From Transcription to Discovery: A Wartime Love Story on WM

Lieutenant Colin Simper’s letters to his wife Irene have now been fully transcribed, transforming a private wartime correspondence into a story that can be read, searched and shared by audiences everywhere.

Written during the Second World War, Colin’s letters capture moments of tenderness, humour and hope amid long separations and uncertainty. Through transcription, these handwritten words are no longer confined to the archive — they are accessible to researchers, students, families and anyone interested in the human experience of war.

Transcription plays a vital role in making stories like this discoverable, helping connect individual lives and relationships to the broader history of Australia at war.

On the Australian War Memorial’s WM website, Colin and Irene’s story brings together letters, recordings and objects from the National Collection to reveal a deeply personal account of love, service and loss. 

Visit WM to read the story and discover how these intimate records bring their wartime experience to life.