Letter from Malcolm Payne to Doris Weeks

Letter from Malcolm Payne to Doris Weeks

Writes that he has been unable to write or phone as has been due to fly but it had been scrubbed. Says that he went on operation to Poitiers where they lost two engines and his turret was damaged. Writes they are off on tenth operation that night.

1944-06-15

Four page handwritten letter and envelope

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

EPayneMHWeeksD440615

[postmark]
[postage stamp]
Miss D Weeks,
37 Hawthorne Rd.,
Bunker’s Hill
[underlined] Lincoln. [/underlined]
[page break]
A417512 F/Sgt. Payne M.H.
R.A.F. Bardney.
My Darling,
I’m awfully sorry I haven’t been able to drop you a note or sommit and also that I haven’t been in the mess when you phoned.
They sent me out [inserted] ‘tother night. [/inserted] after all so you were quite right. (Recd. your letter a few minutes ago) The barman told you I was in bed – he was quite correct. He was telling me some lady had been phoning me. I said it was O.K – it’s my missus. Don’t know what he thought.
Last night Ops.
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined].
were scrubbed at the last moment and I came straight down and went to bed. Almost forgot to wake up for the C.O’s parade this morning at 8.15. We didn’t make our beds as it was and damn me if they didn’t inspect the barracks.
Now we’re in hot water for that. Ah me!!
So you think we’re abusing something that doesn’t belong to us darling.
[deleted] We’ll [/deleted] Well – I guess you’re right. Don’t faint – I actually agree with you.
Yes – I do.
Oh! Pet – I didn’t
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined].
forget to ‘phone you last night. I just didn’t have the power to push my bike to the village.
Night before last we went to Poitiers and we lost one of our engines over the target and another was packing up. I had to work my turret with a handle – what y’ [indecipherable word] y’know – and it made me bloody stiff and sore.
We most likely are off to war again tonight on our tenth one.
No more news darling one ‘cept that I love you and that isn’t news so I will away wi me and write
P.T.O.
[page break]
to me maw.
Cheerio till next time darling.
All my love and kisses as ever.
[underlined] Malcolm [/underlined]
Xxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxx
[underlined] (20). [/underlined]
[circled X] - ???
[circled X] – you.