South Yorkshire Times January 27, 1945
News from Abroad
Recently our correspondent received a letter from L.A.C. Ernest Sheldrake (with the RAF serving with the BLA) will before joining was in charge of the cooperative stores in Carlton Street.
He wrote:
“it is well over three months since I first set my foot on foreign soil, not that one gets the impression it is funded on landing here, for the people are so homely and the language is the only difference between these people and the people at home. I had read of the welcome given to our boys by these people, and imagine that when we arrived here that enthusiasm would have died down. That was the case, and although now our presence is taken for granted the friendly spirit is no less present. The children take every opportunity of walking hand in hand with those and they soon learned to say ‘Hello’.
Things were a bit hard at first, but I’m glad to say those in authority over here have done their best to make our stay a happy one. In spite of difficulties that have to be faced, we had a fine Christmas spread.”
Sgt W.H.McKenzie, who was employed in the lamp house at the Denaby Collieries has written to our correspondent asking him to pass on his good wishes to those responsible for a Christmas gift he received from the Colliery. He stated that at the moment he was out of the fray on a routine job. Sgt McKenzie was called up in October 1939 Balby seven in the Middle east.