All My Love and Then Some
The Letters of Cpl. Polly G. Meilman RCAF (WD) to Her Parents, 1942-1944
by Margaret Melhorn

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In the middle of World War II, in September 1942, an enthusiastic eighteen-year-old named Polly Meilman boarded a train to Toronto. She was leaving her home in Nova Scotia for her basic training in the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). By July 1943, her abilities were recognized with a promotion to the rank of corporal. She continued to serve until her discharge in January 1946. Throughout her training in Toronto and her eventual posting to a base in Prince Edward Island, Corporal Meilman wrote diligently to her parents back home about her life in the RCAF. She wrote on whatever paper she could get her hands on and whenever she could find a spare moment. Now, her letters are an incredibly valuable window into the lives of the women, or WDs as they were known, who stepped forward to serve their country in wartime, and proved that they were capable of filling non-combat roles previously filled only by men. All My Love and Then Some contains more than eighty of the letters of Corporal Polly Meilman to her mother and father during WWII. Meilman’s daughter, Margaret Melhorn, compiled and edited these letters and provided additional insights into their historical and familial context. Filled with Meilman’s characteristic wit and humour, these letters provide a lively first-hand account of a young woman learning, adjusting and maturing during her service in the air force. For historians, these pages contain incredible insights into the lives of women in the RCAF during WWII. For history enthusiasts, Meilman’s letters breathe life into history in a way that only personal storytelling can achieve.

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Margaret Melhorn is the daughter of Polly Meilman. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics as well as a Master’s in economics, she worked for over thirty years in public sector finance. Margaret has written all her life, most of which has been technical writing for government. Now, in her retirement, Margaret has turned her pen back to her first love: history. Margaret grew up listening to her mother’s stories. She also knew that her mother dreamed of writing a book about her wartime experiences herself. Tragically, Polly Meilman passed away before she got to write that book. In honour of her mother’s memory, Margaret Melhorn has painstakingly compiled and prepared her mother’s letters for publication so her story can still be read and remembered. The letters may not contain everything that Polly Meilman might have wanted to share, but they still tell a humourous yet compelling story of a young airwoman in her own words. After living in the Northwest Territories for thirty-five years, Margaret Melhorn now lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her husband. When she is not busy delving into the past through writing and reading, Margaret spends her time hiking, cross-country skiing, volunteering and being with her family. If you wish to connect with her, you can find Margaret on LinkedIn.

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Contributors

Author

Margaret Melhorn

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