Letter

Written on American Red Cross stationery, this letter expresses Maurice Baribeau's tremendous sense of freedom. When he first arrived at the American-run recovery camp after spending several weeks with the Russian army, Maurice Baribeau felt a sense of relief for the first time since leaving the German camp. He explains what happened to him in chronological order, from his plane accident to his arrest to his liberation, as well as what he will be doing in the coming days until his imminent return to Canada. He also describes his experience in the German prisoner of war camps, his dealings with members of the Luftwaffe (German air force) and the challenges of communicating with his family back home, noting that he had had no news of his family since being arrested by the German army nearly nine months earlier. Nonetheless, the letter reveals a feeling of lightness and euphoria, with the pilot assuring his family that he is healthy and focussed on the future and the joy of returning home to his loved ones. The letter is accompanied by an envelope addressed to Mrs. Theo Baribeau.