England

Wartime love letters published in new book

The wartime romance between a young airman and his sweetheart is the subject of a new book called “Dear Joan.”

It consists of hundreds of love letters between the couple, Tony Ross and Joan Charles.

The original letters have been donated to the Imperial War Museum, where the book was launched today.

Former Wing Commander Tony Ross was just 22 when he met a civil servant by the name of Joan Charles.

They had just shared their first kiss when Tony was posted to the Mediterranean. Three years passed before they saw each other again, but during that time, they wrote a staggering 675 letters to each other, which charted the progress of their romance.

It was a romance that lasted 60 years. Joan died on her birthday four years ago tomorrow.

But it was Tony who thought the war might take him first. He even wrote a secret letter to be given to Joan in the event of his death.

The original letters now form part of the Imperial War Museum’s collection - and show a very human side of the war years.

I’s a love story that lives on in the book that Tony has dedicated to Joan.