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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D6287/5/3 |
| Title | Postcards to Mrs Swanwick from Private W. L. Gothard, British Prisoner of War at Kreigsgefangenenlager, Münster, [No 1 Prisoner of War camp, Münster] Germany |
| Date | Feb 1916-Dec 1916 |
| Description | Six postcards from Private W. L. Gothard in the prisoner of war camps at Münster, Germany (in items 2-3, Münster has been altered to read Minden, items 4 and 6 read Minden in the first instance), with a letter from his wife in Old Westwood, Jacksdale, Nottinghamshire. |
| Extent | 7 items |
| Level | File |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Sender | Private W L Gothard Sherwood Foresters Regiment / Mrs L. Gothard |
| Sender Location | Kriegsgefangenenlager, Münster / Minden, [No 1 Prisoner of War camp, Münster] Germany / Old Westwood, Jacksdale, Nottinghamshire |
| Recipient | Mrs Eric Swanwick |
| Recipient Location | Whittington House, Chesterfield |
| Archive Creator | Swanwick Family of Whittington |
| Mrs Margery Eleanor Swanwick, nee Norton (c1880-1959) |
| Administrative History | William Leonard Gothard son of John and Alice (born Riddings 1889) and married to Lucy Marriott in 1913. He one of the first recruits to join the army after war was declared as according to Mrs Gothard's letter of 23 March 1916, their son was only one week old when his father joined the army (Leonard was born on 29 July 1914). William Leonard Gothard was a private with the Sherwood Foresters 2nd Battalion, and had been a prisoner of war since 20 October 1914. |
| Administrative History Sources | 1901 census, Birth and Marriage indexes |
| Format | Document |
| Language | English |
| Copies | Digital copies of these items are available to consult via the public computers at the record office. |
| Term | Postcards |
| Transcript or Index | D6287/5/3/1
Kriegsgefangenenlager, No. 1 Camp, Munster, Feb 28th 1916
Dear Mrs Swanwick, I was so glad you received my card, I have wrote my wife to thank you for your kindness. My home is at New Westwood, Jacksdale, Notts, about 14 miles from Chesterfield. I was pleased with your kind letter & card. Yes I have recently received 2 Bread loaves from Switzerland every week & I have received 5 parcels from you up to date. The bread is always in good condition. I am more than satisfied with your choice in foodstuffs. A cup of tea & Bread & Butter always makes a good meal here. I am endeavouring to master the French Grammar in my spare time. I have Hugo's Grammar but I am short of a dictionary I have been prisoner since Oct 20th 1914 with best wishes I am gratefully yours W.L.Gothard
D6287/5/3/2
Kriegsgefangenenlager, No. 1 Camp, Munster, Mar 27th 1916
Dear Mrs Swanwick, I wrote to ask my wife to thank you for your kindness & I now hear she has received a kind letter from you & I know it must have cheered her up a little to know that you were interested in my welfare. I am receiving your parcels regularly about every fortnight & I can assure you that everything is in good condition & I thoroughly enjoy both the foods & the cigarettes. Your endeavour to cheer the wife a little is indeed a good present for me as I know there are not many to cheer her at present. My best wishes for your good health. Yours faithfully W.L.Gothard
D6287/5/3/3
Kriegsgefangenenlager, No. 1 Camp, Minden, May 10th [1916]
Dear Mrs Swanwick, I am receiving your parcels safe & in good condition & also the dictionary you kindly sent me, it will be a great help to me in learning French & I must mension [sic] that several other things I have received, have needed some forethought I mean apart from the foodstuffs, such as the housewife & small heater and other things. May I mension [sic] that as I do not smoke a pipe I would prefer cigarettes instead of tobacco, with my best wishes for your good health, Gratefully W. L. G.
D6287/5/3/4
24-7-16
Kriegsgefangenenlager, No. 1 Camp, Minden [...]
Dear Mrs Swanwick
I was very pleased to receive your cheerful postcard. I am always glad to have news from England. I am receiving the Mansfield parcels regularly every fortnight & am indeed very grateful for these parcels as they add to my comfort as nothing else can in this position. I would be pleased if you could send me some refills for the little cooker as I find it very useful & also a few cigarettes. Best wishes for your very good health. Gratefully W. L. G.
D6287/5/3/5
Kriegsgefangenenlager, No. 1 Camp, Minden, Dec 9th 1916
Dear Mrs Swanwick
I received the small cooker & refills, also tobacco this week. I am inordinately [?] pleased with it as it is a most useful & convenient cooker. I am at present keeping well & using my spare time up in trying to increase my knowledge. There is an English chaplin [sic] in this camp so we have 3 or 4 services every week which helps to smooth away our little troubles & brighten up our imprisoned life. I continue to receive parcels from Mansfield regularly. Best wishes for your good health. Gratefully yours
D6287/5/3/6
24-6-17
Dear Mrs Swanwick
It's quite a nice time since I wrote you but I know you will be pleased to know I continue to keep in good health & spirits & one needs some spirit now a days, of that you must be aware. However I continue to receive good news from home & I can assure you it is a great comfort. The parcels under the new scheme arrive regularly but they are not like the old home ones. Best wishes
W.L.Gothard
D6287/5/3/7
Old Westwood
Jacksdale
Notts
23.3.1916
Dear Madam,
I was very pleased to receive your kind & welcome letter. yes, my husband gets his parcels of food alright & is very pleased with them. I have received another letter from him this morning asking me to write again & thank you for your kindness to him. He tells me in his letter you may pay me a visit one day & I am sure I should be very pleased to see you if you would care to come. I have only one baby a little boy. He will be two years of age on the 29th of July. He was only one week old when my husband left home, & we have not seen him since. I shall be so glad when this terrible war is over & he is safe home again he does seem to have been away a long time, & we were so happy & comfortable befor[sic] this. I will draw to a close & remain Yours sincerely Mrs L. Gothard |