Letter from Hedley Madgett to his parents

Letter from Hedley Madgett to his parents

Writes from ITW in Scarborough that he arrived there safely. Says he has got through navigation exam and they are going to Canada or America and not Rhodesia. Writes about packing kit and going to the beach. Continues with talk of mail and that kit issued probably means Canada.

Five page handwritten letter

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EMadgettLR-AG-PMadgettHR[Date]-01

No. 1330340. HR MADGETT
No. 10 1TW R.A.F
No. 4 SQUADRON. 4 FLIGHT
Grand Hotel,
Scarborough.
Dear Mum & Dad, & Peter,
We arrived O.K. [deleted] at [/deleted] and was in the hotel at 7.15 p.m., with only 1/4 hour wait at York.
I have got through the Navigation exam, as all but 5 did, and we definitely are going abroad to Canada or America – not Rhodesia.
We go on Friday. [underlined] About [/underlined] half are going to America & half to Canada, and a few are going to home stations. (married men).
This morning we
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[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
were packing our kit into our haversacks. Its amazing how one can get such a lot of stuff into a very small space we have no more room for a single thing now. This afternoon we had a full pack inspection by the C.O., and although we only had them on about 1/2 hour, our backs felt as though we had had them on for months. The weight is terrific, & it’s a real fight to get into it.
We have just been on the beach & in the sea, but the sun is not extra hot. The public are allowed on
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[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
the sands now, and there were quite a few people bathing and paddling.
I have sent a telegram to “Madgcol. Borouph. London”, so I hope it gets you Dad, because I had to go by memory for the address. I don’t suppose we will settle down at all after leaving on Friday until we have crossed the lake, & doubt whether any late post will catch us up “en route”, so I had to warn you in good time.
I will be sending the case on when I have some
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[underlined] 4 [/underlined]
time to spare – (which will not be hard to find).
We, who are on Litmus posting have given in our Flying Kit & those on Arnold posting have not, so from this we surmise that the Litmus lot is to Canada as the Flying Kit there is the same as here, & the Arnold lot [deleted] Keep their Kit [/deleted] is to America, as the yanks would not issue any of their Flying Kit. I am on Litmus posting. (Canada), but as we have been told not to broadcast this too much
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[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
I should not tell anyone definitely Canada or definitely America.
Well, I think that’s about for now –
All the Best
Love from [underlined] Hedley [/underlined]