Description:Amongst Millie’s papers are many letters exchanged between herself and the British Consulate regarding her attempts to return home from America to the United Kingdom in 1943.
Millie, her maid Janet Cairns and Gingko her Pekinese dog travelled to America in 1940 where a letter written by Millie to the Bank of England in November 1943 states Millie fell ‘extremely ill’ with ‘heart disease’. After being forced to rely on the assistance of her friend Louise Carnegie, many letters reflect Millie’s concern over the repayment of money to Mrs. Carnegie for her assistance during Millie’s convalescence.
Much of the correspondence, particularly letters from Godfrey Haggard at the British Counsel, reflects the hostile atmosphere during the Second World War, where travel, communication and access to financial resources was heavily restricted. The letters indicate that Millie suffered many difficulties in her attempts to return to England. After obtaining ‘a permit from the Ministry of Agriculture in England to take my little dog’, Millicent experienced various setbacks, including being offered inadequate transport via Lisbon, taking the ‘Portuguese route’. A letter from Haggard dated August 1943 rudely demands that Millie return home ‘without delay’.
Owing to Millie’s social connections, much of her correspondence involves high profile organisations and individuals, such as the Bank of England, the British Consulate, and the Prime Minister’s Secretary. Her correspondence provides a unique insight into the operations of these authorities during the Second World War.