The letters of Eric Lloyd during World War Two

The letters of Eric Lloyd during World War Two

Document with copies of all his letters to his family. Starts with six letters while he was training in New Zealand. Gives very details description of activities and colleagues. Includes period of illness and hospitalization. Follows two letters while aboard the HMT Awatea on route to Canada, includes description of Hawaii. Then letter 9 covers rail journey from Victoria, British Columbia to London Ontario. The following 5 letters describe flying training and activities in London Ontario, Canada in great detail. Letter 15 from Manitoba mentions travels in Canada on leave and comments on mixed crowd of air forces on his new air base. Letter 16 and 17 are from Halifax and describes his activities while he was awaiting embarkation to Great Britain. Letter 18 was written at sea and describes preparations for the journey, the ship and his progress across the Atlantic. Letter 19 and 20 he is finally in England and describes his journeys round England and comments on countryside and bomb damage. Letter 20 is from RAF Benson and describes visit to Oxford, domestic and family matters and some mention of flying and other activities. In letter 22 he has arrived at RAF Chipping Warden. He describes the journey and previous visit to London. Letter 23 describes journey to Cornwall. Letter 24 shows him at RAF Feltwell and describes his journey, crewing up, flying the same type of aircraft as previously as well as his other activities. Letter 25 from RAF Feltwell and provides a very long description of leave in London. This is followed by further correspondence from people in Akkrum Holland concerning Eric's grave and recollections of his aircrafts crash. Follows a bibliography. Follows appendix 1 - list of names. Follows appendix 2 - a brief timeline of Eric Follows appendix 3 Eric's flying log book - separate item. Follows appendix 5 additional information on RNZAF Levin, RNZAF Harewood, Granose biscuits, the Aldiss lamp, RNZAF Ohakea, RNZAF Taieri, Thomas Leckie, Carol O'Connel, RNZAF Wigram, Maori Battalion - World War 2 song, Kava kava, HMS Ark Royal, Dr Peter Buck, Kay Francis, Dole brand, Empire air training scheme. Daventry

1940-08-03

1940-08-22

1940-08-31

1940-09-12

1940-09-25

1940-10-13

1940-11-05

1940-11-09

1940-11-17

1940-11-24

1940-12-09

1941-01-11

1941-02-01

1941-02-27

1941-03-25

1941-04-20

1941-05-11

1941-06-19

1941-07-04

1941-07-20

1941-08-21

1941-09-19

1941-10-14

1941-11-01

1945-11-30

1946-03-06

One hundred and seventeen page printed document

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SBondS-LloydEv10002

The Letters of Eric Lloyd During World War II

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Table of Contents

Preface . . . 5
Acknowledgements . . . 5
The Letters . . . 6
Letter 1 . . . 6
Letter 2 . . . 10
Letter 3 . . . 12
Letter 4 . . . 15
Letter 5 . . . 17
Letter 6 . . . 19
Note Enclosed in a Letter of Ray’s Written Prior To Sailing . . . 21
Letter 7 . . . 22
Letter 8 . . . 25
Letter 9 . . . 28
Note Enclosed in Ray’s air-mail letter . . . 30
Letter 10 . . . 31
(An air-mail letter started by Eric, but not completed, which Ray forwarded with one of His) . . . 35
Letter 11 . . . 36
Letter 12 . . . 40
A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written from Fingal on Feb. 18th . . . 44
Letter 13 . . . 45
A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written on March. 13th . . . 48
Letter 14 . . . 49
A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written from “Rivers” Manitoba, on Wednesday, April 4th . . . 53
Letter 15 . . . 54
A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written in Halifax, on Friday, May 9th . . . 56
Letter 16 . . . 58
Letter 17 . . . 60
Letter 18 . . . 63
Letter 19 . . . 67
Letter 20 . . . 70
Letter 21 . . . 73
Letter 22 . . . 78
Letter 23 . . . 82
Letter 24 . . . 88

2

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Letter 25 . . . 92
Additional Correspondence Concerning Eric . . . 98
November 30th 1945 . . . 98
March 6th 1946 . . . 98
Bibliography . . . 101
Appendix 1: Index of Names . . . 102
Explanation of Names . . . 103
Appendix 2, A Brief Timeline of Eric . . . 104
3rd September 1939 . . . 104
Sunday, 29th July 1940 . . . 104
Sunday, 25th August 1940 . . . 104
Wednesday, 25th September 1940 . . . 104
Friday, 27th September 1940 . . . 104
Thursday, 13th October 1940 . . . 104
Tuesday 5th November 1940 . . . 104
Friday, 8th November 1940 . . . 104
Thursday, 14th November 1940 . . . 104
Wednesday, 20th November 1940 . . . 104
Thursday, 21st November 1940 . . . 104
Sunday, 24th November 1940 . . . 104
Appendix 3, Eric’s Flying Log Book . . . 105
Appendix 4, Additional information . . . 105
RNZAF Levin . . . 105
RNZAF Harewood . . . 106
Granose . . . 107
The Aldis Lamp . . . 107
Hussif . . . 107
RNZAF Ohakea . . . 108
RNZAF Taieri . . . 109
Thomas Leckie . . . 110
Carroll O’Connell . . . 110
RNZAF Wigram . . . 111
Maori Battalion – World War II song . . . 111
Kava kava . . . 112
HMS Ark Royal . . . 113
Dr Peter Buck . . . 114
Kay Francis . . . 115

3

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Dole Brand . . . 116
Empire Air Training Scheme . . . 116
Daventry . . . 117

4

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Preface

This is about Eric Lloyd, Eldest son of Edgar and

For consistency’s sake I have taken the liberty of formatting several things. I have also come across a letter anomaly – and have renumbered, not according to the transcript, but to my own. That is, in the transcript, there are two letters number 4; Harewood written 12th September, and 25th September. I have renumbered the second 4 as 5 and on from there.

I have finished the re-transcribing of the letters a week before I set off with my father to Holland where we will be participating in the 60 year anniversary of Eric's death. We are accompanying as many descendants to the men on that flight that possibly can make it.

In no way does this make these letters finished – there are a lot of references I wish to add, as well as complete the indexing of names and events.

Acknowledgements

5

The Letters

Letter 1

Saturday. 6 p.m.
August 3rd. 1940
Levin,

Dear Family,

The time is now 1730 (George will explain) & this is really the first opportunity I have had of dropping you a line since I arrived at 11 a.m. last Sunday. After an uneventful run I arrived here just before the boys from the south. When I reported at the Orderly Room for duty the Sergeant said “Your name is Lloyd, isn’t it”? I did not recognise him but he introduced himself as Kitt & said he used to work with Levin & Co 1 so Dad will probably remember him – just a young chap. Mr Rockell’s on is Morse 2 instructor, but I have not had the opportunity yet of making myself known to him. By the way, George, you want to keep up your Morse practise, as they hop right into it here, and several of the chaps in our Flight who have not learnt the alphabet are in the cart properly.

Well, to get back to Sunday. Before we had time to be sworn in, it was lunch time and we were issued with a cup, knife, fork & two spoons (which remain in our possession while we are here) and were marched to the mess room for lunch. After lunch we were sworn in & issued with our equipment 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of walking-out shoes, 1 pair of tennis shoes (so I needn’t have bought the black shoes or brought the tennis shoes after all) 3 pairs of heavy socks, 1 cotton singlet, 2 blue shirts with 4 collars (which I am using here – I will use the ones I bought when I go on leave) 2 prs of trousers, 2 tunics, 2 caps, 1 overcoat, 1 pr flying gauntlets, 1 flying helmet & earphones, 1 pr of goggles, two brushes for polishing buttons, & 1 black tie & 1 canvass kit bag – quite an issue what? By the time I had branded all this gear and found my bed in our block (there are four blocks each containing four dormitories with about twenty beds in each) it was about 4 o’clock – and I forgot to mention we had to go before the dentist before going to our dormitories. Then we had to set to and sew buttons on our tunics & also badges on the sleeves. It took me about half an hour to sew each button on including ten minutes to thread the needle (needle & cotton borrowed from
chap across the way – I bought a supply for myself when the canteen opened on Monday) There are five blankets & two sheets on each bed but in spite of these I did not get a wink of sleep on Sunday night because of the cold & it was a pleasure to get out of bed at 6 a.m. on Monday. Since then they have told us that we can put our overcoats on the bed, and I have been quite comfortable. All the chaps in my flight are or were strangers to me – South Islanders, Wellingtonians, Aucklanders & Taranakites etc. – but they are a decent lot. Alan Dale is in the same block but in another dormitory & his flight go to New Plymouth from

1

Samuel Edgar worked here from . . . to . . .

2

Editors Note: The word Morse starts with a capital letter yet throughout the transcript it is lowercase. Because it originally is handwritten it has been changed to the correct punctuation.

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here. Our flight (No. 2) go to Harewood 3 an aerodrome which has just been completed, about 10mls. From Christchurch, so I will be quite a long way from home – we shift camp on the 24th of this month. There are all sorts of breeds here. In our dorm. We have a Haase & a Commetti & in No. 1 Flight there is a Von Tunzelmann & a chap with an unprintable Russian name. We have to move here to keep up with the clock & if we are a minute late we hear about it. The bugle goes at 6-15 a.m. & most of us have been getting up about 6 a.m. to get through in time, although I have slipped back a few minutes the last two mornings. Between then & 6-45 we have to make up our packs (that is, fold up four blankets & two sheets in a certain manner, and fold the fifth one length-ways around the rest and place the pack on the doubled up mattress at the foot of the bed) & these have to be in line all the way down the corridor. Everything else has to be put out of sight in the wardrobe, except the towel which hangs on a rack on the side of the wardrobe. After this we have to shave – we are not allowed or supposed to shave the night before. There are seven mirrors in the shower room, amongst the eighty odd chaps in this block so you can guess that there is a bit of a crush. In fact, one chap was saying that he went to wash his face after shaving and found he bristles still on – he had shave someone else’s face –. Then our buttons have to be polished (also, not to be done the night
before ) 6 buttons & 1 buckle on the tunic & 2 buttons on the cap. Then if it is not our physical training morning we have to dress – if it is a physical training we have to get into our shorts, singlets and tennis shoes. This brings us to 6-45. Then if it is physical training, (every other morning) we get out and have a run – come back & have a shower and have to dress by 7-25, ready to march over to the mess room for breakfast at 7-30. When it is not P.T. morning we are on interior economy – that is cleaning & polishing dormitories, shower room & lavatories & passage ways which have to be done by 7-25. I have been wearing my pullover over the singlet, as we are right under the ranges here and it gets very chilly at night & in the morning, – at 6-45 in the morning it is liable to be cold when fully dressed, let along in a singlet & shorts. Despite the cold and tearing round partly dressed, I have never felt better and eat a hearty breakfast every morning. This consists of porridge or granose 4, & perhaps a chop one morning, fish the next, sausages the next. There is plenty of bread & butter on the tables but it soon disappears, believe me – also the tea. We have to finish our breakfast and take our cutlery back to our dormitory (about 200yds) & line up outside our dormitory by 8 o’clock for squadron parade which takes place each morning. After inspection by the adjutant or C.O. we either go for a route march or have a march past, the C.O. taking the salute. We then march back to the parade ground & are dismissed. We then march straight to the lecture room (there are 8 lecture rooms all told) or if it happens to be our drill period (military) we stay on the parade ground & are put through our paces by the drill instructors, who are hard men on parade but good chaps off. At 9-30 we get a break of ten minutes & if we knock off in time, we manage to tear over to the mess and snatch a hurried cup of tea, piping hot, and then back to the dorm. ready to march off at 9-40 for the next 2 periods. At 11-45 we march back to the dorm. collect our cutlery & get ready to march over for dinner at 11-55. (Roast & vegetables, steam pudding & custard, or sago, Jelly etc. – steam pudding & custard very good!!!) Dinner finished we must be lined up outside the dorm. at 12-55 ready for the next periods. At 3 o’clock we get a break of 10 mins, but no tea. Then the next period

3

See appendices for more information about Harewood.

4

Granose is an unsweetened version of Weetbix. [sic]

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finishes at 4-15 from when up to 4-55 our time is our own. We then march over to tea – soup, cold meat & bread & butter. Then Mondays to Thursdays we have a lecture from 6-30 to 7-30. From 8 o’clock onwards it is possible to get a cup of tea, or coffee for a 1d, & a pie or biscuits at a small charge – this is run by ladies who come out from Levin (about 3mls.) At 9-30 we have to be beside our beds for tattoo parade (to see if anyone has deserted) & the lights out bugle blows at 10-15 p.m. Friday nights those who want it can get general leave from 6 p.m. to a minute to midnight. On Saturdays, usual programme up to 2 p.m. – from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. we have a sports meeting, and I think we can get general leave for the same time as Friday, although tonight there is a concert & dance on in the mess hall, and leave will not be granted until after the dance. Sunday is an unknown quantity as yet, but I believe we don’t have to get up till 7-30, & that after breakfast our time is very much our own – at any rate, we are all looking forward to it. The first two days were very tough, especially the physical training, but I’m getting fit now & do not notice it – some days we have 3 periods of drill, P.T. & Military Drill in morning, and another period of P.T. from 2-15 to 4-15 in afternoon – & believe me, I’m eating like a horse. The meals are excellent. The lectures are very
interesting and if I had not taken that course at Tech. I would have been completely lost as the instructors (more especially the navigation instructor) rattle along at a great pace and although they answer questions, those who have not had a grounding in the various subjects would be completely lost. One period we enjoy very much is the general periods, which is illustrated by means of talking pictures. The Officers are a fine lot of men & although discipline is strict it is a pleasure to serve under them. One subject we have spent a lot of time at is gas drill & instruction, and we went for a route march finishing up in the last 200yds at the double, in gas masks. Although breathing is more difficult than a natural breath, we have seen that it is possible to wear them under working conditions. Altogether I am enjoying every minute of it. Besides learning your Morse George you will have to do a bit of serious training over the Warrengate.

Yesterday morning we all paraded before the Dr. & were vaccinated, but very few of us are feeling the effects as yet. Last night I got leave from 6 p.m. onwards and went down to Otaki and paid Terry & Eileen a visit. It is a comfortable 1/2hrs. run from here. One of the boys in the dorm. went down with me to see some of his friends. I mentioned that I had to sew badges on the sleeves of my tunics & overcoat. Eileen was greatly tickled with my stitches and set to work & sewed them on again, I told her it was just as well she didn’t see my first effort. I went on parade on Monday morning very proud of my handiwork, but my pride was short lived. The Adjutant came along, took a look at them – “Hmmn”, he said, “just tacked on temporarily, eh?” I hurriedly agreed, and set to work that night & spent an hour doing what I thought was quite a good job, but as I say, I only made Eileen laugh,. I’m beginning to understand, Mum, the work you get through at home. I am not going to the concert & dance tonight as I am tired after a busy day. Physical Drill at 6-45 this morning, lectures, & then
1/2 hrs. goosestepping at 1 p.m. – then a sport’s meeting this afternoon. The sport’s meeting would not have been so bad, but when we were all lined up for the start of the meeting, they called for a volunteer from each team to compete in a cross country run of 5mls. As all the chaps in our team stood and looked at each other like a lot of silly goats, I thought it was up to me. I finished last, but I had the satisfaction of finishing while some of the others got a lift in the official car. If it had been a true cross country it would not have been so bad, but it was all along metal roads, and my legs feel as though they were cut in 1 piece. However, tomorrow is Sunday, and I hope to spend a quite day swotting.

Will you please post up 2 or 3 pairs of working socks out of the drawer, and if you could spare them, a small pair of scissors as I can’t procure any here. Will you get me a dressing

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gown next time you got [sic] to town Dad – something plain but heavy. Also a pair of light leather step-in slippers, if you know what I mean – something to flop to-and-fro from the shower room. I will get them & fix you up when I come home on leave, do not send them down as I have no room here for them – I really want them for down south.

I will be home for week-end leave either next week-end or the week-end after, and I may bring Alan Dale if he finds he can’t get home in the time. As far as I can make out this will be the only week-end leave we will be getting before going south, although if I bring the car back here with me, I may manage to get home the last Sunday after exams.

I trust that you are all in the best of health, and that you have had a solid feed before now “Jum”.

Your affectionate son/brother,

Eric

P.S. 9-30 p.m. & I am just about to walk over to headquarters block to drop this in the post. Please write all the latest news. I hope Mr. O’Leary is still making a fight for it.

Correct address:-

L.A.C. LLOYD
No. 2 Flight,
G.T.S R.N.Z.A.F. Training Depot
LEVIN

P.P.S. Nobody worries about war news here and it might be all over for all we’ve heard since coming in.

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Letter 2

Thursday, 5-45 p.m.
August 22nd, 1940
Levin

Dear Family,

Just back in the barrack room after finishing tea, and as we finished our last exams. Today we have the rest of the night to ourselves.

There were about 8 Airforce chaps in the rail car on Sunday as well as a couple of army men. An elderly lady was occupying my seat when I got in, with the result that I had to stand all the way to Fielding, where a chap called Ray Jeffs who was on the ways to Wellington (he used to play for Old Boys & is a nephew of Mr. Jeffs who used to be at Denlair) gave me his seat as far as Palmerston, where I got my own. I was feeling pretty crook by this time – a severe pain across the chest and temperature by worse than when I left home. The chap in the next bed got the same symptoms during the night so we went on sick parade on Monday morning, where we got a dose of medicine were put on light duties – which only means that we were excused drill and still had to attend parades, lectures etc. As it turned out we would have been better off if we had not attended sick parade, as we were 1/2min late in parading, what with the difficulty in dressing ourselves with our crook arm and one thing and another, & Dads’ friend Sgt. Kitt caught us and about 4 others for being late & gave us a fatigue cleaning out a dormitory & polishing the floor, in spite of our “light duties”. I felt pretty sore about it at the time, considering the condition I was in, but after all, I suppose there is a war on.

I have just had a break for about 1/2hr to practise a haka & a couple of songs, which we are putting on at a smoke concert tomorrow night – every flight has to give about 1/4hr of items.

Well to get back to business. We went on sick parade again on Tuesday morning, & as I was feeling better except for my arm, they put me back on normal duties. But as the day wore on I got steadily worse – temperature & dull headache. I have been the same off and on right up till this morning, when I got up with a violent headache which dogged me right up till 4 p.m. when the last exam finished (Morse with the Aldis Lamp 5.) and then of course the headache disappeared, and I am now feeling fairly fit again. I hope the damn stuff is out of my system now. As you can guess the exams have been a bit of a strain under the circumstances, but despite that I have done fairly well – nothing brilliant, but enough for a pass, I thing. [sic]

I have just read through what I have written & I did not realise I was making such as doleful dirge out of it, but I think it explains how I felt up to today. Well let’s forget it.

Tomorrow is the big parade. We have been practising ceremonial drill for 2hrs today, marching past the saluting base as a squadron, & also as Flights. An outsize in brass hats is coming p [sic] to run his eye over us & take the salute, and believe me, all the boys are on their toes. After that we all go before the C.O. for a personal interview, to be congratulated on our

5

See Additional Information in Appendices

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work or be told off as the case may be. We are on fatigues all day Saturday, right up to the time of our departure at 2 p.m. – cleaning dorms. etc. – I suppose for the next crowd to come in.

Some women of the local Women’s Institute came out this afternoon and issued us with comforts – a scarf, pullover, balaclava, pr. Mittens, hussif 6 and copy of New Testament all – all very much appreciated, but the wool was all colours of the rainbow, & we are going to look a very motley crowd when we don it all.

I have not had the time to send the shorts home for repairs yet, but now that I have the white cotton I think I could manage to put a few stitches in to hold them together.

Well I think I will wind this up now, walk over to headquarters & post it, collect my washing from the canteen, & come back & turn in for an early night. If I get time tomorrow night, I’ll give you a ring to see how things are in general, & in particular, to see if any of you have put the car over the bank yet. Cheerio,

Your affectionate son/brother,

Eric.

P.S. One of the boys has just come in to say that a plane from Ohakea 7 has crashed about 1/2m from here & that the blood-waggon 8 has just hurtled past.

6

See Appendices for more information

7

See Appendices for more information

8

Military slang for Ambulance.

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Letter 3

Saturday, 2-35 p.m.
August 31st. 1940
Harewood,

Dear Family,

I seem to be getting behind a bit with my correspondence – if I remember rightly I have had two letters from you, Mum, & one from Joan, since last writing, although the last letter I wrote from Weraroa 9 must have crossed yours in the post, Mum.

Well, to take up the tale from where I finished in my last effort –

That violent headache I mentioned was evidently a parting kick from the dope floating around in my system, as the next day, Friday I was back to normal. The brass hat 10 I mentioned, did not arrive to take the salute, but we went through the ceremony just the same, the O/C being at the saluting base. In the afternoon we had to go before the O/C and members of the Air Board from Wellington, one at a time, in order that they could pass comment on our work at Weraroa. As a result of this interview we were unfortunate enough to suffer our first casualties, 2 of our flight not being able to make the grade & as a result were posted to Ohakea 11 as air gunners. One of them was the little Australian born Russian – Jew I told you about, and we all took it very hard as he was such a cheerful blighter – as a matter of fact it put a damper on things as far as our flight was concerned.

[underlined] Sunday, 11-10 a.m. [/underlined]

Friday night we held our smoke concert & a good time was had by all, including the Officers who joined in the fun. There was a bit of a rush Friday & I did not get time to ring you – this, incidentally, was the message I gave Alan Dale. Saturday morning we were kept busy with fatigues, cleaning up the barracks & grounds, and eventually left Weraroa for the Levin Station about 1-30p.m. under the protecting wing of Corporal Rockel. Jack has no doubt given you an account of our doings & misdoings in Wellington up to the time of the departure of the boat.

Well, I took your advice Dad & stayed up on deck at the stern until the boat wad well out into the Straits. By this time I was getting a bit queasy in the stomach – not crook, but just uncomfortable, so went below to hunt up my berth – and what a berth! I [sic] was a bunk made up in the 2nd class dining saloon & I had to clamber over three other bunks to get to it. The adjoining bunks were occupied by civilians and as I could see that if I spent the night there I would have the feet of my neighbour in my face, I decided to see if I could better the position. By this time the chap who did the sights of Wellington with Jack & I was horribly

9

Levin and Weraroa are interchangeable as the Air Force base is the same.

10

Brass Hat – . . . .

11

See Appendices for more information

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sick, so I went along to the first class half of the ship & managed to get a 2 berth cabin and dragged my cobber & his baggage along. It cost us 7/6 each, but it was well worth it, as besides the closeness of the bunks in the dining saloon, the bar was also situated about 20yds from the bunk allotted me, and I doubt if I would have got any sleep at all, whereas we spent a good night, in the 1st class, & awoke at 6 o’clock on Sunday morning to find the hills of Lyttleton slipping past the portholes & everything pointing to a perfect day.

We boarded the train for Christchurch where we were met by R.N.Z.A.F transport trucks and said goodbye to No 1 flight who were going on to Taieri 12. We arrived here about 8a.m. to find a good breakfast awaiting us, after which we were allotted our rooms and then marched over to No 1 Hangar to be issued with our flying suits.

We got stuck right into it on Monday, & I did my first flying on Monday afternoon – and I can tell you it’s a great sensation. We actually get up earlier here than we did at Weraroa – 6 a.m. instead of 6-15 a.m. & breakfast is at 6-30 a.m. instead of 7-30 a.m. One morning we do nothing else but flying, and have to be in the cockpit by 7-25 a.m., & then we have lectures in the afternoon from 1-30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – from then onwards our time is our own. The next day the procedure is reversed lectures in the mornings & flying in the afternoon. We have no drill or parades whatsoever & no physical training – as a result. 13 Although the tucker is good enough & plentiful enough for a 1st class hotel, I find that I am not enjoying my meals to the same extent as I did at Weraroa. There is a room to every 2 chaps in our building, with a wardrobe, a table & chair for each chap, – & believe me it’s great after Weraroa. Six blankets each, & we need them, as we are not far from the Southern Alps & we get some very heavy frosts. The chap I’m rooming with was in the next bed to me at Weraroa, Tom Leckie 14 from Wellington & a very decent chap too. As I write he is snoring his head off after a heavy night – I think he will recover. They told us when we came in that we were here to fly, & if we could not clean-up our barracks properly in the time at our disposal, they would have to get someone else to do it – so you can see that we all believe we are in Heaven after Weraroa. There are 2 bathrooms in our block & last Sunday I had my first bath for 4 weeks – & a very nice one too. The YM.C.A. have a large building here with 2 billiard tables, 2 ping-pong tables, dart boards etc. – there is no wet canteen.

Went into town on Friday at 4 p.m., had tea & then went to the pictures. Also went in yesterday at 3 p.m. as you may have noticed by the break in this letter, & had tea again, had a look at the sights & then home. I rang up Aunty Bessie last night and I am going out this afternoon to see them.

I have got 5hrs flying time to my credit now. I am afraid it’s going to be rather hard to pick up to start with, but as I said before, it’s a great life. My instructor asked me the other day what job I was in before joining up – he didn’t say so in so many words, but I’ve got a suspicion he thought I was an ex-steam-roller driver.

12

See Appendices for more information

13

Was a comma, but did not make the rest of the sentence flow.

14

See Appendices for more information.

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I was sorry to hear from Joan’s letter that you have had an attack of the ‘flu Mum, and hope you are over it by now. Congratulations George, on your examination results. Well I must wind this off now. Cheerio

Your affectionate son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 4

Thursday
September 12th 1940
Hospital, Harewood

Dear Family,

Don’t be alarmed by the heading – I haven’t broken my neck – not yet. Just a mere chill, which I have almost shaken off as a matter of fact, I’m sitting out in the sun in front of the hospital penning this now. After leaving you on Sunday night Mum, I got back to camp about 10-30 p.m. & went to bed but was woken in the early hours of Monday morning by a severe pain in the chest which kept me awake the rest of the night. I wasted no time, but reported sick at 7 a.m. & they pushed me into hospital where they soon sweated it out of me. I am feeling good now, except for a slight cough. I hope you are feeling better now Mum – I reckon you stood up to things jolly well, considering the rush & the upset, & I hope you have a good rest for a week or two when you get home.

I received that letter you wrote the Sunday before leaving home, on Monday of this week – my room mate had evidently collected it for me while I was up in the air & locked it in his locker with his flying gear & forgotten all about it. Jack’s letter informing me of Aunty’s death I received on Tuesday – goodness knows what happened to that. I also got your letter on the same day Jum so I guess the postal facilities must be improving – & Mum’s letter from Wellington I received at lunch-time to-day.

The Minister who buried Aunty Bessie was out here visiting the boys this morning. He come [sic] into our ward (I was very fortunate by the way – the morning I came in the main ward was full, so they stuck me in the Officer’s ward – a two bedroom, with the other bed occupied – so we have had a fair amount of privacy) & in the course of conversation the sergeant who came round with him remarked on the wide field from which the chaps in camp came. Where-upon the Padre turned to the sergeant & said “yes, do you happen to the McIlroy family, one of their boys had to go all the way up to Levin last week for training.) After that I had to may myself known to him, or didn’t I? He turned out to be a very nice chap – as a matter of fact, I was much taken by his style at the service – were you, Mum?

