Love letters between Burnley couple during World War Two are published into two books

Writing the letters twice weekly eased the pain of being separated for three years for devoted couple Elsie and Frank Foster. They could never have imagined that, 80 years later, their letters would be published and provide not only a glimpse of the enduring love between a young couple, but also a snapshot of history from a unique perspective.

The original idea came from Elsie in 1987, but only in the past two years has Maureen Frankland, their daughter, found the time to put them together and publish them. Maureen, who is the former chairman of the Friends of Towneley Park Group, said: “Both my parents were excellent communicators and these letters were just too important and interesting to be locked away.

“I have edited out some of the personal exchanges between my parents but this doesn’t take anything away from the essence of them.”

Elsie, who died in 1997, made parachutes during the war and was manager at the Celanese Company, later Elgin. A caring woman, Elsie arranged dances for workers at the Mechanics to keep their spirits up along with visits to injured soldiers at Calderstone’s Hospital. And even though she desperately missed her husband, Elsie was always on hand to provide emotional support for friends, family and colleagues . Throughout the war Elsie cycled across Lancashire and Yorkshire with her family for little holidays.

Elsie's letters are full of her activities at Angle Street Chapel and Sunday School, where she and Frank married in March 1942, nine months before Frank's overseas service began. After the war Elsie went on to found 6th Company Burnley Girls Life Brigade which she ran for over 30 years, working voluntarily with girls and women across East Lancashire and the North of England.

An accountant by profession, Frank, who died in 1984, was a telephone switchboard operator during the war who travelled abroad to North Africa for the first time in 1942. His letters describe the cultural challenges of war time life following the ‘action.’ As the army censored all letters and banned any wartime information to avoid it falling into enemy hands, Frank wrote about his every day life as he travelled across Algeria and then into Sicilly and Italy.

Maureen said: “My father writes so captivatingly about the sights he saw, the people he met and his frustrations at not being able to see the love of his life. He suffered various illnesses and described the medical care he received in hospital.

“He talks about the infrastructure provided by the army to keep troops occupied, the Christmas celebrations, dances they held, films they provided the ENSA and Italian opera concerts he attended and the amazing NAFFIS reading rooms, table tennis rooms, cafes with verandahs overlooking the sea. He recorded it all in vivid descriptive language, giving a side to war that is rarely recorded.”

Published by Nu-Age the books are available to borrow from Burnley Library or by emailing Maureen at [email protected].

Maureen is also happy to talk to any groups or organisations interested in the books and the wonderful story behind them.