Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother

Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother

Bill wishes he had more letters from home recently. The work is much harder than on the pilot's course and he is struggling to get the hang of the using a sextant. Describes daily training hours through the week, but have games on Tuesday afternoons and was able to play tennis the previous day.

Should be able to get a short period of leave and will come home briefly if he can.

Wonders how they are getting on at home with the lambing.

1942-03-11

Three page handwritten letter

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EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]420311

No 1436220 L.A.C. Akrill,
2 Flight D Squadron,
No 1 E.A.O.S., R.A.F.,
Eastbourne
Sussex.
Wed. 11.3.42
Dear Mum,
Thought I’d get this off today so that it might be in time to wish Daddy many happy returns on [deleted] Thursday [/deleted] Friday. How did he like the birthday present of a grandson?
I’ve not heard anymore yet. I’ve had no letters at all since I got here. Don’t suppose they’ve had time to get here since you knew my new address. I shall be glad of a few letters. I seem to have been short lately and there’ll not be much other form of entertainment I can have here.
We’ve got down to work now. It’s certainly hard after the easy time I had on the pilot’s course. That’s a piece of cake compared with the observers. At the moment we’re struggling with the Sextant which is used for taking sights of the sun, moon, Stars & planets and from that finding out our position. We have to do at least 10 good ones
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of each before we leave here. So far we’ve been miles out. It all seems terribly complicated but the light of dawn’s just beginning to break. The rest of the work so far [deleted] we’ve [/deleted] I’ve done before at I.T.W. but I expect it will get more advanced later. We have quite long hours, 8.15 – 12 with 15 mins break & 1.15 to 5 & then evenings 7.15 – 8.45, excepting Tuesdays when we have games in the afternoon & nights off. Saturdays are free from 4.30 and all Sunday is free though later we [deleted] have [/deleted] find work to do even then. Anyway I’m going to keep Tuesdays & Sundays as free as I can as I think I need a change & some fresh air now & then. Yesterday I had a grand time & spent the afternoon down at the tennis courts & if we didn’t play very good tennis we enjoyed ourselves. At night we went to the pictures. Now it’s work until the week-end when I might go to Brighton or a trip somewhere – to Lewes or a walk to Beachey Head. I’m feeling stiff at the moment from my exhertions [sic] at tennis. Havn’t [sic] done any P.T. or drill for some time. We get a bit of each every day here which makes a change.
We get a 48 every month here which is much better for me than the old idea of late passes every week. I shall get my first on the week-end a fortnight from next
[page break]
[deleted] somewhere [/deleted] on the 28th I believe. I can get off after duty on Friday so I shall get to London on Friday night & get the first Newark train I can in the morning if I can’t get one at night. I can catch the 4.15 back again. It’ll be another flying visit but I’m looking forward to it. I look like getting my proper leave at the end of April. It’ll be grand if I can get a full 7 days. Pity I didn’t get leave before I started here. I think I’d have got it if I hadn’t been posted but I never expected being posted as early as I was. So many have to wait months for their re-mustering to come through.
Wonder how your getting on with lambing &c at home. Weathers been grand here for a day or two but its raining today. I’ve been wishing I was at Potter Hall when the blackbirds were singing in the gardens & the sun shining. Well I’ll hope for a fine week-end on 28th. I shall be able to see the young ‘un as well. Wonder how he’s getting on. He’ll be a week old now.
Must go. Best of love to all
Best wishes for Daddy’s birthday
[underlined] Bill [/underlined]
[inserted] P.S. If you’ve any odd cakes, pastries &c lying around I often turn hungry at nights. [/inserted]