturday 22 Mess, H.M.S. Osprey, c/o G.P.O. London My Dear
Evelyn, I recieved your second letter yesterday and I was very glad to hear
from you once more I wrote you a letter a few days ago but I expect you have
gotten it by this time. It was my third letter to you. By the way dear it
takes my letters longer to go to you than it does yours to come to me, but I
sure do love to see one from you any time, and if there is not well the next
mail cant come quick enough. I told you about meeting Bobby Macintowning?, I
asked him if he knew you but he did not untill I mentioned Lily to him then
he knew. I told him about us getting married next time I go home and he said
I was lucky as I would have a good wife (one up for you) Ha Ha. By the way
his other brother is not too well he has gone to see a Specialist as he hurt
himself on his last ship so I haven't saw him since last Saturday. You say
you did not go to the British Legion on Saturday night but went to the Conga
Club. Well I hope you Lily and Rita had a good time. By the way I have not
wrote to Rita yet so tell her I will write when I get time. Well Evelyn I am
sending you on £4 this time and I hope I shall be able to send you the same
in another two weeks time. I have started my course now and I can tell you
it wont be any cake walk as there is blokes who are P.O.'s and cant pass so
if I do dip it, it wont be my fault, but I shall do my best to pass. We have
four weeks schooling alone to do & at the end of two weeks we have a little
exam to see if you are not too solid but if I pass the school I shall be a
lot more confidient. You asked me if I was looking foreward to getting
married well it's all I am looking foreward to & I can tell you I shall be
glad to see these 14 weeks go in. You know Evelyn we may have some
hard times but I think we can see them through all right. There is plenty I
could write about but I dont just know how to put it. There is one thing
though I do honestly Love you and there is no one else for me now alouth? I
was very near making a mistake. I am glad to hear Miss Armstrong is
out of hospital again & tell her I shall be glad to see every one at home
again. You would think I was miles away from home instead of just a few
miles but I still feel Love sick since I left you that night (doughey) Well
darling this is about all I can say at present but I think is enough & I
shall be looking foreward to a nice long letter from you very soon so till
then. All My Love Tommy (x's) P.S. Tell Lily I was asking for
her xxxxxx Write Soon & Long
1944
   
22nd July 1944 - Postmark Post Office Maritime Mail On Active Service
afloat to Mrs. T. Black, 22 Santiago Street, Belfast, N. Ireland - 22/7/44
Saturday T. Black L/S??? D/SSX 23148 My
Own Darling Wife, Recieved two letters from you to-day which you wrote while
on holidays to Dublin & I was very pleased to hear from you and glad to know
you are in the pink. I was sure sorry I was not with you while you were
there but just wait till I get some leave I promise you we will have a
better time than you have had since we were married for this past month I
have promised myself to go to Eire if it is just to see the lights. I hope
you had a nice time, as you seemed to have plenty of rain. I think I told
you I had a letter from Mary well I answered it O.K. and also one of my
chums wrote to her too just for a skylark I hope she can take it. She said
you told her the party you gave was going to be nothing compaired with the
one you are going to give when I come home well I am looking foreward to
getting home & I don't care what if it rains or not I just want to see you.
I hope you were not disappointed with the letters you got when you came off
your holidays as I wrote as often as I could. I was expecting a letter from
that long Sister-in-law of mine as I answered hers as soon as I recieved
them but so far have had no reply so shake her up. Well darling I am afraid
I must close now as I have only a few minuets in which to catch this post so
I send you all my love & will write again soon. I am always Your Loving
Husband Tommy (x's)
1945
    
29th July 1945 - Postmark 30th July 1945 Post Office ? to Mrs. T. Black,
22 Santiago Street, Belfast, N. Ireland - Sunday 29/7/45 Same Add.
My Own Darling Wife, Here I am once again to let you know that I still love
you more than ever and love miss you just as much. Well
darling, we did not leave Scotland untill Wed & we arrived at Stavanger on
Friday we just left there this morning and have arrived at a place called
Bergen which is in Norway 100 miles from Stavanger, we expect to leave her
on Tuesday for Germayn Germany to a place called Luebeck it
will take us about four days to reach there. After that we shall go to
Holland to a place called Antwerp so you can see I shall be on the go all
the time & I shall get some mail much later & this may be the last letter
you may get for a few weeks but still just keep on writing. I have not had
any mail from you yet since I came back of leave but it is not your fault
for we keep shifting all over the place as I have just told you. I gave the
presents to the people in Stavanger & they were quite pleased with them,
they said they were very nice indeed. Honest Evelyn I do miss you very much
indeed and am constantly thinking of you, I only wish I was with you at the
present moment. Do you still miss me darling of course I know you do, but I
just like you to tell me how much you love me. How is Lily keeping all right
I hope tell her I was asking for her & I send her my love. When you answer
this letter will you send me on some cigarette papers just put them in the
envelope I will get them all right. Well so far I have not got anything for
you but I am intended to get a wristlet watch for you for your birthday. Has
Copeland gone back to Glasgow yet I think he said he was going back on the
29th which is to-day. You know darling it is takeing me all my time to write
this letter to you if I had a letter from you it would not be so bad but
this is the fourth one I have written to you so I know you will understand.
You know darling I am just waiting patiently for the day to come when I
shall be a free man I just cant interest myself in anything this last few
months. Well Sweetheart I will draw to a close now hopeing that this finds
you as well as it leaves me. I am always Your Most Loving Husband Tommy
(several kisses) Wish I had them all now dont you. (I.L.Y.D.)
      
