Officialdom!
Imagine the huge numbers of letters, telegrams and personal visits to the families of those reported as "missing in Action".
99% of these communications are plain, straightforward, emotionless, but occasionally, a thoughtful, well constructed and sympathetic offering appears. This certainly applies to the letter reproduced here (See Padre's Letter). But, it did take 2 weeks for the good vicar to actually write the letter. Maybe. he had just TOO many to write! Did he send the same content to all the families?
It must have been a soul destroying job to have to sit down and write such letters. Just where do you start?
I Wonder, under the circumstances, how many of these historical documents have survived the war?
My father wrote to the Air Ministry in 1950, to enquire as to the known information about the loss of A4-K. The response is reproduced under the post war link.