Wartime letters bring history to life in Dear Mr Snippet

What would you do if you had the chance to travel back in time to get to know dearly loved older relatives in their younger years? This was the opportunity that Roseanna Rolph discovered whilst clearing her late mother’s study and stumbled upon her grandmother Rita’s treasure box where she found in amongst diaries and photographs, a stack of letters in her grandfather John Reed’s handwriting, the dates revealing some of the Second World War years. Having previously been given her grandmother’s letters from the same period she wondered... if ordered and dovetailed, could these letters speak to one another? Would they reveal a conversation over those years? What stories would unfold, and what snippets of her grandparents, Rita and John’s daily lives could be revealed? Roseanna said, “This was truly a magical moment. I had no idea of the precious and wonderful paper trail that my dear mum had left to me until I began piecing together this unique story. Having had a very close relationship with my grandparents, I knew how proud they were of their close relationship and that they wouldn’t mind their story being shared.” This was how the story Dear Mr Snippet was born.

After marrying on September 6, 1939, Rita and John began married life honeymooning at The George Inn, Alfriston where, when John was given an extra three days leave, Rita celebrated by dancing on the bed. At the end of the week Rita returned home and stayed with her mother in Barnes, London, whilst John completed officer commission training with the Honourable Artillery Company at Waterloo Barracks, Aldershot, subsequently being transferred to the 63rd Medium Regiment with the Royal Artillery Company.

In November 1939, whilst John was away training, Rita stayed in Eastbourne writing in one of her letters to John, “This morning the sun came streaming into my room, so I got up and went for a walk along the promenade, without my hat or coat; pretty good for November, wasn’t it? We walked nearly all the morning and listened to the band, which plays here still. This afternoon we drove to Birling Gap, and went for another long walk, after which exercise I’ve worn a huge potato in my stocking heel!” She goes on to say: “Everywhere we go, you and I were there together last time on our honeymoon, so you’re really with me every second, tho’ I’d give anything to have you in something more concrete!”

Sussex became a safe haven for the family in the summer of 1944 when they were finally able to evacuate from London to Elmer Sands which Rita describes as “a paradise for children” and where, at times, John is able to join them whilst he attends the Bognor Regis Memorial Hospital.

Rita wrote to John as often as she could, often addressing him as ‘My dearest Mr Snippet’ as he would often include snippets of information about the army and how the war was progressing from a military perspective in his letters. He led a troop as part of the British Expeditionary Force in the spring of 1940 taking part in the mass evacuation at Dunkirk and then entering a second theatre of war as part of the 8th AGRA in the summer of 1944, landing on Gold Beach and participating in the North-West Europe campaign and Battle of Normandy. Roseanna said, “Having pieced together John’s story I am infinitely proud of the part he played alongside those of his comrades. John always showed humility and immeasurable respect towards all those involved. Now I have a greater understanding of John’s experiences I hope that bringing this story to life acknowledges the part he and so many others played.”

Rita would stay near to where John was stationed when she could but otherwise their main way of communication was through the exchanging of their letters. In one letter Rita wrote, ‘I’m glad I shall be free to come down to you for the weekends you are on duty, darling. It would be a crime if we couldn’t have our Saturday night together! You tell the major that your wife wants you more than the army ever possibly could.’

Passionately in love and hilariously witty in their banter with one another, John and Rita’s letters, some of which will be on display in a special VE Day exhibit at The Postal Museum, London, from 29 April 2025, offer a unique wartime conversation that bridges military and civilian worlds, and transports readers back to another time via an un-replicated authentic perspective.

The impact of war on children becomes an increasingly important focus as the story progresses, with John and Rita’s two young children struggling with absent parents and separation, housing difficulties, ill-health, and constant uncertainty, to name but a few. This focus, combined with her own childhood experiences with parental absence, led Roseanna to contact Little Troopers, a charity supporting all military children who have parents currently serving in the British Armed Forces. The charity is delighted to be collaborating on this project, using Dear Mr Snippet to help raise awareness of its incredible work.

With the perfect blend of humour, romance and tragedy, Dear Mr Snippet is impossible to put down, drawing readers in with John and Rita’s engaging, chatty writing styles and open, honest conversations. Forming a complete WWII time capsule this book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about this period of history in an accessible way; gain insight into the realities of being a military partner or child, and fans of World War Two fiction and non-fiction alike.

Roseanna said, “These are the experiences of real people; set amongst world-shaking events. Forging their way through unpredictable times, and at points living with a constant pressure that each tiny everyday decision might have a life-or-death consequence. I have felt humbled and honoured by the extraordinary opportunity I have been afforded to tell Rita and John’s story and have done so to value and ensure that narratives such as these are not forgotten. I dearly hope readers enjoy the snippets of their story and, like me, discover something new about the idiosyncrasies of living as a civilian or serving in the military through World War II.”

Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, Dear Mr Snippet (ISBN: 9781803782751) will be released on the 15th of April 2025 and is available in paperback, eBook and audio formats. It is available to pre-order now from Waterstones, Amazon, WHSmith and all other major retailers.

To find out more about Little Troopers’ incredible work, visit their website at littletroopers.net

To see John and Rita’s letters for yourself, visit The London Postal Museum’s VE Day exhibit, which will run from the 29th of April 2025 at The Postal Museum, 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA.

To follow Roseanna’s story and for more updates on Dear Mr Snippet, visit her website at roseannarolph.com, or follow her on Instagram at @author.roseannarolph or Facebook at Roseanna Rolph.