Letter from Sergeant R.J.H. Anderson to Doris Weeks
Title
Letter from Sergeant R.J.H. Anderson to Doris Weeks
Description
Letter from a friend that provides some information on operation on which Malcolm Payne went missing. Operation was to Culmont Chaldarey [sic] on 12/13 July and according to BBC, 13 aircraft lost. Goes on to cover statistics of survival of crews missing. Sorry he cannot provide more information.
Creator
Date
1944-07-19
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Six page handwritten letter
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
EPayneMHWeeksD440719
Transcription
1320316 Sgt. Anderson, R.J.H.
Sergeants Mess
R.A.F. SYERSTON
Near Newark.
Notts.
19 – July – 1944
Dear Doris,
Your letter containing its sad news arrived yesterday and I am sorry to say I have very little GEN to give you.
But I will list all that I know. Our group of Bomber Command was detailed to attack a small Target by the name of CULMONT CHALDAREY and according to the B.B.C. 13 Aircraft were lost on the night of July 12/13.
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
Out of that no. of A/C that are missing you can say that approximately 10 crews baled out. Of this no. that have baled out about 6 of these crews will be captured as prisoners. The other 4 crews will have landed in some quiet spot and will be making their way towards a neutral country. Being Aircrew they will naturally [underlined] have [/underlined] to take a look at PARIS! – I wonder if there are any blondes in Paris? – en route. And as Malcolm is [underlined] always [/underlined] lucky – he picked you out of all the girls in Lincoln – you should have no fears for him. Until you receive a definate [sic] message
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
from the Air Ministry informing you that he has been killed you should have very little worries. You see Doris, one of four things must happen.
[underlined] 1 [/underlined] Aircraft is shot down and bodies are recovered – Germans will inform Red Cross.
[underlined] 2 [/underlined] A/C shot down and nothing is identified, listed as missing – believed killed.
[underlined] 3 [/underlined] A/C shot down Aircrew captured Red Cross informed
And best of all.
[underlined] 4 [/underlined] A/C shot down The Boys bale out and hitch it to Paris – Whizz-O! and eventually arrive back home.
As for enquiries whether he was seen to have baled out – I cannot answer that one – because
[page break]
[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
I am not in contact with his Squadron and anyway, at night time all one can see in the sky is an aircraft. If it has four engines – it’s O.K. and you make rude signs to it, if it has only one or two, it’s a Hun, and then everybody has a bash at it. So you wouldnt [sic] know who baled out, [deleted] [indecipherable word] [/deleted] [inserted] and out [/inserted] of which Aircraft.
This sad happening is inevitable because sooner or later everyone get’s the proverbial chopper. There are very few Aircrews which complete a tour of operations and you should have consoled yourself with this thought long before Judd – sorry, Malcolm, went to a Squadron.
[page break]
[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
This is about all the gen I have but rest assured I will do my best. For as you know I was very friendly with Malcolm and Don. If you get any more news please pass it on.
The facts and figures I have told you are of course in confidence. But I dont [sic] suppose the Air Ministry would mind if it will ease an aching soul.
Next time you see June, get her to write to me. I am so glad you know her. I have fallen for her but …. she apparently has other ideas.
I am sorry I cannot do any more to help you at the moment. So all we can do is to ask for God’s aid.
Salaam
[underlined] Bob [/underlined]
[page break]
[underlined] HEY [/underlined]
And [underlined] please [/underlined] dont [sic] enclose a stamped envelope. I do not regard this service as an obligation.
[underlined] Repeat [/underlined] Please [underlined] Dont Worry. [/underlined] Just Remember.
“And whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it
ST. John Ch.14 v. 13 & 14
Sergeants Mess
R.A.F. SYERSTON
Near Newark.
Notts.
19 – July – 1944
Dear Doris,
Your letter containing its sad news arrived yesterday and I am sorry to say I have very little GEN to give you.
But I will list all that I know. Our group of Bomber Command was detailed to attack a small Target by the name of CULMONT CHALDAREY and according to the B.B.C. 13 Aircraft were lost on the night of July 12/13.
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
Out of that no. of A/C that are missing you can say that approximately 10 crews baled out. Of this no. that have baled out about 6 of these crews will be captured as prisoners. The other 4 crews will have landed in some quiet spot and will be making their way towards a neutral country. Being Aircrew they will naturally [underlined] have [/underlined] to take a look at PARIS! – I wonder if there are any blondes in Paris? – en route. And as Malcolm is [underlined] always [/underlined] lucky – he picked you out of all the girls in Lincoln – you should have no fears for him. Until you receive a definate [sic] message
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
from the Air Ministry informing you that he has been killed you should have very little worries. You see Doris, one of four things must happen.
[underlined] 1 [/underlined] Aircraft is shot down and bodies are recovered – Germans will inform Red Cross.
[underlined] 2 [/underlined] A/C shot down and nothing is identified, listed as missing – believed killed.
[underlined] 3 [/underlined] A/C shot down Aircrew captured Red Cross informed
And best of all.
[underlined] 4 [/underlined] A/C shot down The Boys bale out and hitch it to Paris – Whizz-O! and eventually arrive back home.
As for enquiries whether he was seen to have baled out – I cannot answer that one – because
[page break]
[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
I am not in contact with his Squadron and anyway, at night time all one can see in the sky is an aircraft. If it has four engines – it’s O.K. and you make rude signs to it, if it has only one or two, it’s a Hun, and then everybody has a bash at it. So you wouldnt [sic] know who baled out, [deleted] [indecipherable word] [/deleted] [inserted] and out [/inserted] of which Aircraft.
This sad happening is inevitable because sooner or later everyone get’s the proverbial chopper. There are very few Aircrews which complete a tour of operations and you should have consoled yourself with this thought long before Judd – sorry, Malcolm, went to a Squadron.
[page break]
[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
This is about all the gen I have but rest assured I will do my best. For as you know I was very friendly with Malcolm and Don. If you get any more news please pass it on.
The facts and figures I have told you are of course in confidence. But I dont [sic] suppose the Air Ministry would mind if it will ease an aching soul.
Next time you see June, get her to write to me. I am so glad you know her. I have fallen for her but …. she apparently has other ideas.
I am sorry I cannot do any more to help you at the moment. So all we can do is to ask for God’s aid.
Salaam
[underlined] Bob [/underlined]
[page break]
[underlined] HEY [/underlined]
And [underlined] please [/underlined] dont [sic] enclose a stamped envelope. I do not regard this service as an obligation.
[underlined] Repeat [/underlined] Please [underlined] Dont Worry. [/underlined] Just Remember.
“And whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it
ST. John Ch.14 v. 13 & 14
Collection
Citation
R J H Anderson, “Letter from Sergeant R.J.H. Anderson to Doris Weeks ,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed December 11, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/10611.
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