Kin Blog

Letters from Britain 2: Grateful Matrons

July 04, 2016
By Sarah Welton

It was very important during World War II for any communications from overseas to be shared in any way possible. Getting in touch with someone was not an instant process the way it is today. Kin knew that finding some way to share the letters they were receiving from Britain with Kinsmen and Kinettes across the country would go a long way towards providing motivation for the Milk for Britain campaign. 

So, the practice continues as we prepare for the launch of the new Milk for Britain documentary by sharing some of those same letters. If you missed the first part of Letters from Britain, you can read it here.

The excerpts for this blog post came from the same bulletin as the first installment, dated March 23rd of 1943. 

The first letter excerpt comes from the Secretary of the Cottage Hospital in Ellesmere, Salop: 

Letter from the Secretary of The Cottage Hospital in Ellesmere, Salop

 "Once again a very pleasant duty to write and thank the Kinsmen Club of Canada for their most welcome gift. Really! I saw it being mixed one day and it was unbelievably good. The patients like and appreciate it. Please tell them, the donors, so. The Matron is most grateful. It does help!"

Hospitals patients were only some of the grateful recipients of the powdered milk that Canadians and Kinsmen sent to Britain. Children and adults alike were all so thankful for the donations. Even doctors ended up having a need for the milk: 

Matron Marion Hicks at Ludlow Letter

"I am writing to thank you and the members of the Kinsman Club for the generous supply of dried milk which you have so graciously given us. I do not know how to express my gratitude to you all for such a gift. It has been a tremendous help to us, when milk is so scarce. The puddings etc., made from it are most delivious [sic], and the Doctors drink most nightly of it for gastric ulcer and other stomach troubles. I do want you all to know how much we value such a wonderful gift; and for your kind thought in sending it to us."

Everywhere the milk donations were received, gratitude followed. It's hard to imagine living in a time where something like milk was so scarce, but these letters help provide some measure of insight. 

Stay tuned for more letters from volunteers, workers, and even children. 


 

Questions? Get in touch with us about the upcoming documentary