Dear John: Australian War Memorial’s new war letters from home

A deeply moving collection of wartime letters and telegrams written to an Australian prisoner of war (POW) has been donated to the Australian War Memorial.

The “Letters from Home” collection captures the correspondence sent by the Franklin family to Private John Franklin, who was held in captivity by the Japanese in Singapore and Japan between 1942 and 1945.

Australian War Memorial Director, Matt Anderson, said: “These letters and telegrams offer an extraordinary insight into the love, loss and hope experienced by families separated during the Second World War. It brings us closer to the human cost of conflict.”

“This is not just John’s story, it is universal and remarkable that they have been preserved for 80 years.

“These ‘Dear John’ letters speak to the heartbreak of any family with a loved one at war and the emotional lifeline that letters from home can provide. Telegrams of 25 words can mean the world.”

Among the most poignant items donated in the collection, is a letter dated 11 August 1942, which is believed to be the first received by John during his imprisonment.

John’s niece, Rae Maree Curtis, 91, donated the letters and says the collection shows a unique home front experience.

“John’s mother and father wrote these letters not knowing if their son was alive or dead. Uncle John missed out on so much, such as birthdays and marriages, but I imagine it must have given him so much hope to hear about life in Australia.”

In 1943, under Japanese orders, correspondence from Australian families was limited to 25-word telegrams in an attempt to diminish morale among POWs.

“Telegrams were the first tweets,” Ms Curtis said. “In just 140 characters, John’s mother managed to say everything she could and reassured him that his brothers in Bondi and Artarmon were safe, his family in Worcester were unharmed, and that she and his father were sending loving thoughts.”

By 22 August 1945, shortly after the Japanese surrender, John’s mother Minnie penned a jubilant three-page letter celebrating his freedom.

“This collection tells a full circle story. Uncle John’s one letter, on his way home, is such a contrast to the 25-word messages,” Ms Curtis said.

In an airmailed letter to his parents, he writes:

“Believe me I feel as though I’ve been born and am starting life all over again. I feel pretty guilty for the worry I must have caused you, but everything is okay now. Don’t try and send money or anything but I’d give a fortune for a letter.”