Ww2 gay soldiers love letters book
In , hundreds of love letters between two gay WWII soldiers, Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher, were discovered and then sold to Owestry Town Museum.
One of them said, &#;Wouldn&#;t it be wonderful if all our letters could be published in the future in a more enlightened time. Then all the world could see how in love we are.&#; The long for came true. Their story was made into a movie that premiered at Tribeca in
The short film is called &#;The Letter Men,&#; and is directed by Andy Vellentine.
A more enlightened time
During WWII, soldiers who were discovered as gay could be imprisoned, or much worse. That is why the men hoped they would be discovered in the future, under circumstances where they could be appreciated, rather than hidden.
For more information about the film, check out this article. And to read the full story of the men, check out the BBC article linked to above and this article here.
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In WWII, Two Gay Soldiers&#; Forbidden Romance Lives On In Their Love Letters
Soldiers separated from their loved ones during World War II gazed at photographs of their sweethearts, and wrote love letters in the hopes that one day, they would be reunited and launch a family. One soldier, Gilbert Bradley, wrote his letters, too, but he could never preserve a photo of his genuine love because he was a man named Gordon Bowsher.
For decades, their love story remained a secret, and it was secret away from the eyes of the world. Gilbert Bradley died in , and an estate company cleaned out his residence and sold his letters to an antique dealer who specialized in war ephemera. A historian and volunteer at the Oswestry Museum in Shropshire, England named Mark Hignett stumbled upon the letters on eBay while he was searching for historic documents from his hometown. At first, Mark Hignett thought that Gilbert Bradley was writing to a girlfriend or fiance, because they simply signed the letters with the letter “G”. Once he realized that “G” stood for Gordon Bowsher, he was
Read This Heartbreaking Gay World War II Soldier&#;s Love Letter
Love knows no bounds, including war. A love letter written by a gay World War II soldier has been making the rounds on the internet, and it’s giving us all the feels.
The letter was reprinted by the groundbreaking ONE Magazine back in September , and the original letter is held by the Library of Congress. It was penned by American soldier Brian Keith and sent to Dave, a fellow soldier he met while stationed in North Africa in The two men fell in love overseas, and the letter was penned to commemorate their anniversary.
The text of the gay World War II soldier’s letter reads:
Dear Dave,
This is in memory of an anniversary — the anniversary of October 27th, , when I first heard you singing in North Africa. That song brings memories of the happiest times I’ve ever known. Memories of a GI show troop — curtains made from barrage balloons — spotlights made from cocoa cans — rehearsals that ran late into the evenings — and a handsome boy with a wonderful tenor voice. Opening night at a theatre in Canastel — perh Director's Statement My journey with Gilbert and Gordon began as so many things these days now begin--while scrolling on the internet. Thinking back, the improbability of the whole thing is stunning. A gay love affair interrupted by world war two, complete with detailed love letters that somehow managed to exist decades only to be discovered and shared with the world. I will never forget the thrill I felt learning about this remarkable story. Later, after I reached out to Label, the historian who discovered and shared the letters, I would learn that I was one of many interested parties who wished to shepherd this adj story to a wider audience. But I would not be intimidated by this. When given the chance, I flew to the tiny town of Oswestry, England to meet with Tag personally and plead my case. As you can probably surmise, my passion and persuasiveness won me the right to support tell Gilbert and Gordon’s story. I cannot adequately express the tremendous privilege it has been to be the caretaker of this beautiful story. Between multiple t
Awards
The Letter Men