A daughter who uncovered a ‘treasure trove’ of love letters from her father to her mum during the Second World War has turned them into a book.
Virginia Aighton, known as Ginny, was given a suitcase filled with letters, photos and telegrams before Jim Allen’s death more than 10 years ago but couldn’t bear to open it.
After finally deciding to see what was inside, she was amazed to find dozens of love letters and correspondence to his fiancé, Ella, who was living at Sandy Lane in Accrington.
Ginny, a former Accrington High School pupil, has now created an online book titled ‘About the jam, darling: A soldier’s thoughts on love and war told through letters’. She said: “I couldn’t look at the suitcase for a few years after he died.
“I then heard a radio show asking for readers letters from the past and decided to look at it.
“It was absolutely fascinating what I found. It became a comfort to me
“I did feel he was with me and speaking to me as I was reading them. He was a very strong man and it was lovely to see this side of him.”
Mr Allen, who was a sergeant in the Irish Guards, wrote to Ella every day during the war.
One of the first letters was written on the gym floor at the Careham Barracks in April 1940, while another is a letter is from France in June 1944.
Ginny, 65, who now lives in Wilpshire, said her father was heartbroken to miss the birth of her sister in June 1944 after crossing the English Channel 12 days after D-Day.
She said: “My mum didn’t really know what was happening at the time as everything was very hush, hush. He didn’t want her to worry.
“He told her that he wouldn’t want to talk about the war when he came back
“They were really beautifully written letters and very moving at times
“He was a great story teller and would often entertain us with the funny stories, but not talk about the serious side.”
Mr Allen was discharged from the army after being injured by a mine while near Maastricht. He spent nearly nine months in hospital.
When he returned, he lived with Ella on Cobham Road in Accrington and worked at Church printing firm Nayler’s.
The book is available to buy on Kindle by visiting tinyurl.com/nvvo63s. For hard copies of ‘Jim’s Story’, send an email to v.aighton@hotmail.
co.uk.