Old Sir Robert Clark-Hall our C.O. has just hoved in sight, so I’m writing this with one eye & keeping the other on him, in case he heads this way so that I can spring up & throw him a snappy salute. I’ll probably fall on my neck in the attempt as I am still a bit rocky on my pins, but he will probably take pity on me and give me another month in hospital. He is a very decent old stick – must be about 70 & walks with a stoop. He has been an admiral in the Navy, a Colonel or something in the Army before being retired from the Airforce was an Air-vice Marshall. When war broke out he offered his services to the R.A.F again, & accepted this position in N.A. with the rank of Wing Commander, which is very much below the rank at which he retired. He must have been wandering through our barracks the other day while we were flying, as when we went over at mid-day, there was a pair of very nice chintz curtains (at least some of the boys seem to think that is what they were) on the study table with a little note from him giving us instructions how to hang them.

I’m having a lot of fun watching the boys landing and taking off in front of the hospital – about 8 of them went solo this morning & of course think they are aces now – they will

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probably break their necks before the week is out. The medical orderlies in the hospital here are running a sweep stake as to who is the 1st pilot to crack up – one of them put his head around the door last night to inform me that he had drawn me, and said he hoped I would not let him down as the ticket cost him a bob. I don’t suppose the Doc. will let me go up this week, so I will have to move next week to catch up with them. As far as I can make out, I have not missed much in the way of lectures.

Bai [sic] jove, George, you must be a tough guy! Two lots of vaccination & inoculation and you are still on your feet! You know of course that the chaps on whom it doesn’t take are put into a special squad which does nothing else but wheel petrol vapour out of the hangars all day.

I will be sending that photo home, Mum, as soon as I can cadge a bit of cardboard to pack it in. My room-mate Tom Leckie, is 7th from left in back row. The big chap in the sports coat standing in middle has been waiting for his uniform every [sic] since we entered Weraroa – he is about 6ft 6ins & evidently they are having some trouble in fitting him. The chap next to him with the “mou” is the chap Morgan I took through to Wanganui that time. Second from left in front row is Ivan Mayes who did the sights of Wellington with Jack & I on the way down. 6th from left front row is George Emerson who went down to Otaki with me that night – he is only about nineteen but was the first to go solo. 8th from left front row is the chap Metcalfe from Taranaki who knows Alf Dickinson. 2nd from left back row, is Bill Fulton, the Wellington rep., and a very nice chap too. The chap between Tom & I is Carrell O’Connell 15 commonly known as “Ock”, a dour Irishman from the Tolago Bay district – & a very nice chap in his own quiet way.

Well, it is getting chilly out here, so I will wander indoors. I hope you are better then [sic] when Mum left home, Dad, in spite of Joan’s cooking, although I guess you took over the cooking when you got a chance. Well cheerio, all for the present,

Your affectionate son/brother,

Eric.

P.S. Don’t forget to consign golf clubs to Christchurch Railway Station, Mum.

Address letters L.A.C. E. LLOYD A/P,
R.N.Z.A.F. E.F.T.S.
Harewood,
Christchurch.

15

See Appendices for more information

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Letter 5 16

Wednesday
25th September, 1940
Harewood

Dear Family,

I am afraid I am rather late with this letter as I was hanging off in the hope of being able to tell you that I had gone solo, but instead of that I have to break the sorrowful news to you that I have been grounded. The Chief Flying Instructor took three of us who had not been going too well up this morning and decided that we were not cut out for pilots. He was jolly decent about it, and my Flight Commander told me that if it had been peace time and they had the time to spare he would have been able to make a pilot of me. So that’s the end of that. In the meantime, I have applied to be transferred to the Observer’s Course (I can imagine George chuckling at that) but I won’t know until tomorrow what is going to happen, and I do not think you had better address any more letters here until you have heard from me again about my new address.

I have been quite fit since I left hospital and I hope you [sic] throat is better by now Mum. Tom my room-mate, and 4 other chaps in our flight are down with the measles, (just mild) & are at present in isolation. I have had no spots as yet & feel quite normal, so I guess I’m going to be lucky.

I received the golf clubs alright thanks. Called into the Station on Friday night while in town but the parcel’s office was closed, so went back on Saturday night to collect them. I did not get a chance to use them on Sunday, but hope to this week-end if I am still here.

I read of Mr. Grammer’s death in the paper, and needless to say it was a great shock – more especially seeing that I had not the opportunity of visiting him. That white horse you sent me, Mum, has not turned out very lucky so far, has it?

So Ray goes in on Sunday, eh. I guess you are going to miss him, but as long as you have Jum with you, I don’t think you will be lonely. I can’t imagine George feeling homesick, but if he is a bit down in the face now at the thought of leaving home, he will soon get rid of it when he gets into a dormitory with thirty other rowdy blighters.

I ran into Toby Mc.Cormack in town on Saturday night (he used to travel for the Aerated Water Co.) He is on the ground staff at Wigram 17, and needless to say we were quite pleased to see each other.

16

Is indicated as letter 4 but is really letter 5 – and requires letter renumbering from this point on.

17

See Appendices for more information

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I will close this off now, but will write again as soon as I know where I am goinog [sic] from here. Sorry to let the family down & that, but I can at least say I have had a cut at it, can’t I? I hope you are all well, and best of luck, George.

From Eric.

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Letter 6

Sunday, 9-20 p.m.
October 13th 1940
Levin

Dear Family,

As Ray has told you, I am once more back in the Borstal – thought I had seen the last of the show.

Had an uneventful trip back to 18 Harewood – Jack was on the Wellington Station to meet me – also the chaps (2) who went on leave with me. When we arrived back in camp Ralph Chaplin was informed that he was to turn round & catch the boat back again that night for Weraroa. Most of the flight went down to Lyttelton & gave him a rousing send-off & as Stan & I received word about 4 p.m. that we were to catch the boat the next night (Wednesday). They also included us in the farewell as they could not get leave for both nights. We spent Wednesday tearing around the station getting our clearances fixed up & saying good-bye. The crossing on Wednesday night was fairly rough but I did not feel the slightest bit crook, so I guess that by the time I leave for Canada I’ll be a good sailor.

Needless to say it was a fair cow coming back here at first, but being old hands we have managed to talk our way out of physical training & hope to be let off drill in order to get in a bit of solid swot as we have to sit all exams over again & of course are a fortnight behind the others.

“Robby” 19 certainly gives George hell during drill & now that he has two Lloyds in the one flight it makes things rather awkward for him.

We three discards from Harewood & a chap from Taieri are together in a dormitory with some machine gunners & they seem to be a decent crowd. We have four maori boys from Rotorua here, two of them brothers & believe me, they are great entertainers. They are sitting on a bunk now singing “Silent Night” with ukulele accompaniment and it is beautiful.

I may be coming home next week-end – it all depends if I can get enough swot in during the week. I think you had better get my grey suit cleaned if you don’t mind, Dad, & could you get me a tennis shirt the same colour as my creams – the kind with the zip front. If we do not pass the exams this time, I suppose they will hold us for the next course – so I will need the suit eventually – I hope!

George & the car arrived in one piece about 6-30 p.m. and he seemed quite bucked up to have seen you all. I received your letter last night, Mum, readdressed from Harewood & was

18

Think this should be “from”

19

Spelt Robbie in Ray’s letters.

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pleased to see that you are all well. The letter from Egypt was from Dudley Rider, and he seemed to be having a great time.

Well it is just on “light’s out” so I will cut this short.

Lots of love,

Eric. 20

20

Eric & Ray arrived home from Weraroa on Friday, October 25th on 10 day’s leave & left N.Z. for Canada on Tuesday, November 5th.

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Note Enclosed in a Letter of Ray’s Written Prior To Sailing

Tuesday, 1245 hrs,
November 5th, 1940
Aboard Transport No 2.

Dear Family,

I suppose George has given your [sic] most of the news but I will just type a few lines to say goodbye – am using “Wimpies 21” typewriter – he has brought enough gear aboard to sink the ship.

Had an hour and a half marching through the streets of Auckland this morning led by the “Aussies” and didn’t we get a good reception from the crowd. We have leave from 1 p.m. until 5-15 p.m. and I am just off down town. Everybody seems to think we will be sailing tonight.

We are travelling first class and believe me the tucker and everything else is grand – hot & cold water and telephone in each cabin.

Well cheerio for now.

Your loving son/brother.

Eric.

21

Was spelt Whimpy in Ray’s letters

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Letter 7

Saturday, 1-15 p.m.
November 9th, 1940
“Awatea”, 30 hrs out from Suva.

Dear Family,

Have just finished lunch and we have the afternoon off, so here goes.

Actually this is Sunday in New Zealand but as we have just crossed the International Date Line we are having two Saturdays – yesterday & to-day, to put us in line with this part of the world.

Left Auckland about 11 p.m. Tuesday and arrived at Suva about 4 p.m. Friday after an uneventful trip. We had leave there until midnight and did the sights of the town and then went to a concert & dance in the Town Hall, held in our honour. I am afraid the Aussies rather outshone us in appearance – we went ashore in shoes, socks (all colours of the rainbow) khaki shorts & shirts (open neck) & our usual caps, whereas the Aussies have a special tropical uniform consisting of khaki socks, shirts, shorts & khaki uniform jacket & tie – they are a decent bunch of chaps and no tougher than the New Zealanders. It was very muggy in Suva & started to rain about 6 p.m. I got wet to the skin on the way to the concert but it was so hot inside that I soon dried out and felt no after-effects. The natives are very shrewd & will rook you left & right if you do not watch out. The boys came aboard laden with such souvenirs as bows & arrows, beads, pineapples etc. We pulled out about 6 a.m. yesterday & I
don’t think anyone was sorry to leave – it was not a bad little show but I would not like to stay there more than a day. We ran into some N.Z. soldiers who had been there about 10 days & who were heartily sick of it then. They told us there was another batch due in about 2 days so I guess that will be Blair’s mob. After leaving Suva we were passing islands for about 16hrs – the ship was doing about 18 knots – so that will give you some idea of the size of the Fijian archipelago. I was on look-out duty on the gun platform yesterday morning and it was quite interesting, though somewhat monotonous, going at the islands through the glasses. I picked up a mild does of sunburn on the legs & arms but hope it will not peel. They say we will not sight any more land until we reach Honolulu in about 6 or 7 days. Another rumour going the rounds is that we are picking up 150 college girls at Honolulu but I am afraid it is a case of the wish being father of the thought as there are only about 4 girls on board.

It is still comfortably warm on deck in shorts & open neck shirt but it is most uncomfortably warm down below. They allowed us to open the portholes after lights-out at 11-30 last night, and without pyjamas & just a light counterpane it is possible to sleep quite soundly.

This is a great ship. Two picture theatres going every night, good cabins & wonderful tucker. I think the stewards are a bit astounded yet at the eating capacity of the New Zealanders – they took enough tucker on, they thought, at Auckland to last us to Honolulu, but after seeing us in action the 2nd day out from Auckland when we had got our sea legs, they changed their minds & took another supply on at Suva. Most of the boys go right through the Menu & then leave the Mess with a hungry look on their faces. The other night for instance, I had quite a decent little snack – Brunswick toast 22, soup, pilchards, Bengal curry & rice, roast mutton &

22

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vegetables, ice-cream & coffee to wash the ice-cream down. Andy & Mussen 23 the Canadian, have a competition each meal – after going right through the menu they fight it out with the ice-creams – Andy came down to the cabin the other night very disappointed because Mussen had eaten 7 ice-creams to his 6. We get as many apples & oranges as we wish. We have a waste-paper basket in our cabin about 1ft in diameter & 2 ft deep, & it is hard to believe but this morning it was half full of orange peels – 6 hrs work.

But don’t get the idea we do nothing else but eat. Up at 6-30 a.m. – P.T. from 6-45 to 7-15 – Breakfast 7-30 – Parade 9 a.m. – Lecture 9-30 a.m. to 10-30 – Deck games 10-45 to 11-45 – Lunch noon – Lectures 2-10 p.m. to 4-15 p.m. – Dinner 5-30 p.m. & the Pictures at 8 p.m. – or do what you like.

I called in to see Fred Whillans at Auckland & he introduced me to the 3rd Mate of this ship – I have run into him once or twice on board & he asked me to look him up, but I haven’t had the time so far. Fred is going for his “A” pilot’s ticket & if he succeeds will get a job as co-pilot permanently on the flying boats – he has been doing a bit of co-piloting already.

[underlined] Weds. 4-30 p.m. 13th Nov. [/underlined]

We are supposed to reach Honolulu early to-morrow morning, so I will close this off this afternoon & post it to-morrow. Unfortunately we are not allowed ashore at Honolulu but there is a chance that a concert party will come aboard, so if we are lucky we will get a glance at the native beauties. We expect to contact the American Fleet, about 3 a.m. in the morning & the boys are talking of getting up to have a look, but I very much doubt if they will manage it.

Things are getting very much cooler now. We crossed the line early on Monday morning – too early for Father Neptune – so we did not see the old ceremony.

On Sunday we had Church Parade at 11 a.m. & the rest of the day off – scenic pictures in the evening. On Saturday night I had an introduction to the good old Australian game of “Housey Housey” 24 conducted under the supervision of one of the ship’s officers, and came away about 10/- in pocket – beginner’s luck eh? Yesterday afternoon we had our first dose of boat drill – so many blasts on the siren and everyone tears down to their cabin grabs his life jacket & dons it – then up to your particular muster station read [sic] to get into the life-boar [sic] if necessary. The old siren goes pretty regularly – mostly practice for the crew & gun crew. It’s all good fun because you never know when it’s going to be the real thing. Last night we had a concert staged by the combined efforts of the R.N.Z.A.F & & R.A.A.F. & I take back all I said about the Aussies being no tougher than the New Zealanders – some of the stuff they put over made me blush. Still it was a great show & didn’t our Maori boys get a reception with their “Say Good-bye to Old New Zealand” & “Maori Battalion” 25.

?

23

Spelt Musson in Ray’s letters

24

A game in which numbered balls are drawn at random and players cover the corresponding numbers on their cards – similar to Bingo.

25

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We have seen very little in the way of Marine life on the voyage – two porpoise & plenty of flying fish, that’s all. Andy reckoned he spotted a shark the day after we left Suva but he had been trying the kava-kava 26 out at Suva, so it might just as likely have been a pink elephant. “Wimpie” is a very busy woman these days – he has been appointed Orderly Room clerk which entails a bit of typing etc – he is dashing around all day like a blow fly in a bottle. Andy wrecked his typewriter the other day and when he went to get his camera yesterday for a photograph he found that slightly bent also – so he keeps his immense trunk locked now & eyes Andy, George & I with suspicion. He has had crook eyes ever since we left Auckland and has been getting us to put drops of some damn solution he brought with him, in his eyes – the other day George evidently got a bit sick of it & squirted the black stuff in his face – “Wimpie” now calls in one of his cobbers from over the way to perform the operation.

One of the boys has just come down to say that the airmail closes at 5 p.m. so I will wind this up now. Kind regards to Ron” & Johnny Glasgow” & the rest of the boys. Don’t forget to send that double photograph to Aunty Alice – also one for Johnny Glasgow & that one taken at the Farewell for Alf Dickinson. Love to you all

Your loving son/brother,

Eric

See Appendices for more information

26

See Appendices for more information

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Letter 8

Sunday 4 p.m.
17th November 1940
“Awatea”

Dear Family,

In New Zealand it is 1-50 p.m. Monday, so I guess you will be busy with the dinner dishes. Beside the day we dropped on the International Date Line we have advanced our watches 2hrs 10mins all told since then – about 20 mins a night.

I posted a letter by air-mail at Honolulu giving you a brief description of my doings & misdoings up to the evening before reaching that port – it should reach New Zealand by next Friday as far as I could make out, if the Clipper does not crack up.

Quite a few of the chaps got up at 3 a.m. on Thursday morning to see if they could spot the Yankee Fleet that was supposed to pick us up but it turned out to be another rumour & they had all their trouble for nothing. I went on deck about 5-30 a.m. & it was a very pretty sight – the lights of Honolulu ahead and a big yellow Hawaiian moon descending slowly below the horizon on the port bow. As dawn broke we picked up one destroyer after another, in & around the harbour & also out at sea – also in the harbour was a large aircraft carrier – not the “Ark Royal” 27. We dropped anchor out in the stream while the Port & Health Authorities came aboard – they, the Yanks, are evidently very strict as far as health inspection go, as we had to throw all our fruit overboard the night before & take on fresh stocks at Honolulu. While we were having breakfast the old tub got under way again & pulled into her berth at No 8 Pier, & I got on deck in time to see her tying up. We berthed right at the end of one of the main streets & a very pretty sight it was with the palm trees every few yards, modern buildings, and streams of cars moving up & down all day. Two or three hundred yards up the road was a large cool looking pub surrounded by palm trees – Our own bar was shut down while in port, so you can imagine the tortures we underwent while gazing up the street. About 10 a.m. three American Red Cross Nurses came aboard with cigarettes & pineapple for the boys – and they were mobbed. They were all pretty, but one of them might have stepped out of a film magazine – needless to say the C.O. grabbed her. At 11 a.m. a party of hula girls with musicians came aboard in charge of Dr. Peter Buck 28, the New Zealander who has written several books on the Polynesian tribes. Were they any good? Well most of the chaps have decided that if we don’t call at Honolulu on the way home, they are going back for a holiday at the first opportunity. Dr. Buck made a little speech at the finish saying that as we could not get ashore and see Hawaii they had bought a little bit of Hawaii on board for us – applause. To wind up the proceedings we New Zealanders gave them a haka & two or three Maori songs which they appreciated. This brought us to 12-15 p.m. & lunch time. The hula girls had lunch with the Aussies – not that they cut us out, but they happened to have a bit of room to spare in their mess. Ralph, & another chap managed to wedge a couple of 16 stone

27

See Appendices for more information

28

See Appendices for more information

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musicians whose dancing days were over, in at their table – they were quite good lookers in a matronly way – all the women we saw had very find eyes & hair – even the nurses had a peculiar sort of beauty – quite distinctive complexions which must be peculiar to the island. After lunch we attracted quite a few of the local inhabitants to the wharf with New Zealand songs & Aussie “cooees”. Whenever the Aussies saw a girl walking up the street they would let out a concerted “cooee” which must have been heard for miles,. At any rate, they attracted quite a crowd, including an “oomph” girl 29, who if she wasn’t a film star she should have been. According to the local rag, Kay Francis 30, arrived the day before we did – there was a large Matson liner berthed a couple of piers from us. About 3 p.m. a native silver band accompanied by two women singers arrived to regale us with music until the time of sailing. Just before we pulled out at 4 p.m. our friends the nurses arrived back with native leis to hang around our necks in the customary manner. There is no doubt about the Yanks – they treat you well – and going by the local rag, Hawaii is definitely pro-allie – of – course they are in very much the same position as New Zealand, although better fortified. Planes of all types were roaring overhead all day, evidently working in co-operation with the destroyers & aircraft carrier which put to sea shortly after our arrival. There is no doubt that the Yanks intend to hold Hawaii. We pulled out at 4 p.m. with leis falling into the water by the
hundreds, and didn’t the nurses get a cheer as they left the wharf. Although we had not set foot on Hawaiian soil, I think there was not one of us who had not enjoyed the short stay. Perhaps it was just as well I did not go ashore, as I see it has taken me four pages so far to describe Hawaii.

We took on hundreds of cartons of canned fruit for Canada – mostly “Dole 31” brand – all the wharf labour is native the same as at Suva & they certainly can work. The yarn about the 150 college girls who were to come aboard at Honolulu, needless to say turned out false. We certainly picked up a few passengers, but most of them were married.

We went back into our blue uniforms the day after leaving Honolulu, and it has been quite fresh today – colder than the day we left Auckland. The old boat has been mobbing around a bit the two days, but we all have our sea-legs now, and it worries very few of us. We had a dance on Friday night – of sorts; There were 4 girls there & were they popular?

The time is now 5mins to 8 so I will knock off now & trot up & have a look at the scenic films.

[underlined] Weds. 20th 11 a.m. [/underlined]

We [sic] here we go again. Things have been rather dull on board since leaving Honolulu – same old routine, and no news, except that last night we had a farewell dinner on board which was very good and went with a swing.

29

A physically or sexually attractive young woman.

30

See Appendices for more information

31

See Appendices for more information

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This morning all is bustle aboard – at 7 a.m. we berthed at Victoria, British Columbia, and paraded in the wharf shed for an inspection by a bevy of assorted brass hats at 7-30 a.m. It is a cold bitter morning, and most of us have donned our heavy underwear. After the inspection we went aboard again for breakfast and pulled out about 10 a.m. – so did not see anything of the town. We are now running up the coast for Vancouver which we should reach about 2 p.m. – the shores are studded with fir trees right down to the water’s edge, & if it was not such a dismal morning it would be a pretty sight.

We entrain to-night for London, Ontario, so our camp will evidently be about there somewhere. Canadian Railway Officials came aboard at Victoria, & are now busy handing out sleeping berth tickets for the 4 day journey across Canada, which we are all looking forward to. Judging by what we have seen so far, the Railways are evidently run very efficiently, but we will know more when we get aboard the train – George has the berth above, me, so I will be able to keep an eye on him. We are both very fit – I have put on about 3lbs on board & strangely enough I am not eating as well now as I was coming through the tropics – I guess I will have to retire to a desert island somewhere on the equator when this spot of bother is over.

I will be sorry to leave this old tub as it has been a wonderful trip in all ways – but I guess the trip home will be better.

Well I will close this off now, in the hopes that I will be able to post it ashore – there is some talk of us getting 2 or 3hrs leave in Vancouver before entraining.

I hope you have a very Happy Christmas & New Year, & that you are all in the best of health. Will you please post this on to Jack & Nola, for whom the above wishes also hold good.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 9

Sunday 6-10 p.m.
24th November 1940
London, Ontario, Canada

Dear Family,

I have just had my first meal – tea (or supper as they call it over here) – on a R.C.A.F. station and it wasn’t bad at all – better than Weraroa and of the same standard as Harewood.

We arrived in London about 11-45 a.m. this morning after a 4 day journey across Canada thus completing 10,000mls in 19 days. Unfortunately we did not get leave in Vancouver, but were put straight aboard train, so the 8hrs we got in Suva was the only leave we received on the trip with the exception of half an hour at two or three stations along the track. We have not seen much of Canada, but from what I have seen I guess it must be a great country – the people are very quiet and undemonstrative, but the one or two we have come in contact with have been very friendly. I was speaking to a miner at one of the stops last night and he was telling me that they are working 7 days a week on the nickel mines. 24hrs a day – each man working about 60hrs a week at ordinary rates and not worrying about over-time rates – that seems to be the spirit of most of the people here.

The first day’s journey across British Columbia, Thursday (we actually left Vancouver 5-30 p.m. Weds. but it was dark before we pulled out) was very interesting as we were travelling through the Rockie Mountains. No words or films could do justice to this region and the names of the towns all add romance to the trip – Kicking Horse Bend – Medicine Hat – being a couple of names I recall. On Thursday night we dropped the New Zealand & Australian Air Gunners at Calgary. The next day’s trip was across the prairies – very monotonous after the first few miles – We pulled into Winnipeg about 6 p.m. and had about 40mins to stroll up the main street & back, & although there was no snow on the ground it was bitterly cold. Saturday we got into more interesting country again, miles & miles of frozen lakes & snow covered country (the snow on the ground was thicker than in British Columbia, and that’s saying something). From 6 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. this morning we were actually skirting around the shores of Lakes Superior & Huron although they only came into view occasionally. We reached Toronto about 6 a.m. this morning in pitch blackness and had about an hour to see the town before breakfast – it is quite a big place – about 700,000 population – but of course, we did not see much of it. We left there about 8-30 a.m. on the last leg of our journey about 120mls. The scenery this morning was very much the same as New Zealand farm lands about January when things start to dry up – with a few cows & sheep dotted about the landscape. If you consult a map you will find London between Lakes Eire & Michigan. We are about 3hrs journey from Niagara Falls & the American border – which of course is not considered a journey at all in this country.

The train trip was quite comfortable, good food & comfortable bunks, although travelling night & day with only about one ½hrs stops a day proved a bit tiring after a while. We had a typical negro porter in our car & his unfailing good humour & dislike for work helped to keep us amused. The people at the various stops were quite surprised to hear that we were from down under but would persist in looking on us as a species of Australians, which of course made us mad. We ran into a policeman in Toronto this morning, who had never heard

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of the Empire training scheme 32 & wanted to know “What the heck?” we were doing over here. I guess he never tuned into Daventry 33.

We left the snow country behind us about 8 p.m. last night although it is still very cold here. The rooms here are all centrally heated with big coke ovens, and we are finding it too hot inside & too cold outside, but I guess we will get acclimatised. The barracks & other buildings here are very crude when compared with Weraroa & Harewood – two decker beds & no wardrobes, cupboards, or hooks to stow or any gear – in fact about on a level with army barracks – but I guess they have done good work to knock them together in such a short time. This is a new station – we are the first course in, and as we dropped the last of the Aussies about 200mls back at 4 a.m. this morning and we are the first colonials to enter camp in this district we are hoping to become fairly popular with the locals – the female side at any rate. The population of London is about 80,000 so we will have more of a selection than we did aboard the Awatea.

We get out noses to the grind-stone again at 6-30 in the morning, so I will turn in now & get some sleep on the first permanent bed I have seen since the night before leaving Fordell.

I posted a letter to you from Honolulu, another from Vancouver, & George & I sent a cable from North Bend our first stop & opportunity after landing & entertaining at Vancouver. I hope all these, together with the souvenirs from Honolulu, reach you without mishap & in time for Christmas, which will be a thing of the past by the time this reaches you.

Well good-bye for the present.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

[underlined] P.S. [/underlined] You had better address your letter to that address we left behind (C/O R.C.A.F Headquarters, Jacksons Buildings, Ottawa) as we do not know yet what the censorship is like
in this country.

32

See Appendices for more information.

33

See Appendices for more information.

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Note Enclosed in Ray’s air-mail letter

Written from London, Ont.

December 6th 1940

Dear Family,

George has just handed me this in the mess – we are just finishing dinner – he has decided to send it by air-mail, so I will just pen a line or two to let you know that we are both O.K. & in the best of health. I have got about 6 pages of a letter written for you but I will hold it now & post it by ordinary mail – it should reach you by the end of January. We received no N.Z. mail as yet, but it won’t be long now, I suppose. Well all the best wishes for a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year to you all & all my friends.

Your loving son/brother

Eric.

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Letter 10

Monday 1950 hrs.
9th December 1940
London, Ontario, Canada

(Received 16th January 1941)

Dear Family,

Well we have been here a fortnight & a day now – it seems a month or more, actually, as we have got through a great amount of work since we arrived. We all found it pretty tough for the first fortnight, even compared with Weraroa, but we are getting in the routine now and things do not appear so hard. We started work the day after our arrival, as I told you in my last letter (which should have caught the “Awatea” on the return trip; – which I hope it did) and have been going from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week, ever since. A fair amount of this work includes flying, which helps to break the monotony, although the boys who haven’t done any before are finding it rather tiring. The tucker is still very good although we have heard rumours that we are to be put on Army rations – we trust that it is a rumour – (Sunday 15th. – only a rumour – it is improving every day – now better than New Zealand;) Some of the dishes they put on here differ quite a lot from our N.Z. tucker, & very good they are too, – their porridge is good (you remember I never ate it at home) – also pancakes & maple syrup. The meat, however, is not quite up to N.Z. standard – quiet eatable but lacking somewhat in flavour. The cooks laugh at the amount of tea we consume, but we are gradually educating them – I guess in another month or two they will be approaching the standard of the brew I used to put on for Dad at 7-30 every night – at present it tastes something like the cup he used to make for me at 7 a.m. each morning. The bread is excellent & I also prefer the butter to our own – a little paler but more flavour. The first 2 days they came around & put a small fragment on our plates at a time as we needn’t it (they did the same thing on the train) but they are getting used to our little ways & we get a decent plate-full on each table.

