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| "33 Days until D+1" |
England
May 5, 1944
Dear Mother,Will have a little news to start off with as I was gone most of the time the day before yesterday having the impression taken for my teeth or partial plate. When they get all that stuff in your mouth it sure gags you haha. Even all over my face is the stuff. It is very thin before it cools or hardens. Guess it will be four lower teeth. I'll be glad when they get them made. I'll let you know all about the trouble I have getting into them.
Glad to hear that all around Dad is feeling much better and by the way you write he has done a good bit of work. How did he make out on his license? It sure would be a big help if he got it in more ways than one. He might take the car and you once in awhile.
That paper you were asking me about sure was cheap and also notice the size which is the largest size they are allowed to cut it because of the war. It's true about being cheap but all you can get and no good for a pen.
Yes, I wrote and told you I'd received that pair of bigger lacings but she played a fast one and sent the other one for herself. Thanks, Mom, but I have plenty of socks now for a time as Mrs. Wilcox sent me a pair.
That sure was a funny thing about all the first children and I never thought of it before.
Glad to hear the good news about Donnie Parkhurst being up and around. Hope you told them what I wrote in one of my other letters.
You didn't get your order for the floor in none too early as I see by your letter you just made the grade. You sure were lucky. Gee, I bet it will look good when it is done. Hey, Mom, what are you going to do with the second handed wallboard you took down?
Mother, I wrote you all about that old war bond and the refund you would receive but I don't see why you got two refunds. The $6.75 is just about what I guessed off hand it would be. The $2.25 must have come from someplace but I've never figured it out so close. Don't forget there is a twenty-five dollar bond in the Westbrook Trust Company that the mill gave me. It's yours if you ever need it but don't forget.
Well so much for now but will write later. Love to all.
Lots of Love Mom
Charles
After over 50 posts, you would think I wouldn't be surprised what my Uncle Charlie's letters share or don't share. However, as I typed the above letter unless I knew my uncle is in Wales preparing for D-Day+1 in World War II, I could have thought this letter is just about a son writing to his mother as he is visiting or living in England.
In the first paragraph, Uncle Charlie is writing about going to a dentist to get his teeth fixed. A normal activity that could have been done if living in England. It also strikes me as "strange" in that he is preparing for a war that could cause his death at any time, but the Army is spending time fixing his teeth.
In the second paragraph, my uncle shares about his Dad's health and hoping his dad gets his license to drive. His father (my grandfather) is not a healthy man even though he works hard. In fact, Frank Knight will pass away 13 years after this letter is written at the age of 64.
In the third and fourth paragraphs, he is writing about paper and shoe lacings and how the one that ordered the lacings appears to have ordered a pair for herself though Uncle Charlie pays for the order. I suspect it is one of his girlfriends we have read about in earlier letters.
The next single sentence paragraph does not share a lot, but I am suspecting it is discussing the first sons of each family being the ones entering the war. I would guess this since I know he is the oldest son of his family in the war and the war has taken many sons from families throughout each and every town.
I believe the Donnie Parkhurst shared in the next paragraph is an eleven-year-old boy in Gorham, Maine, who must have been ill or injured. His name is Donald Parkhurst in the 1940 United States census.
As with earlier letters, we read in paragraph seven about some of the renovations being done at the family homestead. His father had built it in the 1920's mostly from wood obtained from older buildings. In the 1940's the children have grown and been likely helping their parents to add or renovate the home.
In the last paragraph before the closing sentence, he is sharing with his mother about war bonds and how due to the changes in war bonds families were getting refunds. He also reminds his mother there is a bond in the Westbrook Trust Company and she is free to use it if needed. Uncle Charlie for his complete life made sure his mother's needs were met. One reason I believe he never marries and remains at home. There is a picture of the Westbrook Trust Company below.
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