Letter to Lewis Ellis from Gus Knox

Letter to Lewis Ellis from Gus Knox

Writes from south Pacific area but could not say where he was exactly. Makes some comments on his location and activities. Catches up with news of friends.

1943-10-20

Four page handwritten letter and envelope

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

EKnoxATEllisEL431020

ON ACTIVE [missing word]

[missing numbers]

[postmark 2 DE 43]

SGT. E.L. ELLIS
1238597 R.A.F.
54 WULFRIC.
SHEFFIELD II
YORKS.
ENGLAND.
U.K.

[censor stamp]

P/o A.T Knox

[page break]

P/o A.T. Knox

415535

[page break]

1.

WEDNESDAY 20th Oct.

Dear Lew,

Another bulletin from the South Pacific Area!. Since I last wrote you, I have had another shift this time I can give you no idea where I am, but I guess you have heard the place mentioned in the news. We have really left civilisation behind this time, there is no white population male or female within a few hundred miles, perhaps I can now save some money after a couple of years of squandering it overseas. This place is quite decent despite an increase in temperature, there is a big deep well just over the hill from our base, high grassy banks and the groves of inevitable

[page break]

2.

coconut palms right down to the water's edge. It has more the appearance of a park than wilderness. Naturally I have been catching up on my swimming hours in the leasure [sic] hours, which incidentally are few and far between. There is bags of work not all clean either, but after all that is what I came here for. In this type of A/C there is a little more future than in others I could think of.

That is enough of me for now though, I had a very nice letter from Mick a week or so ago the same time as yours came actually, and she gave me all the news.

The local W.A.A Fs at Paulson

[page break]

3/

seem to be getting married off an [sic] an alarming rate, and she also mentioned that Whipple had dropped Tony for some “erk” at [deleted word] [indecipherable word]. I really think he was lucky getting rid of her as they were as different as chalk and cheese and would never have made a go of things. Personally I don't think Tony will grieve very much over her either, as she gave him quite a rough time, as you may recall. Mick had her appendix out and landed a few weeks leave at home which she seems to have enjoyed.

I am enclosing some stamps for “Young Sydney” he collects them I believe. They are a recent issue.

[page break]

4.

My “Pappy” was tickled pink at you sending him your regards and my family all return your wishes.

Although I have never ever seen your people, please give them my very best greetings, even “our Siddley.[sic]” I still laugh over our remarks about your brother, and I suppose Tony still recalls them too.

Well old man, that seems to be the lot for this month so I’ll sign off. Give my regards to all the boys you come across over there and many happy and safe landings to yourself.

Your pal

Gus

P.S.

let me know when you get married or anything, I’ll give you my approval?