Snow started to fall at the end of our first week & lasted for several days until there was about a foot on the ground & the roofs were well covered, with icicles hanging from the spoutings about a yard long – the weather was cold according to our standards, but it was a healthy cold and not uncomfortable if one kept well wrapped up. On one trip last week the thermometer in our cabin registered 24˚ below zero 34, but they tell us we haven’t seen anything yet. Since then we have been issued with flying suits & flying boots or moccasins as they call them (which are far more comfortable than the boots we brought over with us) and we now keep quite warm in the air. We have done quite a lot of flying through snow storms, so I guess we will be quite used to continental conditions when we get over the pond. We had an interesting trip this afternoon – about 200 odd miles, most of it over Lake Erie (which is a damn lot bigger than it appears on the map) & very close to the American border. I was 1st Navigator, but despite that we managed to get back home after several alterations of course. Andy was in the co-pilot seat & slept most of the way, while Wimpie, who was acting as 2nd Navigator, spent most of the time disentangling himself from his maps. It is the first time I have flown with them & they are certainly a great combination – my usual team-mates are Mussen the Canadian, & Von Dadelzen, who despite his name is a very fine character. The

34

Minus 31 degrees Celsius

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weather the last few days has been somewhat warmer, & we had some rain the other night which washed the snow from the roofs, & made the stuff on the ground very slushy.

I have only been into London once since we arrived – all the boys, with the exception of 2 of us, have gone in to-night to the Y.M.C.A. for dinner, to be followed by some tobogganing, so I guess Ray will have something else to write you to-morrow. He gets his leg pulled quite a lot about his letter-writing – he sits on his bunk every spare moment he gets & writes furiously, looking up every now & then to ask the barracks in general how to spell some work that has him stuck – after he has written about 2 pages (in about 2 hrs.) he reads it over, curses heartily, & as a rule, tears them up & starts over again. I strongly suspect that they are not all destined for P.O. Box 13, Fordell. He & Andy were caught sleeping in this morning – I shook them both on my way out to shave, but you know what George is, & Andy is not much better. They have not heard any-more about it, so I guess they are going to be lucky. (Excuse all the “I guesses” but no-body ever “thinks” or “knows” over here – they just “guess” I guess) Andy was nearly shot the 1st week here – he took French leave 35 one night & was caught crawling over the fence about 2 a.m. in the morning – luckily the sentry spotted his uniform as the search-light beam came round & withheld his fire – he got 5 days C.C. 36 out of it & was a very scared boy for a few days, but I’m afraid he’s slipping back into his old habits again.

It is now just after 9 p.m. so I must knock off now & make my bed & polish the so – and – so – buttons. By the way, I darned a sock to-night & a fine job I made of it too, if I may say so – I’m quite proud of it. The laundry darned 3 for me but missed this particular one. Their charges are very reasonable – a washing that would cost me 6/- in N.Z. is about 4/6 here at the present rate of exchange (that was an exceptionally big washing I had when I landed here.) This price included the darning – I don’t know if that is a regular feature or whether some sweet young thing thought it romantic darning the socks of a N.Z. Airman. I had my no. 2 uniform dry-cleaned for 50 cents or about 3/- in N.Z. They are certainly keen business men here – there are at least 4 laundries that call on us – 1 bird thought he would get the jump on his competitors & passed the word around amongst us that he would be here at 7 a.m. in the morning to collect anything we had. The others must have got wind of it however, as they all pulled up outside in a flurry of snow & screaming of brakes at the same time – the next morning they were here at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. – this rate we will be having our sleep disturbed any night now.

Well it is 15mins since I decided to knock off, so I had better do it now before I reach the next page.

[underlined] Sunday 15th 1925hrs [/underlined]

Well another week gone, & as there is supposed to be another N.Z. boat arriving this week with more air-gunners & observers, I must try & get this finished to-night to catch the boat on it’s return trip – we have still had no mail from N.Z., but when it arrives we are looking forward to a big swag of letters.

35

To take leave without permission

36

Close Confinement

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George went into the hospital on Friday with the measles – I though he was looking a bit off-colour the previous day but he said he was only tired – you know what he is. He is the 4th New Zealander to go down with them but it is only a mild form. I have been into see him every day (he is in the camp hospital just a few yards from our barracks) & he is as fit as a fiddle – but I think the rest will do him the world of good as the pace is beginning to tell on the younger members of the flight. He bought a small Kodak camera in town several nights ago & he asked me to take it over to-day so he could swot up the instruction book but I have a suspicion that he means to use up a bit of film on time exposures the same as he did at home.

With the exception of Wednesday, we have been up in the air every day this week, including to-day, & I now have 25hrs in my lug. It is very interesting getting onto practical work & finding that the methods one has been swotting for months in the class-room work out just as well in the air. Believe me, you get quite a lot of satisfaction when you find that the wind yhou [sic] have calculated by various complicated methods over your starting point, is carrying you over the towns, villages, railway crossings, road junctions etc. That it should – when you approach one of the great lakes (we come in contact with Lakes Huron, Erie or Ontario on practically every trip) and the winds come from all directions & in a few minutes you are 2 or 3 mls. Off your track & you begin to think you are not the navigator you thought you were – but it’s great fun.

There are airmen from every corner of the work in this part of Canada. Across the road there are Canadians & a lot of Americans & batch of chaps who arrived in from the Strait Settlements a few days ago. The Norwegian air force is in training a few miles from here – they are training under their own flag & not under the Empire scheme – & a very smart lot they look too, in their distinctive uniforms. The air is thick around here with all types of planes, including speedy advanced fighter trainer planes built in America, & originally intended for the French Air Force, which practically tear is going two when they yowl over it.

We are getting no leave at Christmas or New Year, with the exception of Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve, but we will manage to have some fun somehow. I had only been into London once since I arrived, a station record, and they have opened a canteen here for us within the last 2 days, (previously we had to go across the road to the flying school for our cigarettes). So I guess London will see still less of me in future, although I may honour the town with my presence on Christmas & New Year's Eve. The people around here are very hospitable, & besides the invitations we get for supperr [sic] on Sunday nights, the adjutant has received enough invitations for Christmas dinners to cover every New Zealander on the station. Most of the boys are not availing themselves of the opportunity however, preferring to mooch round together in our usual independent fashion.

Stan has found himself another girl friend & is in very big with her family. He certainly is a funny chap – it was the same in N.Z., every station he was on he managed a full head-over-heels in love with someone. He has taken another button of his great-coat & had it made into a brooch for his latest fancy – I was kidding him the other day that after he had been posted to a few more stations he would be walking around with his coat fastened with safety pins, but his only reply was that he still had 2 tunics to work on – I guess he will need them. Ralph is getting fatter every day, despite the 1/4 hrs P.T. we have have [sic] at 6-30 every morning. It is not light here now until 8 a.m. & it is bit of an effort getting out of bed at 6-15 a.m. with the temperature around zero, but once one is & has skipped round from a few minutes everything

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in the garden is rosy. We have had some fine weather in the past week – no snow, but all the paths & roads are covered with a thin layer of ice, which makes walking somewhat of an art – however, we are providing the natives with a certain amount of amusement – stepping out boldly as if we were on a N.Z. Road & next moment on our backs with legs waving in the air.

I will finish this off now as I have a letter to complete to Johnny Glasgow. You will be well into the New Year before this arrives I suppose, & I hope 1941 treats you all well and finds Jum eating apples and steak, & the four of you in the best of health. Has Jack heard anything from Mr. Burgess, yet? You will pass this letter on to Jack I guess, when you have deciphered it. Regards to Ron, Max, Jack O'B, Jack Mc., the O' Leary's – in fact everyone.

Your loving son/brother, (Uncle?)

Eric.

[underlined] P. S. [/underlined] Continue to address mail to Ottawa address please, as we don't know just when we will be leaving here. George posted a letter by air-mail the other day which should reach you a few days before Christmas.

[underlined] Weds. 18th. 6-40 p.m. [/underlined]

Just a note to let you know, we received a letter Mum, dated the 8th Nov. to-day – also Joan's dated Nov. 11th. The boys nearly went mad when they were told there was an N.Z. mail in, & as to-today [sic] is also a pay-day, you can see, it has been a red-letter day for us. I think that snap of the family is just great – especially of Dad & you mum – you are certainly both better looking than your kids. I wonder if you can get a copy of the 1 that Johnny G, Johnny O'B, Max Mc, Jack Mc. Ron Stewart & I had taken together & post to me. You mentioned in your letter that you were thinking of posting a letter by air-mail – I wonder if you did, as we have not received it yet. I am just going over to the hospital to see George, and then taking your letters over for him to read – I guess he will have a few for me to read also.

Besides, your 2 letters I got one from Alf, also one from Mrs. Dickinson enclosing a snap of Alf and myself taken at the farewell, 1 from Don Mc.Ilroy, & 1 from Marjorie Glasgow. Will you please ring Mrs. Dickinson & thank her and tell her that I finished and sealed a letter to Alf last night, so will drop you a line when I get some fresh news. I have also written to Johnny Glasgow. So tell Marjorie, it will be her turn next.

E.

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(An air-mail letter started by Eric, but not completed, which Ray forwarded with one of His)

Monday, 10-36 p.m.

6th January, 1941.

“Crumlin”, London, Ontario, Canada

(received here on January, 18th 1941)

Dear family,

9 minutes to “lights out” and I must make the best of them as I believe there is an air-mail leaving for “down under” this week sometime. I sent a letter by ordinary mail 2 or 3 weeks ago, which should reach you by the end of this month. If I remember rightly, I said therein that I had received a letter by ordinary mail, but not the one by air-mail. Well the air-mail letter arrived a couple of days later. To date, I have received 4 of your letters Mum, 2 from Joan, and 1 from Jack & Nola, so you see we have received quite a bit of New Zealand news lately.

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Letter 11

Saturday, 8-40 p.m.
11th January, 1941.
“Crumlin”, London, Ontario, Canada

(Received February, 22nd 1941)

Dear Family,

I started an air-mail letter to you about a week ago but “lights out” caught me still explaining how many letters I had received from you up to that date. However, George told me next day that he had put it in with his air-mail letter, so I suppose it was better than no letter at all. We have only about another month at this station, & from now on, we will be swotting for our final exam, and this may be the last opportunity I get to drop you a line for some weeks.

Last letter I wrote you, Ray was in hospital with the measles – well, he was out within the week, and has been working well ever since, and I guess he will make the grade.

I mentioned in my last letter that we were getting no leave at Christmas & the New Year, but the powers that be relented, and in the finish we received 48hrs at Christmas and 48 at the New Year, and a great time we had. Most of the boys booked in at the Hotel London for Christmas which we celebrated in good old New Zealand style. This hotel (about 800 odd rooms – and floors) is run on the continental system – you pay for your room & if you want a meal, you either go down town or have it down on the ground floor of the Coffee house where you pay as you go. You will probably see some of their stationery shortly, as George in his usual light-fingered manner got down on about a ream & ½ plus envelopes. He has about a trunk load of assorted stationery now – “Salvation Army” “T.S.S. Awatea” “Canadian Legion” etc. etc. We arrived back in camp at noon on Boxing Day to commence duties at 1 p.m. The next day a further batch of New Zealanders arrived from Vancouver. I had a letter from Jack Mc.Beth, by the same boat & he stated therein that he had attended a farewell to
Michael Cooke (Doctor Cooke's son) on the eve of his departure – well he is among the new bunch – also Jim Robinson, from either Durie Hill or St. John's Hill. I went to school with his brother, (Garth) whom Tim O'Leary knows fairly well. Michael Cooke attended that course at Tech. last year at the same time as I did.

New Year's Eve & day was also enjoyed by all. New Year is the time over here, and we could not get a room in the Hotel London as they were booked out, so I slept in camp both nights. At midnight, ½ doz. of us went out into the main intersection (nobody walks on the streets in this part of the world on Christmas and New Year's Eve) & sang “Auld Lang Syne” & performed a maori haka. I guess the natives thought we were drunk, as although they are great people, they are very unemotional & and never let themselves go, we had several thousands gathered round on the pavement before we were through & I think they enjoyed it as much as we did – I know the traffic cop in the middle of the street did – we did a haka around him and he was greatly amused. We got a write up in the local papers next morning – evidently we caused the biggest traffic jam ever seen here – cars were held up for six blocks in all directions – the natives smiled politely, but disbelievingly when we told them that cars were not allowed on the main streets in N.Z. on Christmas or N.Y's eve.

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The T.C.A (Trans-Canadian-Airways) plane has just roared over the lecture room. They land here at all hours of the night & day – they come down on a radio beam – just like an express train – right on time – pick up their mail & passengers & off-again right on schedule. The planes they use are the civil version of the Lockheed Hudson's used in the Coastal Command in England – far more stubbier than the Lockheeds down there. We start on our night flying next week, and I think it will prove just as easy, if not easier than day flying, as the equipment on this station is great – at night when there is a revolving beacon which can be seen for miles. We are getting a bit of winter weather here at last (I forgot to mention that Xmas it was quite mild – we had the heater off in our room at the Hotel & the window wide open all the time – very exceptional weather, the natives informed us.) Yesterday we had a fairly heavy snow storm & the ground temperature was down to 7° above zero this morning. We ran into some very dirty weather about 100 miles from here this afternoon and had to turn back – from as low as 700 feet the ground was still invisible.

I suppose Ray mentioned to you that Andy, Petersen & Musson had been grounded and sent to Toronto to wait remustering – their work was evidently not up to scratch – I felt sorry for them, as I have been through the same thing myself but Andy certainly asked for it. As far as he was concerned there was no war on and we were all on a jolly picnic. He would never get up for P.T. in the morning but would go on parade to evade it – a new complaint every morning. A few mornings before he was grounded he came in with a face a yard long – “What's the matter, Andy?” Somebody asked. “What's the matter?” says Andy. “I'll tell you what's the matter. That son of a bitch has cured in my earache, & I can't think of another excuse”. He called in to see us this afternoon (Toronto is only about 3 hours from here by train). They are evidently, the first N.Z's. to go through this camp at Toronto & the N.C.O's are treating them well – according to Andy they have had nothing to do since they arrived there, & they have only to ask for leave to get it.

Your Christmas presents arrived safely & very welcome they were to. Most of the boys received Xmas cake & we had some mighty big repasts in the barracks for a night or two and some very complimentary remarks were passed about your cake, Mum. As for the shortbread (I guess that was your work, Jum) – well, I am saving that for myself, and go into a quiet corner every night and nibble a piece before retiring.

I am afraid the tropical sun was most unkind to George's brown betty (at least, that's what we presume was before it started its 10,000 mile journey). I don't know if he has buried it yet, but I'm afraid that it will have to be done; as the pullovers – well, if you has been just 1 day here, are rising at 6-30a.m. For P.T. in one of the hangers, with the mercury hovering around zero & still pitch dark (it is not light, and now until 8 a.m.) You would see just how welcome they were. They are both great fits – talking about fits Jack, does Billy still wear that atrocious affair – somewhere between a sawn-of sack & a shrunken night-gown. He has probably doffed it for the summer, but be prepared for a shock about mid July. You asked me in your letter, what I thought of you taking over my job – well, that's O.K. with me but I think you're a damn fool, giving up the Insurance job – but I guess that's your business. I guess you are being kept very busy just now, what with inwards and outwards wool & the lamb traffic – to say nothing of the phosphate. I see that the “Nasties” dropped a few eggs on Nauru – that's O.K with Billy & you I suppose. Talking about lambs – we had some N. Z. Lamb at Xmas time in the mess – and jolly fine it was too but we mssed [sic] the green peas. I'm interested to hear what you are doing – whether living at home, or Wanganui or Putiki. I hope it is the former because the old house must look kind of empty without Lloyd, major and minimus. [sic] Go ahead and use the car for work if you want it – she is not a bad sort of a crate, but I would

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not tackle anything over a 6ft ditch at over 45. m.p.h. If I was you. Thank Nola for her letter & I will write to you both as soon as possible. Kind regards to Billy and the boys of the N.Z.R. It is funny that you should land up in the old. C.R.C. – I remember Dad saying at the time I joined up that Billy had told Mr. Burgess that he had seen you on the train (in your Tech. days) & asked A.S.B. If you were the Lloyd who was to have the job. You must have joined up about the same date that I did – if I remember rightly, was about 14 December 1931, when I took over. Kind regards to the directors & when you type out the next lot of minutes You might include the following:

RE BONUS E. LLOYD
MOVED BY MR. BURGESS, SECONDED BY MR. BIGNALL THAT A BONUS OF £75 BE GRANTED MR E LLOYD FOR HIS LONG & FAITHFUL SERVICE OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
MOVED BY MR BAIN SECONDED BY MR BEAUCHAMP THAT IN THE MEANTIME THIS MATTER BE HELD OVER & THAT MESSRS BURGESS AND BIGNALL FORM A COMMITTEE TO GO INTO THE MATTER.
THE AMENDMENT WAS CARRIED ON THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE MOTION OF MESSRS BURGESS AND BIGNALL.
THE SECRETARY WAS INSTRUCTED TO TABLE AT THE NEXT MEETING A LIST OF THE EARNINGS OF MR LLOYD FROM DAY TO DAY FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS (more work for the poor b----- office boy.)

Well, family, 10 minutes wasted, and is now five minutes after “lights out” (I am writing this in the lecture room) so it looks as if I will have to climb into bed in the dark.

Please thank Miss Cooper very much for her letter & I will write to Olive & her when I get a bit of time. Also tell Jack Mc.Beth, I received his, and tell him about Michael Cooke being on the same station. Although we get very little time in which to write letters, you have no idea how we appreciate receiving.

I am enclosing a photo of Michael Von Dadelszen & myself taken on the tarmac by Wimpie (he comes in useful sometimes, the dear old cuss.) He worries our lives with his darn camera. I don't remember if I told you in previous letters, but the second or third morning we were here we were paraded 10 minutes early in a howling snow storm – the boys wondered what it was all about – it turned out that Wimpie had asked the Corporal to call the parade so that he could get a snap of all the boys together. But in his excitement he evidently forgot to put a film in – at any rate, we haven't seen the snaps yet. We didn't lynch him that time. He took another one of the flight this afternoon, just before we took off – the same idea as the one he took at Levin (I think George & I related that to you) – after about 15 mins he gets the camera focused (on a tripod) pushes a button and makes a wild dash for the group before the exposure takes place. However he found running on the icy tarmac a different job to running over ashphalt [sic] at Levin – unfortunately, he recovered his balance just in time. If we don't see some results this time I'm afraid poor Wimpie is going to accidentally fall through the bomb hatch next time we go up.

Our flight received leave after flying duties this afternoon until 1-30 a.m. Monday morning (known in the force as a “36”) as we were ahead of the other flight and with our flying. All the boys have taken advantage of it with the exception of “little Icky”. Ray went in to do some shopping, as he calls it (he came back from town last Saturday night, with enough junk

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to fill that rubbish-hole he dug by the Barn – mostly cheap jewellery with the R.C.A.F Crest on) but he intends coming back to campe [sic] to sleep tonight.

I'm afraid poor old Stan has landed himself in trouble again. He spent Christmas at his girl friend's people's place, & tried to keep up with her old man on the rye whiskey – he told me he didn't remember proposing to her that night, & next morning, ma-in-law took him aside & delivered a lecture on married life – so it looks as if he's crashed this time – poor old Stan, he wasn't a bad sort of chap either.

Well it's 11-30 so must wander over and climb into my cot. as I want to get up bright & early in the morning & do a good day swot. Well, so long family, & don't forget the letter writing – that includes you Dad, or if you prefer it better, a copy of the Chronicle now and again would be much appreciated – it takes the best part of 2hrs over here to sort the news out from the advertisements. Cheerio,

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

[underlined] P. S. [/underlined] Kind regards to all my friends, & tell Johnny G. I posted him a letter, which should reach him by the end of Jan. & trust it will.

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Letter 12

Saturday, 2-30 p.m.
1st Feburary, [sic] 1941.
“Crumlin”, London, Ontario, Canada

(Received March 3rd 1941)

Dear Family,

I received a swag of mail including a Chronicle & a Free Lance 37 from you yesterday so I guess I had better settle down & reciprocate. It took Ray & I the best part of an hour to read it all. We had been looking forward to the mail for over a week as another crowd of N.Z.'ers arrived in camp last Monday – however the mail goes to Ottawa to be sorted for the various camps which entails a bit of delay, but keep on addressing it there just the same as we will be leaving here in a fortnight for our next course. You seemed worried in your letter, Mum, that all your letters may not have reached us. Well I have just been checking up and find that with yesterday's mail I have all your letters up to No 8 with the exception of No 4 & I think that I possibly missed that while rummaging through my bag – however I will check up when I go back to the barracks and let you know before sealing this letter. I have Joan's letters dated Nov 11th., 20th., 28th., Dec 8th., & 21st (the last 2 arriving yesterday with Mum's numbered 5, 6, 7 & 8 – by the way, I have not yet received Dad's No 1 – what are you going to do about it, Dad?) We received Jack's & Nola's letter dated 1st. Dec by the previous mail. Also the Christmas presents arrived O.K. only a few days after Xmas. Needless to say the tit-bit of the lot was the pullover – I am having a N.Z. Air Force Crest made in town to sew on the front – several of the boys have them already and they look quite natty. Joan's shortbread, however, was a close 2nd., and if you could only spend a day in this climate, Jum, you would forgive me for giving the pullover 1st. place. Actually the cold is quite bearable most of the time, even in the air, for we are never exposed to it for any great length of time, but the other afternoon we were out on the aerodrome swinging compasses 38 for a couple of hours, and although the sun was shining brightly and we were wearing overcoats & gloves we were chilled to the marrow – to make matters worse the Canadians inform us “that we haven't seen anything yet.” We received your Christmas cables O.K. & also sent you one a couple of days before Xmas, but you did not mention receiving it in your letter dated New Year's Day, Mum, so it looks as if there had been a hold-up somewhere. All the photographs taken at the farewell have come to hand, also one of Mum which arrived yesterday, & which we both agree is a corker. I also received a letter from Mrs. Bob Campbell yesterday. Will you please thank her very much & tell her that I will write as soon as I get a moment to spare (we are still in the throes of examinations.) I see by the Chronicle that the old firm has been kept very busy of late, so I guess by now you know what it means to earn a salary, Jack. I also noticed that a farewell had been given to Michael Cooke, Jim Robinson & a chap called Griffiths by the Air Force Relations. Cooke & Robinson landed in this camp with the crowd which arrived just after Xmas. Please tell Mrs. Millen that I received her parcel (A.F.R.) by yesterday's mail & ask her to thank her committee for me. I see by the cutting you sent that Pat Millen is missing

37 Both newspapers from Wanganui region

38 The process of finding the deviatons [sic] of a vessel's compass and tabulating on a card or lotted on a graph.

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again – I hope for her sake he turns up again – he has evidently been doing some good work over there. I mentioned at the start that Ray helped me read my mail last night – his hasn't turned up yet, and is he mad? The boys were pulling his leg this morning & saying that they were probably arranging a special train to bring it over from Ottawa as nearly half the mail that arrives in our room seems to be for George. It has probably been sent to another station in error & should turn up in the next day or two.

I wrote a letter about a fortnight ago & posted it hoping it would catch the boat which brought this last crowd over, but the boys informed us that she is not going back to N.Z. So you will find a a lot of the information I am writing in this letter repeated when you get the other. I will just skip briefly over the news I wrote in that. Firstly we got more leave at Xmas & the New Year than we expected as we were ahead with our lectures & our flying. Nearly the whole flight, including Ray, booked in at the flashest pub in town & made whoopee for Xmas & most of them did the same at New Year, although I slept in camp on the last occasion. (We had leave from mid-day Xmas eve until mid-day Boxing Day & the same amount at New Year.) That just about covers all the news in that letter as far as I can remember. I think I will start numbering my letters, Mum, as it seems a pretty good system.

I think I mentioned in my first letters that we were finding the routine here very trying. Well the 1st month proved to be the toughest, and once we got ahead with our lectures & flying, the work eased off considerably. Besides the leave at Xmas & New Year we have since had 2 week-end leaves. (1-36hr & 1-48hr) I stayed in camp & swotted on the 1st occasion but the week-end before last we hired a bus & made a trip to Niagara. It was a great experience. We left here about 9 a.m. on Saturday morning & arrived at Niagara about 4-30 that afternoon. (We spent a lot of time on the road what with meals & one thing & another) We all booked in at the General Brock Hotel for the night.

The Falls are a great sight – both the American & Canadian Falls. I have a photo of each taken by young Webster (the boy I introduced to you on the Marton station that night) which I will post by ordinary mail. A retired Major of the Canadian? Army took us out to his hours for a few hours (a few of us) & when I told him we had the highest Falls in the World – they are certainly proud of their Falls. We are developing into real Yanks – we can always go one better than the Canadians when it comes to describing the wonders of N.Z.

There was a dance on at the Hotel when we arrived back & we ran into quite a lot of Yanks from across the border. We were told they came over in large numbers as they get the benefit of the exchange on their American money. They assured us they would be in with us before long. We left about 3 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, travelling back by a different route & arriving here about 9 p.m. Ray did not make the trip as he thought he had better stay in camp & do some swot to make up for the time he lost while in hospital with the measles.

We started our exams on Wednesday & have only 3 more papers left to complete. They have not proved as tough as we imagined so far, so I guess we might both scrape through.

[underlined] 7 p.m. [/underlined]

I knocked off writing about 4-30 p.m. & went over to the mess for supper (“tea” in the N.Z. Language) We had meat pies tonight, the 1st I have tasted since I arrived in this country, & they were very good – also – green peas with ice-cream to follow, so you see they are feeding us well.

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The Canadians have some sensible ideas – they eat ice-cream in the winter & drink hot drinks in the summer. They even cool the beer & soft drinks in a refrigerator this time of the year – the idea being to bring the body down to the temperature of the outside air instead of trying to warm it up as we do – strangely enough it seems to work.

I had a scratch through my bag while over in the barracks just now & found your letter No 4. While reading it over I noticed you mentioned you were sorry that I had not given you the words of “Good-by to Old New Zealand” before I left – well here goes, stroke indicating the end of a line.

[italics] “Say Good-bye to old New Zealand –
For we're off to a far off clime –
Say Good-bye to all our sweet-hearts –
For we may be gone a long-long-time –
And we'll fight, fight for freedom –
And the land that gave us birth –
And we'll ne'er forget New Zealand –
The sweetest little spot on earth.” [/italics]

The catch is of-course, that you don't realise just how sweet it is until you get away from it.

Well to get back to business. Our exams finish next Friday & we have another week here after that & then go on to our next school for our Bombing & Gunnery Course We understand this will be Fingal, a station about 26mls from here as the crow flies. After a month or so there we go into the wilds of Manitoba for a course in Astral Navigation – so you see we may get to England before the war is over. I have run into quite a few N.Z. Officers over here for special courses, including a chap called McCarthy from Wanganui, who remembered me, but whom I fail to place. They have all seen active combat & they have some great tales to tell. I ran into a chap Swift a Flying Officer from Dunedin or Invercargill, at Niagara. He didn't have much to say about his experiences but one of our chaps knows his record, – which is pretty good – he was one of the chaps caught in France during the blitz but managed to escape after several days struggling along in peasant clothes. He knows most of the boys from Wanganui over there, including Alan Deere. Fingal, by the way, is on the shores of Lake
Erie, almost due south of London.

