Remarkable story ?of newly weds’ war

Milngavie man Peter Mowforth (65) of Mugdock Road and his sister Sue (70) stumbled across the love letters, exchanged between their 
parents from 1941 to 1945, in their father’s attic after their parents died.

After the Herald ran an article about the amazing find back in 2017, Peter and Sue were contacted by researcher and writer Anna Priestland.

Now, the story of Cyril and Olga Mowforth called “Letters of Love in WW2” forms a new eight-part audio podcast series going out today (Thursday, June 7) via the History TV channel. It is also available on iTunes and Spotify.

Robert said: “The whole family has been hugely surprised by how a simple story in your newspaper has ended up going out to a global audience. Many thanks to you.”

Dad Cyril was a tank commander with 42nd Royal Tank Regiment at El Alamein in Egypt while mum Olga remained in Sheffield, driving an ambulance through the Blitz.

Sue spent three years typing the letters up and put them in the right order to create a book called ‘Good Evening Sweetheart’ with photos.

The book reveals how the couple, torn apart by the war just three months after they wed, kept their love alive with the letters.

Each episode in the podcast hears a back-and-forth between Cyril (Johny Pitts) and Olga Mowforth (Amy Nuttall) which gives an insight into several key periods of the war from 1940 to 1946, including El Alamein, D-Day and the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Cyril’s letters contain frontline descriptions of some dramatically described tank battles from the Egyptian border into Libya.

With the delay in post delivery, some letters never making it to their destination, listeners hear their frustration as a brave, tenacious and touching story unfolds over six years of the Second World War.

The letters also contained anecdotes about Olga’s friends and her life in Sheffield, rationing and coupons, food, health issues, finding war work, transport problems, and political observations.

Peter said: “Sue found the letters tied up with ribbon in a box after our parents died. She read them and was deeply moved by the contents.

“The more we read the letters we realised that the story was significant and does much to help comprehend the enormity of what happens during war. Everyone in the family felt the same way.”

Each episode of the podcast also features interviews with Peter and Sue.