Prisoner of War mail, by Ruggero Bacci, to Mrs. Minnie Bacci, August 18, 1942

This handwritten prisoner of war mail in Italian, was sent by Ruggero Bacci, and is addressed to his wife Minnie Bacci, on August 18, 1942.

Half of the letter addresses a $75 debt owed by a Giacinto, of which $25.00 was recently paid to Bacci's wife. Bacci claims that Giacinto still owes the remaining $50, none of which had been paid prior to his arrest. He asks if any of the $50 was paid to his wife during his internment.

The rest of the letter suggests some emotional strain that Bacci's continued internment was causing him. He refers to his "solitary condition", and notes that this "prison" has made him reconsider many things, opening his eyes. The past he describes as an illusion, and he claims to have given up many things he had in his heart, returning to who he was when he first set foot on this earth.

Bacci was interned for almost three years. In his absence, his wife Erminia (Minnie) suffered a serious nervous breakdown and was hospitalized at length. Bacci's oldest son Aldo was forced to quit high school to help support the family. When his father was released and returned home, Aldo received notice that he was conscripted into the Canadian Army; however, he did not serve overseas.

This document forms part of a collection of documents and other materials on loan by the Bacci family.