LETTERS OF THANKS
During her time serving in Sierra Leone, Freda received many letters of appreciation. Below are just some of them with transcripts beside the original scanned documents. A few liberties have been taken with the transcripts as some of the handwriting is a little difficult to understand but it is hoped that the majority of the message is faithful to the original.
December 17, 1942
Dear Sister
Just dropping you a few lines to say I survived my trip and am in good condition. I arrived here Tuesday the 16th at 5.30 in the morning, feeling fine, although to find about six inches of snow on the ground and four below zero.
They are going to start work on me this afternoon and I thought I better write while I was able. I am in New York Hospital and about two or more nurses looking me over but they are not as swell as those English sisters I knew before. Sister I did not get to tell you thanks for everything you done for me and so will do it now.
Will you please let Dr Ciezar know I made it OK. I will write to him after they do their work on me so I can tell them or him what they done. I got to meet some nice looking English girls, they work for Pan American.
Well Sis how is everything going in the ward? I sure hated to leave, but it will be a better ward since I am gone ha ha!
Sister I am mailing you a Christmas present. It might be a bit late but better late than never. Well the US still does not know the war is on so everything is fine. Will you please let me know if you receive this note and if you get tired reading these letters. Just let me know. Well sister will close for now. Love and Good Luck to all.
Benny (J.J. Bennett)
Benny writes a subsequent letter on New Year's day 1943 to inform Freda that he is recovering well and being transferred to his home town of Seattle, Washington.
"I am up now trying to walk on my leg although I am still in plaster. You can tell Dr Ciezar that he put on such a good plaster the last time that no-one in this hospital could do the same.
"I am being discharged from the navy soon I guess from the way they talk round here but you gotta take the bad with the good."
December 17, 1942
Dear Sister
Just dropping you a few lines to say I survived my trip and am in good condition. I arrived here Tuesday the 16th at 5.30 in the morning, feeling fine, although to find about six inches of snow on the ground and four below zero.
They are going to start work on me this afternoon and I thought I better write while I was able. I am in New York Hospital and about two or more nurses looking me over but they are not as swell as those English sisters I knew before. Sister I did not get to tell you thanks for everything you done for me and so will do it now.
Will you please let Dr Ciezar know I made it OK. I will write to him after they do their work on me so I can tell them or him what they done. I got to meet some nice looking English girls, they work for Pan American.
Well Sis how is everything going in the ward? I sure hated to leave, but it will be a better ward since I am gone ha ha!
Sister I am mailing you a Christmas present. It might be a bit late but better late than never. Well the US still does not know the war is on so everything is fine. Will you please let me know if you receive this note and if you get tired reading these letters. Just let me know. Well sister will close for now. Love and Good Luck to all.
Benny (J.J. Bennett)
Benny writes a subsequent letter on New Year's day 1943 to inform Freda that he is recovering well and being transferred to his home town of Seattle, Washington.
"I am up now trying to walk on my leg although I am still in plaster. You can tell Dr Ciezar that he put on such a good plaster the last time that no-one in this hospital could do the same.
"I am being discharged from the navy soon I guess from the way they talk round here but you gotta take the bad with the good."
The type-written letter opposite was written to Colonel D. Murray of the 51st General Hospital in Freetown and signed by Lt Cmdr Jack McFall the US Navy. It refers to "the persistent and sympathetic care" shown by Freda to one specific United States patient.
As mentioned in the section on Sierra Leone, Sister Laycock made a real hit with one patient who wrote a song for her. Sergeant Louis Cassel was so impressed by Freda that he penned the following words under the title Sierra Leone:
Now Sierra Leone is a blinking hot spot
It makes you feel bad and it kills quite a lot
But I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now it's all very well with the sun shining down
on scores of black families, that live in Freetown,
But if you take off your toupee you'll blinking soon own
Six feet of deep earth in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now one year and a half I guess is enough
For without our own girls, boys it is blinking tough
For we have seen enough of the flappers and beads
And we long for the girls we can cuddle and squeeze.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now our time is ended, our ship is in port
When we get to Old England we'll have some fine sport
Fort there are girls there, who are full of good charm
Who are asking God to send us back to their arms.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now roll on the time we reach Old England's fair shore
Back to the wives and girls we adore.
Away from the beetles, sandflies and snakes
Where young maidens dress for decency's sake.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
It may not appear from the words that this song was a tribute to Freda but the accompanying letter made this clear:
As mentioned in the section on Sierra Leone, Sister Laycock made a real hit with one patient who wrote a song for her. Sergeant Louis Cassel was so impressed by Freda that he penned the following words under the title Sierra Leone:
Now Sierra Leone is a blinking hot spot
It makes you feel bad and it kills quite a lot
But I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now it's all very well with the sun shining down
on scores of black families, that live in Freetown,
But if you take off your toupee you'll blinking soon own
Six feet of deep earth in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now one year and a half I guess is enough
For without our own girls, boys it is blinking tough
For we have seen enough of the flappers and beads
And we long for the girls we can cuddle and squeeze.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now our time is ended, our ship is in port
When we get to Old England we'll have some fine sport
Fort there are girls there, who are full of good charm
Who are asking God to send us back to their arms.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
Now roll on the time we reach Old England's fair shore
Back to the wives and girls we adore.
Away from the beetles, sandflies and snakes
Where young maidens dress for decency's sake.
Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
Thousands of miles from Sierra Leone,
I shall be happy wherever I roam
When I'm thousands of miles from Sierra Leone.
It may not appear from the words that this song was a tribute to Freda but the accompanying letter made this clear: