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data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject='The Letter Men' tails love letters between two men separated by WWII& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" class="styl_em__b5A78 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<span class="byle-name"><a href=">Alex Tabet</a></span> and <span class="byle-name">Aaron Gilchrist</span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">“Wouldn’t be wonrful if all our letters uld be published the future a more enlightened time,” Gordon Bowsher wrote durg the harrowg days of World War II. “Then all the world uld see how love we are.” </p><p class="">Many are now gettg the opportuny to wns their credible love story, more than 80 years after Bowsher wrote to Gilbert Bradley, the man he loved. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">The two were separated 1939, when Bradley was drafted to the Brish Army.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_small__5hUB_ styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1240px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source media="(m-width: 758px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Gilbert Bradley." height="1500" width="999"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Gilbert Bradley.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Andrew Vallente</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Throughout World War II, they wrote each other love letters, which have now been ptured Andrew Vallente’s short film “The Letter Men,” starrg Garrett Clayton as Bradley and Matthew Postlethwae as Bowsher. </p><p class="">The film premiered June 10 at Tribe Film Ftival and is showg throughout the week.</p><p class="">Vallente had the ia for his film after learng of the uple's letters 2017. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">“Beg a gay filmmaker, bed wh my love for World War II history, I knew I had to tell this story,” Vallente, the director and -wrer of the film, said. </p><p class="">Bradley and Bowsher first met Devon, southwt England, 1938. In love but separated by the war, the two men began wrg each other letters — a potentially dangero act durg that era. Homosexualy was illegal the U.K. until 1967. </p><p class="">“Most queer people burned their letters durg that time bee they were terrified of beg disvered,” Vallente said. </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="From left, Matthew Postlethwae, Andrew Vallente, and Garrett Clayton." height="1668" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">From left, Matthew Postlethwae, Andrew Vallente, and Garrett Clayton.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Andrew Vallente</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“Incency,” the ary term for sexual activy between men, uld rult a lengthy prison sentence for Brish soldiers. As a rult, rrponnce tailg gay love om that time is extremely rare. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">Vallente said that, at some pot, Bradley told Bowsher he fell love wh another man Stland, and their letters beme more iendly until they drifted apart and stopped wrg to each other 1945. Bradley kept his letters until his ath 2008. </p><p class="">Vallente -wrote the script wh his hband, Danny Vallente. The majory of the script is posed of the exact words om Bradley and Bowsher’s letters.  </p><p class="">Vallente ma sure that most of the st and crew volved the productn of the film intified as LGBTQ.  </p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Garrett Clayton and Matthew Postlethwae as Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher." height="1667" width="2500"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer">Garrett Clayton and Matthew Postlethwae as Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher.</span><span class="ptn__source">Courty Andrew Vallente</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“I thk ’s important that we tell our own stori,” he said. “That don’t always necsarily need to happen, but this se I’m happy that was.” </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">For Vallente, highlightg the posivy of gay love was important when producg “The Letter Men.” </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“In a lot of LGBTQ+ cema, we tell our worst stori, some of the worst thgs that have happened to om over the years,” he said. “In ‘The Letter Men,’ we didn’t explore hate crim, we didn’t explore people beg shunned for beg love. We really jt told the story of the two men love.” </p><p class="endmark"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>NBC Out</em></strong></a><strong><em> on </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Twter</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em> & </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Instagram</em></strong></a></p><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Alex Tabet</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Alex Tabet is a 2024 NBC News mpaign embed.</p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><span class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--no-image expand-byle__thumbnail"></span><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Aaron Gilchrist</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Aaron Gilchrist is an anchor for NBC News.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 24.19-9.772-23c-2.113-5.75 2.64-9.516 5.81-9.583 3.632-.396 8.188 2.38 7.396 8.394"></path><path class="feather" d="M625.494 72.103l-9.707 23.067-3.102-20.82c-.265-3.17 1.716-3.237 2.443-3.832-.133-.463-1.124-.463-1.124-.463h-1.848c-.198-5.42 4.028-7.8 7.462-7.535 3.697.132 7.856 4.428 5.876 9.583"></path><path class="feather" d="M635.338 84.167L615.86 97.584l9.177-21.348c2.775-6.742 9.245-5.42 11.556-2.842 2.51 2.51 3.235 7.6-1.255 10.773"></path><path class="feather" d="M637.448 99.9h-22.515l18.29-12.756c4.49-2.975 9.244-.266 10.498 3.635 1.327 4.36-1.65 9.12-6.27 9.12"></path></g></svg></a></div><nav class="lks"><ul class="lks__wrap" data-l-2="14" data-l-3=15><li><a href=" target="_self">About</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Contact</a></li><li><a href=">Help</a></li><li><a href=">Careers</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ad Choic</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do Not Sell My Personal Informatn</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CA Notice</a></li><li><a href=">New Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)</a></li><li><a href=">NBC News Semap</a></li><li><a href=">Advertise</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Shoppg</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Personal Fance</a></li></ul></nav><div class="py"><p>© 2023 NBC UNIVERSAL</p><div class="brands"><a href="><svg viewBox="0 0 120 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-labelledby="nbc_news_logo"><tle class="nbc_news_logo">NBC News Logo

