The box of letters of Alvin Whiteley. The letters have been grouped together and transcribed by James Hewitt into 6 parts. Alvin wrote these letters to his mother and they would thus have been sanitized - containing nothing which may have shocked her. Alvin's sister collected these letters and they were found in a shoebox, in her house, following her death. In part one hotel bills, detailed letters and laundry bills show the life of a commercial traveller in wool around Germany (1910-1912). Part two includes Alvin's basic training and his trip to Africa as part of The Frontiersmen (25th Batt. Royal Fusiliers), 1916. Part three sees Alvin invalided out of active service (Plymouth), some of his recuperation and uncertainty over his position (Hounslow) (January-June 1917). In Part four Lilian Spencer and Alvin marry, details of life on the home front, and Alvin joins the Pay Corps (June-December 1917). Part five has more minutiae of the home front, and after their son, Philip Whiteley, is born, letters after are all about life with a new baby (Jan-Dec 1918). Part six includes arrangements for employment once Alvin has left the army, as well as letters from other friends or family (January 1919 – October 1920).

An envelope showing an example of the many letters of Alvin Whiteley.

An envelope and enclosed postcard showing an example of the many letters of Alvin Whiteley.