Prisoner of War mail, by Ruggero Bacci, to Mrs. Minnie Bacci, May 19, 1942

This handwritten prisoner of war mail in Italian, was sent by Ruggero Bacci, and is addressed to his wife Minnie Bacci, on May 19, 1942.

Bacci writes that he has not received the weekly letter from his wife. He hopes that she is better -- having overcome the recent adversities in life -- and is focusing instead on their sons' future. He writes that nothing that can be done against the will of God, and we all must eventually die. It seems his mother-in-law had recently passed away. Bacci writes that although his mother-in-law was not very old, she did have a serious illness and a poor quality of life. He writes that while his mother-in-law suffered, so did the family, having to watch her struggles. He tells his wife to be strong and try to accept what happens and be at peace.

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.