WWII VMAIL & HANDWRITTEN LETTERS SCRAPBOOK
Item #485
12.25 x 14.25” black string-bound album with “Scrap Book” in gold letters on the cover. The album is almost full of taped-in envelopes with letters and V-mail from P.F.C. James Murchie to his parents, Daniel Murchie and Margaret Murchie. The letters all date from 1945, between January and October, covering the end of World War II and James’ return home. James told his parents about the movement of his troop, his day-to-day life, and the end of the war. There are around 61 letters, telegrams, and black and white postcards from James to his parents. Also within the scrapbook is a magazine clipping of Japan’s surrender, newspaper clippings, a folded copy of the document Japan signed to surrender, and several copies of Beecher Bugle, a newsletter published by the troop aboard the S.S. Henry Ward Beecher. Some of the pages are detached and the page edges are brittle.
Examples of letters:
Letter from P.F.C. J. Murchie to Mr. Daniel Murchie (January 21, 1945)
Hello folks,
How are you all? I hope this letter finds everything going smoothly and that you are all well. Our mail seems to have deserted us all we receive now are papers and packages, no letters in about three weeks. We believe it is because of the military situation. We are still in the mountains and I am seeing more snow now than I have seen in many a year. If we should get snowed in, I don’t think we would starve as there are plenty of deer around here. I wouldn’t mind staying right here for the winter we are very comfortable. What a difference from last year. I better not talk to much the winter has just begun. We are eating well now getting lots of eggs and plenty of fresh meat. You know that should please me very much. I caught up on some of my mail during this past week a couple of letters I answered were about four months old. I shouldn’t let them go so long but somehow you just don’t get to them. I shall close now and hope to write sooner. Take care of yourselves. “God bless you all.”
Love, Jimmy
Letter from P.F.C. J. Murchie to Mr. Daniel Murchie (May 2, 1945)
Hello folks,
I shall start a longer letter than usual but I haven’t any idea off what I could put into it. As usual I must say in my letter that I have moved again but that seems to be the case. The very next day after I saw Ernie Morsie, we got our moving orders. We do have the opportunity to see a lot of Germany though. We are moving south but it seem as though we were headed toward the north pole. It is unreasonably cold and believe it or not we have had snow flurries. I expect we will be in Austria before long and I really believe that we will see Munich. Well, this war has gone into the month of May whoever expected it to. I don’t see how it can last through the month. Well Hitler & Mussolini are dead now, so it some of those bandits in Japan would drop dead maybe this thing could get over. We got paid today and I am debating to myself whether to bank some this month or wait until next. I have quite a bit but if I bank what I want it will leave me kind of low in case this war got over and we should happen to get passes, you know Miracles can happen. There is no way that we can spend it here though. Some of the fellows have a poker game going on the next table and another fellow just hollered in the door that a crap game was about to start. It is a typical Army pay day. I enjoy watching them but never get into the game. I want my money someday. I received an Easter card from the [illegible] last night it was somewhat delayed, tell them that I enjoy it and them thinking of me. Our mail hasn’t been getting to us so very regular it takes a while to get up here. The dog we picked up a few weeks ago is going to have pups so it is now a question of when & how many and what we are going to do with them. I guess different fellows will want them and take them. I hope that this letter finds you all well and enjoying a good spring. Margaret W. tells me that Arnold Pratt was wounded slightly in action but is now back on the job. I wonder if Peter knew this. We don’t get much encouragement about getting home after this is over, but maybe something will come up. It is very possible that we will go to the Pacific though. We really wont know anything until this mess is over. I must be closing now, will try to do better next time. Hope to hear from you soon “God bless you all.”
Love, Jimmy
Letter from P.F.C. J. Murchie to Mr. Daniel Murchie (August 9, 1945)
Hello folks,
I shall try to write a longer letter this time to give you some idea of just what is going on. There are going to be some changes made here and we are not just sure what is to take place. It seems that all fellows with points between 75 and 85 are going to be transferred to another outfit for some sort of guard work here in Western France to await our turns on shipment home after all the 85 pointers have been sent home. The 759th is to be reorganized with new replacements just over from the states and then return to Germany for occupational work. That is as we get it now but as you should know by now that in the army anything is subject to change at a minutes notice so I personally don’t believe too much until I see it in print.
One of the fellows has just returned from his furlough in England and he says that it is wonderful and that I should be sure to go if at all possible - I shall wait for a week or two until things quiet down and we see what is going to happen. I only had one pair of trousers here a few weeks back and I have been picking up old odd sizes and turning them in for salvage until I now have four pairs (2 new ones and 2 fairly new) so now I shall have some clean ones to wear for inspections.
We are all excited about the possibilities of the new Atomic bomb that has been released on Japan and wonder if it might not bring a speedy end to the war in the pacific. It is a terrible thing the destruction caused by the bomb but in the end, it may justify itself by saving some of the boy’s lives.
We were pleased by the entrance of Russia into the war it wasn’t wholly unexpected. It could easily bring about many changes and might possibly get some of us home a little sooner. I guess that you folks had a good time during the vacations and now the summer will be over before we know just where we are although the time does seem to drag here it is now three months since the end of the war in Europe. I saw a very funny picture in the movies last night, Jack Benny in “The horn blows at midnight” awfully silly but it did give us a good laugh. Much better than seeing war pictures all of the time. I must close now as I can’t think of anymore to write about so in closing, I hope that you are all well. Take care of yourselves and I shall write soon. Remember me to all of my friends. “God bless you all.”
Love, Jimmy
WWII VMAIL & HANDWRITTEN LETTERS SCRAPBOOK.
Price: $495.00