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.
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'.
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.
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'.
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'.
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…
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…
Manuscript letter including references to everyday life in the army camps and three South African coins. Also mentioning receiving a cable or cablegram with news of his daughter's birth and wandering how the baby looks like.
Manuscript letter including references to everyday life in the army training camps in the desert, flies, heat, lack of privacy and then life in the local villages, Cairo, a military parade for Wiston Churchill and a sketch.