Monro, Jack D.

Living in Keswick, England, at the start of the second world war, parents Jack D. and Audrey S. Monro were separated from their children, Elspeth and Robin, for nearly six years. Throughout this time they each wrote letters fairly consistently, detailing the war itself and personal news. Elspeth and Robin traveled from England to the United States in the summer of 1940, aged 8 and 10, as fears of bombings and violence from Germany dominated the news in Europe. They moved in with the family’s close friends to a house in Baltimore, Maryland. By moving to the United States, they left behind a whole life in England: a majority of their family, their friends, and a culture with which they were familiar with.

The collection details civilian life via letters written in England during the second world war from the perspective of parents separated from their children. Spanning from 1938 through 1946, they document the general instability that was faced during this time, including personal family news, everyday life during a time of war, issues regarding divorce, and issues relating ot the separation with their children.