3rd August 1945 - Postmark 7th August 1945 Field Post Office On Active
Service from H.M. Ship Passed by Censor to Mrs. T. Black, 22 Santiago
Street, Belfast, N. Ireland - Sunday 3/8/45 Same Add. Hello My
Darling, Here I am once again to let you know that I am still alive &
kicking & hopeing that you are recieving my letters O.K. as I am still
looking foreward to a letter from you. Well darling at the present moment we
are at a place called Kiel we had a very nice run up the Kiel Canal you
could almost touch the banks on each side it was really a very nice thing to
see. Well I went ashore yesterday for the first run in Germany and oh Boy
you should have seen that Town there was not a house anywhere that was not
hit. In the harbour here there are ships sunk all round us and more U. boats
than that when we go ashore we have to carry rifles or revolvers for some of
the Germans cannot be trusted. You should see the way they live here, in the
houses that have been bombed there are families living in them & all of them
have no roofs or walls, but we have no sympathy for they started it & we
finished it. The Germans have to be indoors at ten o'clock & we have leave untill 11 o'clock. The beer costs 1½ for a pint glass but it is just like
drinking water. Wee got 20 marks to go ashore with, that is 10/- in English
money but you can't buy anything for there are no shops to buy anything at.
We were talking to a few Germans and they said that they were glad the
British came here instead of the Russians for they are scared of them as
they rape & destroy everything. We leave here to-morrow and go back to
Norway to a place called Kristonsands & pick up some more German prisoners
and I am hopeing that there will be some mail for us as we have had none
since we came back of leave. Really darling, out of all this travelling I
would sooner be at home and my groupe? cannot be out quick enough for me as
I do miss you a terrible lot and am only really happy when we are both to-gether.
I do not think it will be very long untill I am outside as I was told by one
of our Officers that I shall be de-mobed by the middle of January. Won't it
be great to go home and not have to worry about coming back again. I shall
have a 3 weeks holiday & we shall go away somewhere to-gether just the two
of us and have a nice quiet time. It is just too bad it will be winter time
but still I do not care as long as you are with me. Yes sweetheart all
groupes from 9 to 16 go out next month, and groupes from 16 to 25 have to be
in their Barracks by October that only leaves me two groupes more, & I hope
to leave this Ship by December. I still have not got you a watch yet but I
am trying very hard. We expect to return to the U.K. by September & I do not
know if I will get any leave then or not but there may be a chance. Have you
heard anything more about a house yet, you know the chap we went to New
Brighton with well his Wife was telling him that all Service men are getting
forms to fill in for these new houses they are building and they state on
this form how much they are earning & what they are prepaired to pay for to
rent one of these houses. How is Miss Dillion? keeping O.K. I hope she has
not got into any more trouble since I left home such as knocking over cars?
& such things tell her I was asking for her and I send her my love. Is Pop
still working away tell him I am still O.K. and hope he is in the pink.
Has our great friend & Heir? been home again since I left, you know who I
mean tell him he wants to go & [last page missing]
1946
  
15th October 1946 - Postmark Post Office Maritime Mail to Mrs. T. Black,
17 Meyrick Park, Old Park Road, Belfast, N. Ireland - Tuesday 15/10/46
Hello My Darling, Here I am again & it is 1-30 on Tuesday morning it should
only be 12-30 but we have put the clock on one hour before we arrive in Gib
as they are an hour ahead of us. Well I am on watch but I have nothing to do
so I thought I would drop you another few lines. Honest honey I do miss you
and love you as much as ever & shall be looking foreward to seeing you wee
Carol Lily & the house so I have for quite a lot to look foreward too. It is
going to be hard to be parted from you for so long but dont worry honey I
will always be true to you & not fool around with any woman while I am away.
Has Lily started work yet I hope she is all right now & looking after
herself. We had a cinema show to-night it was meet the Navy all about the
Cadanian (Canadian?) Navy & we also had ice-cream quite a change from the
destroyers & small ships I have been on for we did not have luxeries like
that. Do you know we have a proper Chapel on board & holy Communion on
Sunday mornings & church in the morning & evenings. I wish I could bring you
& Lily on board I bet you would be surprised. I am still motor boats crew &
I like it all right only we are on quite a lot & not much time to ourselves
but it keeps me busy & I am always thinking of you. I love you with all my
heart darling so look after yourself for me. I have not wrote to Pop or Lily
yet for Lily did not answer my last letter so that is a good excuse. I will
close now so for the present all my love & kisses & dont forget the Ulster I
haven't had one yet since I came off leave see the way you are neglecting me
already. All My Deepest Love Tommy (x's)
1947
22nd February 1947 - Chichester Furniture Galleries, High Grade Second-Hand
Furniture, 59 Chichester Street, Belfast Mrs. Black, JX745225 17
Meyrick Park - Used Wal. China Cabinet £14 10 0
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