To Jessie from Harry Redgrave

To Jessie from Harry Redgrave

A letter from Harry to his wife Jessie relating his day-time flights over the Scottish islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Lake District.

1940-03-28

Two handwritten sheets and an envelope

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[postmark]

[postage stamp]

Mrs H.C. Redgrave
“Redwood”
Oaken Grange Drive
Prittlewell
Essex

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Reverse of envelope

[list of spellings]

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Redbrae
Monkton
Thurs 28.3.40

Dear Jessie,

Thanks for your letter today and I hope that by now you have got over our parting and that you have settled down to being a grass widow again. Pity you have had rain as the sun up here has been lovely since we came back though [deleted] t [/deleted] the wind has been very cold and quite strong.

Pamela was quite right about Daddy being in a plane as I have been flying all day and have got to report again at quarter to ten for night flying. I have just about had enough today. This morning I flew to Tarbert - Oban - Iona - Ballymena and back to Prestwick. The flight was interesting and I felt that I made a success of it. Ballymena is down in Ireland so I had a good looke [sic] round and had the impression that the whole country looked like a patchwork quilt. Neat fields in different stages of cultivation and dozens of smoky little towns. Lough Neagh looked like a great inland sea instead of a lake and we passed our Aldergrove a gunnery school

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on the banks of it. This afternoon we went down to Carlisle and from there we flew around the lake [sic] district [sic] seeing Windermere and Derwentwater and several other of the lakes and passed over The Great Gable Sca fell [sic] and numerous peaks. After that another leg took us to Isle of Man passing over Ramsey Laxey & Douglas and from there to Ireland again and back to Prestwick. By that time my head was singing with the roar of the engines and being told I was detailed for night flying just about took the biscuit. Four of our boys including Mitchell of our digs has been transferred to Perth and are going tomorrow. Its [sic] rotten luck for him as I am sure he will not get such a good billet and as the last exam failure from Redbrae went today we are down to five.
There was no pay parade today so I will send your cash on as soon as I get it 24/- this time. Well goodnight love its [sic] almost time for me to get over to the aerodrome give everyone my love and tell Pamela that Daddy thinks of her all day [corrected].

Lots of love always
Harry xxxxx