Amongst the crowd which arrived in on Monday, were about ½doz chaps who went through Weraroa with me 1st time – grounded pilots. The place is now lousy with them – about 40% of the total in camp started their careers as pilots. They have been cooling their heels at Ohakea for 2 or 3 months, so I guess I was lucky to get away as quickly as I did.

I was sorry to hear that Mr. Rhodes had passed away. If you see Eileen or Terry will you please convey my sympathy to them. I laughed at your description of the New Year's Eve Party, Mum, – I could just imagine I was there. I had rather a hectic time myself. Went to a party until about half past twelve, then went out of town to a Road-house. We sat talking & drinking until my 2 cobbers went to sleep on a couch & I was left to entertain their girl friends as well as my own. Time went on, & I did not pay much attention even when daylight began to show through the windows. After a while, the proprietor asked me if I had any idea of the time – I looked at my watch, & I'm damned if it wasn't half past nine in the morning. That's one of the drawbacks with Canada this time of the year – if you rely on dawn

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as a signal to wind up the party you are liable to be caught napping. You had better tell Dickie that one, & also that I have received his 2nd letter & will answer it at the 1st opportunity. I also received 1 from Jack Mc.Beth in the previous mail which I much appreciated & will answer as soon as possible. Will you thank him & tell him he can't write too often for my liking, even if I am a bit late in replying.

It is now 20 minutes to 9 & I will knock off & get to bed as I intend putting in a good day's swot tomorrow. I will eave this open until tomorrow in case Ray wishes to put in a line – he is in town at present with the rest of the flight – they intended seeing “Gone with the wind” which is showing at present.

Kind regards to Johnny G, Ron, & Jack's Mc. & O'B, O'Learys, Olive, Dickie, Bob Blyth & the rest of my friends. I trust that you are all well, & that your back is better, Mum.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric

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A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written from Fingal on Feb. 18th

Tuesday,

18th Feburary, [sic] 1941.

(Received March 3rd 1941)

Dear Family,

Just a line to let you know we are both O.K. We both managed to scrape through our exams at the last school & George did fairly well considering the time he spent in hospital with the measles; I have just read through this letter & find that George has given you most of the news. We have been in here 2 days now & are rapidly settling down. This is a far bigger station than our previous one. 3 Norwegians arrived yesterday & were drafted to our class & very nice chaps they are too. There is a crowd of Australian gunners due here shortly also, so you will see we are quite a cosmopolitan crew. We cheerio for the present & love to you all.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 13

Thursday, 10 p.m.
27th Feburary, [sic] 1941.
“Fingal”, Ontario, Canada

(Received April 1st 1941)

Dear Family,

I believe there is another air-mail leaving for “down under” next week, so I will start to-night from where I left off a month ago. Firstly, your cabled birthday greetings arrived on my birthday – great timing on somebody's part – also one from Eddie – the parcel containing your presents arrived a couple of days later in good order – I see you've learnt a new stitch for socks Mum – I haven't worn them as yet but they look as if they will wear for years. I thank you all very much for the greetings & presents. We have received no letters yet, so I guess they have been held up in Ottawa – there must have been 1 or 2 on the same boat as the parcels. I see by the Chronicle that the old pub has been burnt down – woe is me & lack-a-day. You had better tell George Lishman to knock another one together before I get home. I received another Chronicle to-day with the report of the crash in which Ken Haase was killed. Both Haase & Holmes were in the original flight – you will find their photographs in that autographed photo taken at Harewood. Haase was Stan's room-mate at Harewood, next door to Tom Leckie & I, & we were both very cut up to hear the news.

In my last letter if I remember rightly, I told you that we had another week to go at our last school. Well, a couple of nights before we left there, the Officers & Pilots put on a farewell dinner for us at a Road-house about 2mls. out of town, & a great show it was – one of the best dinners I have ever eaten, We were sorry to leave London, for, although it was a very tough course, the Officers & Pilots were the finest bunch I have ever run up against – The Instructors we had were far more efficient than any I had in N.Z., & you knew from the start where you stood with them. We have been on this station a week and a half now & although the work is fairly solid, the pace is a comfortable one compared with the previous course – mostly practical work. We started bombing a couple of days ago & believe me, it‘s the greatest sport on earth. When you release your 1st bomb it looks as if it is going to fall miles short of the target – but you hold your breath as it curls in toward the target & heave a sigh of relief as it falls within the danger area (there are farm houses all round the danger area.) I mentioned at the foot of Ray's letter a fortnight ago that we had 3 Norwegians in our flight
now – well on the 1st day's bombing the Lieutenant (they belong to the Norwegian Fleet-Air Arm) was the only 1 to score a direct hit – he has had a lot of experience however – he & the Sergeant both saw service in Norway against the Germans. The 3 of them can tell some very interesting stories, especially about the brutality of the Germans in Norway.

[underlined] Sundav, [sic] 7 p.m. [/underlined]

;Just back from tea – we expected to have a 36hr leave this week-end, but we were set down to fly this afternoon so that ruined things. However, we had a 1/2 day off yesterday, & went up to London, arriving back in camp about 2 a.m. this morning. We took 2 of our Norwegians up with us & showed them the sights. We ran into lots of chaps from our previous station, &

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they were saying that there is a chap named Webby amongst the crowd which arrived the other day – he is a red-headed chap & worked for Levin & Co in Wanganui – you may know him Dad, but I'm dashed if I can recall him.

The weather is still very mild according to the Canadian standards & we are finding it quite bearable in the station – we went for a short route march the other day however, and when we were out in the open away from the buildings etc. the wind can be mighty keen.

This is a very large station compared with our previous one but it is run just as efficiently. The food is very much the same & plenty of it. Talking about food, George, Stan & I had a real treat to-night – George took the can of peaches you sent him for Xmas, along with him when we went to tea & got 1 of the Cooks to open it for him. They were great, but I felt most uncomfortable eating them under the gaze of hundreds of envious eyes. Poor old Stan has fallen into the trap properly this time– he met a girl when we first arrived in London & has been going seriously with her ever since. They are to be married on the 15th of this month. I have not met her, but going by her photograph, she is a very pretty girl. Ralph Chaplin caught a dose of the “flu” about the 3rd day after we arrived at this camp & has been in hospital ever since – there is just a chance that he may have to stay back for the next course, which would be just too bad. I believe the flight I was with at Harewood will arrive in this country about the same time as we complete our training – it would be great if I was posted to the same squadron as some of them in England. I have a photo of Stan, Chappie & myself taken
recently – Ray is now busy writing you a letter which he is posting by the ordinary mail, so I will get him to enclose the photo together with a few others. Another of our chaps was married the other day – Ginger Small. I can see quite a few Canadian girls returning to N.Z. after the war as several of the other chaps are going seriously with girls.

This is entirely an Air Force station – all the pilots being service men – mostly Americans. One of the pilots called Cousins is married to a girl from Paraparaumu. I received a letter from Eddie the other day addressed directly to London, but there is still no signs of any other mail so – it looks as if it is being held up in Ottawa.

The barracks here are more comfortable than our previous station – we have a rail to hang our clothes on, also a couple of cupboards each. The water here contains a lot of sulphur & comes out of the tap black. Drinking water is brought 12mls, from the nearest town by lorry every day. The smell in the wash-room is very much like Rotorua, but we are getting used to it.

I will call it a day, so good-bye for the present. Lots or love to you all & kind regards to my friends

Your loving son/brother,

Eric

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A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written on March. 13th

(Received April 2nd 1941)

Dear Family,

I guess George outshines me in letter writing & he hasn't left me any news to tell you. I have received all your letters up to No. 12 now & also by the last mail 1 each from Olive, Mrs. Stewart (enclosing a snap taken of Mrs. O'Brien, herself, Blair & myself at the farewell) & Marjorie Glasgow. Will you please thank them for me. Stan’s wedding was' the prettiest I have yet attended – held in the High Church of England, London. His bride is very pretty. It is my turn to write next fortnight – I will probably have to write it on the train on the way to our next station, so good-bye & lots of love.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

[underlined] P.S. [/underlined] Please thank Aunty Aggie for her letter, & tell her I would be pleased to hear from her & Uncle Bill more often – as – for the name problem – well there are plenty of chaps in the service with queerer names than that. E.

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Letter 14

Tuesday, 1 p.m.
25th March, 1941.
“Fingal”, Ontario, Canada

(Received April 12th 1941)

Dear Family,

Another fortnight almost gone & as we will be shifting to Our new station out in the Wilde of Manitoba at the end of this week, for a course in Astral Navigation, I will commence this letter to-day, as I don't suppose a chap will get much of a chance in the train. We‘ve completed most of our work at this station & are just filling in time with odd lectures etc. while our records are being made up. Saturday is our big day – the day we have been working for since we entered Weraroa. On that day those who make the grade will be presented with their wings & Sergeant's stripes at a wing parade. Visitors are allowed & some or the boys have sent invitations to people who have befriended them in London – I wished you could all be here – I guess you do too.

I think I mentioned in Ray's letter last week that the Weather was very mild & spring-like – well it has been rather “iff-ish" since then with a few falls of snow, but the people assure us that it is the last kick of winter.

We had a 48hr leave last week-end & had a wonderful time, l3 of us including Ray, put together our toothbrushes etc. caught a taxi into St. Thomas (1lmls from this station) & boarded the New York Central for Windsor, a Canadian City just over the Detroit River from the city of Detroit. The train had left New York at 9 a.m, that morning (Friday) & we boarded it at 7-55 p.m. & were in Windsor by 10 p.m., a distance of l20mls non-stop (actually we did make 1 stop owing to brake trouble, but on the return journey we only took just over I 1/2 hrs.) The fare was 5 dollars 25 cents or about £1 return, at the present rate of exchange. The New York Central have 2 routes to Windsor & Detroit, one below Lake Erie on American soil & the other above the Lake in Canada – we took the Canadian route of course.

Ralph Chaplin had made arrangements with the Ford Motor Co of Canada, to see over their plant on Saturday, & on arrival at our Hotel (The Prince Edward – the same pub Ray stopped at on his previous visit to Windsor) we were met by a Ford representative to make arrangements for our visit to the Plant next morning. He turned out to be an American named Al Howard, who was in the Royal Flying Corps in the last war, & a very nice chap too. When we arrived he was drinking in the hotel tavern with 10 N.Z's. from Crumlin our previous station – so naturally, we pulled a few tables together, & had a party – the taverns in this province don't close down until mid-night. Arrangements were made for cars to call for our enlarged party (23) at 9-30 the next morning, Saturday. While we were drinking the radio was blaring forth a-running description of the fight between Joe Louis & Simon taking place only 1/2 ml away in Detroit. You can imagine how we felt being so near, & yet not being able to see the fight. Ray & a few of our young members went to bed early, but the majority of us hit the hay about 3 a.m. after taking Al home to make peace with his wife.

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Never-the-less, we were all up bright & early the next morning (force of habit with most of us) & were out at the Ford Works by 10 a.m; – about 4mls from the hotel. I think that was the most interesting morning most of us have ever spent. Like you, I had read of mass production & seen a few pictures – but to see the actual thing – well, it's colossal. Our guide informed us that to do the thing properly, one would require about 2 weeks – we did it in 2hrs. we saw cars in every stage – from the moment they leave the furnace as giant ladles of fiery molten steel until they are driven off the assembly line. The Works employ 12,000 men & we didn’t see a quarter of them, We asked the guide how they got on on [sic] pay day & he informed us that every day of the year was pay day for somebody – they couldn‘t possibly handle them all at – once. One moment we would be watching a machine turning out valves at the rate of about 6 per minute, & then walk around the corner into a mountain of thousands of crank cases. They were working 2 assembly lines, one on commercial jobs & the other on Army contracts. The quantity of stuff that is pouring off that line for the army would open anybody's eyes. After we had finished our tour the official photographer of the Ford Company took us out into the assembly yards & took a series of snaps. He singled out young Ray & took a photo of him examining a Bren gun carrier. He was the only one singled out for an individual photo & the boys were kidding him that he would be receiving offers from Hollywood by the Morning's
post.

At 12 o’clock the Ford cars collected us & took us along to their Head Office for dinner. We had a few minutes to spare & Al took us along the river to view the ambassador Bridge which is a mighty structure (or so the Yanks think – as it took 45 million dollars to construct) joining Windsor to Detroit – it is really a very fine bridge. Then back to the office for dinner. On arrival we were met by one of the Local Rags" & again lined up for photographs. They published one of them (myself & 2 other chaps, including Monty de Malmanche who knows the Dales, seriously examining an army truck) that night. I am posting one of the papers for your collection Mum. I have another copy which I will post in a few week's time so I hope one of them will reach you. Dinner was the next item, & a very good dinner too, served in the Executives Dining room. At the conclusion of the dinner a Mr. Milliken who I believe is a Director, made a very nice little speech. I had been speaking to him at the Works & he told me he was with the Company for 2 or 3 years in N.Z. & knows Eric Merewether fairly well. I
told him I would get Dad to give his regards to Eric Merewether next time he was in there. After dinner the Ford cars drove us back to the hotel thus bringing to a close a very enjoyable morning.

We filled in the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Department Stores making eyes at the girls. Al had arranged with the Y.W.C.A. to get some girls together for us that night for the weekly Y.W.C.A. Dance. They turned out to be very nice but rather on the young side, so Morrie Stephens & myself wandered off to see some of the night life of the town. We arrived home about 4 a;m. & turned in for a good night’s rest. Sunday, I slept in to 3 p.m. & had the best rest I’ve had since leaving N.Z. Had a hot bath when I got up the 1st for over a month, & I felt mightily refreshed.

Morrie, Ray & I then went for a walk. We cane to a tunnel which runs under the river to Detroit, so decided to take a bus over just for a lark; We got past the Canadian Customs Officers alright`& onto the bus over onto the American side. But that's as far as we got – the

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American Officials turned us back as aliens; & put us on a return bus. However we had the satisfaction of setting foot in Detroit.

We caught the train at 8p.m. & were back in St. Thomas by shortly after 9-30 p.m. In the smoking carriage Morrie, Ray & I were talking to an American Officer who told us he had been visting [sic] his brother in Detroit. He told us it was the last opportunity he would have, as they had been told that all leave in the American Army was to be cancelled after the lst [sic] April. 2 American sailors were playing an accordion down the other end of the carriage, so you see it was quite a cosmopolitan gathering.

While writing about photographs on the previous page, I remember that you had said you thought you could pick Ray & I in a couple of Canadian photographs published in N.Z. including One of a haka in front of a Bomber. Well I‘m sorry to disappoint you, but neither of us were in that, nor any other photograph that I know of being published in N.Z. I did have a photo taken, together with – 2 other chaps, with our C.O. at Crumlin examining a compass, but whether that has been published, I do not know. Still we didn‘t join the Air Force to be photographed, although I guess what pleasure you would get out of seeing us in a N.Z. paper.

[page break] Sunday, 31/3/41 6 p.m. [/underlined]

Well here we are at our new station – arrived in at 3 p.m. this afternoon & are starting right into work with lectures at 9 p.m. to-night. The crowd of Aussie Observers who came across with us in the boat have just landed here also – it is the 1st time we have seen them since parting with them in November. I mentioned last week on the other side of this page that this station is in the wilds of Manitoba – that was only hearsay, but the chap who told me was not exaggerating, we drove through 4mls of mud & slush from the nearest railway-station to get here & are right out in the middle of the prairie country – all you can see around the station is miles & miles of snow – not a single tree as far as the eye can see & the land as flat as a pancake. We left Fingal, our bombery & gunnery school at 5 p.m. on Saturday & have been travelling continuously up till 3 p.m to-day. On the way across to London in November we travelled hy [sic] Canadian, Pacific Railway, but this time we travelled by Canadian National so, although we were really going hack on our tracks, we were seeing new country – not that it differs at all this time of the year – just miles & miles of stunted trees & snow.

Well, our big day on Saturday passed off alright, & we are now all Sergeants with our wings up. I managed to come 6th in the course & 2nd in our flight without overworking myself. There was a newspaper reporter at the ceremony who corresponds with Young the publisher of the "Wanganui Chronicle.” He had quite a yarn with Percy Ross, Ray & myself, & took a snap of Ray & I with our wings on. On the train we met an Army Officer who has an uncle in Wanganui – Wickie, a contractor in Argyle Street – I can't place him but Dad may know him. The Officer himself had spent several years in N.Z. as a chemist with the N.Z. Dairy Co. Ray was talking to a steward on the train who knew Wanganui well. He used to be with the Shaw Savill Co. He had the impertinence to ask Ray if the little tin-pot railway was still running between Castlecliff & Wanganui.

We received a N.Z. mail just before leaving Fingal including your letters No 13 & 14 Mum, one from Joan & several newspapers, including several Auckland Weeklies from Alf Dickinson. Will you please thank him when you see him.

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Well it is getting near lecture time, so I will close “this off now as I want to catch the air-mail leaving at the end of next week. You mentioned in your letter dated 25th February Mum, that you had received no letters from us for 5 weeks. I can’t understand that, as ever since you mentioned in a letter which we received just after Xmas, that you were finding it a long while to wait between letters posted by ordinary mail, Ray and I have been taking it in turns to write an air-mail letter each fortnight. I hope you have received some of them by now. By the way I noticed Mum, that you write to both Ray & I each week-end. It must mean a lot of work for you & we appreciate it very much, but if you wrote to Ray one week & me the next we would get the news just the same, as we each read the other‘s letters.

From now on I guess we will be receiving your letters fairly irregularly, as we have only a few weeks now before going over-seas – to which part of the world of course, we don't know. However, keep on addressing your letters to the same address until we let you know otherwise. Love to you all & kind regards to my friends.

Please thank Maggie O‘Leary for her present.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written from “Rivers” Manitoba, on Wednesday, April 4th

(Received May 1st 941)

Dear Family,

As George says there is not much news to relate since I wrote air-mail the week-end before last, as I have not been off the station since we arrived, and of course there is nothing doing around here with the exception of our studies.

The thaw has set in now & the weather has been quite mild for over a week now we have not been able to see the sky – just a complete blanket of cloud at about l500ft. This has of-course interfered with our flying & stopped us from taking sextant readings and it looks now as if our course will have to be extended at least a week.

By the way, there is a Sergeant Eric Lloyd amongst the Australians here – he came over on the same boat as us from N.Z. but I did not find out until last week.

We were told to-day that about one-third of us may be picked out to fly the Atlantic as navigators in the big American Planes which are going over for the R.A.F. We are all out now to be among the lucky ones.

You have made no mention of receiving air-mail letters from us. About 2 or 3 weeks ago Ray & I started writing air-mail every fortnight & have kept it up (Ray one fortnight & I the next) there must be some delay somewhere.

I received a letter from Alf Dickinson to-day with an invitation to his wedding, besides the letter from Joan. Well it's “lights out” so cheerio & love to all.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 15

Sunday, 9 p.m.
20th April, 1941.
“Rivers”, Manitoba, Canada

(Received May 1st 1941)

Dear Family,

My turn to write this fortnight, so I had better get to it as the air-mail closes this week.

In Ray's letter the week before last, he mentioned that we had a 48hr leave. Well we went into Winnipeg, which is about 3hrs by train from here, & booked in at the “Fort Garry” hotel for the 2 nights – you will probably be seeing some of their stationary when Ray next writes by ordinary mail – he generally leaves a hotel with more than he goes in with. He had one of their towels packed in his bag when the time came to leave, but as I could not get my pyjamas in his case he was forced to leave the towel behind. We both went to the pictures the first night, posting Ray's air-mail letter on the way. The next afternoon a sergeant of the Cameron Highlanders (Canadian Regiment) took some of us out to their mess at Fort Osborne 2 or 3 miles out of town, where we sampled their beer & had a game of billiards. We had a bit of a party at the hotel that night and caught the train back to camp at 10 o'clock the next morning. We met several N.Z. Gunners in Winnipeg, including 2 chaps from Wanganui; whose names I have forgotten.

We received Jack‘s cables the day before yesterday & were both relieved & pleased to hear the news as we had been thinking about Nola since you mentioned in a letter sometime ago; Mum, that it would be about April. Ray is a mighty proud Uncle, believe me, and is greatly tickled over the name, Rae. I hope you don‘t spoil it "Blossom", by pinning another name on her, and don't let Jack pamper her, or Grand-ma or Grand-dad Lloyd, for that matter or Aunty Joan. Ray sent off a cable the night before last in reply to Jack’s. Thanks for sending the 2, Jack – I guess you thought that we may have been separated before now – however, we are still together, and will be, I should think, until we reach, England. By the way, you had better address all letters from now on to the English address, I suppose we will be getting your mail very erratically from now on.

Ray received a letter from Alan Dale the other day, posted from Nova Scotia about the 6th of April. They were evidently waiting for a convoy to take them across the Atlantic. Alan did not know we were still in Canada until he read in a paper about the graduation ceremony at Fingal & read the bit about the Lloyd Bros. from Wanganui. He wrote us care of Ottawa then, but it was a fortnight reaching us, so it was too late to try and get in contact with him. I believe another crowd of N.Z’s went through the town 5mls from here by train yesterday on their way over to the other coast (east-coast). I hope that means there is some more of your mail on the way, but I guess it will be over a week before we get it, as it will have to go to Ottawa first, & then 3 more days to get back here. While on the subject of mail, Jack, I would

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appreciate a note occasionally, with some news about Billy and the rest of the chaps on the C.R.C. & N.Z.R. – also, how the little Ford is running – I guess you will get time in between Pacing the floor with Rae.

We are a very mixed crowd on this station at present – R.C.A.F., R;A.A.F, R.A.F. & R.N.Z.A.F. (we said good-bye to our Norwegian friends when we left the last station. The English boys arrived in about a week ago. The place is literally lousy with Sergeants. We get 120 dollars a month now that we have our stripes, which is pretty good considering we have no clothes to buy and are fed (after a fashion – the tucker is pretty rough here – it would take us about 6 weeks to get into training to eat one of your roast dinners now; Mum.) However, the money is well earnt – I thought that I worked hard for my £6/10/0 with the C.R.C., but that-was an old man's home compared with this Job. The work, however is still interesting, especially the astral navigation. Next time you look up at the brighter stars, imagine a line joining you to the star, then another line from the star down to us – Ray or I will probably be on the end of the 2nd line looking up at the star with a sextant & swearing like hell because the pilot won't keep the plane steady.

Well, it is getting on to "lights out“ now. I am sorry there is no more news, but if you could see the desolate spot we are planted in at present you would understand – in a few week's time, however, we should have plenty of news.

It has been a great experience spending 6 months in this country & if we get any final leave and see something of Quebec & Montreal we can say we have seen more of the country than the average tourist. The people have been decent to us everywhere, and I hope the New Zealanders treat any Canadians that should happen to arrive down there in the same way that they have treated us.

Next time you speak to Johnnie Glasgow, tell him I am still awaiting a letter from him. Please give my kind regards to Billy and the rest of the boys, Jack

Lots of love to you all.

Your loving son, brother, uncle,

Eric.

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A note enclosed with a letter of Rays written in Halifax, on Friday, May 9th

(Received May 19th 1941)

Dear Family,

I expect this will be the last letter I shall be writing you from Canada as we are now on final leave. We left our station out in Manitoba last Thursday and arrived in Montreal on Saturday morning where we spent 3 days. Saturday mas a beautiful spring morning, so after booking in at a hotel (the same hotel as the Queen & King stayed in while over here a few years ago) 3of us hired an old diamond cab which was drawn up on the ranks and made a 3hr trip around the town & up the "mount.” It was quite a change after the noisy, stuffy, train journey – jogging along behind the old horse with the cabby pointing out the various buildings & landmarks to us. Montreal is the most beautiful city I have yet seen and has many fine buildings – of-course, the green grass & tree breaking into-bud, made it more beautiful. The old cabby was saying that there were about 60 horse drawn cabs left in Montreal, so you can see it is quite an old world city. We got back into town about mid-day, had some lunch and then hired a taxi for a couple of hours to do some more sight-seeing. The 1st place we went to was the Wax-works, the best on the American continent. The figures & roups were of a religious nature, and you cannot realise how life-like they were – you could almost imagine them moving at times. We finished up the day by driving around the waterfront and the beautiful churches, with which the city is crowded. After tea & a rest we went out to see the night-life of the city – which, as usual, took us until daylight. Seeing that we had done the sights of the city the previous day, we felt justified in staying in bed all day Sunday, or what was left of it. That
night we went to the pictures and from there went on to see some more night life, including China-town, where we had a chicken chop-suey. I forget what it cost, about a dollar per head, I think, but it was the biggest feed I have ever tackled. That was another day-light session before it finished up, which meant we spent Monday in bed but as it rained all day, we would not have been able to do much. Monday night we made good resolutions to go down town, have some dinner, and get back to bed early. However, we ran into Andy, Laurie and the other boys who were grounded at Gremlin, & of course that meant another party. Andy & the others are training in Montreal as wireless air-gunnners [sic], and we were very pleased to see each other. As our train left at mid-day on Tuesday, we decided it wasn’t worth while going to bed, so decided to carry on until train time. As you can guess, we were very pleased to get to bed when we did get on the train for our 30hr journey to our present station. By the way, the “we" mentioned from the cab episode, downwards, was "Snifter”, Bill Fraser & myself (just in case you were thinking that I was leading young Ray astray.) We had some photos taken in the cab at the top of the “Mount”, which I will post to you if they come out O.K.

Ray & I mentioned in our last letter that we were both Sergeants, but since then I have received notice that I have been promoted to Pilot-Officer, so it looks as if Ray & I will be parted soon. Do not worry, however, as he can well look after himself and is no longer the baby he was when he left home. I have asked “Snifter" to keep an eye on him for me. It will be funny Ray having to Salute me when we meet, eh!

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It is raining very heavily here to-day, and we are sitting around in the barracks – some reading – some writing and some just talking.

Last night 3 Fijians landed in here out of the blue – no one seemed to know anything about them – apparently they joined up as pilots and were shipped over here for training. One of them turned out to be Dovi who went to school with Ray. Takarangi from Wanganui is also in here.

Ray is just about to go down town, so I will wind this off in order to catch the post.

Love to you all and I hope you are all in the best of health, including, of-course, Nola & Rae.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 16

Sunday, 7 p.m.
11th May, 1941
Halifax, Canada

(Received June 10th 1941)

Dear Mother,

To-day is Mother‘s Day and I thought I would write you a short note, for although Ray & I have written every alternate fortnight by air-mail since February I know, for my part at any-rate, the letters have been joint letters to the family – which is a very lazy way of doing things, especially when you find time to write to each of us every Sunday night. Now our training is completed, I hope to find more time to write to you all – my next one must be for Joan who, next to yon, has been most regular with her letters.

Ray posted the usual air-mail letter the day before yesterday and we gave you all the news in that, but judging from your letters, the air-mail is that erratic that there is a chance this will reach you first, so it may not be wasted time if I repeat a bit of the news.

