Cecil Slack's letters: who's who?

In transcribing the letters, Lady Joan Slack has used initials for some of the writers. On this page you will find a brief identification of each correspondent, as well as relations of Cecil and Dora mentioned in the letters.

CMS

CMS is Cecil Moorhouse Slack. In 1977 Cecil published a selection of the letters, edited heavily in places, and with his own “Post-War notes” under the title Grandfather's Adventures in the Great War, 1914-1918 (Arthur Stockwell, Ilfracombe; ISBN 0-7223-0970-8). The title indicates that the book was written for his grandchildren. It is out of print, but may be in copyright libraries (Bodleian, Cambridge University Library, British Library). Cecil died in 1986.

Dora or Dodo

Dora Willatt and Cecil Slack married on 3 September, 1919. In the letters Dora sometimes appears under the pet name of Dodo. Dora died in 1976

WHS

WHS is William Herbert Slack, Cecil's father.

WS

WS is Winifred Slack, Cecil's mother.

WHW

WHW is William Henry Willatt, Dora's father.

MJW

MJW is Mary Jane Willatt also known as Jennie (née Cooper), Dora's mother.

Cecil's siblings

Cecil's was a large family. His siblings in descending order of age were: Bob, Hilda, Mabel, Harold, Ralph and Kitty.

Florence Willatt

Florence or Flossie was Dora's sister. She married William (Bill) Todd.

Grandma Watkin

Grandma Watkin was Cecil's maternal grandmother, from Sydney, NSW, Australia. She was twice married - to the Rev. William Fletcher and the Rev. W.J. Watkin - and twice widowed.

Aunt Bertha

Bertha was a maternal aunt of Cecil.

Aunt Mary

Mary was a maternal aunt of Cecil.

Other relations

Other relations mentioned in the letters include:

• Alfred, Cecil's maternal uncle, married to Aunt Kate (“Ken”), mother of Mervyn.
• Arthur, Cecil's maternal uncle.
• Percy Slack, Cecil's paternal uncle.
• Crane Cooper, Dora's maternal grandfather.
• Alice Batty, Dora's maternal aunt.
• Mollie, Aunt Alice's daughter.
• George Brown (of the Australian Methodist Mission), married to Sarah, Cecil's maternal aunt.

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