Thonon, 3 January 1941

My dear Lore,

I have still not received news from you but I know neither Bruno nor Ernest have received a letter from you.  This gives me reason to write to you, knowing that you will receive the letter. I hope that you and all the family are well. The last news that I received from you was a card from 26th May and arrived at the start of July. I had an idea to be able to return here, thinking that my friend from school is still based where we spent last winter. I am at the school at the moment, but I am not on* the course.
I have written several times to Uncle M. and I always had to send the letters through other people but I have never received a reply. At the moment a person who lives close to the town where Uncle M lives will try to get in contact with him in order to give me news of you all.  If she succeeds I am sure that we can write to each other often. My grandparents are in good health.  My grandmother has a lot of work for she has a lot of lodgers and the woman who helped her with the housework has just left. We write to each other quite often. I would really like to know what you are doing at the moment and if you are still at school. I don’t think so.

I hope now that you will receive this letter safely but I know that you won’t have it before March. I ask you now to pass on to all the family, my best wishes for 1941. The wishes will arrive really late but better late than never.  And to you too, my dear Lore, I wish you a good and happy year and always think that I would really like to be together with you.    
I give you a really big hug,

Your Oswald

* From the verb ‘to follow’