We are at present at an embarkation port awaiting transport to – well we don't know where – the best I can do is to let you know by cable immediately we arrive at our destination. I am sorry I cannot tell you more about the place where we are staying but the censorship is very strict in this part of the world, which; of-course, is in our own interests, as well as in those of our nation.

We had 3 days in Montreal on the way over here and it is the prettiest city I have yet seen with its fine old buildings . Some of the boys stayed at Ottawa and some at Quebec, both of which they say are fine cities, although it is not much use visiting Quebec unless you can speak French. Altogether, we can we have seen Canada from coast to coast more thoroughly than the average tourist, and I think our class & the two who came after us were very lucky being stationed in the eastern part of Canada for a start, as all the later classes have been stationed out west where there is not so much to see.

We had a Church Parade this morning, marching down town & then breaking up & each denomination going to its own Church. I have been attending the Church of England since joining the Air-Force, & the service this morning was quite good – the sermon was a special one for Mother's Day based on the story of the virgin Mary. It was my first appearance in public as an Officer, & it felt very strange sitting on one side of the Church amongst the Officers, while the remainder of our boys sat across the other side. 12 of our chaps, including myself, received commissions. Although Percy Ross did not get one, I believe he is next on the list When the next batch are granted – he only missed by 1%. Ray is fairly well down the

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list, I‘m afraid, as he has spent most of his time during lectures either writing letters, reading letters or sleeping. However, if he puts up a good show over the other-side you will probably have 2 Officers in the family before long.

I have been sewing all afternoon. We do not get our Officer‘s Uniforms until a few weeks after we get to England, so the 12 of us went down town to get some blue braid to sew round the Sleeves of our present uniforms. By the time I get home I will be able to take all the sewing off Joan's & your hand – you would not believe the improvement in my handiwork since that 1st effort at Weraroa – I can also darn a very pretty sock.

We received your parcels the day before we left Manitoba for this place – very well timed on your part, for if they had been a day later they would probably have been chasing us round for months The cake & shortbread were delicious & in fine condition – the bottom of the shortbread tin had been sprung a bit, but it must have happened only a day or two before on the journey across Canada, The ”Greys” Tobacco – well I can't say any more than they do in the advertisement – it was “great.” I an [sic] hoarding it up and still have over ½ a tin left. R.A.F. chaps who I have been talking to tell me it is very hard to get cigarettes, tobacco & razor blades in England. The socks, as always, were welcome – I should judge by the knitting & letters we have received from you since we landed in this country that you spend most of your leisure time working for we 2 scamps – please don't overdo it Mum, as much as we appreciate it. The boracic powder, sad to say, had come adrift in the parcel, but I managed to salvage most of it – it is strange that you should have sent it & that it arrived just at that time, for the week previous to it arriving I had been suffering from sore eyes, due to eye-strain through consulting closely printed tables of figures for the previous 3 weeks.

Well, Mother dear, I will say good-night & good-bye for the present. Don’t worry about us & keep smiling – I know you would not have had us stay at home while other Mother's sons fought our battles for us. God bless you for all you have done for us in the past.

Your loving son,

Eric. XXX

[underlined] P.S. [/underlined] Am enclosing one of my Sergeant’s Stripes for a souvenir

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Letter 17

Sunday, 7 p.m.
25th May, 1941.
Halifax, Canada

(Received June 21st 1941)

Dear Family,

I suppose Mum & Joan are just off to Church, or have you given up Church on Sunday night in order to write to us. I went to the local Church of England again this morning – thrice in 3 weeks – pretty good eh, still, one has to set an example to the men – ahem!

I am still at the same place as when I wrote last ( I posted you a letter by ordinary mail on Mother‘s day, Mum, which you should get about the same time as this.) Since then however, Ray & the rest of the Sergeants have left on the Atlantic crossing. He is going to cable you on landing, Which may be anything upt to 3 weeks from now. They only take a percentage of officers over on each draft owing to lack of suitable accommodation, so we have the prospect of spending another 2 or 3 weeks in this dump.

A couple of hours after Ray & the others had left a batch of N.Z. sergeant-pilots & wireless operators direct from N.Z., arrived here. They came over in the same boat as we did. among them was Hugh Millward from Wanganui who was out at our send-off that night in Fordell – he went into camp 3 days after we left N.Z. – it is funny that he should catch up to us after all theat [sic] time, is it not? Another chap I know well, is Noel Carroll who played for Wanganui & Old Boys – will you tell Jack O'B. & Bob Blythe when you see them. Some of the Sergeant-Pilots were at Weraroa in October with us. They had 5 weeks final leave in N.Z. – lucky dogs! Ralph Chaplin's brother-in-law was amongst the Pilot-Officeers [sic] who came over with them – he is very unlucky missing Ralph by 2hrs, eh?

By the way, I think I mentioned that 12 of us had received commissions, without mentioning any names – well the only ones you would know by name are Basil Openshaw from Marton, Michael Von Dadelszen & Monty de Malmanche (the boy in the Ford photo who Joan took a fancy to – but then, if I remember rightly, you also fell for Michael, “Jum”, in that photo I sent from Cumlin – you are not a bad picker, at any rate) The other boy in the Ford photo also received his commission – Bob Birnie. My Australian name-sake, Eric Lloyd, got one also, so we now have 2 Pilot Officers Eric Lloyd running around the camp – he is a very nice chap, but he couldn't be anything else with a name like that, could he – could he? I must get a photos of the two of us together for your “book.”

We received a N.Z. Mail yesterday – Mum's numbered 19, 20 & 21, Joan's dated 17/4/41, one from Bob Blythe, one from Eddie & one from Marjorie Glasgow. I have received all yours

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now Mum, 1-21, which is pretty good, eh. I wrote to Bob Blythe by ordinary mail over a month ago, so will you ring him, Jack, and tell him I have received his letter & will answer it as soon as possible – also give him the news about Noel Carroll. I must write to Marjorie as I have now received 3 from her without answering – I am most annoyed about Johnny, however, as I have not received a reply to the letter I wrote him in December. Will you please thank Eddie for his 2 letters and the cable he sent me on my birthday – tell him that I had not forgotten the R.C.A.F. brooch he asked me to obtain for his “young lady” in his 1st letter, but judging from our letter I deemed it no longer necessary. However, if he has any more affairs in view, I will do my best to execute his commands if only to prolong the ”young lady's” interest for a week or so. Poor old Ted! Please thank Aunty Aggie for her note and send Uncle Bill my wishes for his speedy recovery. Ray's mail arrived here also, so I opened his 2 from home and extracted the news. I am re-addressing them, together with 9 others that arrived for him from his friends and am posting them tonight together with 3 Auckland Weeklies & Free Lances which arrived for him. By the way, I have been receiving your Free Lances & Auckland Weeklies O.K. & extract a great amount of reading from them. Alf Dickinson & Bill Green have been sending me Auckland weeklies fairly regularly too. Will you please get Bill Green's address from Ron as I must write and thank him.

Monday,

This is the first camp we have been in where we can use trams to get into the town – we have only to walk a few hundred yards along the road to catch them – one can go all over town for 10 cents. This is not a flying school of-course, just an embarkation station. There is a navel depot about a hundred yards from us-this has been the Navy's town for years, & we don't get much of a look in with the girls; For every man in civilian clothes down town, you will see 3 in uniform. The climate here is terrible – owing to the nearby Gulf Stream. One morning it will be beautifully fine & within an hour a cold, damp fog will drift in, giving away to cold rain later in the day. So it goes on from day to day, some-times fine in the afternoon & miserable in the morning. Lobsters are the main diet in town – you can get them for a dollar a dozen a mile or so out of town – does that make your mouth water Dad?

I am now drawing 6 dollars 25 cents a day – or about £2 (N.Z.) at the present rate of exchange – if this war keeps up for another 6 years a chap will be able to retire. I have been buying a lot of stuff which the R.A.F. Chaps tell us is hard & expensive to procure in England – such as shirts, socks (black), razor blades, tooth-paste, shaving cream & soap. I bought myself a cabin trunk for 20 dollars the other day – in fact most of the Officers have now bought one. It is a very strong & neat affair standing about 3ft 6ins high & about 1ft 3ins deep. It opens out into halves (on hinges of-course) & stands on its end. One half is for hanging coats etc, on the 4 coat-hangers provided – the other half consists of one small drawer, 2 medium drawers & one large drawer. The small drawer just contains my odds & ends nicely, 1 medium drawer for handkerchiefs & socks – the other for summer underwear, tennis shirts, pullovers etc. – the large drawer is just built for shirts, underwear, pyjamas etc. Altogether it is a most successful job. The cheap job I bought from Ross & Glendining, is a total wreck – first a strap came off & then both hinges busted, on the trip across here I had it tied together with string, Ray had the same experience with his & bought a stronger one before leaving here. When we get to
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England I will be drawing only about ½ the amount I am here, as the R.C.A.F., is I believe, the highest paid force in the world.

I had a game of golf the other day – my 1st in Canada – it is a summer game here. It cost me 50 cents for 18 holes (green fees) 50 cents for clubs, & 75 cents for 3 balls (only 1 of which I lost.) It was a very good course all fairways being cut – & I, enjoyed it immensely. The Course is on the tram route about 10mins. from here & we are going to have some more this week. The fees mentioned above are special fees for the "Services", & are quite reasonable don’t you think?

I am writing this in pencil as I have lost the fountain pen which the Firm gave me –.a pity because it was a good pen.

There were some Pilot-Officers from the Argentine in here when we first arrived – among them was a chap named Wheeler from Marton, who had been farming in the Argentine for several years – I believe his father has a farm near Marton – you may know him Dad.

I have been to several pictures lately. You must not miss "Tobacco Road" when it arrives down there. An American Pilot-Officer from Virginia was telling me it is very true to life, as his wife has a place down there, & it actually costs them money to keep their tenants from starving. He went home on leave a couple of weeks ago in uniform (being an American citizen) & attended a Hunt Club meeting at which President Roosevelt was present – according to him he got a bigger write-up than the President – a handsome young R.A.F. Officer in his neat blue uniform – he is a typical Yank but not a bad sort of a chap for all that.

Well it is getting on for lunch time so I will say cheerio for the present.

Your loving son/brother/uncle,

Eric.

[underlined] 27/5/41 [/underlined]. Have just received Mrs. Dickinson‘s parcel containing 2 pair of socks – 1 for Ray & 1 for me – will you please thank her very much & tell her they arrived in 1st class order.

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Letter 18

Thursday
19th June, 1941.
“Somewhere on the Atlantic.”

(Received September 6th 1941)

Dear Family,

Well, we have been at sea for over a week, now, & are still going strong. After writing my last air-mail to you, we spent about another fortnight at the place from where that was written, awaiting our turn for a ship. We were pretty sick of the show towards the end, although we had another 2 games of golf before leaving. we spent our last 2 or 3 days doing further shopping. Some of the chaps got very enthusiastic, buying up cheese, honey; tea, sugar; tinned butter, tinned lobster, silk stockings – in fact, everything they heard there was a shortage of in England. Michael Von Dadelszen was even talking at one Stage of buying a sack of onions, but whether he did or not I do not know, as he is 1 of the 4 who are not on board this ship. I contented myself with buying a torch & a dozen batteries, a couple of dozen cakes of soap, a dozen packets of razor blades, 5 pairs of black socks, 3 blue shirts & other odds & ends. I also bought a small week-end bag (besides the cabin trunk which I mentioned in my last letter.) It is a brown canvas affair with a zip fastener along the top, & it is surprising the amount of gear one can get into it – in fact, I managed to get all the gear I will require on the voyage into it. The day before we left camp the Air-Gunners who came over in November with us arrived, including the Maori Boys from Rotorua who introduced “Good-by [sic] to Old New Zealand” to Weraroa – the 1st time we have seen any of them since saying good-bye to them in November.

When we finally got our sailing orders we found that 4 of the boys had to be left behind, as our ship could only accommodate 8 – furthermore, yours truly was appointed C.O. For the trip. However, grand as the title sounds, it does not involve much work – merely arranging hotel accommodation & reporting to embarkation officers at various points, from each of whom by the way, I received various official-looking documents until now I have quite an imposing array – I lose sleep at night worrying about them – worrying about how I am going to carry them when I get ashore. We did not sail from – the port where we had been for the past month, but had to entrail back to the place where we spent 3 days leave on the way over from Rivers – you remember I had a ride in a horse & cab, as I described to you about 3 letters ago – let us call the place “X” for the sake of arguing (I have just re-read the above paragraph & it sounds very involved – it only needs Gillie Potter to round it off with “Do you mean to say you have brought me here for the sake of arguing” – still if you read it through slowly 7 or 8 times I think you will make sense out of it.) We were a bit mad at first at having to spend 24hrs. in the train, as we had imagined we were through with railways as far as Canada was concerned. On arrival at “X” at 8 a.m. Next morning, we found that the boat was

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not ready for us until the next morning, so I had to engage rooms at a “pub” across from the station – not the same one as I booked in at last time & at the expense of the R.C.A.F of-course this time. We spent the rest of the morning hanging around at the accounting office waiting for the advance of £10 in good English pounds – the 1st pound notes we had handled for over 6 months. 4 of the chaps went golfing at one of the oldest & best clubs in Canada that afternoon, but the rest of us had a quiet nap.

We were up & about early next morning, & on going down to breakfast found that a large number of American fighter-pilots had booked in during the night – they were on their way over to join the American Eagle Squadron. By 9 a.m. We were aboard our ship & found her a trim little Norwegian cargo boat with accommodation for 8 passengers. By 11-30 a.m. We had cast off & were on our way down the mighty St. Lawrence. It is indeed a great river, & in spite of the extra train trip, we were all pleased to have had the experience. Canada was at it's best, & the banks were clothed in various tints of green, with every 2mls. Of so, a white church steeple sticking out above the trees. I do not think I am exaggerating when I say we must have passed well over a hundred Churches during our 2 day journey down the river. From the 3rd day onwards, although we were still in the gulf of St. Lawrence, we might just as well have been in mid-ocean for all we could see of the land – so vast is it. When we eventually left Canada 3 or 4 days later there were only a few ships with us, but since then we have grown somewhat until to-day we make 1 of a huge convoy – the biggest our Norwegian Captain has seen – if you multiply Jack's age by 3 you won't be far out. We are well protected by the good old Navy too.

We have decided that, despite the song, the Atlantic is more terrific than the Pacific. The 2nd day out we ran into rough weather which continued on into the next day. Though the crew disdained to call it a storm, it was the roughest we have struck to date during our travels & caused us a lot of inconvenience, especially during meals. Then we had a couple of days calm, but to-day it is as bad as ever again & we we [sic] are pitching & tossing all over the show. It has been getting steadily colder since we set out, & I am at present wearing my winter under-wear, blue shirt, 1 pullover & polo neck over that, plus my flying boots. We expect to see the north pole at any moment. (Joke?)

Our ship, despite her size (only one-sixth the size of the boat we left N.Z. in) is a trim little craft, & very comfortable. She is a diesel job built in Sweden not many years ago. The crew are all Norwegians most of whom speak good English. Their families are still in Norway & they get very little news from them. They are a great people – quiet & courageous and, I should think, our best active ally to date. The food is the best we have had since leaving N.Z. – the cook is a wizard. Unfortunately, or fortunately I suppose you would say, there is only Canadian beer aboard. I have had only 2 pint bottles since coming aboard a fortnight ago – I'm afraid Canada has ruined my taste forever.

Mum & Joan are going to have a very easy time when we get home – I think I told you several months ago that I could darn a very pretty sock – well I am now an accomplished laundryman into the bargain. The last week we were in Canada, we knew we would be

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leaving at a moments notice, so we could not send our laundry to the chinaman [sic]. I set to one afternoon and did my washing – a pretty big wash, too, Mrs. Lloyd, if I may say so. Unfortunately, some-thing seemed to go wrong with that 1st pair of socks you knitted me, unless some-one swapped when my back was turned, for they came out half the size they went in – and talking about backs, I couldn't straighten mine for a week after, more or less. However, I borrowed an iron next day, and was very proud of my handiwork, I had another wash-day a couple of days ago and everything Went off smoothly (I had decided from my previous experience that rinsing socks in cold water did not improve them.)

[underlined] Tuesday, 24th.[/underlined]

Still at sea and above water. The weather has improved a great deal since the 19th and the sea is quite calm this morning. although there is a heavy fog. The convoy is still intact although we have been dogged by submarines for the last 3 days. Last night was comparatively quiet, but the previous 2 nights we were on the alert all night, as the destroyers accompanying us had heard subs. below the surface during the day, and we were pounding away at them with depth charges day & night. We were quite excited when we received the 1st alarm, but since then it has got a bit monotonous, and we sleep soundly despite the depth charges rocking the Ship (fully clothed though, ready to scramble out at a seconds notice). Yesterday a Sunderland flying-boat of the Coastal Command was hovering around us all day and bagged a sub. while we were having supper, so we missed the fun.

[underlined] Wednesday, 25th. [/underlined]

Well if all goes well, we should see the coast of England this afternoon sometime. Had another quiet night last night although there was a sub. hovering around us about 7 p.m. – he evidently thought discretion was the better part of valour, however, and ducked off to hound down some easier meat. The last few nights we have been very close to the land of the mid-night sun. We could not see the sun in the sky all night, but it travels around just below the horizon & the result is night-long twilight.

We are expecting Hun bombers at any time now, but I'm afraid they are in for a bit of a surprise as the Navy has a treat up its sleeve for them – a new idea, as far as I know.

We have now heard that this is the biggest convoy ever to cross the Atlantic. It will be to the credit of the Navy if they all make port safely, for even in peace time, I should says it would be doubtful if such a large number of Ships could make the crossing without incident.

Some of our crew have been torpedoed at least once – some of them twice. They treat it quite casually as all in a day's work. One chap was on a 10,000 ton Norwegian cargo boat several months ago when she got in the way of a torpedo. Her cargo was comprised of scrap iron & naturally she went down like a stone – he reckoned 20 seconds. In the next breath he was telling us the trouble he had in getting his English wife to take shelter during the bomb raids when he was on leave. “Me“, he said, "I run like the devil when I hear the planes". It’s a funny world isn't it?

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While we were anchored in Canada awaiting the convoy, a small Norwegian fishing smack came along-side to have a pow-wow with their cobbers aboard this ship. It appeared very little bigger than a decent sized bath-tub along-side us, yet 25 people made their escape from Norway in it & made the voyage across the North Atlantic to Iceland. We were told there are 800 such boats now in Iceland – what a people eh?

Since leaving home in November we have covered approximately 35;000mls. This includes 9,000 by rail in Canada, & 15,000 in the air & the present voyage – & we are still not there.

[underlined] Saturday, 25th. [/underlined]

Just running down the coast of Ireland & should be in port about 3 p.m. so it looks as if we will get a glass of good English beer before the pubs close. I will send you a cable as soon as I get ashore.

There is nothing much to report since Wednesday. The Captain invited myself & one of the other chaps into his cabin the night before last & we had quite an interesting hour or so. He was greatly relieved to have got so far without incident – he is a fairly old man & I think he finds the strain a bit trying.

Just before leaving Canada, I received another of your letters Mum, in addition to the 3 I mentioned in my last letter. You were saying Dad’s sister had written to Ray & I, but we did not see it. Has Dad finished his letter to Uncle Harold?

Well, I will close now so that I can post this as soon as I get ashore.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

[underlined] P.S. [/underlined] How is my little niece getting along?

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Letter 19

Friday
4th July, 1941.
Bournemouth

(Received August 2nd 1941)

Dear Family,

I posted a letter to you last Saturday upon landing in this country. I posted it by ordinary mail as we had heard that Air-mail cost 10/6 per 1/2oz., but we have since learned that it is only 4/6, so I think I had better drop you another line in case the other takes some time in reaching you. I also sent you a cable last Saturday which I hope reached you fairly promptly.

We landed at a west coast port & saw our 1st evidence of bomb raids & experienced our 1st air-raid alarm within an hour of landing – however, nothing eventuated. We landed about 5 p.m. & caught a train for London at mid-night arriving in the metropolis about 7 a.m. Sunday morning. We were whisked across London by bus to another station where we had breakfast & then caught a train for this town.

We arrived here about mid-day & found we were to be Stationed at a large Hotel in this town. It is quite good as far as “pubs” go & the food, although meagre, is good. It is very nice having tea at 4-30 – that is one thing we missed badly in Canada. Dinner is at 7-30, so by the time we have had our meal & walked it off it is time for bed.

Since arriving here we have struck wonderful weather, the people here say it is a heat-wave but it suits us down to the ground.

This town is the most beautiful I have seen including Montreal. I don't know if you have seen it in the summer Dad, but it beggars description – beautiful scenery in every street, & the majority of the houses very pretty & clean with well kept gardens & lawns. The number of hotels, public & private, is astonishing. We have done nothing but walk since we arrived (i.e. in our spare time) with something new to see each day. We like the beer very much – better than the N.Z. beer – maybe it is the heat.

Last night we set out to see the house where Robert Louis Stevenson once lived where he wrote amongst other books, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”. The house was damaged during a raid several months ago, & while we were looking at it a lady asked us in to see her garden at the house next door. She introduced us to her father aged 76, by the name of Halcombe. His Uncle went out to N.Z. as a boy & gave his name to the town of Halcombe. He was a most

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amazing old chap – the bomb which damaged Stevenson‘s house had also wrecked their home & thrown him out of bed and across the room to land on his face. What annoyed him most however, was the damage to his beloved garden, representing 20 years of hard toil. The house is now repaired & the garden is once more a thing of beauty, with terrace steps leading down into a wooded gully with ferns growing in among the trees. To watch him pottering around the garden absorbed in his work, made it hard to realise there is a war on at all.

To-day, we went by bus (double-decker) to Salsbury to view the Cathedral. The scenery en-route had a charm or its own, very similar to back-country N.Z. in the spring. However, the manner in which the meadows seemed to merge into the streams without any definite bank as we see at home, lent the country-side more charm than the N.Z. Streams do to our landscapes. The journey to Salsbury took 2hrs & we lunched at the “Crown Hotel" (soup, fish & chips, treacle tart 3/-) after 2 or 3 brown ales in the lounge. After lunch we paid our visit to the Cathedral, only 2 or 3 minutes walk from the Hotel.

This was my 1st view of English History in the stone, so to speak, & after ½ an hour I came away filled with awe. The Cathedral was built in the 13th century in the early Gothic style, & from the outside presents an imposing & weather-beaten sight. On entering the Cathedral history immediately begins to unfold for you. On the floor are tombstones let into the floor, some of the inscriptions so worn by time & the passing of countless, feet so to be indecipherable. Down the centre of the Cathedral are tombs with raised effigies on top. One was that of a chap who been present at the signing of the Magna Carta, another contained the remains of a warrior who had fought in the Battle of Crecy – yet another memorial was to a warrior slain during the Crusades. Standing there within the old oak doors something of the solidarity of the ancient Kingdom dawned on one – after my experience to-day, I Should say, that to anyone who has stood in such a building, the song “There’ll always be an England" could never sound a more patriotic jingle.

From Salsbury we caught another bus out to Stonehenge to view that mysterious group of pre-historic masonry. As a mere sight it is not one of the 7 wonders, but never-the-less it is fascinating, & terminated our backward tour through history – N.Z., Honolulu, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec, London, Salsbury Cathedral & Stonehenge. We arrived back here at 9 p.m. Just in time for dinner. It is now 11 p.m. & still fairly light.

Yesterday lunch-time a N.Z. pilot who had just arrived in that morning, came & sat next to me at lunch. We started a conversation, & it transpired that his name was Hunt & that he came from Wanganui (brother of Brenda Hunt, Tech. Old Girl's Association who Joan may know.) When I made my name known he said "Well what a coincidence, the day I sailed from N.Z. a bar-man (Ted Robertson) in an Auckland Hotel asked me if ever I ran into you or your brother to make myself known". He was working in the Tesla studio when Ray & I had our photos taken.

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Well, I guess I will turn in now, although I doubt if we will get much sleep to-night as the Yankee Pilots we met in Canada the day we sailed, on their way over to join the Eagle Squadron, have arrived here, & have gone down town to celebrate Independence Day – the day America broke away from England, according to history, but it doesn‘t seem to mean much these days. No wonder poor old Jerry can't understand us.

[underlined] Sunday, [/underlined]

The Weather is still beautifully fine & a little cooler than it was at the beginning of the week. Yesterday morning a few us went along to Austin Reed‘s local shop and had them measure us for a uniform. We received an allowance of £45 to cover our outfit, & believe me you need every penny of it. However, as I bought shirts & socks in Canada, I should be able to manage without drawing on my reserves I stowed away during the last month in Canada.

Yesterday 6 of us hired a taxi and went out of town about 20mls. to visit the ruins of Corf Castle built in the 11th century & destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. The Castle ruins themselves were interesting, but the old world village snuggled around its main gate was amazing. Quaint little cottages with sagging slate roofs & 2 old inns which, unfortunately, did not commence business until 6 p.m. However, we partook of a ginger beer at one, seating ourselves in a low ceilinged parlour with curious copper utensils hanging around the walls.

On the way home we stopped at an old Saxon Church, recently restored & once again used for worship. Lawrence of Arabia was killed near this Church in a motor-cycle accident while serving as an L.A.C. in the R.A.F., & whose tomb is within the Church. There is a fine effigy above the tomb but it was covered with sand bags, so we had to content ourselves by purchasing a photographic post-card of the tomb.

To-day we intend going out to New Forest way & viewing an old inn, once the haunt of smugglers, & also the town of Christchurch.
I must drop Ray a line now & let him know I em [sic] in this country. They arrived over here 2 or 3 weeks before us & are now ½ way through their operational training, so it looks as if young Ray will see action before I do. I do not know what part of the country he is in, but have to address letters via the N.Z. High Commissioner, just as you do.

Before leaving Canada I received your letter numbered 22, Mum, and as you mentioned in it that you had received a letter from us while we were at Rivers, it looks as if the mail problem will work out O.K., as I remember in my 2nd letter from Rivers asking you to address future mail to this country.

Well, cheerio for the present,

Your loving son/brother/uncle,

XXX for Rae. Eric.

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Letter 20

Sunday
20th July, 1941.
Benson, Oxfordshire

(Received September 26th 1941)

Dear Joan,

I have received a lot of letters from you since I left home, but I don't think I have answered one of them yet, so I guess I had better make a start before you knock off writing to me.

First of all, congratulations on the great show you put up in the tennis tournaments during the past season. If you keep that up you might he able to beat me when I get home. I haven‘t had a game since joining up, although there are 2 hard-courts here on which I hope to have a work-out when I can get hold of a racquet.

I posted a letter home on landing in this country about 3 weeks ago – also dispatched a cable. Then, while at Bournemouth, I sent off an air-mail letter covering my first week in England. Well, the day after that, we were posted to this station. The journey took only about 6hrs., but it involved 4 changes of trains – at each change we had to lug all our gear about, as you cannot check luggage through in this country – a war-time restriction, I believe. So we were heartily sick of the journey when we arrived here, as you may guess. At one stage of the journey an old farmer boarded the train, and it turned out that he had been to N.Z. Twice – he used to work on the Silver-hope sheep station, and knew most of the Rangitikei families.

This is a grand station. The food is excellent, although we have to go canny with such things as butter, and we have been out of potatoes for the last few days. My quarters are in a little cottage, originally intended for married officers and family, about 3 minutes walk from the mess. My batman is a great kid and – can you beat this – brings me a cup of tea at 7 a.m. very nearly as good as Pop's brew. My room-mate has been in hospital for the past week and will be there for another 2 or 3 weeks.

