To Jessie from Harry Redgrave
Title
To Jessie from Harry Redgrave
Description
A letter from Harry Redgrave to his wife Jessie. He discusses home matters and hopes for more pay when he becomes a Sergeant. The letter is written during his move from Scotland to RAF Warmwell.
Creator
Date
1940-05-31
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Three handwritten sheets
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
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJMXX0531-0001,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJMXX0531-0002,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJMXX0531-0003
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJMXX0531-0002,
ERedgraveHCRedgraveJMXX0531-0003
Transcription
Redbrae
Monkton
Ayrshire
Friday May 31st
Dear Jessie,
Thanks for your long letter of yesterday and I suppose that will be the last for about a week until you get my new address.
I hope this finds you and Pamela well and that Mums [sic] bronchitis has left her by now. The news of baby Robert was better this time and I shall be happy to hear that the lad is picking up and taking an interest in life. You will be very quiet at the bungalow next week with Joyce and Pat at Hamble, Gwen evacuated, and Mil in Rochford.
Have you heard any more about evacuation in Southend as the capitulation of the Belgian Army worsens the situation and although its serious dont [sic] worry darling and keep your chin up. Im [sic] very glad that Agnes decided to send Gwennie away because it lessens your responsibilities and in an emergency will give you all more chance. Our difficulty in regard to a voluntary move is that we have spent all our money and if you were to go we should be saddled with mortgage repayments for the bungalow or lose everything we have worked for. Of course if there was a compulsory Government scheme I think we should be able [sic] leave our furniture and let the Abbey Road take a run
[page break]
2
and they could do nothing about it. Rates as well could go to blazes whereas if we left the bungalow furnished we should still be liable for them and until I am earning Sergeants [sic] pay I cant [sic] afford to keep them going and support you in digs somewhere else. I feel you can rely on a scheme coming along if there arises a real necessity for you to move.
I had a reply from the A.R. and it was only about more money when I am promoted and they are quite ready to wait until that comes along.
You are certainly seeing more of the war than we are at present and your description of Southend at present seems quite warlike. I wish I could get home for a day or two to see it all and just stroll around the bungalow and see Mum and Pam and the different folks we know but maybe I shall be able to after B & G.
Thanks for your snap and that Vickers book and you can bet I shall do my best to be a crack shot
Sunday Dinner Time
Well darling your letter and our meeting at Waterloo have upset all I have written so far but I am going to carry on as it may be of some interest.
Since arriving here we have been running around from one block to another in terrific heat and feeling very uncomfortable. We have signed forms galore and suffered from all the red tape imaginable. We were not allowed to go
[page break]
3
out of the camp last night and today have been told that Weymouth and Dorchester have been put out of bounds. That only leaves a small village for us to go out to so I shant [sic] have much chance to get around.
All this morning we have running around [sic] and this afternoon have got to go down to the range. Maybe we shall get some time off this evening when I will try and write you some more.
There is no living accommodation near hear [sic] and as Weymouth and Dorchester are out of bounds I cant [sic] see at the moment much chance of you getting down here but when I can get out and look around I will see what can be done.
My new address.
deleted] name [/deleted] 743047 REDGRAVE HC. L.A.C.
HUT D1
R.A.F. STATION
WARMWELL
NR. DORCHESTER
What a pity we did not have longer yesterday although we were luckier than a lot of the boys it seemed just a passing dream. Still keep smiling love. We must straighten out things when you let me know how you are faring. Give my [sic] to all at Teddington and write soon to your
Loving husband Harry xxxx
Monkton
Ayrshire
Friday May 31st
Dear Jessie,
Thanks for your long letter of yesterday and I suppose that will be the last for about a week until you get my new address.
I hope this finds you and Pamela well and that Mums [sic] bronchitis has left her by now. The news of baby Robert was better this time and I shall be happy to hear that the lad is picking up and taking an interest in life. You will be very quiet at the bungalow next week with Joyce and Pat at Hamble, Gwen evacuated, and Mil in Rochford.
Have you heard any more about evacuation in Southend as the capitulation of the Belgian Army worsens the situation and although its serious dont [sic] worry darling and keep your chin up. Im [sic] very glad that Agnes decided to send Gwennie away because it lessens your responsibilities and in an emergency will give you all more chance. Our difficulty in regard to a voluntary move is that we have spent all our money and if you were to go we should be saddled with mortgage repayments for the bungalow or lose everything we have worked for. Of course if there was a compulsory Government scheme I think we should be able [sic] leave our furniture and let the Abbey Road take a run
[page break]
2
and they could do nothing about it. Rates as well could go to blazes whereas if we left the bungalow furnished we should still be liable for them and until I am earning Sergeants [sic] pay I cant [sic] afford to keep them going and support you in digs somewhere else. I feel you can rely on a scheme coming along if there arises a real necessity for you to move.
I had a reply from the A.R. and it was only about more money when I am promoted and they are quite ready to wait until that comes along.
You are certainly seeing more of the war than we are at present and your description of Southend at present seems quite warlike. I wish I could get home for a day or two to see it all and just stroll around the bungalow and see Mum and Pam and the different folks we know but maybe I shall be able to after B & G.
Thanks for your snap and that Vickers book and you can bet I shall do my best to be a crack shot
Sunday Dinner Time
Well darling your letter and our meeting at Waterloo have upset all I have written so far but I am going to carry on as it may be of some interest.
Since arriving here we have been running around from one block to another in terrific heat and feeling very uncomfortable. We have signed forms galore and suffered from all the red tape imaginable. We were not allowed to go
[page break]
3
out of the camp last night and today have been told that Weymouth and Dorchester have been put out of bounds. That only leaves a small village for us to go out to so I shant [sic] have much chance to get around.
All this morning we have running around [sic] and this afternoon have got to go down to the range. Maybe we shall get some time off this evening when I will try and write you some more.
There is no living accommodation near hear [sic] and as Weymouth and Dorchester are out of bounds I cant [sic] see at the moment much chance of you getting down here but when I can get out and look around I will see what can be done.
My new address.
deleted] name [/deleted] 743047 REDGRAVE HC. L.A.C.
HUT D1
R.A.F. STATION
WARMWELL
NR. DORCHESTER
What a pity we did not have longer yesterday although we were luckier than a lot of the boys it seemed just a passing dream. Still keep smiling love. We must straighten out things when you let me know how you are faring. Give my [sic] to all at Teddington and write soon to your
Loving husband Harry xxxx
Collection
Citation
Harry Redgrave, “To Jessie from Harry Redgrave,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 22, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/15931.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.