Letter : Crieff Hydro

Introduction

My uncle, Allan Stoddart died in 2004 leaving a widow, Jean with many happy memories and a collection of war time letters he had written, some photographs, diaries and memorabilia. Allan had wanted to tell his story and maybe he did tell some of it but it was never recorded. Jean has given me his letters and so far I have transcribed those written to my parents, Florence and Bill and a few to Allan’s mother. Using extracts from some of the letters, photographs and memorabilia and information from diaries, a small glimpse of his story is now told. Jean and I understand the site’s terms and conditions.

Allan enlisted in Dundee in January 1940 and was UK based until he sailed on the troop ship, S.S. Almanzora with the 5th Division Signals to India in March 1942. Over the next 3 years, the war took him from India to Iraq, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Sicily (landings), Italy (including Anzio), Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Palestine, Italy, Palestine, Italy, (home leave), Belgium, Germany. The 5th Division moved about so much they were nicknamed the “Cooks Tour Mob”.

This Letter

At the time Allan wrote this letter to his mother, he was stationed at the Hydro, Crieff, Perthshire.

Letter

2332853
Sigmn Stoddart A
9th (H) Division Signals,
Crieff

11 June 1940

Dear Mother,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I have been on full-duties since Thursday morning. After normal training on that day I went on parade at 6 o’clock for twenty-four hour guard-duty. While I was on this duty on Friday afternoon at one of the hydro gates, a young woman approached the sentry-box and asked me to deliver a letter to a fellow in the hydro. This was quite a normal request so I took the letter and promised to deliver it as soon as I came off duty. I was very much surprised when she gave me a twenty packet of cigarettes for my trouble. This is just one instance of many similar kindnesses which the people of Crieff bestow on the soldiers from the hydro.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your loving son
Allan
P.S. How is father getting on in the Local Defence Volunteers?

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