We went into Oxford yesterday week to stir Austin Reeds up about our uniforms, which we were measured for in Bournemouth. They should be here to-morrow or the next day. As soon as I get a chance I will have a photo taken for your museum.

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You remember Tom Leckie my room-mate at Harewood. I noticed a letter here for him the other day, & I made enquiries but could not find out if he had left the station or had not yet arrived. However, on reading a N.Z. casualty list a few days later, I noticed that he had been slightly injured so guess he must be in hospital somewhere. Dick Morgan, whom, you may recall, I gave a lift to Wanganui on my 1st leave from Weraroa, is on this station somewhere, but I have not seen him to speak to, as when I am flying he is sleeping and vice-versa. There was a chap called Leslie here last week – he represented N.Z. at the Olympic Games as a swimmer. He has been over here for about 18 months & used to work in the N.Z.R. up Taranaki way. He knows. Most of the boys I do, including Johnnie Jones who used to be at Fordell. Tell Jack he used to work with Ernie Blair.

[underlined] Friday, 1/8/41 6-30 p.m. [/underlined]

I am afraid that I am a very lax correspondent, Jum as you are a year older now than when I started this letter – I hope you had a great birthday & that my little parcel arrived in time.

I received a letter from Mum a couple or days ago No 26. The week before that I received 24 & 25, also your No 1 (new series) I am afraid Mum sounded a bit unhappy in her last letter – she said Jack had just got a house in town, and that you are all very lonely again. Do your best to cheer her up and don't let her work too hard – I think Dad should get a Boy to do the deliveries etc. – but I guess he knows best, I Was pleased to hear Dad has been a lot better since we left home – it looks as if not having to worry about us 2 scally-wags has taken a load off his mind. I received letters from his 2 sisters & brother a week after arriving in this country – they were dated way back in February, so they must have given us up as lost. I have heard nothing from Uncle Ernie yet, but tell Mum I will look him up when I get some leave – we have had none since arriving in this country.

I had a letter from Tom Leckie the other day – he cracked up in a "Spitfire" & hurt his spine – nothing serious. I hope to see him on Tuesday, when he is visiting a hospital near here for treatment. It is surprising the number of N.Z.'s. one meets over here. On Sunday, in the Mess, I ran into a chap Haszard, who was in the same form as myself at Tech. He came over before war broke out & is now a Flight Lieutenant – he is to be our Flight Commander, I believe.

Since starting this letter last week, I have had 3 try outs on the tennis courts. I am still very green, but another game or two and I should strike my old form – ahem!

My uniform arrived 2 or 3 days ago and I am now waiting for a bit of leave to enable me to strut about the streets with my chest out.

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I had a letter from Ray at the beginning of the week, enclosing a letter from Jack received by air-mail. Ray is in with a good crowd, all steady chaps. One of them, Barry Martin, is the boy Ray used to go visiting with in Canada – a fine chap – about my age, but with more damn common-sense. So tell Mum not to worry about him. “Snifter" whom Mum was afraid would lead Ray a-stray, was posted to another station. I admire the cool way brother Jack informs Ray that it was a fine tie Ray sent him from Canada, but he had to "borrow" Ray’s sports coat to go with it. Please see that he gets down on none of my gear – I see you sleep in the back-room now, so you will be able to keep an eye on him.

I received a parcel from the Women's Institute the other day & it was most welcome. It was a treat getting down about 3 a.m. and wandering over to my cottage and being able to make myself a cup of coffee & hack off a piece of fruit cake before climbing into bed. I made short work of the cake but I still have some coffee left, as well as a tin of tongues & a tin of fruit. The glucose barley sugar was a godsend as one cannot smoke in the air of-course; and a good suck of barley sugar is a great pick-me-up!

Well, Jum, I must wander over to dinner, as I am flying later on to-night. Love to you all,

From

Brother Eric. XXX

2/3/41. Received Mums & your air-mail No. 31 from Ray to-day..

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Letter 21

Sunday 9.pm.
3rd August, 1941.
Benson, Oxfordshire

(Received September 16th 1941)

Dear Family,

Flying has been washed out for the night, so I will settle in and give you the news up to date.

I posted a long overdue letter to Joan yesterday by ordinary mail, so this will duplicate a lot of the news – I guess you don't mind that. I received a letter from Ray a fortnight ago enclosing an air-mail letter from Jack saying amongst other things that he had rented a house in Wanganui East. Yesterday, I received another letter from Ray enclosing an air-mail letter from Mum (No. 31) & Joan, saying that Jack had moved into Bob Budges house next door. He certainly seems to be having a lot of fun; but I was pleased to hear it, as in your last letter, Mum, No. 26, you sounded very sad at the thought of them leaving you, & I can imagine how longely [sic] the 3 of you would have been on your own. Nola is a good scout, and I guess she realises just how much pleasure you get out of having her, Rae & Jack near you. What‘s happened to you Dad? – Struck “Tatts" or something?

Joan mentioned in her air-mail letter having read Tom Leckie’s name in a casualty list. I noticed it about a fort-night ago, & dropped him a line. I received a reply the other saying he had cracked up in "Spit" & injured his spine slightly. He is paying a visit to a hospital near here on Tuesday for treatment, and Nat Hodson & I are going to pop over & see him. I don‘t know if I have mentioned Nat in my letters be-fore, but he finished 2nd to Basil Openshaw in the final count up. Tom Leckie & he were great cobbers before they joined up. If you should be speaking to Mrs. Openshaw again, Mum, you can tell her that on the way over here from Bournemouth a well spoken old country-man boarded the train, complete with wicker basket and crooked walking stick. We got into conversation, and it transpired that he had been out to N.Z. twice, where he worked on the Silverhope station, droving sheep etc. We started swopping names, & when I told him Basil Openshaw was in England, he said he remembered Edward Openshaw well – I presume that is Basil's father. Unfortunately, I did not get the old chaps name. By the way, I finished 5th in the 3 courses we did in Canada. I was quite
satisfied, as I did not over exert myself, although, as you say, it required a lot of hard work. I

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ran pretty well to form in Canada, as I was 6th at Weraroa. The boy who finished 1st at Wereroa came very low down in Canada, & did not get a commission – a very nice chap too, named Gordon Harrowby – he went to the Wang. Tech. for a while.

Last Sunday I met a chap called Haszard in the mess who was in the same form as myself at Tech. He is a Flight Lieutenant now – joined up a couple of years before the war. He was telling me, Jack, that Goff Roberts (brother to Sash & Door Roberts) is now an acting Squadron Leader. I don't know if you remember, but he broke his neck shortly after arriving over here 2 or 3 years ago. I would like very much to be a Squadron Leader, but I believe a broken neck has been known to be fatal.

We have been on this station for a month now & it is an A.1. show. There is quite a number of N.Z‘s. here besides ourselves – chaps who have been over here for a year or more. We are flying in the same type of machines as Ray & his crowd – they are great jobs and have a wonderful record to date.

Have you written to Auntie Aggie lately?

I have just made myself a cup of coffee to give you time to ponder over the above question. The Institute’s parcel arrived the other day, & if the ladies who go to so much trouble & expense could see me at 3 a.m. in the morning after night flying, settling down to enjoy a slice of their cake and a cup of coffee, before climbing into bed, they would see for themselves how much their work is appreciated. Please thank them for me.

I was sorry to hear that Sandy was amongst the missing in Greece. My room-mate, Bain Huggett, from New Plymouth, had a note from his brother the other day. He is a prisoner of war in Germany & judging from his letter, he is being treated alright. It was 7 months before his people heard from him, so tell Mrs. Lee not to give up hope. The suspense must be very trying for her, all the same.

We had the day off to-day, & 4 of us went for a stroll. There is s little village about a mile from here called Ewelme, It has a fine old Church of which the Chaucer Family were patrons. We arrived about 20mins. before the Service & the Vicar took us in & showed us around for a few minutes. Henry VIII had a manor here in the good old day, & we saw the pond to which he threw Catherine Howard on their honeymoon. The chief industry of the village seems to be the growing of water-cress for the London market. The thatched roofs of the cottages in this County have a charm of their own. We wandered on until we came to the village of Benson. It was 12 o‘clock by this time & the old village characters were just wandering into

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the village pubs, for their mid-day pints, so we decided to wander in & study them – over a pint of-course. It wee quite amusing & refreshing. We arrived back here at 1 p.m. in time for lunch. There is a little inn along the road which we visit when we ere not night flying, called the London Road Inn. A N.Z. woman who is married to one of officers on this station boards there.

She gave us a tin of toheroa soup & a tin of oysters the other night. The boys got the chief in the mess to warm the soup up the other night but unfortunately I was late into dinner. I intend to be there when the oysters are opened, however. The pubs open between 12 noon & 1 p.m. and again from 7-30 to 10 p.m. They run out of beer quite often, but a chap gets enough to keep body & soul together. We can get drinks in the mess of-course, but we like to get out for a stroll whenever we can. Barring a hurried visit to Oxford about 3 weeks ago re our uniforms; this morning was our 1st sight-seeing since we arrived in this – part of the country – although we have covered thousands of miles by air, it cannot be regarded as sight-seeing, for all the poor navigator sees are the maps in front of him & an occasional star through the astro hatch. The ink in my borrowed pen has run out, so I will sign off for the night.

[underlined] 11-30 p.m. [/underlined]

Have just been reading over a few letters which I received since landing in this country, including a newsy one from Jack written on C.R. Company‘s stationery & dated 12/5/4I. You say, Jack, that you have had an argument with Dad re the price of car – well Dad was right £l85 but I will let it go to a good cash customer for £180 provided the other £5 goes into a bank account for Raeone.

By the way, I am banking with Lloyd‘s bank (Cox & King’s branch) but they have shown me no preferential treatment as yet.

[underlined] Sunday, 10th. [/underlined]

Another week gone and I mean to finish this letter to-night.

On Tuesday, Nat Hodson & I went over to see Tom Leocie at Wendover. He is still the same old Tom & is on his feet although his back is still in plaster. Needless to say it was a very interesting talk, & I was pleased to hear all the news about my original Flight. On Friday night, Nat & I went over the the village of Ewelme which I mentioned earlier in my letter. While partaking of a pint of brown ale in the sign of "The Grey-hound“ we met the village school-master who was also relaxing after a heavy day's work. He told us if we cared to wander over yesterday afternoon he would show us round the village. Nat did not go over with us last Sunday & jumped at the offer, as he is a very keen photographer. At any rate, 4 of

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us went over yesterday afternoon, & it was well worth our while, as things we had passed last Sunday without a 2nd glance, took on a new importance as the school-master explained the history of the place to us. By the way, I got the story about Henry VIIIth wrong, It was his honeymoon with Anne Boleyn, and Henry did not push her in but a serving-maid pushed him in. In the Church-yard we saw the grave of Jerome K. Jerome author of "Three men in a boat“, which we had missed on our previous visit. he wrote some of book within a mile of this place. Nestling just below the Church is a quadrangular group or buildings comprising 13 alm-houses – all one building, really, forming a hollow square. These were endowed by the Duchess of Suffolk, who if I remember rightly, was Chaucer's daughter-in-law. To this very day, the 13 oldmen attend service in the Church at 10-30 every morning as originally stipulated by the Duchess. Below the alm-houses again; is the school which our guide claimed to be the oldest school in use in the British Isles. At this stage Mrs. Quicksley, his wife, called us in for afternoon-tea. I felt most uncomfortable when she apologised for the plainness of the fare, for the butter, tea, & sugar we consumed must have cut badly into their rations for the week. However, I think we made amends, for when we chanced to run into Mr. Quicksley in the London Road Inn that night (it‘s a small world isn't it?) Nat gave him a pot of honey which he brought from Canada, & I presented him with a tin of tongues & a tin of peaches which I received from the Institute. I thought twice before doing this, but decided that the pleasure they would get out of them, justified my action, considering that we are well looked after in the mess. Am I excused? I wish you could have seen his face when we handed it over, & you would have realised just what it meant to them. However, to get back to the story. After partaking of tea, we went around the village and saw several other points of interest, including an old Tudor house in which Mary, Queen of Scots, had kept Elisabeth under restraint.

This morning, Nat, Bob Birnie & myself caught a bus into Oxford, had some lunch, & then had a look around Christ Church & college, the prettiest group of buildings in Oxford. From the quadrangle we gazed up at the rooms in which Pitt and Gladstone, amongst others had spent much of their scholastic time – also the room in which “Alice in Wonderland" was written. At 2-30 p.m. we caught a boat which brought us down old Father Thames to the village or Benson, only about 15mins. walk away. The voyage lasted about 4hrs & most interesting all the way. We passed smooging [sic] couples in punts all the way down, & people fishing all along the banks. The college house boats moored along the banks near Oxford, took our fancy, with their massive construction & quaint lines – also the lochs, of which we must have passed through at least 4. We passed many fine old buildings and villages along the banks. By the way, will you please send me George Pitt’s address in your next letter – I think Mrs. Dickinson will probably have it, if I remember rightly.


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During the week I received an air-mail letter from Ray, re-addressed from Canada, containing your air-mail letter No 27, Mum, & Joan’s No 2. It was the first news I had had about all the local boys who are missing. It does not make pleasant reading, but they gave a good account of themselves in Greece & Crete, and will not be forgotten in a hurry. I see by the papers this week that Wanganui have the 1st N.Z. “V.C." of the war – good work eh. I knew his brother, Joe Ward, who coaches Tech. Old boys.

I also received your letter by ordinary mail, No 29, Mum, also one from Miss Cooper. You have mentioned in several letters about hoping to hear us over the air from Canada, but unfortunately, we never got the chance – that is the worst of being pioneers. You also mentioned of reading about some of the chaps having their "mous" cut off. Well, I no longer have mine but did not have it shaved off forcibly, but hacked it off myself on the way over the Atlantic, as it was beginning to get in the way of my soup. Your No 28 has not turned up yet, Mum, but it is probably on a slower boat. Well must knock off now and get to bed.

Good-night and love to you all.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Letter 22

Saturday 2-25 p.m.
23rd August, 1941.
Cotswolds

(Received October 13th 1941)

Dear Family,

To-day is a half holiday and it has been raining steadily since 8 a.m., so I guess it is a good day for writing letters.

We left our station at Benson on Monday after lunch, arriving here about 4 p.m. This station is near the village of Chipping Warden in the Cotswolds, about 8mls from Banbury. Passing through Banbury we passed the cross – you remember the old nursery rhyme about the lady who “rode a cock horse to Banbury Cross.” This station is built on the new dispersed idea – which is very sound as far as safety is concerned but not so sound when considering economy of boot leather. The hangars are 20mins. walk from the mess & our living quarters about 10mins. from the mess – that is providing one crosses the fields – to walk around the road would take 3/4 of an hour. Air Force buses run backwards & forwards from the mess to headquarters – also from the hangars out to the planes when we are flying. We are the 1st crowd on this station, and as usual with new stations, everything is a sea of mud. We were advised on our arrival here to draw a pair of gum-boots, which we did – & just as well, for it has rained every day since we arrived. Our living quarters are situated on a little county lane amongst trees & are quite comfortable, although there is no water or electric light laid on. There is a horse trough over the road however in which the water is reasonably clean, so we
manage to keep fairly clean. A lorry brings a can of drinking water around each day, which we use for cleaning our teeth. There is a shower room over at the mess, and I had my 1st shower for a week this morning, & believe me, I needed it. We had a sign painted the other day, and have nailed it onto a tree pointing to our whare. It reads “New Zealand House.” There are 8 rooms in our whare- 4 single & 4 double. At present we have 2 or 3 empty rooms, & as I had a letter from Ray the other day, saying he was expecting a bit of leave and proposed popping down to see me, I hope to put him up when he arrives.

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Before leaving Benson we had 2 days leave so we hopped up to London and booked in at the Regent Palace hotel in Picadilly [sic] Circus. I ran into Noe1 Carroll who was also booked in there, you remember, I mentioned meeting him in Halifax. I also ran into Ken Commetti who was in my original course at Harewood. Tell Jack Mc.Beth I saw Eric Cooper in the dining-room, but did not get a chance to speak to him. As I did not have much time to spare, I did not get a chance to make enquiries about Uncle Ernie, Mum, but intend to do so when I get some decent leave. We paid a visit to Westminster Abbey but unfortunately the oldest part of it is now out of bounds. Altogether, I was not very impressed by what I saw of London – give me the English country-side, any-day. I had a studio photograph taken while there – I have not yet received my proofs. I also called in to Burberry's to be measured for my 2nd uniform, Dad as I was not satisfied by the service I received from Austin Reeds. The uniform itself was quite good, but they were too damn slow. I suppose you know Burberry's place in Haymarket quite well. They seemed very efficient, but I will wait & see how the uniform turns out before I start praising them – it should be alright, for they have been making them since the battle of Hastings.

I received your air-mail letter No 28 during the week. I was sorry to hear that Uncle Bill had passed away. I‘m afraid we are all going to miss him very much. Mr. Dickinson‘s death was also a shock to me. I'm afraid there is going to be quite a gap in my circle of friends before this war is over.

[underlined] Sunday, 31/8/41. [/underlined]

I'm afraid I have not much more news for you since I left off writing last week – I was hoping to have sufficient to fill another 3 or 4 pages, but I had better close this off to-night & post it to-morrow, as I guess you would rather have a little news than none at all.

Have heard nothing further from Ray since I wrote him c/o Aunt Ursula about a fortnight ago, enclosing your air-mail letter No 35. He asked me to post any mail to Colchester in his last letter, as he said he was expecting leave & was going to Colchester first & then coming on here. It looks as if his leave has not materialised yet, so I had better write direct to him to-night I think.

I received letters from Olive & Miss Cooper during the week & also the long awaited one from Johnny Glasgow. You might thank Olive & tell her I will reply as soon as possible. I have replied to Johnny Glasgow's by ordinary mail, so he should get it soon after you receive this. He said this was his 2nd letter to me, so it looks as if the 1st one went astray.

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We had the afternoon off yesterday, & pooped into Banbury about 4 o‘clock & had a look around the town. It was market day, but the stalls were just packing up when we arrived. We were talking to one old chap who had run a stall there continuously for 50 years – he makes home-made sweets & sells as many as he can make.

We investigated the cross & found that the original cross had been destroyed in the 17th century at a time of Religious intolerance, & the present Cross dates from the last century. One of the natives to whom we were talking, said that the rhyme should read "and see a Fyne’s lady ride a white horse" & not a "Fine lady.” The Fyne's family lived at Broughton Castle & apparently the daughters were of exceptional beauty.

The old Church was destroyed at the same time as the Cross, although the one built to replace it is very interesting, modelled as it is on the Italian style.

When we first arrived in the town, we went along to a hotel & ordered dinner for 7 p.m. – it is necessary to do this now – they all want several hours notice. So at 7 p.m. we rolled along & found a fine meal awaiting us, soup chicken, boiled potatoes & beans & a steam pudding which melted in the mouth. The cost was 5/-, which was quite reasonable considering we had to pay about the same in Canada for a decent meal. The hotel, known as "Walmsley Ha11,” was a fine old place, originally a private residence. We were leaving at 10 p.m. to catch a bus when a business man offered to drive us home. He not only did so, but has promised to place a car at our disposal whenever we want it –Jolly decent eh! We are already planning for next Saturday, when we intend to visit Stratford-on-Avon, which is not far from here. It is getting dark now & as we still have no light, I must bring this to an end.

Love to you all,

Your loving son/brother/uncle,

Eric.

The proofs of the sitting I had in London arrived last week & I have ordered 4 for you. I intend posting them in 2 parcels at suitable intervals, so one of them should arrive at least. If they all arrive you can let Auntie Aggie & Auntie Alice have one each. Thanks for the snaps you included in your letter No 23, Mum. It was a fine one, of You & Joan & Nola, Rae & Jack – they look justly proud, don’t they! Ray sent me one in his last letter of Mum holding Rae, and we both think it great.

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I have received 4 Chronicles lately – thanks very much. You have no idea how I pour over them.

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Letter 23

Friday 9-30 a.m.
19th September, 1941.
Aboard Cornish Riviera Express at Penzance

(Received October 26th 1941)

Dear Family,

The train has just started on its 8hr. trip to London and before we reach the metropolis at 5-30 p.m. I hope to be able to tell you how I come to be down this part of the world.

Nothing much happened up to last Friday since I wrote my previous air-mail 2 or 3 weeks ago, I think I remember telling you in that that we had met a chap in Banbury who had promised to lend us as car. Well the week after we first met him, we rang him up & he sent a chauffeur out to the camp to pick us up, and we paid a visit to Stratford-on-Avon. It is a pretty little spot apart from its historic significance as the birth-place of Shakespeare. We visited the house in which old Bill was born and had a general browse around the town. There was a Shakespearian Festival on that week – 2 shows a day in the Shakesperian [sic] Memorial Theatre built largely from American donations, on the tanks of the Avon. Unfortunately we did not have the time to visit a show, but I must do so before I leave this country. We got back into Banbury in time for dinner, which we had ordered on our may through earlier in the afternoon. We met our friend in the hotel bar after dinner & showed our appreciation in appropriate fashion. On Wednesday, Birnie, Hodson & myself managed to get the last of our flying in – I flew for 12½ hrs. that day, and was I tired after???

On Friday we started to get our clearances signed preparatory to going on 7 day's leave. At lunch-time I received a post-card from Ray saying that he had been posted to a Squadron only 16 miles from Colchester, & that during his leave he had visited Dad’s relations in Colchester & Uncle Ernie in London. This was the first I had heard from him for about 3 weeks, when he had written to say that he was expecting leave, & was going to look me up.

After tea on Friday evening we caught a bus into Banbury & boarded a train for London arriving there about 9 p.m. we booked in at the Regent Palace Hotel & turned in early. Next

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morning we went down to Haymarket to see Burberrys about our No 1 uniforms. About 10 a.m. I left the other two went back to the hotel and sent a wire to the Lloyd’s of Colchester that I would be arriving on the 1 p.m. train. I took a taxi from the hotel to the Liverpool St. Station & found my train with time to spare. I arrived at Aunt Florence‘s shop about 1/2 an hour after my telegram – “just like Edgar" Uncle Harold said when he arrived shortly after. Auntie had 3 big roast dinner waiting for at the back of her shop – the biggest tuck in I have had since leaving home. Uncle Arthur was there – he potters about the shop all the time I think. He is very quiet & a good sport. Aunty Florence is tops, & has worked up a great little business. After dinner (the shop opened again at 2 p.m.) I wandered down the road & had a short yarn with Uncle Harold. He is a great scout & carries his age well – very bright & alert. I then wandered across the road to a theatre & saw Leslie Howard in “Pimpernel Smith” – well worth seeing. After a cup of tea down town, I wandered back to the shop at 7 p.m. closing time. Uncle Arthur has a little 10 h.p. Ford which they use for running between their home & business. The house is about 3mls. from the business, and is a fairly modern building, tastefully furnished & very comfortable. Auntie prepared a tasty supper after which we retired for the night. I slept very soundly & did not get out of bed until about 10 a.m. Aunt Ursula arrived from London about 1 p.m. And Uncle Harold came over shortly after & we had a good old family pow-wow over dinner. Aunt Ursula is a real old brick, although she is a little deaf. I rang up Ray just before dinner, but although he had the day free, he could not manage to get over, as the train & bus service was rotten he said, He is enjoying every moment of it judging from the way he spoke over the phone – they all think he is a great boy at Colchester. No doubt he has told you how he arrived at Colchester to find Aunt Florence & Uncle Arthur at John Lloyd-Kirk’s wedding at Bath so I will not go into detail. After dinner we all went for a stroll across the moors, but it started to drizzle & we cut it short. They
advised me not to visit your sister Gladys, Dad, as she is a bit queer and does not welcome visitors – I believe she is living by herself in your old home. After tea Aunt Ursula & myself caught a taxi to the station & caught the London train. Unfortunately Uncle Arthur was very short of petrol or else he would have run us to the station – he volunteered in the afternoon to run me across to see Ray but I hesitated to take advantage of it, knowing what a problem the petrol business is. Conversation with Aunt Ursula was very difficult in the train as there were several other people in the carriage. (11 a.m. & we have just stopped at St. Austell, Dad, does that bring back any memories to you.) Aunt Ursula asked me if we ever saw anything of Uncle Sydney, and was very cut up when I told her he died in 1922. Apparently Uncle Harold had never told her. I saw her to her tube train when we arrived in London, and then booked in at the Liverpool St. Station Hotel for the night.

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When I told them in Colchester that I was going down to Penzance for a few days, they told me about your Aunt Rosy, Dad, who lives only 3mins. from the St. Austell Station, so I determined to pop in & see her, if only for ½hr. I quite enjoyed the day's stay in Colchester, and it is very nice to have a home away from home at one’s disposal.

On Monday morning I journeyed over to Paddington & caught the Riviera Express at 9-30 a.m. The scenery en-route was enchanting and I had very pleasant companions in the carriage, in the shape of a mother taking her youngest son, aged about 11 or 12 back to school in St. Austell. He was very old for his age and quite an amusing kid. He wanted to know “if I had hunted the Hun in his hole yet,” & was not satisfied until I had viewed miscellaneous human hairs through a collection of microscopes he was carrying around with him. We arrived at St. Austell at 5 p.m and I had no trouble in finding the Kirk's house. I knocked at the door & a very old lady with a red nose came shuffling out, I asked her if Mrs. Kirk was at home – she said "yes" – “are you Mrs. Kirk?" She said "yes", again. I asked her if she knew me & she replied "no". I said "I‘m Edgar Lloyd’s boy.” Quite dramatic, what! I an afraid it was a bit of a shock for the old girl, as although the Lloyd‘s had told her when they were over at Bath for the Wedding that Ray & I were in the country, she was not expecting me: Uncle Kirk & Aunt were having tea when I arrived, so I sat down & joined them in a cup, while she gave me the family history. She seemed steeped in the family history, & after tea she took me all over the house showing me old family heirlooms, of which she has a great collection, including an etching of the old family estate in – Wales. They rented the big house you knew as a boy, Dad, and have cut up the place into sections, & built on it. If I remember rightly Uncle Kirk said he had 60 houses in St. Austell. They have still got all the old furniture, however, and it was interesting to sit in the same chairs & eat off the same table as you did as a boy. The Estate is known as the "Northhill Park Estate.” They leased the business some years ago, and the shops were burnt out not so long back – they managed to get £13,000 from the Insurance, but the old boy seemed to think he should have got more. The son who was just a nipper when you left the country Dad, is now in the brokerage business in Bristol – the old boy lets him have £1,000 a yeare [sic] as pocket mony [sic] – he was married the other day in the Abbey at Bath – quite a big affair from all accounts – they gave me a newspaper with a description of the service in and I will post it on to you. The son as adopted the name of Lloyd-Kirk at Aunts's instigation, I should think, as she seems very proud of the name. Aunt Rosie is a wonderful old girl for her 78yrs., and still has all her faculties about her. From the way she spoke, she would appreciate a letter from you as by all accounts she did a lot for you kids. I don't know what age Uncle Kirk is but he doesn‘t look a day over 60. I can see now where you get that story of yours about “every young man should go into business on his

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own." Uncle harped on that theme for 1/2hr. while we were waiting for the train, but as he slipped me a couple of quid to buy “cigars", the time was not unprofitably spent. I spent an very interesting hour all told and I think they enjoyed it as much as I did. Aunt does all the work in the house herself, as it is impossible to get maids down there.

