Love Letters from the Trenches

21 Nov 2022

Clare Williamson shared letters from her grandfather for our Remembrance Service. Seventy five years ago, Henry Dunn died at Arnhem while taking part in Operation Market Garden.

The congregation were moved by his beautiful words and tragic story.

From a foreign shore, he wrote:

If ever you sit alone and gaze out at the distant Simmonds Hill – whisper my name, and I’ll know you want me near…

Here I am once again on a wild desolate plain, and feeling absolutely lost at being away from you.

D’you know, Darling, it’s a wonderful feeling to know that we have some little ‘Nippers’ and the sweetest little nippers in the world, who love their Mummy and Daddy. God knows we need their prayers, to build them up into the type of boy and girl, man and woman, that we want them to become.

Sometimes I wonder if we fully understand our responsibilities – you do, I know, and I can only hope I have the chance of helping you.

Just sit and think, Darling – those tiny souls are our flesh and blood – they see in us the type of person they wish to become – they copy our every movement – they watch our every action – they give us their trust and love.

Everything is left to us, and I see now (as you have so long been telling me) we can only do this with Divine help. S’funny, but life seems so much more serious – or should I say fuller (pardon the grammar) these days. Of course I don’t mean that we can’t have our usual quota of laughs – I just mean that now we have a goal to strive towards – that of bringing up the ‘Nippers’ as super little souls and we’re not going to let them down.

Darling, we have been closer this leave than ever before… I’ve seen you, Darling, caring for our little son – denying yourself sleep to care and comfort him, and I’ve felt so proud – proud of that Darling wife of mine.

My one fervent wish is to get home for good and permanently share our life together – it is the only thing that keeps me sane. We did have fun together, didn’t we, Darling?