Letter from John Taplin to his Family
Title
Letter from John Taplin to his Family
Description
He thanks them for their letters and photos. He is looking forward to some leave. His crew has gone into York but he stayed in to write letters.
Creator
Language
Format
Three handwritten sheets
Publisher
Rights
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.
Contributor
Identifier
STaplinJA1268696v10020-0001, STaplinJA1268696v10020-0002, STaplinJA1268696v10020-0003
Transcription
Sgt Taplin. 696.
Sgts – Mess.
Melbourne.
Yorks.
Monday.
Dear. Folks.
Thanks for your letters and the photo’s which I received to-day. I must say that the chap in the photo is a nice kind-hearted looking soul and handsome too, you will have to introduce me to him one night when he’s out.
Well – Im looking forward to my leave, it should be in about 12 days’ time if all goes well. But as I have said before dont rely on it to [sic] much.
All of the crew have gone into York, but as it is [missing word] miserable raining night
[page break]
I decided I would stay in and write a few letters.
Before I forget [deleted] y [/deleted] did you receive a £1 other than the £2 that I sent to you if not it has been stolen
Could you send along stans address to me also Joe, – because I have written to Joe 13 times now and I have had no reply. – I expect I am writing to the wrong address or something crazy like that.
I will be going to the Band Practice tomorrow night if all goes OK and of course it is fine
I sincerely hope you are keeping well – as at present It finds myself – I hope you [sic] Mother are [sic] keeping well. ? !!!!!
[page break]
I hope you will forgive my writing but I have just tipped the ink pot over and also I have just lighted the fire in my billet, so I feel filthy.
Well I must close,
I have some darning to do.
Cheerio
John. X X X X X
Give my regards to all.
(Jean let me know how much the photos were!)
Sgts – Mess.
Melbourne.
Yorks.
Monday.
Dear. Folks.
Thanks for your letters and the photo’s which I received to-day. I must say that the chap in the photo is a nice kind-hearted looking soul and handsome too, you will have to introduce me to him one night when he’s out.
Well – Im looking forward to my leave, it should be in about 12 days’ time if all goes well. But as I have said before dont rely on it to [sic] much.
All of the crew have gone into York, but as it is [missing word] miserable raining night
[page break]
I decided I would stay in and write a few letters.
Before I forget [deleted] y [/deleted] did you receive a £1 other than the £2 that I sent to you if not it has been stolen
Could you send along stans address to me also Joe, – because I have written to Joe 13 times now and I have had no reply. – I expect I am writing to the wrong address or something crazy like that.
I will be going to the Band Practice tomorrow night if all goes OK and of course it is fine
I sincerely hope you are keeping well – as at present It finds myself – I hope you [sic] Mother are [sic] keeping well. ? !!!!!
[page break]
I hope you will forgive my writing but I have just tipped the ink pot over and also I have just lighted the fire in my billet, so I feel filthy.
Well I must close,
I have some darning to do.
Cheerio
John. X X X X X
Give my regards to all.
(Jean let me know how much the photos were!)
Collection
Citation
John Taplin, “Letter from John Taplin to his Family,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed August 12, 2026, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/44317.