One hundred and eighty-one letters from Lt Ian Douglas (and others) to his wife, Phyllis, from December 1942 to end of May 1945. The letters were grouped by the location/activity of Lt Douglas from the time he left Canada to his return.

1. On board ship to England – 16 letters: 1942 -Dec ?, ?, 3,  7 , 9, 11, 11, 14, 19, 20, ?, 22, 26, 29. Left Camp Borden Dec 3; arrive Debert, NS Dec 5; Crossing Atlantic Dec 13 – 18; Contingent arrived Dec 22.
2. England – 11 letters: Dec 31 1942 (telegram); 1943, Jan. 1, 7, 11, 17, 19, 20, 22, 27, 30, 29 (telegram)
3. England – 12 letters: 1943, Jan 30, 31, 31, Feb 4 (telegram), 5, 10 (telegram), 12, 14, 15, 21 (telegram), 24, 27
4. England – 18 letters: 1943 Mar 1, 3, 3, 6, 6 (Airgraph),7,  8 (Airgraph), 11, 12 (Airgraph), 15, 16 (Airgraph), 16, 18, 23 (Airgraph), 24, 24, 26 (telegram), 30 (Airgraph)
5. England – 17 letters: 1943, April 1, 1, 1 (Airgraph), 6 (Airgraph), 8 (Airgraph), 8, 9 (Airgraph), 9, 13, 15 (Airgraph), 15, 16 (note re portrait), 18, 18 (Airgraph), 21 (telegram), 23, 30.
6. England – 10 letters: 1943 May 1 (telegraph), 1, 11, 15, 23, 25 (telegram), 28, 28 (Airgraph), 30, 31
7. Preparations for voyage to Sicily – 7 Letters: June 1?, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, ?
8. On board ship and going into action  – 9 letters: 1943 July 3, 4?, 4, 7, 9 (going into action), 19, ?, 23 (Field Service Post Card), 27
9. Italy – Telegram – safe and well (POW at Camp P.G. 66, P.M. 3400 Italy. Likely 6 to 10 August. Douglas captured at Regalbuto, Sicily on 31 July
10. POW – Italy, then Germany – 18 letters: 1943 Aug 12, 19, Sep 8, 14(Parcel received card), 17, Oct 1, 16, 19, 22 (from Casey Corbett), 22, 28, Nov 5, 12, 21, Dec 2, 5, 14, 23 Stalag 5C, then Stalag VIIA, then Oflag 5A
11. POW at Oflag 5A – 54 letters: 1944 Jan 3, 13 (Postkarte), 21 (Casey Corbett, Postkarte), 21, 24, 28, 29, Feb 2, 3 (Casey Corbett, Postkarte), 13, Feb 2 (short wave message), 13, 28, Mar 5 (Postkarte), 13, 22, 30 (Casey Corbett, Postkarte), Apr 5, 14 (Casey Corbett, Postkarte), 14 (NOK Parcel received to Douglas), 20, 20 (Capt. Joseph Dalton Gardner – South Africa), 29,  May, 10, 10 (Parcel Received), 10, 17 (Postkarte), 24, 25 (Parcel Received), June 6, 6 (Casey Corbett, Postkarte), 18, 27, July 5, 16,  25, Aug 7, 18, 23, 24 (Capt Gardner, Postkarte), Sep 8, 17, 24, Oct 9, 22, 30, Nov 2, 18, 18 (Postkarte), 24, Dec 3, 21 (Postkarte), 25 Lt W G Cook, Postkarte), 25
12. POW at Oflag 5A then Stalag VII – 8 letters: 1945 Jan 10, Feb 28, Apr 20 (Postkarte), May 7 (Surrender – envelope empty), 23, 23, 24, 25,

Likely dates at POW camps based on dates of letters and notices:

1. August 5 to 2nd week in September 1943 – Concentramento PG No 66, PM 3400, Italy
2. September, 3rd week, 1943 – Oflag [Offizierlager] VIIA (transit camp)
3. October 1943 beginning to April 1945- Oflag VA at Weinsberg, Germany
4. April and May1945 at Stalag VII

Letters are PRIVATE and available only to Museum staff for research re Lt Douglas’ location or military activities on specific dates. Personal writings are only available with permission of Lt Douglas’ daughters and the Museum curator’s concurrence.