My train was ½hr. late arriving at St. Austell, and I eventually reached Penzance about 8-30 p.m. & booked in at the Union Hotel, where I found Birnie & Hodson awaiting my arrival.

[underlined] 2 p.m. Exeter [/underlined]

Have just had a little post-nap lunch or, I should say post-lunch nap, and am feeling much refreshed.

The Union Hotel at Penzance was not a very up-to-date pub but comfortable & homely, with good grub. Hodson left the morning after my arrival, to visit relations about 50mls. Away, and we are to meet him in London to-night. Birnie & I strolled around the town during the morning, and after lunch I left him at the hotel & set out with the intention of visiting Land’s End which he had seen the previous day. However, the bus was full, and as there was not another one until 415 p.m. I decided to visit a little fishing village called Mousehole, a few miles away. When I asked the Conductor for a ticket to “Mousehole" he stared at me blankly for a half-a-minute and said “Oh I suppose you mean Moussell.“ It turned out to be an old world fishing village, & to see the old chaps in their blue reefer jerseys and caps, mending their fishing nets on the quayside, you could not believe that there was a war on. These old Cornish villages have a style of their own, built as they are on the sides of hills with their quaint narrow streets winding in & out of the stone houses, all seeming to lead down to the quayside which is the hub of the villages, That night we went to a picture. The next morning we caught a bus for St. Ives about 10 a.m. You remember the old rhyme – "As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with 7 wives etc." St. Ives was quainter then Moussell, if anything, and much bigger of-course. We wandered down along the quay and watched them crating fish for the London market & about mid-day snooped into the "Sloop Inn" and had a tankard of brown ale amongst the locals. We then wandered further along the front to the “Harbour Cafe” and worried a crayfish, after which we strolled up the hill above the town and down into the town again where we paid another visit to the pictures. We caught a bus back to Penzance about 5 p.m. and after dinner spent a quiet evening in the hotel billiard room. Yesterday morning we had a stroll around another part of the town, during the course of which we came upon a cattle fair in progress. In the afternoon we strolled over to another little fishing town about 1½mls. from the hotel and last night, after a few farewell drinks with

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friends we had made during our short stay, we turned in early in preparation for the long trip to-day.

The first thing I did on arriving in Penzance, was to hang my uniform away in the cupboard, and get into my old sports coat & grey flannels which I brought from home, and believe me; it was very pleasant being able to wander about as a civilian. once again and not having to be constantly on the watch for salutes. I managed to purchase a fountain-pen while there as you will have noticed. I have been trying to do so for the past 3 months without any success. I purchased some very pretty postcards in St. Ives which I intend sending home, as I think they would make very attractive pictures Mum, if you frame them in that cheap binding stuff.

To-night, I intend visiting Uncle Ernie, so should have some more news for you tomorrow. I hope you can read this alright, as it is my first attempt to write in an English train.

[underlined] Monday, 22nd. [/underlined]

Back in camp again and have Just finished packing, as Hodson & I have been posted to the N.Z. Bomber Squadron, which will bring me very close to Aunt Florence & Ray. I should have plenty of news to five you in my next letter.

I rang Uncle Ernie on arrival in London on Friday night (the telephone number Ra gave me which I took to be his house phone) There was no reply, so I rang again next morning & the chap who answered the phone told me that Mr. Toms did not come down on a Saturday, so it must have been his business phone. However, Mum, I will get his address from Ray and look him up next time I go into London. We did a bit of shopping on Saturday morning, and caught an afternoon train back to Banbury, where we had dinner before returning to camp. We met our friend who loaned us the car to visit Stratford-on-Avon, and he introduced us to a friend of his called Treadwell, who is very much like Jim Treadwell to look at. He said some of his relations had settled in Australia or New Zealand years ago but they had lost touch with them.

We spent all day yesterday getting finally cleared up, and last night there was a social in the mess – an official opening of the mess, so to speak and quite a good show.

I ran into a chap Brown from Levin & Co. in the train – he said he knew Dad quite well. He is an air-gunner and wears a D.F.C. He was showing me a photo of his sister in her Air Force Queen rig out. He hopes to get back to N.Z. shortly, so you will probably see him.

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Well it is time I went over and had some lunch as we are getting away from here at l2-l5;

I received gone more mail about a week ago, including Joan‘s No.3 & 2 from Mum. I have all yours up to your air-mail No. 35 with the exception of No’s 32 & 34. There was a big mail waiting to be sorted in N.Z. House when we were in there the other day so no doubt they will be among that. By the way, while at Aunt Florences I saw the "Chronicle" you sent them with Ray‘s & my photograph taken at the graduation ceremony at Fingal. I don't know where they got the business about me being 2nd in the course. I was 2nd in my class, but there were 3 classes in the course. I was actually 6th in the course – but who cares at any rate. Well; cheerio all, for the time being.

Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

[underlined] P.S. 1-50 p.m. [/underlined]

Aboard train for our new station via Paddington. We have quite a struggle when travelling from station to station these days, I have 2 kit bags, 1 cabin trunk, 1 week-end bag, and gas mask & tin hat and as you cannot check luggage through now it requires quite a bit of work & a few tips to get about. We parted with Birnie on the station – he is on his way up north to join an Australian squadron.

I had some studio portraits done in London recently and will post them in 2 lots to make sure at least one lot reaches you. If both lots reach you you might let Auntie Aggie & Auntie Alice have one.

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Letter 24

Tuesday 11-30 a.m.
14th October, 1941.
Feltwell

(Received November 12th 1941)

Dear Family,

It is just 3 weeks since I wrote you last, and if you remember rightly, I was aboard the train on the way to this station. I am afraid I haven’t much news for you since then, only little every day happenings – however, they will probably prove of interest to you, although they may not to me.

We arrived here about 10 p.m. on Monday night, after a few hour's stay in London, where I posted your letter. We found the mess here an exact replica of that at Benson, our first station in this country, so we had no trouble in finding our way round. We were welcomed here with open arms, as there were very few N.Z’s. in the mess – since we arrived however, several more have arrived. We found the atmosphere here entirely different from other stations we have been on in this country – very friendly, & every-one out to help every-one else – no frozen attitudes as we had met with in other messes.

The first few days we got settled down & Hodson said to me “thank God, we can at last unpack and think we are settled for at least 6 months." However, our satisfaction was short lived, for on the 3rd. day air-crew received orders to shift out to a country house about 3mls. Away. We still eat in the mess and only go out to our mansion to sleep, so things are not so bad. It is a quaint old place, and my room is up in the attic – rough but comfortable. The place is owned by a chap called Sir Harry Peat – I was wondering if he is any relation to Ron. He only comes down for the week-ends, and I have not seen him yet, but I must have a word with him the first chance I get – he has a couple of Rolls Royces parked in the garage so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't borrow one for the week-end if I can talk him into it, do you?

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I was fortunate in getting into a crew who wanted a navigator, on the 3rd. day I arrived here, and so got started on the job right away. The little white horse has been for 4 rides over Germany and likes it very much. Ray has done 5, so I think I have just about caught up with the boys who left Canada before us. My crew are a great lot – all sergeants – 3 Englishmen (Tony, our captain, Tommy, front gunner, Jimmy, wireless operator) 2 New Zealanders (Jack, 2nd. Pilot, & myself) and Paddy, our Irish rear-gunner. Paddy is a born humourist, and keeps us in fits of laughter. Tony completed his “ops” on our last trip, so Jack will be taking over, and we will be getting a new 2nd. Pilot. We had a snap taken the other day, and I will send you one if I can get a copy.

By the way, 2 of those studio portraits are on the way, and I will post the other 2 shortly, to make sure of one lot reaching you. I sent 2 to Aunt Florence, and she was greatly delighted. The Lloyd’s of Colchester are great scouts – I receive parcels from them every other day, with the result that I have a drawer full of chocolate & cigarettes back at “my” mansion – don't think I will every manage to wade through the chocolate on my own. Aunt Florence rang up on Saturday night to say that Ray was staying with her, & wanted to speak to me. I had quite a yarn to him, and then Uncle Harold chirped in. Believer me, it is nearly as good as being at home, to have them all so near. I expect, having no nieces or nephews in this country, has made our arrival all the more welcome to them.

I received your parcel last week Mother in excellent order. I made short work of the shortbread with the help of my room-mate, Al Robinson from Toronto. (Unfortunately, when I arrived home from Nuremburg the other night, I found that he had failed to get home – I have heard no news of him since but am hoping that he managed to bail out) My batman took charge of the coffee, and brings me up a cup just before I drop off to sleep each night. Thanks a lot for the soxs [sic]. The other stuff I intend taking over to Colchester next time I go, and some to London for Uncle Ernie – we are fed very well in the mess, & if I can take something with me when I go visiting, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable. Don't think that your work is in vain, and that I don't appreciate it, but I think you'll agree that it is no use me eating it just for the sake of eating, when these other people would appreciate it greatly.

[underlined] 10 p.m. [/underlined]

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Ray probably told you about the lady who visits Aunt Ursula's shop in Wembley and who is a cousin of Miss Taylor who used to keep house for Mr. Hillas. Aunt hopes to get her address shortly and I will look her up if I can as I used to see a lot of Miss Taylor when Eric Johanson & I used to kick about on the farm. (I am back at the “mansion” now and my batman has just brought me in my cup of N.Z. Coffee – very much appreciated as we have had our first breath of winter to-day).

We are still flying the same type of machines as we did at our last station and they are wonderful old crates. We have our own machine, of-course – “O” for Orange. She was a brand new job when we got it, and are we proud of it. Paddy & Tommy spit & polish their guns until they shine like the fittings of a battle-ship. It makes a big difference flying in the same machine every night as you know just what she will climb at, at different heights, all of which helps the navigation tremendously. Also having swung the compass & loop oneself, one knows just how accurate they are. Each plane has its own ground crew, and they are just as proud of their “F” for Freddie or “O” for Orange, or whatever it is, as the air crew are. Whenever we go up for a test flight, our ground crew hop in with us to see how she runs – we must look a bit like a travelling circus at times. There were 11 of us in the machine this afternoon – still that's only the weight of one decent bomb.

By the way, if you should see "Target for To-night" (I think – I mentioned seeing it) you will see our C.O. He takes one of the leading parts – a tall, well-built, good looking blighter, with fair wavy hair.

I have only been off the station twice since I arrived here – once to Newmarket, & once to a little place near here called Brandon. Unless one knows ones way around, these places are dead at night – even London. I would far rather stay in the mess & have a quiet beer or two & a game of billiards. The visit to Brandon was well worth while however, as Hodson & I found a little pub which, although it was short of beer, turned on a beautiful steak!! and onions for us – the best I have had since leaving home.

Since writing last; Mum, your letters Nos. 32 & 34 have come to hand, also No. 36 & an air-mail Ray forwarded on to me numbered 41. That means I have all your letters now up to No. 36 which I think is a remarkable record. Also “Jum” your letter dated 27th July. No. 32, by the way, was the one you sent by 9d air-mail as a trial and it arrived about a week after No. 34

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which was sent by ordinary mail!!! "Nuff" said eh? I have received no Free Lances or Auckland Weeklies since arriving in England – Bill Green & Alf Dickinson used to send them once upon a time, but I guess they gave me up as a bad job when I did not acknowledge them.

The B.B.C. were here to-day to record a programme to broadcast to N.Z., so you will probably have heard it by the time you get this. I would have liked to have put a message over for you, but unfortunately we had to pop over to Mildenhall to bring another machine back while the recording was being made.

If all goes well I will be getting 6 days leave as from Friday, so I should have some news for you in my next letter. Firstly I intend going to London to look up Uncle Ernie & Dad’s aunt Mrs. Green if I can get the time. After that, I don't know, although I intend going to Stradishall to see Ray. We still have not seen each other since we parted in Canada, & he went back to camp to-day, according to what he told me over the phone on Saturday. It is unfortunate that our leave periods are not coinciding.

It is just 11 o'clock so I must turn in now as “O” for Orange has some work to do to-morrow night.

So long,

Your loving son/brother/uncle,

Eric.

P.S. See that the 4 grand-parents don't spoil my little niece, Nola. Regards to your parents. XXOO for Rae.

By the way, Mum, I was not in London with Uncle Ernie & Ray when they sent your birthday cable – it was a happy thought on their part, though, putting my name to it.

I forgot to mention we had a visit from Mr. Jordan a fortnight ago.

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Letter 25

Saturday 11-30 a.m.
1st November, 1941.
Feltwell

(Received November 25th 1941)

Dear Family,

It is getting on for 5 weeks since I wrote my last air-mail, so will get started on another.

I mentioned then that I was going on leave in a few days. Well, the night before I was due for leave, Ray rang up from his station for a yyarn [sic]. I told him I was going on leave for few days and intended going down to London for a few days and then popping up to Edinburgh for the rest of the week. He told me that he had just returned from leave himself, which he had spent at Colchester. He told me that they were expecting me on my next leave, but I decided they would forgive me this time if I did not look them up, especially as Ray had just left there. We discussed ways & means of meeting each other, & Ray said he could meet me in Newmarket any night neither of us was working, as long as I let him know before 6 p.m. to enable him to catch the last bus from the camp. We hung up about 5-30 p.m, & I’m darned if a bus from another squadron nearby didn't call here just after 6 p.m. They were on their way to Newmarket, and as they had a few spare seats I hopped in, but didn't have time to ring Ray before we left. We arrived at Newmarket at 7 p.m. & immediately tried to get in touch with Ray on the phone. I couldn't get him however, but managed to get hold of his Captain, who said he would let Ray know I was in Newmarket and would lend him his bike. I afterwards
heard from Ray that he actually, set out on the bike, but decided he couldn't make it in time, so returned to camp. So once again we failed to meet.

Next day I set out for London about 4 p.m. with a ticket to Edinburgh in my pocket. The Regent Palace Hotel was booked out when I arrived, so took a taxi to the Strand Palace Hotel

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where I managed to get a room. Before going to bed, I ran into the American Pilot from Virginia whom I mentioned in a previous letter written in Halifax (his wife had a tobacco plantation you remember, in Virginia.) I had a couple of drinks with him and then retired.

Next morning I went along to N.Z. House to get Uncle Ernie's address. As I was coming down the stairs I met Tom Leckie going up and as he had a lunch engagement, we arranged to meet each other next morning (Sunday.) I intended looking Uncle Ernie up on Saturday night, but ran into a couple of P/O's who were in the course behind us at Crumlin, & that was the end of my good intentions. Next morning at Breakfast I met 3 sergeants from our Canadian course (Mc.Connell, Baxter & Harrowby), and they told me they were going round to the N.Z. Forces Club in Leicester Square to meet Stan Hall who was in town. I went around with them, and sure enough Stan was there. He was on sick leave, having crashed one night on the way home. His arm was in a sling (wrenched) and he still looked a little shaky on it, but otherwise he was O.K. While we were talking, I'm damned if Ted Williams, another of our old Harewood crowd didn't come up! We arranged to meet the other boys later on & Stan, Ted & I set off to “Sussex” Hotel to meet Tom. We ran into him on our way and he was looking very sorry for himself. After a while, he confided to us that he had taken a N.Z. Girl to lunch the previous day, & although he had only met her once before, proposed to her, and she had said “yes”. Tom said he was stone-cold sober at the time but had been feeling very depressed for the previous fortnight, with headaches off & on. & you remember, I think I mentioned that when I visited Tom in hospital I thought his memory was very bad). He had an ex-ray a few days before we met him, but had not heard the result up to then. Tom asked our advice on the subject, and we decided to talk it over at the “Sussex”. Well you can imagine the yarn the 4 of us had. After a few beers, Tom forgot his worries, and we had a great re-union. The only trouble was, that we found on swopping news that our old course from Harewood had been pretty badly knocked about. We found that we all had a week's leave, expiring at the same time and – well to cut a long story short, I never got to Edinburgh, as you have probably guessed by now. After dinner, we hired a taxi, & went round to the 3 Hotels where the others were staying, collected their luggage, & returned to my Hotel where they all managed to get rooms. On the way, we discussed Tom's matrimonial affairs, & as he said he could not go on with it, decided that he should tell the girl so, & that I should go along afterwards & tell her that Tom was quite mad due to a bash on the head he received

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when he crashed. He had not arranged to meet her until Tuesday, so we had a couple of days to get our plans settled. In the meantime, Ted & I set out to get Tom so hopelessly drunk that he would forget his worries. It didn't work, however, as the silly coot couldn't sleep for the next 2 nights for worrying. On Monday morning Stan left to visit some of his cockney relations, so that left the 3 or us together. Ted had a ticket for Penzance but didn't seem in any hurry to leave London.

Monday afternoon we went to a Show at the “Paladium” in Oxford Circus & thoroughly enjoyed it. That night we went round to the “Sussex” Hotel – it is just off Charing Cross Road, Dad, and has been adopted by the N.Z's. as a kind of unofficial Club. I ran into plenty of chaps I had not seen since leaving N.Z., & a great many I had seen in Canada.

[underlined] Sunday, 4 p.m. [/underlined]

I did not get this finished yesterday as we had a job of work to do last night. I have made 7 trips now, and it is great fun, believe me. I suppose it makes you smile when you think of the way I used to spend Saturday nights at home, but I am used to this life now, & you cannot tell one day from another, except Friday, of-course – fish day.

Well to get hack to my London story. On Tuesday Tom & I left Ted to amuse himself in London, while we caught a train for Farnborough, where Tom‘s girl-friend worked. I must say she was a very nice girl – personality plus – & took it very well. I managed, by tapping my head & looking very mysterious, to convey to her, with the help of a few words that Tom was a mental case. We learnt that she had another admirer, a N.Z. pilot in the Fleet air arm. Strangely enough, he was also on leave, and staying at our hotel, so when we got back to London that night, Tom felt obliged to take this chap aside and tell him what he‘d done, as Tom had already announced his engagement at a dinner he had attended at a fighter squadron the same night as he popped the question. He had also cabled his mother, so had to set to & send another cancelling the 1st. one. After all this was straightened out, Tom was a new man, and far more like his old self. I don't know if I have conveyed the humour of the situation to you, but we all thought it very funny excepting of-course, poor old Tom. I must write a play around the plot one of these days when I get time. On Wednesday Ted thought it was about time he made a move for Penzance – he had intended going the day before, but slept in. On

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Wednesday afternoon, Tom, another chap from N.Z., & myself went to another show, and it was as good as the first. The comedians were Flannigan & Allen and very good, too, if at times a trifle over the border. after the show I caught a train back to camp, as I had to be back by Thursday mid-day, & Tom left me to catch his. Just as I was leaving the hotel, I ran into Eric Anderson from Wangaehu, who is also a Pilot Officer. It was the 1st time I had seen him since leaving N.Z., although I heard he was in Canada just as we were leaving that Country. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the week in London and I am really beginning to like the place now – it is just a matter of finding one’s way around. It looks now as if Tom’s, Ted's & my next leave will I coincide, so if I intend seeing Edinburgh, I guess I had better go direct & not via London – that do you think? Still I must look Uncle Ernie up, so will probably go to London next leave. Two chaps I met in London were a chap Naylor from the Navy who Was at Tech in my time, & the chap Cullinane who was in the course behind us at Harewood – he is a brother to the soldier farewelled the same night as us many moons ago. The morning after I arrived back in camp one of the Canadian P/O’s told me he ran into Ray in the Regent Palace Hotel the night I left London – Ray naturally thought I was in Edinburgh, so did not make enquiries for me.

Naturally I wondered how he came to get another leave so soon after the last. Harrowby had told me when I met him at the Strand Palace Hotel that he had heard Ray was going overseas, but I told him it must be a rumour as I had been talking to Ray, the night before I left camp, on the phone, & he had not mentioned it to me. However, I had a ring from Ray at Colchester; and he told me he was leaving the Country & had to report at mid-night on Friday for instructions. He said he could manage to get here to see me on Thursday, so I gave him instructions how to get here. I was expecting him all day Thursday & told the Sergeants in my crew to keep an eye open for him – and also Bill Fraser said he would look after him if I was away. (Bill was in our Canadian Flight, & roomed with Ray at Lossiemouth.) Eventually I got a ring from Ray about 4 p.m. to say that he was at a station about 20mls. from here waiting on a train that would arrive at the local station about 5 p.m. I hired the village taxi & went down to meet him, and believe me, it was good seeing him after all this. time. He hasn’t altered at all, & is looking very well. I took him back to camp, & a N.Z. Sergeant took him over to the Sergeant‘s Mess to get some tea and introduced him to the boys. After I had my meal I went over to the Sergeant’s Mess & had a yarn with him & Bill Fraser. I then brought

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him back to our mansion & introduced him to the boys and he helped us raid Sir Harry's apple store. After the rest of the Officers had gone to bed. We had a great yarn in front of the ante-room fire, & swopped experiences and the news we had from home. I have a spare bed in my room; so he was able to bunk down with me for the night. he was greatly tickled in the morning when my batman came in and took his jacket and shoes away to clean & brought him a cup of tea. I had to leave at 8 a.m. so said good-bye to him, and asked my batman to find out about the trains. The railway station is only ¼hrs. walk from here although it is much further from the camp itself. Aunt Flo is very cut up at losing him so soon, as they all dote on him at Colchester, but I think it is all for the best as he has a much better chance of coming through where he is going to. Although still a kid in looks, he is a man of the world now, and well able to look after himself, so don't go worrying about him. Bill Fraser was telling me his crew swear by him as a navigator. He has only done 4 trips, so I have left him well behind, despite his months start on me.

I have had quite a bit of mail from you lately and now have everything up to No. 42 Mum, including numbers 37 & 39 which Ray posted on to me. I have all your letters in a neat pile, opened out and in order, and you would get a shock if you would see the imposing pile they make, I also received Joan's No, 4 & a parcel from the Bruces. Will you thank them very much – also for the Auckland Weeklies they posted me in Canada. I have not yet received the parcel you said Miss Cooper had sent me, but guess it will come to hand alright. I thought I had told you that I received Alf Dickinson's Auckland Weeklies in Canada – will you please thank him for me.

I am pleased to read that you have put on weight, Mum. Don't go losing it now by worry and overwork. I hope Joan's cold is now O.K. Dad seems to have taken a new lease of life since we left – keep it up Dad, and take Mum & Joan out as you have been doing.

I will put the other 2 copies of the studio portrait I had done in the mail this week, in case you don‘t get the first 2.

Please give my love to Nola, Rae & Jack.

Well cheerio all and compliments of the season.

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Your loving son/brother,

Eric.

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Additional Correspondence Concerning Eric

November 30th 1945
Akkrum

(Addressed to S. E. Lloyd Esq.)

Sir,

Having Enquired to the Air Ministry (Casualty branch) for your address so I can inform you that your son, “P. O. Lloyd” is buried near our village, that's in Holland in the province of Friesland. I am sorry that I could not yet take a photograph of his resting place, but you may be sure that I'll send it to you as soon as possible. I am sending you my address if you would like anymore information I will be glad to give it to you.

Sincerely Yours,

J. van Veen
Radiostreet 2
Akkrum
Friesland
Holland

March 6th 1946
Radiostr. 2
Akkrum

Dear Mrs Lloyd,

It's already a few weeks ago that I received your air-letter and I am sorry that I couldn't answer before now. The last two weeks I had my final examinations and was not in our village. I was glad that I received your letter for now I have communication with the next of kin of the five boys, who crashed near our village. There were three New Zealand and three English boys. From the Red Cross you've heard that the plane had been found in Holland and that a cross with the boys names had been placed on it. I am in – finding a map of Friesland (Dutch province) and in the left corner below a small map of Holland. I hope that I have made you understand where your son and the rest of the crew are buried. You see that I have marked some lakes on this map. I didn't mark all the lakes because there are so much and now you'll understand that this country is very low levelled. The day that the plane crashed (8th November, 1941 at 0:30 in the night) there was a dense fog and it had rained during a few days. The ground was also very wet and soft and there was no chance for any plane to make a good emergency landing. I can tell you that the bombs did not explode. I tell you this as one of the other mothers of the other boys asked me what happened after the landing. Before I go on I will ask you not to look at the faults of what I am writing. I am only 21 years old and the

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last 4 years I didn't study very much so you'll understand that I can't write without fault in English of course). When I received the first letters of the next of kin of the English boys I went to the farmer on who's land the plane came down and he told me:

“For the night of 7-8 Nov 1941 I heard a plane. I didn't pay much attention to it for that happened more than once during the war. It only seemed to me as if this plane was going very close over my farm. The following morning early when I went into the land for counting my cattle I saw suddenly a hole in the soil and two wings of a plane. I went to it as close as I could but had no courage to go close to it as I thought something might explode if I touched it. At about 8 in the morning I went to Akkrum to the mayor and told him what I had seen. The mayor asked me if I had seen somebody or heard if there was a chance if one or more of the crew had escaped with their parachutes he would give them help to save them from German hands. I answered that I didn't think that this chance was very great and if somebody had escaped he would come down far from my farm. The Mayor then called German Headquarter in Leewarden by telephone. The Germans came immediately and a high German officer went into the plane. I think that he took things of value with him, but I can't say that for sure, for nobody was allowed to go with him into the plane. The plane went deeper and deeper into the ground and the following day we only saw a hole in the ground filled with water. My neighbour has told me that the plane had been followed by a German fighter. This is all I can tell you about it.”

Well Mrs Lloyd, you see that it is not much but it's all people can tell you about it. Our Mayor died afterwards in a German concentration camp and the Germans, of course, are not to be found. If the boys had of escaped with their parachutes I had known that for I know every Allied pilot who came down within a circle of 15 – 20 miles from Akkrum. I have worked in the underground the last three – four years of the war and we have never had a boy with the name of one of those of the crew's.

The first two years I didn't know how many boys were resting in the plane, but beginning November 1943 we received a letter from the Red Cross, enclosing the names and numbers of the crew. In that time I was working in the town hall in Akkrum and I designed a cross on which I wrote:

“THEY DIED HEROES PEACE BE TO THEIR ASHES”

and a plate with the boys names and numbers and the date of the fatal day: 8th November 1941. I have made a picture of it, but I did it with a paper film, so that was not clear enough. I hope soon to get a good film and you may be sure that I shall send one to you. Following are the boys names and number: Pilot Officer E. Lloyd, Sgt. J. W. Black, NZ 402843, Sgt. T. H. Gray NZ 404356, Sgt. L. C. Green/ [illegible]55095, Sgt. J. D. Thompson/1152206 and Sgt. C. T. Black/1377719. The three last boys are the English, the first three New Zealandia.

I don't know, Mrs Lloyd, if I have told you now all the things you like to know. If there are still questions you should like to have answered, please write it to me and I'll always be glad to give you more details. The grave is always very fine and covered with flowers, especially in summertime when people are sailing in the lakes in the neighbourhood. I don't know anything about your financial circumstances or if you have family relations in England. When somebody might have a chance to come to Holland please write to me before and I'll always be willing to help him or her.

