A rediscovered postcard sent from a prisoner-of-war in Germany to a barber friend in Sydney has brought back some long-forgotten memories for an East Maitland woman.
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Now Mae Wood wants to contact relatives of the soldier who sent the postcard to a family friend, who was barber in Homebush.
Mrs Wood still recalls the excitement the postcard caused when it arrived at her neighbour’s house when she was only four years old.
Dated 1942, it was addressed in pencil to barber George James, posted from Lager-Bezeichnung Stalag XXA by his mate, Albert Ronald Jacobson, who had enlisted in the Australian Army on May 27, 1940.
“I was only a little girl, but I still remember the joy when our friend the barber received the postcard,” Mrs Wood said.
“George James, known as Brick, was our neighbour and the local barber.
“He and Albert Jackson were very good friends, but I don’t know very much about him.
“Through the efforts of Maitland RSL vice-president Fred Goode, we have learnt that Albert, 35, enlisted in Paddington [Sydney].
“We don’t know much about his military career and the postcard took a long time to travel from Germany to England and then to Australia.”
The postcard reads:
“Dear Brick, Just a line hoping you are in the pink - the same as I am.
“We all have our chins up and hope to be out before many more years.
“Things are okay, nothing to complain about.
“I suppose home is a hive of activity and that your family is okay - and I hope mine is the same.
“Give my love to my wife and the nips and I hope they are getting my letters.”
Records show Albert Jackson was discharged from the army on July 6, 1944, with the rank of corporal, but Mrs Wood had no further information about him and Mr James died in 1952.
“Now I would love to contact the relatives of Albert Jacobson so they can have the postcard and it doesn’t fall into anybody else’s hands,” she said.
Send information to allan.hardie@fairfaxmedia.com.au