Hope was a person of tenacity and character, exactly the person who could conceive of, then create, the pamphlet. She was well educated and, in interviewing the rescued soldiers, she displayed a keen eye for detail and an orderly mind.
She used her connections, like her work at the Ilkeston Register Office, to produce her pamphlet. Hope was Acting Superintendent Registrar during the war, deputising for her husband Paul whilst he was on active service.
She used her networks to her advantage. It is unclear exactly who sent her the addresses for some of the rescued men but it was most likely one of her regimental contacts. And when she needed help in printing the pamphlets, she was able to receive help from her contacts at Heanor Urban District Council.
Hope had no fear of the weighty matters she was involved in. She would defend causes close to her heart, write to the Press, the local MP, the War Office, and even the Vatican. At a time when people were deferential she showed no fear of speaking out.
The families of the POWs saw her as a fellow sufferer and not part of the Government machine. This gave them the confidence to write about their anger and anxiety.
As the wife of an officer, she often acted as a de-facto “welfare officer” for military families, a role she took seriously.
She understood the Army and asked the questions that the families wanted answered: how was discipline, were the prisoners receiving mail, how was morale?
But one question remains unanswered – what was the effect of this role on Hope’s own morale? How did she feel, reading these distressing letters night after night? Her diaries, which have been a valuable source of information, are silent on the matter.
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