Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother

Letter from Bill Akrill to his mother

Bill has received her parcel and letter. Visited Bury St Edmunds. Describes area around camp and where it is in relation to part of the village. Would be a good place to use his bike when it is repaired. May remain there but could move if parent station near Mildenhall becomes serviceable - currently extending the runways. Catches up with home and farm news.

1943-03-06

1943-03-08

Six page handwritten letter

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EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]430306

No 1436220 Sgt Akrill,
Sgts’ Mess,
Raf. Station,
East Wretham,
Thetford,
NORFOLK.
Saturday 6.3.43.
Dear Mum,
Pleased to hear from you yesterday, when parcel arrived. It begins to seem a long time when you go to the rack for mail several days & find none. The contents of the parcel have already been sampled. The sausage rolls were mighyt good – oh gee! But the mince-pies were a sight better, even. Thank you for sending on the letter from Sgt. Hughes.
[underlined] MONDAY [/underlined] Didn’t get any more done on Sat as the boys came up & wanted me to go into Bury St. Edmunds with them. Think it’s a good idea to get away now & then. Last night I went for a lovely long walk
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& looked in the pretty little church in the village. There’s nowhere I can get to a service. It’s a really unusual village. The camp is in the Hall grounds on the edge of the park. The officers & Waafs are billeted in the Hall. To get to the village there’s a mile & a half’s walk across the park & through some woods along the Hall Drive. Then you get to the [underlined] beginning [/underlined] of the village – a couple of cottages in the park – the school & the village hut (now the YMCA canteen) & the church. At the end of the park is the vicarage & a [deleted] couple [/deleted] farm, & a few more cottages. Then there’s another rather desolate lane for another mile & a half & you get to the remainder of the village – a tumble-down windmill, a few cottages the village store
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and the famous & much loved “Dog & Partridge” The station is over half a mile beyond that & beyond the station lie acres of young pines. This is certainly a desolate spot!
I’ve now got quite settled in here now & could have some enjoyable rides when Lizzie’s fit again. I think we look like being here for some time tho’ there may be a sudden move when our parent-station is serviceable again. They’re extending the runways. It’s a lovely place near the small town of Mildenhall on the edge of the fens. I shall like this place better when the temperature goes up!!! We always pull old Moffats leg when he wakes up every morning groaning of the cold & tell him we thought
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these [deleted] C [/deleted] tough Canadians were used to it.
Spent the last few days picking up all the ‘gen’ I can on our new aircraft and equipment and had a few lectures on them. Jock is now able to hobble around but is still indefinitely grounded. I actually did an hour’s flying one day!!
There’s not a ‘drome at Thetford & Joyce Blow couldn’t have been here but there are quite a few stations around.
You seem to have had a right old time threshing. You’ll be glad it’s done. Ros says you still have 2 girls. I do hope Daddy’s alright Wonder if Miss Moakes & Miss Witham came for the week-end
Have you seen the Henry’s again lately? Please thank Mrs. H.
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for her present and tell Mr. H. that I [underlined] did [/underlined] enjoy my stay at Honington though I wasn’t allowed to stay. Did I tell you about the fellow who went to Grantham, Devon, Kent, Bury St. Edmunds & home to Liverpool between each before arriving here nearly a week later! It wasn’t Mr. H’s fault but it was very funny. There’s a mistake in the Official list of Squadrons & nobody’s bothered to alter it. They treated us just like Lords!
Wonder how the garden’s doing – if the shallots &c are alright. Tell Sis & Nip I want to hear all about their activities & acquaintances – Aggie D., Miss E-D-B. & of course Mrs Beet (if nobody’d done her in yet)
Isn’t the weather perfect – tho’ the nights are cold.
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Well, will go & see what’s for tea. Food’s not so bad here.
Enclosing £5
Love to all
[underlined] Bill [/underlined]