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I'll finish now, hoping that you receive this letter in good health,

Yours Sincerely

John

J van Veen
Radiostr 2.
Akkrum Holland

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Bibliography

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org
Dole foods
http://www.dole.com/index.jsp
Dr. Peter Buck
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Gov10_03Rail-t1-body-d8.html
http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/buck.html
Empire Air Training Scheme
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/ww2-allied/eats.htm
Encyclopaedia references
http://www.wikipedia.org
Granose
http://www.sanitarium.com.au/about-us/history.html
The Hussif
http://www.geocities.com/qllsite/Hussif.html
Kay Francis
http://www.divasthesite.com/images/Kay_Francis/Kay_Francis_nickname_01.jpg
New Zealand folk songs
http://folksong.org.nz/maori_battalion/index.html
RNZAF bases
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/
Swinging the Compass
http://www.vmrgladstone.org.au/Compass.html

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Appendix 1: Index of Names

A
Andy, 19, 20, 27, 28

B
Blair, 18
Buck, Dr. Peter H., 21

C
Chaplin, Ralph, 15, 21
Clark-Hall, Robert Clark: Sir, 11
Commetti, 3

D
Dale, Alan, 2, 5, 8
Dickinson, Alf, 12, 20

E
Eileen, 4
Emerson, George, 12

F
Fulton, Bill, 12

G
Glasgow, Johnny, 20
Glasgow, Ron, 20
Grammer, Mr., 13

H
Haase, 3
Hall, Stan, 15

J
Jeffs, Mr., 6
Jeffs, Ray, 6

L
Leckie, Tom, 9, 12, 13
Lloyd, Ernest Jack: John, Old Onkus, 8, 11, 15, 23
Lloyd, Lilian May: Mother, Mum, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15
Lloyd, Nola: nee Bradley, 23
Lloyd, Nola Joan: Puk, Jum, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12
Lloyd, Raymond Edgar: George, 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29
Lloyd, Samuel Edgar: Pop, Father, Dad, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 15, 27

M
Mayes, Ivan, 8, 12
McCormack, Toby, 13
McIlroy, Bessie Rhoda, 9, 11
Morgan, 12
Mussen, Dan: Canadian, 19, 27

O
O’Connell, Carrell: Ock, 12
O’Leary, Mr., 5

R
Rider, Dudley, 15
Robby: Drill Instructor, 15
Robertson, Alice: nee Toms, 20
Rockel, Corporate, 8
Rockell, Mr., 2

S
Sergeant Kitt, 2, 6

T
Terry, 4

V
Von Dadelzen, 27
Von Tunzelmann, 3

W
Whillans, Fred, 19
Wimpie, 17, 20, 27

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Explanation of Names

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Appendix 2, A Brief Timeline of Eric

3rd September 1939
War on Nazi Germany is declared by England and France.

Sunday, 29th July 1940
Eric arrives at Levin Airforce base to commence his training as an Airforce pilot

Sunday, 25th August 1940
Eric is transferred to Taieri Airforce base

Wednesday, 25th September 1940
Eric fails in his quest to be an Airforce pilot. Puts in for a transfer as a navigational observer.

Friday, 27th September 1940
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact in Berlin. The aim is to discourage the United States in a more active involvement in the war.

Thursday, 13th October 1940
Eric is transferred to Levin

Tuesday 5th November 1940
The “Awatea” left Auckland and was en route to Fiji.
President Roosevelt is re-elected for an unprecedented third term.

Friday, 8th November 1940
The “Awatea” arrived in Suva, Fiji.

Thursday, 14th November 1940
The “Awatea” arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Greece repels the Italian Invasion.
Using a total force of 449 bombers, the Luftwaffe launches a heavy night attack against the major manufacturing city of Coventry, causing severe damage to industrial and civilian installations. The raid kills 380 people and injures 865.

Wednesday, 20th November 1940
The “Awatea” arrived Vancouver, Canada.
Hungary and Romania sign the Tripartite Pact. The Axis now include Germany, Japan, & Italy.

Thursday, 21st November 1940
Eric was aboard the Canadian Pacific Railway, Banff, Canada.

Sunday, 24th November 1940
Eric was stopped in Toronto, Canada before being stationed at the Royal Canadian Air Force, Crumlin, London, Ontario, Canada.
Slovakia joins the Tripartite Pact.

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Appendix 3, Eric’s Flying Log Book

Editors Note: For the sake of space, I have compressed a month’s Flying logs into a single page. I have also formatted remarks to be universal i.e. if Eric expanded one line and abbreviated another line the same, I have made them the same. There is one exception where he uses speech marks to represent words (“) this practise I have kept. I have also put all his results and qualifications at the front of the Logs.

Appendix 4, Additional information

RNZAF Levin
Source: http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20North%20Island.htm

Class: RNZAF Ground Training Station with a Landing Ground
Administered by: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Closest Major Town or City: Levin
History under RNZAF usage: An ex-municipal aerodrome which had officially gained authorisation to operate as an airfield on the 11th of July 1935, Levin became an RNZAF Station just after the immediate outbreak of war in 1939. The Government Training Farm at Weraroa had been taken over by the RNZAF for the purpose of training new recruits, and the Initial Training School was transferred into Levin from RNZAF Station Rongotai in October 1939. This later became known as the Initial Training Wing.

Most airmen and many WAAFs who joined the RNZAF during the first half of the war passed through RNZAF Levin, because this was the home of the Initial Training Wing from 1939 till 1942. Airmen knew the place by both names of Levin and Wereroa, which can be confusing for some. This was where raw recruits learned the basics of service life and were turned into airmen and airwomen before moving onto more specific trade training. The station also had the airfield which saw some activity during the war. When ITW moved on, the Bomber Operational Training Unit that had previously been at Ohakea moved in.

Opened as RNZAF Station: October 1939
Closed as RNZAF Station: 19??
Wartime Station Commanders: Wing Commander Ronald James Sinclair – ? till approx Jan 1942 (posted to command RNZAF Station Taieri)
Air Commodore Trevor Watts White CBE, ED – must have been CO from January 1942 till March 1942
Wing Commander FR Dix March 1942 – ? 1943
Wing Commander Arthur Colwell Upham DFC – Dates unknown
Today: Wartime Units Permanently Stationed Here:
Initial Training Wing. Originally entitled Initial Training School, this was the main entry point that most airmen were sent to where basic military training and Air Force life was instilled into new recruits. It was based at Levin from 1939 through till February 1942, when

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it was shifted up to Rotorua. The first course of airmen pilots, observers, and air-gunners to pass through Levin started training there on the 20th of October 1939
No. 1 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit. This unit had previously been stationed at RNZAF Ohakea, and it trained pilots to fly the RNZAF reconnaissance bombers on Hudsons No. 10 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit. This unit had previously been stationed at RNZAF Ohakea, and it trained pilots to fly the RNZAF reconnaissance bombers on Hudsons Officers' School of Instruction. This moved back from Omaka to Levin when the South Island base had closed down in April 1944 when sufficient accommodation had become available Contact. From the magazine's inception in 1941 till January/February 1942 when the office moved to RNZAF Rotorua.

RNZAF Harewood
Source: http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20South%20Island.htm

Class: RNZAF Permanent Flying Station
Administered by: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Closest Major Town or City: Christchurch
History under RNZAF usage: An ex-municipal aerodrome that began to be constructed into an RNZAF station at the immediate outbreak of war in 1939, Harewood became a major training station during the war. It's first Station Commander was Wing Commander Sir Robert Clark-Hall. Whilst nearby Wigram concentrated on advanced multi-engined training for most of the war, Harewood was ab-initio pilot training on Tiger Moths, and was also an operational station for No. 3 (GR) Squadron on Baffins and Hudsons.
Opened as RNZAF Station: 15th of May 1940, training bginning [sic] August 1940
Closed as RNZAF Station: 19??
Wartime Station Commanders
Wing Commander Sir Robert Hamilton Clark-Hall, KBE, CMG, DSO, Legion of Honour (France), mid 17th of June 1940 till 22nd of April 1944
Wing Commander W. Gordon Coull 26th of April 1943 till 26th of March 1944
Wing Commander E.A.A. Moen, AFC 27th of march 1944 till the 21st of March 1945
Wing Commander Roy Douglas Max DSO, DFC, CdeG(FR) – 21st of March 1945 till September 1945
Today: Harewood is now Christchurch International Airport, the country's second busiest after Auckland
Wartime Units Permanently Stationed Here:
No. 1 Ground Training Depot
No. 1 Service Flying Training School (Advanced Training Squadron) Temporarily attached here
No. 3 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron Flying Blackburn Baffins and Vickers Vincents and Vildebeests, then Lockheed Hudsons, patrolling the Canterbury region and seaways
No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School Flying DH82 Tiger Moths, this school was established in August 1940 to train new pilots. This became one of the largest flying schools in the country when, after No. 2 EFTS was closed down at RNZAF Station Ashburton in October 1944, it's instructors and aircraft were absorbed into this school.
No. 3 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Flight
No. 3 Electrical and Wireless Training Squadron
311 Electrical and Wireless Squadron A school for wireless repair engineers, Wireless Operators and all manner of other instrument mechanics and the likes to be trained in their

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trade at. This was eventually in postwar to become the famous No. 2 Technical Training School, which sadly closed when RNZAF Wigram was being wound down in 1993.
Unit 13 A maintenance unit
Recruit Training Squadron

Granose
Source: http://www.sanitarium.com.au/about-us/history.html

Sanitarium’s original wheat biscuit, Granose, was marketed in Australia and New Zealand during the early 1900s, not only as a breakfast cereal but also as an alternative to bread. During the 1920s, Sanitarium faced a challenge to Granose from a new sweetened flake biscuit called Weet-Bix, which was produced by a company called Grain Products.

In 1930, Sanitarium acquired Grain Products, which also had connections to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and made Weet-Bix its own.

The Aldis Lamp
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_lamp

[photograph]
The Aldis Lamp
http://www.morsemad.com/lamps.htm

Signal lamp, also called Aldis lamp, is a visual signalling device for optical communication (typically using Morse code) – essentially a focused lamp which can produce a pulse of light. It is named after its inventor Authur C W Aldis. This pulse is achieved by opening and closing shutters mounted in front of the lamp, either via a manually-operated pressure switch or, in later versions, automatically. The lamps were usually equipped with some form of optical sight, and were most commonly used on naval vessels and in airport control towers (using colour signals for stop or clearance).

Hussif
Source: http:// www.geocities.com/qllsite/Hussif.html

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[photograph]
http://www.geocities.com/qllsite/calicohussifopen.html

The 'Hussif' was standard issue to commonwealth servicemen until sometime around the 1950s, after which time economies resulted in them having to provide their own. The commonest example of a serviceman's hussif, and the one generally recorded as issued to Army personnel, is a very simple calico version. Roughly sewn from a rectangle of fabric, with one pocket, a needle-rest, and calico tape ties, it was nevertheless obviously ideal for its purpose and very long-lived.

RNZAF Ohakea
Source: http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20North%20Island.htm

Class: RNZAF Permanent Operational and Flying Training Station
Administered by: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Closest Major Town or City: Bulls, Manawatu (north of Palmerston North)
History under RNZAF usage: RNZAF Station Ohakea was initially designed to become an operational bomber base, and was first commissioned in 1937 when the RNZAF ordered 30 new Vickers Wellington bombers to modernise its capabilities. The intention was to create two new bomber squadrons, one at Ohakea and the other at Whenuapai, another new station built at the same time to basically the same design.

However when war looked imminent in Europe, the New Zealand Government offered the Wellington to Britain's RAF, and they went on to form the New Zealand Bomber Flight. This became No. 75 Squadron, which would postwar be associate with Ohakea from 1947 till 2001. But that's another story.

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So when war came to New Zealand, Ohakea actually became a training base for the early part of the war. Eventually operational squadrons did become part of the station, No. 2 (BR) Squadron for one. And eventually three Operational Training Units were based there, as well as No. 3 Service Flying training School, the Air Gunners and Air Observers School, and many other training schools and units at various times.

Opened as RNZAF Station: 18th of September 1939
Wartime Station Commanders: Wing Commander E.G. Gedge – from Station's opening day on 18th of September 1939 till?
Wing Commander F.E.T. Hewlett D.S.O., O.B.E. – was Station Commander in May 1941, unsure how long for
WGCDR Alfred John Turner OBE Station Commander June till December 1945 AVM Malcolm Frederick Calder dates unknown

Today: Ohakea remains an active RNZAF base
Wartime Units Permanently Stationed Here:
No. 1 Air Observers School: Flying de Havilland DH86 Express ex-airliners, later known as Air Gunners and Air Observers School
No. 1 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit: Flying Hudson bombers, This OTU later moved to RNZAF Station Levin in mid to late 1942
No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit: Flying P40 Kittyhawks
No. 2 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron: Flying Lockheed Venturas, working up to operational level before deployment to the Pacific
No. 3 Service Flying Training School, (Initial Training Squadron): Flying Hawker Hinds
No. 3 Service Flying Training School, (Advanced Training Squadron) : Flying Hawker Hinds
No. 4 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit: Flying P40 Kittyhawks. Newly trained pilots converted onto P40 Kittyhawks and Warhawks of all marks here. This school moved to Ohakea in 1944 with the arrival of the Corsairs at its previous base at RNZAF Station Ardmore
No. 10 (GR) Squadron: Flying Hudson bombers for a very short few weeks before the unit transformed into No. 10 OTU
No. 10 Bomber Operational Training Unit: Flying Hudson bombers
No. 11 Operational Training Unit (OTU)
Unit 19: A maintenance unit

RNZAF Taieri
Source: http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20South%20Island.htm

Class: RNZAF Permanent Flying Training Station
Administered by: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Closest Major Town or City: Dunedin
History under RNZAF usage: An ex-municipal aerodrome, and home to Dunedin Aero Club, this airfield became an RNZAF station at the immediate outbreak of war in 1939. It had already been chosen as the base for a fourth Territorial Squadron that was being set up, No. 4 Squadron, but no accommodation for the squadron had begun to be built when war began. The Public Works Department set to work and built the station and all was ready for the RNZAF to take over and use within just six weeks of them commencing work!
No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, the first of four such EFTS's to be established, opened on the station on the 7th of October 1939 whilst construction work proceeded and at first had to make do with just one hangar.
Opened as RNZAF Station: September 1939
Closed as RNZAF Station: 1959

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Wartime Station Commanders: Squadron Leader Stedman – from opening of Station in September 1939
Wing Commander Edgar 'Ted' Harvie – from January 1941, as RNZAF's Chief Flying Instructor and CO of No. 1 EFTS (Previously commanded Central Flying School, Wigram from October 1939 – January 1941, and in 1943 went to Canada. I don't know when he left Taieri as such but probably when Wg Comm Sinclair took over)
Wing Commander R.J. Sinclair – approx January 1942 till ? (previously commanded RNZAF Station Rongotai)
Wing Commander Peter Alister Matheson OBD (cvsa) – August 1943 till??

Wartime Units Permanently Stationed Here:
1 Elementary Flying Training School: Flying DH82 Tiger Moths
Unit 7: A maintenance unit
Initial Training School
Grading School

Thomas Leckie
Source: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2408314

Name: – LECKIE, THOMAS WILLIAM MCCLURE
Initials: – T W M
Nationality: – New Zealand
Rank: – Pilot Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: – Royal New Zealand Air Force
Unit Text: – 610 (R.A.F.) Sqdn.
Age: – 24
Date of Death: – 27/10/1941
Service No: – 402196
Additional information: – Son of Frank Maxwell Leckie and Irene M. L. Leckie, of Heretaunga, Wellington, New Zealand.
Casualty Type: – Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: – Row B. Grave 8.
Cemetery: – LECONFIELD (ST. CATHERINE) CHURCHYARD, UK

Carroll O’Connell
Source: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2416762

Name: – O'CONNELL, CARROLL FREDERICK
Initials: – C F
Nationality: – New Zealand
Rank: – Flight Sergeant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: – Royal New Zealand Air Force
Unit Text: – 12 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: – 23
Date of Death: – 10/01/1942
Service No: – 402210

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Additional information: – Son of Charles Underwood O'Connell and Daisy O'Connell, of Tahunanui, Nelson, New Zealand.
Casualty Type: – Commonwealth War Dead
Cemetery: – BINBROOK (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD UK

RNZAF Wigram
Source: http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20South%20Island.htm

Class: RNZAF Permanent Flying Station
Administered by: Royal New Zealand Air Force
Closest Major Town or City: Christchurch
History under RNZAF usage:
Opened as RNZAF Station: 1923
Closed as RNZAF Station: 1995
Wartime Station Commanders: Air Commodore George Stacey Hodson CBE, AFC, CdeG(Belg) RAF – Station CO April 1938 till June 1942
Group Captain Keith Caldwell – Station CO whilst in charge of No. 2 SFTS from June 1942 till November 1944
Group Captain Cyril Kay – November 1944 till March 1946
Today: The home of the RNZAF Museum, but sadly a ridiculous Government decision to close New Zealand's most historic and best base was made in 1993, and after its closure in 1995 it has endured mass destruction of the historic buildings, and much hosing has been built over the old station's grounds. The airfield still operates for various civilian aviation groups but is also under threat of being built on.
Wartime Units Permanently Stationed Here:
No. 3 (Christchurch) Squadron: Formed on the 4th of September 1939 at RNZAF Station Wigram, this had previously been No. 3 Territorial Squadron, but became a permanent unit at the immediate outbreak of war. The squadron flew Blackburn Baffins till it was disbanded in February 1940, with half the personnel going to the New Zealand General Reconnaissance Squadron. This included its C.O., Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Roberts, who took command of the NZGR Sqn. The remainder of personnel were absorbed into other units at Wigram and elsewhere
No.22 (Fighter) Squadron: This squadron was stationed at Wigram from January 1943
No. 1 Electrical and Wireless School: A ground training school for wireless operators and electrical technicians. This developed postwar into the famous No. 2 Technical Training School where the Avionics trade trained
No. 1 Flying Training School: Flying Baffins, Vildebeests and other types. Became 1 SFTS, as below
No. 1 Service Flying Training School (Advanced Training Squadron): Flying Airspeed Oxfords
No. 1 Service Flying Training School (Initial Training Squadron): Flying Airspeed Oxfords
Unit 19: A maintenance unit on the station
Administrative Training School: Set up to train personnel in such trades as stores accounting clerks, pay accounting clerks, general duties clerks, and equipment assistants . Established October 1939. This school was the embryo of what went on to become No. 3 Technical Training School, which continued on the base till the mid – 1990's

Maori Battalion – World War II song
http://folksong.org.nz/maori_battalion/index.html

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1. In the days that have now gone
when the Maoris went to war
They fought and fought until the last man died
for the honour of their tribe
And so we carry on
the conditions they have laid
And as we go on day by day
You will always hear us say. . .

Chorus
Maori Battalion march to victory
Maori Battalion staunch and true
Maori Battalion march to glory
Take the honour of the people with you
We will march, march, march to the enemy
And we'll fight right to the end.
For God! For King! And for Country!
AU – E! Ake, ake, kia kaha e!

2. A loyal band of Maoris
Sailing from New Zealand
To win us freedom and peace
Marching shoulder to shoulder onward
And we will shout again
Ake aka kia kaha e
Haere tonu haere tonu ra
Kia – o – ra Kia – o – ra

3. Te Ope Māori Hīkoi kia toa
Te Ope Māori kia kaha ra
Te Ope Māori hikoi kia kororia ai
Mauria te hōnore o te iwi.
Ka hīkoi mātou ki te hoariri
Whawhaitia tae noa ki te mutunga
Mō te Atua! Mo te kingi! Me te whenua!
AU-E!, ake ake kia kaha e

(Translation)
Maori Battalion march to victory
Maori Battalion so very staunch
Maori Battalion march to glory
Be the living expression of the people's honour.
We will march to the enemy
Put them to flight at the end.
For God! For King! And for country!

Kava kava
Source: http://www.fijian-kava.com

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[photograph]
Source: http://www.fijian-kava.com

Kava kava (Piper Methysticum) is a lush, leafy green member of the pepper family, from the tropical islands of the South Pacific.

Kava kava whose Latin name Piper methysticum literally translates as "intoxicating pepper" has been used for centuries, by the inhabitants of the South Pacific Islands – as a ritual drink, a social beverage, and also as a medicine.

HMS Ark Royal
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)

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Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)

HMS Ark Royal (pennant number 91) was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War and was torpedoed on 13 November 1941 by the German submarine U-81, sinking the following day.

Designed in 1934 to fit within the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England. Completed in November 1938, she served in some of the most active naval theatres of the early stages of World War II. She was involved in a number of notable actions, including the first aerial kill of the war, operations off Norway, the search for the German battleship Bismarck, and the Malta Convoys, making her one of the most famous ships of the Royal Navy. Ark Royal survived

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several near misses in her short career, and gained a reputation as a 'lucky ship'. The Germans incorrectly reported her as sunk on a number of occasions.

Her design incorporated many new features, and differed in numerous ways from previous aircraft carriers. Ark Royal was the first ship where the hangars and flight deck were an integral part of the ship's hull, instead of an add-on or part of the superstructure. Designed to carry a large number of aircraft, she was fitted with two hangar deck levels. She served during a period that first saw the extensive use of naval air power; a number of carrier tactics were developed and refined aboard Ark Royal.

Her sinking was the subject of several inquiries, with the investigators keen to know how the carrier was lost, given that there were significant efforts to save the ship and tow her to the naval base at Gibraltar. The inquiries found that several design flaws contributed to the sinking, which were rectified in new British carriers. Although recorded as sinking 22 nautical miles (41 km) from Gibraltar, this was proved incorrect when Ark Royal was located in December 2002, approximately 30 nautical miles (56 km) from Gibraltar.

Dr Peter Buck
Source: http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Gov10_03Rail-t1-body-d8.html
Source: http://www.nzedge.com/heroes/buck.html
[photograph]
Source:
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/Gov10_03Rail-fig-Gov10_03Rail021a.html

1877/1880 – 1953
Dr. Peter H. Buck (Te Rangihiroa), D.S.O., Doctor, Soldier, and Ethnologist.
The mingled blood of Pakeha and Maori has given New Zealand some very gifted and distinguished men, who have risen to the highest offices the State can bestow on them. None of the brilliant little band of native sons has given greater service to his country, than Dr. Peter Buck, D.S.O., whose Maori name is Te Rangihiroa. He had nobly helped his people along the paths of health and renewed hope in life. He had a record of splendid service in the Great War, on Gallipoli and in France, both as Medical Officer and combatant officer. He was second in command of his Maoris, the Pioneer Battalion, with the rank of major. He was director of Maori Hygiene on his return from active service. For many years he had been

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engaged in scientific research among the islands of Polynesia, for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and to-day he stands foremost among Maori-Polynesian ethnologists; a great and scholarly and gallant figure whom New Zealanders would have liked to see at the head of Pacific anthropological studies in his own homeland.

His honorary doctorate from the University of Hawaii recognised his “Contribution to the knowledge of mankind” and likewise his honorary doctorate from Yale University lauded him as “First among those who know the peoples and cultures of the Polynesian world, medical doctor, warrior, ethnologist, author and poet, you have brought many races of people to greater understanding and peace.”

Ironically, it was North America rather than New Zealand who returned Buck's worth financially though they refused his application for American citizenship on the grounds that he, like all Polynesians, was "too Asian". Academically however, his presence was acclaimed with Buck attaining international distinction. He received honorary degrees from Yale, an MA in 1936 and a Doctorate of Science in 1951, combined with the Terry Prize in 1939. The University of Hawaii awarded him a doctorate in letters in 1948. New Zealand granted Buck two honorary doctorates in science in 1939, and he won the Hector Medal of the New Zealand Institute. Posthumously he was awarded the S.Percy Smith Medal of Otago in 1951. The University of Rochester in 1939 also awarded him an honorary doctorate. Buck received British (through the New Zealand Government) and Swedish Knighthoods, the KCMG and the Royal Order of the North Star in 1946. He received the Rivers Memorial Medal from the Royal Anthropological Institute and in 1952 he was posthumously awarded the Huxley Memorial Medal, the highest honour the Institute can bestow. Other recipients include such luminaries in the field as Clifford Geertz, Claude Levi-Strauss, Marcel Mauss and Pierre
Bourdieu. Buck's work was seminal in fostering understanding of Polynesian and Maori cultures and ways of thinking.

As an indication of Buck’s unpretentious character he kept his title "Doctor" even when it was surpassed by more distinguished accolades. Upon returning to work at Yale, he wrote to the secretary, "[t]he title, Sir, supersedes Doctor in British countries, but I am not bothering about it locally. I prefer to be addressed as Doctor rather than Sir in a democratic country."

Final Homecoming
While Director of the Bishop Museum (he had replaced Gregory in 1936) Buck underwent an operation which revealed an aggressive abdominal cancer. It was predicted that he had three months to live, it was October 1948. Always powerfully positive in outlook, Buck extended that forecast into three prolific years, completing four books and visiting New Zealand in January 1949 for a rigorous tour and final farewell. With his physical decline he and his wife were cared for by a loyal and committed friend Bernice Ross who supported them right through to his death in 1951. It was not until 1953 that his ashes were brought home and a large tangi procession escorted his ashes from Wellington to Okoki Pa in Taranaki, his desired final resting place.

Kay Francis
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Francis
[photograph]
Source:
http://www.divasthesite.com/images/Kay_Francis/Kay_Francis_

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nickname_01.jpg

Kay Francis (January 13, 1905–August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was the number one female star at the Warner Brothers studio, and the highest paid American film actress.

Dole Brand
Source: http://www.dole.com/

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Source: http://www.dole.com

Founded in Hawaii in 1851, Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2007 revenues of $6.9 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods, and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research. The Company does business in more than 90 countries and employs, on average, 36,000 full-time, regular employees and 23,000 full-time seasonal or temporary employees, worldwide.

Empire Air Training Scheme
Source: http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-air-support/ww2-allied/eats.htm

At the start of the Second World War, the British Government looked to the Empire and Dominions for air training help because the United Kingdom did not have the space to accommodate training and operational facilities, and because aerodromes in the United Kingdom were vulnerable to enemy attack. The Agreement was signed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on 17 December 1939, it listed the percentage of trainees each country would send, the percentage of costs each would take on, the training schedule, and the aerodrome opening schedule.

Between 1940 and 1945, some 151 schools had been established across Canada with a ground organization of 104,113 men and women. By the end of the Second World War, the BCATP (Canada) and the EATS (Australia/NZ) had produced 131,553 aircrew, including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators for the Air Forces of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

During the early war years the RAAF & RNZAF's primary task was to train aircrew for the RAF under the Empire Air Training Scheme, however when Japan entered the War both the RAAF and RNZAF turned their attentions increasingly to the protection of the Pacific and their own shores.

When the BCATP and EATS came to a close on 31 March 1945, the four participating governments had spent CAN $2.2 billion on the training plan, CAN $1.6 billion of which was Canada's proportion.

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Elementary training took approximately eight weeks, which included at least 50 hours of flying. Aircraft commonly used at Elementary Flying Training Schools were de Havilland Tiger Moths, Fleet Finches, and Fairchild Cornells. Successful trainees then progressed to Service Flying Training Schools for more advanced instruction. The course length varied from 10 to 16 weeks, and flying time varied from 75 to 100 hours. Potential fighter pilots trained on single-engine North American Harvards while pilots selected for bomber, coastal, and transport operations received training on twin-engine Avro Ansons, Cessna Cranes, or Airspeed Oxfords.

Daventry
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry

In 1925 the newly created BBC constructed a broadcasting station on Borough Hill just outside the town. Daventry was chosen because it was the point of maximum contact with the land mass of England and Wales. From 1932 the BBC Empire Service (now the BBC World Service) was broadcast from there. The radio announcement of "Daventry calling" made Daventry well-known across the world.

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