THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Feb [3rd 1939]

My dearest Vera,
This is frankly a begging letter – & I hate doing it because I know that your generous heart has already helped, more than you ought, these unfortunates & you must be frank with me & say “no” & I shall quite understand.
You will see all about Dr. Fuchs on the other sheet.
I have already had some generous answers & have been able to add about £100 to what we already had, making altogether about £300 more wanted.¹
Love from Uncle Ralph

1. VW wrote the same letter to Maud Karpeles – see VWL655. The attachment in that letter explained: “Dr Fuchs (Jew) is an Architect from Carlsruhe – was in a concentration camp for two months – was then released and obliged to leave. He made arrangements to go to New Zealand. The Authorities there required that he should bring £1000 for himself, wife and 2 daughters. This, at the time he had, but by the time he reached England the Nazis had left him only £300. His passage is already booked for Feb 17 but unless he can get the money he will have to forfeit it as it was paid in German money. He has now managed to raise £600 and it seems to me that it would be tragic if he could not sail to New Zealand where there are good prospects for him because of this.He is a fully qualified architect with all the German diplomas & incidentally an excellent musician & a charming cultivated man with a very nice and capable wife. Owing to the fact that he came to England at the private invitation of some friends in Dorking he is debarred from any of the public refugee funds.”  Fuchs apparently arrived in New Zealand on 17 April 1939.