We were treated to a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon in July when our speaker Lorraine Maguire displayed her “Every Cover and Letter Tells a Story.” The letters and covers travelled between New Zealand and its WWII soldiers in North Africa and Europe. Lorraine, a New Zealander herself came to the UK in the 1960s and collected these letters and covers over many years. They told of conditions at war, often glossed over so families did not get the true picture but always trying to sound cheerful and hoping they will be home soon. In return families write telling of the local news and gossip at home. Over the past 60 years plus these letters do not appear too often. Many are still cherished by the families or go to Army museums, or just been discarded/destroyed, but what saw today was history making and they should be treasured and preserved for future generations.
