To Jessie from Harry Redgrave

ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0001.jpg
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0002.jpg
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0003.jpg
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0004.jpg
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0005.jpg
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0006.jpg

Title

To Jessie from Harry Redgrave

Description

A letter and envelope from Harry Redgrave to his wife. Harry wishes her a happy birthday and writes about life at RAF Finningley including night-time look-out duties.

Creator

Date

1940-10-01

Temporal Coverage

Language

Format

Four handwritten sheets and an envelope

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

ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0001,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0002,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0003,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0004,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0005,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJM401001-0006

Transcription

[postage stamp]
[postmark]

Mrs. H. C. Redgrave,
155 Fletton Avenue,
Peterboro’
Northants.

[page break]

[reverse of envelope]

[page break]

[RAF Crest]

Sgts Mess
R.A.F.
Finningley
Tues 1-10-40

Dear Jessie,
Many happy returns of the day darling you look younger and prettier than at 21. Married life must have done you good. Im [sic] sorry I could not manage to get out to send you a card but I am sure you will understand when I say your birthday has been in my mind all day. It seems very difficult to know what to get for you and perhaps you will tell me whether you would like an umbrella or the cash or something else that you might suggest. There is nothing of interest to tell you other than the fact that I have had two night duties over the week-end. Saturday I was out in charge of the beacon but although it was a bit of a bind I had plenty to eat and hot tea and cocoa to fortify me

[page break]

through the night. At Finningley the beacon stays on until dawn and I slept in the lorry for a few hours and had the next morning off.

Sunday night I had a turn at Duty look-out which is a four hour shift on the roof of Station Headquarters. As I was on from 2100 – 0100 it was rather miserable spending four hours stuck up there on a roof top in the dark and bitter cold. I was never more thankful for the wonderful scarf you knitted me last winter and although I had my flying boots on and later a blanket draped round me by one o’clock in the morning I was chilled to the bone.
I like your photo a lot though I have seen both you and Pamela looking prettier than in the picture. When I compared it with the

[page break]

last one of you two I realised just how much our little Pamela has become a big girl and I thought what a credit she was to you with her sturdy legs and round little face.

Its [sic] funny you should mention seeing the Hampdens in the paper, which I presume to be the News of the World, because I was going to tell you to keep the picture as they are of 106 Squadron and probably the only ones I shall be able the get. Havent [sic] you made a mistake dear surely this is the first anniversary we have not been together as I did not go until November 7th. Childrens [sic] clothes are not coming within the scope of the Purchase Tax but its [sic] just as well to get her some things as they are bound to go up. Theres [sic] just a faint hope

[page break]

that I may get 48 hours in a fortnights [sic] time.
The possibility arises from the fact that [deleted] that [/deleted] next Monday I shall start a fortnights crew training course which consists of a weeks [sic] lectures and a week of dry swims and as the lectures finish Friday morning and the dry swims start on Monday the intervening two days may give to a chance to sneak home to you my love. So heres [sic] your husband once again full of hopes and lets [sic] hope they are not dashed.

Lots of love and kisses to you and Pamela
From your loving husband
Harry xxxxx

Citation

Harry Redgrave, “To Jessie from Harry Redgrave,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/15920.

Item Relations

This item has no relations.