7408
Simone, in Brest, in Jean Cordelle, in Paris,8 September 1945
(Simone is in Brest, about September 8-15, to be at Christiane's bedside, seriously ill, while Michel sails around on the CH106 fighter. The following is only a few excerpts of letters that recall the material difficulties of life immediately after the war.)
.....I'll now go and put a telegram on you, Jean, and post this letter.....I'll also post it to Suzon's address, a package containing 2 cammemberts and 1/2 port-sanitary. I'll send you back, don't deprive you, that will replace the meat. I'll have a whole port-sanitary Tuesday. That Suzon will send out as soon as possible some boxes, if possible, because the camemberts have no. The brave merchant gave box, paper and string. Michel will try to send you potatoes, it's the packaging that is missing. Profusion , meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, potatoes-all without tickets. Potatoes are 6f per kg. If you go to condée, you might bring it back, it would help for the menus. I will try Monday to find some charcuterie to send you, but quickly!
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Simone Cordelle, in Brest, in Jean Cordelle, in Paris, 12 September 1945
Wednesday morning, 12 September
....................................If Suzon could send some dry cakes, everything that is cake is not found here, and the bakers do nothing. Those that she gave are very nice to Christiane.........................nd (Chedals) . I haven't yet promised the port-salut, I don't have much time to run, otherwise I'd probably find it better to send you....
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Simone Cordelle, in Brest, Suzanne Chedal, Paris13 September 1945
Thursday, 13 September (1945)
………………………………I have received your good letter, my Suzon, and those of John of September 10 and 11, and his package.....................I only post the little sausages that I spoke to Jean yesterday, I couldn't do it yesterday, because I didn't leave Christiane for a minute. No meats found today, and my port-sanitary didn't wait for me, because I didn't have time to take care of them... I hope to have another one tomorrow, I rage thinking about the abundance of here, and our shortage. We wonder what our minister thinks of preventing the too rich departments from refueling others.
Could you, my Suzon, send me some dry cakes, it's not possible here, and I would be very precious to my patient. Those I had brought him from you have made him happy.
You want to be nice to give this letter to John if by chance he's here, and to tell Francis, I don't write to the 7th.nd (i.e. Jean Cordelle, who is in the week very often in Condé-sur-Noireau)....................
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Simone Cordelle, in Brest, Cordelle, Paris, 14 September 1945
Friday, 14 September
.....it's really desperate these continuous highs and stockings. Michel who couldn't have had penicillin yesterday, will run this morning, the poor kid is overwhelmed with the disarmament of his boat and all the races, despite the kindness of the Commander. This morning he had a mission in a hurry.... ... I hope he could have arranged with the Commander. I can't run after this penicillin myself, it's at the Navy that it's going to happen....We'll always have the resource if Michel gets nothing, take an ambulance and go to the Penicillin Center in Rennes, but Michel has to get something, because they have it at the Navy....
10am Michel has just brought us 300,000 penicillin units, so we are saved......J-I would rather not have to go to Rennes. Michel had to go to the general doctor, who is the only provider.
..........I bought him a beautiful lobster that the cook at the clinic would like to cook for me. He ate, happy to see his wife without fever.
.................... I'm going to send you today 4 Pont-l-Vévêque, my John, and put in the package 4 rolls of photos to develop for Michel. He cares a lot...and he would like it to be well developed. Maybe Michaud would do better than Jousseaume? Do as best he can....................
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Simone Cordelle, in Brest, in Jean Cordelle, in Paris19 September 1945
Wednesday, 19 September
................................ Christiane takes a little nap, she's doing quite well....
Michel came back tonight, he had better time to come back than to leave. There was a very big storm yesterday, and I was not reassured to know it at sea on his nutshell. D-even more so as the boat that served d-Ousant came back yesterday without having been able to reach the island, having almost capsized at St-Mathieu's Point. A good woman who was on it arrived yesterday at the clinic, she was getting out of it, soaked up to the bones, and having lost her hoofs. Finally I think that 106 must hold the sea better....Michel who wanted to see a storm will have been served...................
.....and this morning we had a pack of Suzon butter and Velpeau tape. It seems that in the other direction it is faster, but you never said if my packages had arrived? 1 cheese, 1 sausages.
.......for our little rab in Vierville, my Jean, I have no preferences......but either we go there right away or you go get Yves, you should write a word to Edmond Jean to announce our visit....(Ed. Jean was our farmer for 7 ha of land in Longueville, in the marsh; throughout the period of restrictions, during and after the war, he supplied us with butter, at the price of tax, sometimes inspered quantities, of 20 kg mots, which mother shared in small packs of 1 pound, which she salted and distributed round in the whole family in Paris. I remember that 402 felt the rancid butter for years after these transports, they put the butter under the seats.)
...... the only thing that could encourage us to go there right away would be the question of windows, but you might be able to take care of them by going after Yves.
.....I'm still thinking about leaving Friday morning, and I'm gonna go back to my place. In principle, it's not necessary, but I'll be more quiet and be able to get to the train at a slower time. (still crowded including corridors) ................................
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Simone, (in Paris) at Jean Cordelle, (in Vierville),Monday, December 17, 1945
.....you, my Jean, want to bring me the little yellow and green roommates, Martha knows what it is. ( ?)
I hope you could go to Longueville and bring back something interesting. (butter, of course).
If you come back by Condé (on Black), you want to bring us back to) had the attached list, if you can of course, it's only to give you an idea.
Could you do anything about your shoes? (it seems that the possibilities of re-sembling were greater in Normandy, probably because leather was produced there) ................................
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