East-West exchange (From Western Telegraph)

East-West exchange

Last week we revealed the secrets of a small Cadbury's chocolate box hidden for 70 years in the attic of an Amroth cottage. It contained letters exchanged by a teenage girl from Pembroke, Sylvia Adams, and a talented young Japanese ship designer, Sadao Hagiwara, of Nagasaki.

This East-West friendship came to an abrupt end just before the Second World War. But, among Sylvia's mementoes were also Japanese postcards, pictures, books and drawings, which are now unique as most similar ones were probably destroyed when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.

Sylvia passed on her treasurer trove to her granddaughter Cat Campbell, a 27-year-old advertising art director from London, who shared her story with Western Telegraph readers. This week we find out what happened to Sylvia and Sadao.

The reaction from Japanese friends over her 'treasure trove' prompted Cat to try and find her grandmother's penfriend. "My brother's ex-girlfriend was Japanese and by an unbelievable coincidence her uncle also worked as a ship designer for Mitsubishi. He found out that Sadao had survived the war but died in the 1970s."

Cat managed to trace his daughter, Mrs Mineno, and met up with her during a visit to Japan. "She was a lovely lady and, with a friend interpreting, I asked her about her father," said Cat. "She was very guarded at first and said she didn't really know him well. Eventually, she said he was an alcoholic and she recalled at the age of seven having to go to a liquor store to buy Saki for him. She would find him comatose on the floor and he would be in and out of hospital.

"She was absolutely amazed when I told her about her father's earlier life. My friend had translated his letters to my grandmother and I left them with her. Next day she told me she had been up all night reading them over and over again and crying. "She could not thank me enough. She said I had shown her a completely different side of her father. She had not realised he was so talented and added: 'I like him so much better now'."

Said Cat: "It was such a sad story. Before the war here was an intelligent, enthusiastic and very talented young man, with so much hope. But he must have seen the ships he designed bombed and sunk, his home city of Nagasaki destroyed by the atom bomb, and he lost a brother during the war and went on to adopt his son. It must have had a desperate affect on him."

Life for Sylvia was so different. She married her sweetheart, David Thomas-Ferrand. He served in the Royal Navy and during the war sent her many love letters, before and after they married. He was on board the warship HMS Prince of Wales when it was torpedoed and was lucky to escape with his life.

He survived and continued in the Royal Navy after the war. "For half of their marriage they had to correspond by letter, while he was at sea. They loved each other and lived a long and happy life together," said Cat.

They had three children - Cat's mother, Cherry Campbell, who married a Scotsman and they now live in Edinburgh; John Thomas-Ferrand, retired governor of Cardiff Prison, who lives in Pembrokeshire, and Rosie Napier, of Bath.

In one letter, Sadao wrote: "Dear Miss Sylvia, Thank you so much for your lovely photograph. Today we had thick fog in our harbour. Ferryboats in harbour are whistling and ringing very hard. Automobiles are rushing up with headlight. As I walk along in foggy morning I think town of London and you.

"When we had this thick fog, your letter arrived me. I read your letter many times with interest. But I am sorry that I could not understand the means of centre part of your letter. I beg you to write me letter with big pen next time. You and all your forms' photograph are very beautiful. You will have many lesson books - English Language, History Normal, and Songs. If you like please send me very easy English Language which I asked you last time. Are you not at home in Holyland and who lives in Tenby.

I have one younger sister which enclosed photo to this letter. She is 16 years old (17 Japanese age) and she also tell me that you are very lovely girl. I am 22 years old and I have measured 5 feet 4 inch high. I attend to office which I have wrote in address of letter.

"My work is to drawn plan of ship like you often see warship Nelson, food and merchant ships, Empress of Britain of England. I hope you will ask your elder sister Miss Barbara to write me some interesting letter.

"Are you play hockey, where is your position 12, 5 or 9. Japanese girls and boys not play hockey. But only it limited for college boy. I can understand hockey by your letter. "Rugby football is held very hard in Japan. We like Rugby so much because it is brave, gentlemanlike and manlike.

"Please give my best to your family. May your day bring much happiness. Your loving friend, S. Hagiwara." q In another letter he describes the photograph of her as 'very pretty' and says he has all her letters in a little box and reads them sometimes.

From the envelopes it is clear that that all the letters to Sylvia were sent 'via Siberia'.