Letter from Harry Garnham to Mrs. M Pinner

Letter from Harry Garnham to Mrs. M Pinner

Letter from Garnham to his brother and sister. Garnham apologises for not replying sooner, saying he is either sleeping or being dragged out to town by the rest of the crew. He says he is looking forward to giving "Gerry a hit or two" and finds operations thrilling until the shooting gets too close for comfort. He recounts how they were told that they would soil themselves on their first trip but he is glad to say, that did not happen. He tells of landing at Martlesham and says is sorry that he could not get home to see the family and envied the others stationed there who were living around Ipswich and so close to home. He also apologises for not having much news to tell and ends the letter with "tons of love" and a lot of kisses.

1942-03-24

A four page letter with envelope

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EGarnhamHGSPinnerM420325

[post mark]
[postage stamp]
Mrs M Pinner,
Street Farm Cotts ;
Brantham,
[underlined] Manningtree [/underlined]
[underlined] Essex [/underlined]
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Sgts’ Mess,
RAF. Station,
Scampton
[underlined] Lincolnshire [/underlined]
[underlined] Tuesday [/underlined]
[underlined] To [/underlined]
My Dearest sister and [underlined] Brother [/underlined]
Just a few lines in answer to your loving letter received a week ago. You must forgive me for not answering it before but now that I have started on ops. I find that as soon as I am free I either sleep or the rest of the crew almost drag me out to town with them.
I am afraid dear I cannot answer your last letter word for word as I have just found out that I picked a much older one up by mistake, thus leaving the
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[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
one I need back in my quarters.
I trust dear that Maurice and yourself are both quite well which goes for me. I am feeling fine and am quite safe so far. I wrote to mum yesterday telling her I was then off on another ‘trip’ but it was cancelled at the last moment. Now I am standing by ready for tonight. I wonder if I shall be lucky enough to be able to go and give Gerry a hit or two tonight. I really find it quite thrilling until they begin to shoot a bit to [sic] close for one to feel ‘comfortable’. We were told before we started on our first trip that we should come back to find we had made a “mess” in our pants but am glad to say that at least we did refrain from doing such a thing
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[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
as that. I expect mum told you that we landed at Martlesham on our return but I could not get home to see you. It was just a bit of bad luck that we had to land there and we generally feel like a shave and such forth when we land but at least we did get a good meal and a good bed. Not that we did not need it. I got talking to several fellows there and you can guess they soon told me that they would lay down their weeks’ wages’ that I lived around Suffolk. Some of them told me that their homes were at little places around Ipswich and you may be sure that I envied them for being so close to home. But I feel it
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[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
is better for me to be a good way away now that I have started ops.
How is the weather at home dear? Today has been glorious and it was grand up in the air this afternoon.
There are very few news to send to you dear. I am afraid it is not a very interesting letter but the news that one is allowed to write are very dull and very few.
So I will close. Give my love to all friends. May God Bless and keep you Safe. Tons of love from
Your Everloving Brother
Harry
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