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Archive Reference / Library Class No.D6287/5/9
TitleLetters to Mrs Swanwick from the Central, East Surrey Regiment and Russian Prisoners of War Committees
DateNov 1916-Nov 1917
DescriptionD6287/5/9/1 Central Prisoners of War Committee
D6287/5/9/2-3 East Surrey Regiment Prisoners of War Comforts Fund
D6287/5/9/4 Russian Prisoners of War Help Committee
Extent4 items
LevelFile
RepositoryDerbyshire Record Office
SenderDonald Cowie, Secretary, Central Prisoners of War Committee / Iva K Longley, Hon. Secretary, East Surrey Regiment Prisoners of War Comforts Fund/ Marie Poutiatine, Russian Prisoners of War Help Committee
Sender Location4 Thurloe Place, London SW / 33 Tothill Street, Westminster, SW / 2 Thurloe Place, SW7 / Russian Embassy, Chesham House, London SW
RecipientMrs Eric Swanwick / Mrs Margery Swanwick
Archive CreatorSwanwick Family of Whittington
Mrs Margery Eleanor Swanwick, nee Norton (c1880-1959)
FormatDocument
LanguageEnglish
CopiesDigital copies of these items are available to consult via the public computers at the record office.
Transcript or IndexD6287/5/9/1
November 25th 1916
Mrs Eric Swanwick,
Whittington House,
Chesterfield.
Dear Madam, 
In reply to your letter of the 19th inst, I beg to say that you should communicate with the Regimental Care Committee of the East Surrey Regt, which is: Mrs J R Longley, ("Old Comrades Association"), 33 Tothill Street, SW.  She will be grateful to receive your subscriptions on Sgt. Marke's behalf.  Payment by cheque should be sent monthly: £2. 3. 6. supplies a prisoner with the full amount of six food parcels, plus six bread parcels, every four weeks. 
All enquiries for Russian prisoners of war should be addressed to, J G Jefferson Esq, Chesham House, Chesham Place, SW. 
Yours faithfully
Donald Cowie, Secretary

D6287/5/9/2 - This is a printed circular letter, manuscript additions are indicated with a ^
^Nov: 27th^ 19^16^
Dear ^Madam.^
As you will have seen, it has been found necessary to form a Central Committee to help in the packing of parcels for Prisoners of War.  This is primarily owing to the use made by the enemy of our parcel system to convey news to Germany, also owing to the uneveness and irregularity of receipt of parcels by our men, and to the fact that many parcels now fail to pass the Censor.  I hope to be able to continue to send parcels of the required value ^through the Central Committee^ to East Surrey men, if adopters will send me the money thay have hitherto spent on individual men; but as I have to raise 18s a head for each man to provide three Six Shilling parcels a fortnight, I shall need very generous support from adopters.  The parcels I send must conform with those sent by the Central Committee, the contents will be as varied as theirs, and the prisoners will be consulted as to whether they would like any changes made. 
These regulations apply only to food, other gifts such as clothing and games may be sent by adopters ^through the Central Committee.^ [to replace the printed text: direct as before]
I shall be grateful if you will let me know as soon as possible whether you will be kind enough to subscribe towards the man or men you have been sending to.  if you can pay for one complete parcel, your name will be put on it as the donor.  Smaller subscriptions will also be very gratefully received towards the general fund.  I should be glad to have the money quarterly in advance, to begin on December 1st, and hope you will continue your parcels to that date. 
Subscriptions for bread only should in future be paid to me (and not to Berne) quarterly.  ^6lbs of bread is now required costing 7/6 per month. 1 fortnighly parcel per quarter of 13 weeks costs £1 19 0.  2 fortnightly parcels per quarter of 13 weeks cost £3 18 0.  3 fortnightly parcels per quarter of 13 weeks cost £5 17 0.^
Yours truly
I. K. Longley

D6287/5/9/3
11th -Nov 1917
Dear Mrs Swanwick,
Your mother Mrs Norton has paid me for 8112 Sergt Marke's parcels & bread up to 1st Dec!  So you are by no means in arrears & I am putting your present subscription forward, to pay for 1st Dec. to 1st March.  Please tell me whether this is what you wish?  Our Battns have as usual been in the forefront of the fighting all the summer, & we have lost a great many new prisoners.  To meet this and the increasing expenses of the parcels & bread, we are making a big appeal to Surrey County now to help.  Up till now I have got on very well with one grant only from the Red Cross.  I am sure the county has only to be told what is wanted and they will raise the necessary funds, for they have every reason to be proud of their two Regts. 
Yours very truly 
Iva K. Longley
PS  We have had to leave the Agency offices as we outgrew our room there, & as we are quite distinct from them will you kindly in future make cheques payable to, and direct correspondence to me.

D6287/5/9/4
Adopters' Bureau. Hon. Sec. Lady Egerton
Nov. 30th 1916.
Dear Madam, 
In answer to your letter I write to say that the new regulations do not at present apply to parcels sent to Russian Prisoners of War.  Should we hear to the contrary later on we would let you know what arrangements we made for having parcels sent to our prisoners.  We consider a 5/- parcel weekly a very good one for our prisoners.
Yours truly
Marie Poutiatine
for the Hon. Secretary
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