Special Collections

Transcripts of the letters of John Jarmain

Transcripts of 120 letters of the poet John Jarmain to his wife Beryl, with whom he regularly corresponded after travelling to North Africa and South Italy during the Second World War. The letters are dated from 17 June 1942 to 04 November 1943.…

Letter dated 19 December 1942

Manuscript letter including references to the life in the desert with the army, Libya, Alexandria, supplies and postal service and Cape Town.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 9 December 1942

Manuscript letter including references to the battle of El Alamein, the life in the desert, birds, his finances, banks, hotels and Cairo. Also discussing good books including mentions of James Elroy Flecker, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, 'A…

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, Cairo, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Airgraph dated 26 November 1942

Manuscript letter including references to Tobruk and the following journey through the desert and the Nile. John Jarmain and his anti-tank unit were probably somethere between Tobruk and Mersa Brega.

Tags: Africa, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 19 November 1942

Manuscript letter including references to the life in the desert, the Sahara desert, with flies and dust storms and Benghazi, Libya.

Tags: Africa, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 14 November 1942

Manuscript letter from the desert including references to the war news and reports of battles and life in the desert. Also discussing his poetry and the poems 'Soldiers' Prayer' and 'Orchids'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 13 November 1942: draft of poem 'Ring Plover at El Alemein [Alamein]'

Manuscript lettercard written after the battle of Al Alamein including a draft of the poem 'Ring Plover at El Alemein'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Airgraph dated 11 November 1942

Manuscript letter including references to life in the desert, war and Rommel.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 9 November 1942: draft of poem 'Orchids'

Manuscript letter written after the battle of Al Alamein including a draft of the poem 'Orchids/Song in the Desert' and references to the battle and the retreat of the Germans and Italians.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 2 November 1942: draft of poems 'Tel El Eisa' and 'Sandbags'

Manuscript lettercard including a draft of two more poems to be included in the collection 'Poems in the Western desert': a revised version of 'Tel El Eisa' and 'Sandbags'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 28 October 1942: draft of poem 'Tel El Eisa'

Manuscript letter including a draft of the poem 'Tel El Eisa' and references to life in the desert near El Alamein and the battle field. Also mentioning the publication of some of his work in the 'Daily Telegraph'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 18 October 1942

Manuscript letter including references to everyday life during leave in Alexandria and his description of the city.

Tags: Africa, Alexandria, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 13 October 1942: draft of poem 'Mirage'

Manuscript lettercard including a draft of the poem 'Mirage' and references to everyday life in the army camps.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 11 October 1942: draft of poems 'Bivouac' and 'Mirage'

Manuscript letter including drafts of the poems 'Bivouac' and 'Mirage', Jarmain's reflections on his poetry and a structure for a book. Also providing an insight into the practicality of living in the desert, including sketches of his dugout, a…

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Airgraph dated 9 October 1942: draft of poem 'Bivouac'

Manuscript letter including a draft of the poem 'Bivouac'.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 28 September 1942

Manuscript letter including references to everyday life in the army, including meals, flies, in the desert near Cairo and Alexandria.

Tags: Africa, Alexandria, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 28 September 1942

Manuscript lettercard including references to everyday life in the army in the desert near Cairo.

Tags: Africa, desert, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 25 September 1942

Manuscript lettercard including references to everyday life in the army camps in the desert near Cairo.

Tags: Africa, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 14-15 September 1942

Manuscript letter including references to everyday life in the army camps and the difficulty of describing it to people in England, the desert near Cairo and dust storms. Also mentioning the regret of missing out the early time with his newly born…

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Airgraph dated 12 September 1942

Manuscript letter mentioning the difficulties of writing letters during war in the desert.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, Western Desert Campaign

Items (23 total)