Letter to David Donaldson from his brother Ian

Letter to David Donaldson from his brother Ian

Catches up with family news and writes about current location. Mentioned he pinched some of David's kit and that he is waiting for promotion to come through. Catches up with acquaintances.

Four page handwritten letter

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EDonaldsonIDonaldsonDW[Date]-02

R.A.F.
Port Ellen
G.P.O Box 200
[indecipherable word]

Dear Willy
Thanks very much for your two letters – I am sorry to hear your family & yourself have been so much in the wars. It must be a good thing your adj is under lock & key. I am sure with a [indecipherable word] you would have been irresistible. Though I must say you don't seem to have much luck with your staff. It must make life very trying for you.

Much as I should like to, I don't see much chance of getting over to lunch with you, our movements are most carefully regulated & all extend in the wrong direction.

This much the sort of place [indecipherable word] I should imagine Everton was

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with sheep & cows all over the place – nothing else except bog for miles. They have just indented for vast quantities of Waaf [sic] of whom the first are just starting to arrive, I fancy the sheep are looking a bit releived [sic], already.

I don't know if I told you when I was on leave I pinched all your tropical kit, to wit a very fine burberry [sic] suiting & a couple of shirts & a short or two. Your wife said I could so I did so hoping that they were part of the worldly goods with which you endowed her so that my title to them is good. Any way I am very grateful for them & I enclose some coupons to recompense you. If you don’t think they are enough I am sending the rest of mine back to Ma & you may try & persuade her to part with some of them. As I said before, if my greatcoat is of any use to you, do use it though I fear it is a very Moss Bros one. It is in Brown biege [sic]

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I am eagerly waiting for my Flo to come through. It was due on July 22nd so I expect I shall have to wait a bit for that if [indecipherable word] does get his 2 pips up before me he will only have got [deleted] his two pips up then [/deleted] his nose in front on a technicality. In any case I intend to promote myself en route & arrive in the gull glory of 9/16” braid. Incidentally if in your daily perusal of the London Gazette you happen to see it, you might let me know.

Most of my friends are still on leave from Catfoss which makes me grit my teeth, I suppose we were unfortunately at the top of the list. Still I should be able to enjoy myself showing myself off as in old hand when they eventually catch me up.

I hope you manage to reunite yourself with your family. It must

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be no fun having [deleted word] to pay for a family & not be able to back them. I hope you & Anne will do P.T. together every morning. I agree with you about the press ups. I done them myself & was most impressed.

If it ever stops raining I hope to be away from here very soon, but I don’t suppose it will stop raining I expect to be seeing my old friend Lord Louis one of these days.

My kind regards to Joyce & Anne

Yours

Jim