RATS

Three Autograph Letter Signed (all 'Eric') from Sir Eric de la Rue, 3rd Baronet, one to his father and two to his sister Diana, written during the Second World War as a Captain in the Notts Yeomanry, Middle East Forces (Egypt and Benghazi).

Author: 
Sir Eric de la Rue [Sir Eric Vincent de la Rue] (1906-1989), 3rd Baronet, son of Sir Evelyn Andros de la Rue (1879-1950) [Notts Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry; British Army, Middle East Forces]
Publication details: 
Letter to his father: 17 March [1944]; 'H.Q. 215 Town Mayor M.E.F.' Letters to his sister: 4 May [1944] and 4 October [1944]. Both addressed from the MEF.
£220.00

All three are air mail letter cards. Each with 'Field Post Office' postmark and censor's stamp. The three in fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Letter One: To his father, 17 March [1944]. Addressed to 'My dear Father', with the envelope addressed to 'Sir E. de la Rue Bart. | The Sol | Cookham | Berkshire | England.' 1p, 4to, and 1p., 12mo. A light-hearted letter, in which he jokes about his father's inability to read the word 'Aviv' ('I suppose a series of "i"s and "v"s is rather difficult even if printed') and find the place on the map ('it is much larger than Bournemouth').

Manuscript diary for the year 1944 by an English army officer ('H. E. Nash?') in the 23rd Armoured Brigade of the British Eighth Army in the Second World War.

Author: 
[Diary of an officer in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, British Eighth Army, 1946]
Publication details: 
Entries from 1 January to 27 December 1944.
£280.00

Text on 87 pp of a 8vo 1944 'Surrey Desk Diary' (Mitcham: Surrey Manufacturing Co.). Text clear and complete. Volume in good condition on aged paper. While the author's ownership signature at the front of the volume ('', ', '') is not decipherable, there are clues to his identity: his birthday is on 24 June, he states on 5 October that he is in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, and on 19 August he gives his Identity Card No. as 116941. He begins as a sergeant, and by 13 January is 'H.Q. Troop commander, which, out of action, no schemes, no censoring, doesn't amount to much'.

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