Letter sent to Albert Stanford, Stanmlager POW camp at the end of the Second World War from his sister, Evelyn Desborough (1907-1999), of 81 Ditchling Rise, Brighton. She wrote to him weekly, describing domestic and family events. Only this letter survives, possibly because it was returned undelivered by the Swiss post office. Albert may have been released by the time the letter arrived.
Albert Stanford (c1920-1986) was born near Turners Hill, West Sussex, and worked as an engineer for much of his life. He married Kathleen Farmer and died within a year of retirement in Three Bridges. He served as a soldier in Europe during World War II, and was taken prisoner and sent to Stanmlager POW camp. He also spent some time in Italy as a POW working as an engineer repairing the railways.
On his release from the POW camp, Albert Stanford journeyed back through Germany. He retrieved a Nazi arm-band from a uniform hanging up in a bombed building. The arm band was later given to John Desborough and was kept with the letter.
The letter was contributed by John Desborough, Albert's nephew and the son of Evelyn Desborough.
Desborough, Evelyn Edith Annie, 1907-1999
One air-mail letter and one arm-band.
Original letter donated to ESRO. Arm-band also to be donated to ESRO if ESRO wish to accession it.
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