two gay ww2 soldiers letters

A mm owner has llected the letters between two gay soldiers between World War II and the story of their romance is like that of a famo romance novel.

Contents:

IN WWII, TWO GAY SOLDIERS’ FORBIDN ROMANCE LIV ON IN THEIR LOVE LETTERS

The credible stori of the gay men who fought for the Brish durg the two world wars has been revealed a new book - on the 50th anniversary of the crimalisatn of homosexualy. * two gay ww2 soldiers letters *

Letters between gay men are credibly rare bee they were almost always stroyed. Letters between a gay civilian and a soldier? This is an credibly rare photograph of a gay soldier and a man Paris durg World War II.

Homosexualy was illegal at that time, and beg ught the army as a gay man was so much worse.

If he was found out, was likely that he would serve time prison, or even get shot by a homophobic soldier, and left for ad. Two gay soldiers relaxg together uniform. Beg openly gay would not be crimalized until The Sexual Offens Act 1967.

LETTERS REVEAL THE STORI OF GAY SOLDIERS WORLD WARS

A small mm owner Shropshire, England, has unvered a secret gay romance between two soldiers, and ’s like somethg out of… * two gay ww2 soldiers letters *

Even then, no one uld have gay sex until over the age of 21. Not surprisgly, there were other gay men that were drafted to the army as well.

For the vast majory of gay men wrg letters to one another durg that time, they actually did burn the letters. For years, they had dreams of leavg England and movg to the Uned Stat, where they uld live sunny California, which was known for beg more acceptg of homosexuals.

The Newly Disvered Love Letters Between Two Gay Soldiers In World War II Will Have You In Tears. War Time Love Letters Reveal Epic Gay Love Story Kept Secret for Des.

READ THIS HEARTBREAKG GAY WORLD WAR II SOLDIER’S LOVE LETTER

In 2008, the letters between gay soldiers were disvered. Now, they are no longer hidn, and a film has been ma about them. * two gay ww2 soldiers letters *

The Newly Disvered Love Letters Between Two Gay World War II Soldiers Tell A Heartwarmg Story Of Forbidn Love. But more than 70 years later, was disvered that G stood for Gordon, and Gilbert had been love wh a the time, not only was homosexualy illegal, but those the armed forc uld be shot for havg gay sex. The letters, which emerged after Mr Bradley's ath 2008, are therefore unual and shed an important light on homosexual relatnships durg the do we know about this forbidn love affair?

The rt of the world have no nceptn of what our love is - they do not know that is life as a homosexual the 1940s was credibly difficult. Gay activy was a urt-martial offence, jail sentenc for so-lled "gross cency" were mon, and much of society strongly disapproved of same-sex was not until the Sexual Offenc Act 1967 that nsentg men aged 21 and over were legally allowed to have gay relatnships - and beg openly gay the armed servic was not allowed until letters, which emerged after Mr Bradley's ath 2008, are rare bee most homosexual upl would get rid of anythg so crimatg, says gay rights activist Peter Rose.

GAY WWII SECRET LETTERS GA HOLLYWOOD TERT

Gay and Lbian soldiers faced extraordary discrimatn durg World War II. Most found new muni of people and thrived spe the opprsn. Disver the film Comg Out Unr Fire that shar their story. * two gay ww2 soldiers letters *

"There is a gay history and isn't always negative and tearful, " he says. "But spe all the awful circumstanc, gay men and lbians managed to rise above all and have fascatg and good liv spe everythg.

THE NEWLY DISVERED LOVE LETTERS BETWEEN TWO GAY WORLD WAR II SOLDIERS TELL A HEARTWARMG STORY OF FORBIDN LOVE

The touchg wartime letters reveal a secret gay romance at a time when homosexualy was illegal Bra. They were found by Shropshire historian Mark Higt who hailed the 'fantastic' love story. * two gay ww2 soldiers letters *

"Such letters are extremely rare bee they were crimatg - gay men faced years prison wh or whout hard labour, " he says.

"There was even the possibily that gay soldiers uld have been shot. They dited their youth to fendg a untry that was often reluctant to accept the way they lived their liv - even at the risk of gettg now the credible stori of the gay men who fought the two world wars has been revealed a new book on the 50th anniversary of the crimalisatn of clu the love letters of First World War sweethearts, workg-class Ralph Hall and middle-class soldier Montague Glover, who began a long-term relatnship the 1930s.

Both men served the Army om 1914-18, while Hall joed the RAF durg World War Two, and the uple rned durg peacetime and risked imprisonment for their relatnship up until to manpower shortag, gay men were unofficially allowed to serve the armed forc, and around 250, 000 of some 5 ln Brish men who durg the Send World War are timated to have been gay or is spe the law sayg gay recs uld be dismissed wh a dishonourable discharge for the mere fact of beg gay, and imprisoned or even shot for 'gross cency' if they engaged homosexual acts.

SECRET LOVE LETTERS OF TWO GAY SOLDIERS OM WWII MA TO MOVIE

A wave of nvictns followed the close of the war 1945, cludg of the Bletchley Park breaker Alan Turg, who killed himself 1954 after beg found guilty of homosexual activy two years on July 27, 1967, homosexual acts between two men over the age of 21 private were legalised unr the Sexual Offenc Act. The amazg stori of the gay men who fought the two world wars has been revealed a new book - on the 50th anniversary of the crimalisatn of homosexualy. The thor of Fightg Proud, Stephen Bourne, said: 'When I started to look closely at the experienc of gay men the Send World War, I realised that, spe homophobia, and the fact that homosexualy was agast the law, gay men were accepted to the armed servic, they were tegrated and some stanc, beme 'masts' on board their ships, their regiments or their RAF crew' Soldiers who were disvered to be homosexual uld be urt martialled and thrown out of the servic.

Other gay men were sent to prison, and there was even the possibily of beg shot. However, Mr Bourne believ the armed forc were driven by manpower shortag to turn a bld eye to homosexual recs durg the world wars. He also said attus to gay men were harsher durg the First World War, although many were accepted by their ras even then.

"COMG OUT UNR FIRE": THE STORY OF GAY AND LBIAN SERVICEMEMBERS

Homosexual men Bra were fally protected by law as homosexual acts between two men over the age of 21 private were legalised This image, taken 1917, shows the theatril pany of HMS Er. Social and cultural activi on board ships gave gay men the chance to tegrate wh their ras.

WWII GAY SOLDIERS ROMANCE REVEALED LETTERS

Mr Bourne add: 'Some gay men who joed up did face hostily to beg wh, but found that if they ed humour they uld overe homophobic attus and make iends'Other fascatg tal Fightg Proud: The Untold Story of the Gay Men Who Served Two World Wars clu that of Journey's End playwright, R. Dpe the risks of beg ught, many gay men were known to be gay and accepted by their ras Fred Barn was an English mic hall sger who was openly gay and known for his signature song, 'The Black Sheep of the Fay'. Mr Bourne said: 'I am certa that some gay men would have been accepted by their heterosexual ras on the ont-le, and the trench, but if they were found out the punishment was harsh, pecially the officer class' Pictured: A World War Two postrd pictg two gay soldiers.

THE NEWLY DISVERED LOVE LETTERS BETWEEN TWO GAY SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR II WILL HAVE YOU IN TEARS

Mr Bourne said he chose to wre his book to make up for the lack of gay histori, particularly at way.

Homosexuals on the ont le were often accepted by their ras and were often most likely to experience prejudice om the officer class, he wrote Published by I.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* TWO GAY WW2 SOLDIERS LETTERS

Gay Soldiers Letters: Mm Owner Disvers Love Letters .

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