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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Valentine, John
John Ross Mckenzie Valentine
J R M Valentine
Description
An account of the resource
674 Items. Collection concerns navigator Warrant Officer J R McKenzie Valentine (1251404 Royal Air Force). The collection contains over 600 letters between JRM Valentine and his wife Ursula. It also contains his log book, family/official documents, a book of violin music studies and other correspondence. Sub-collections contain family photographs, prisoner of war photographs and a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings of events from 1942 to 1945.
He joined 49 Squadron in April 1942 and flew 10 operations on Hampdens. The squadron converted to Manchester in May when he completed two further operations. His aircraft was shot down on the Thousand Bomber raid of 30/31 May 1942. Five crew, including him bailed out successfully and became prisoners of war. The pilot and one air gunner were killed when the aircraft rolled over and crashed.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Frances Zagni and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-09-06
Rights
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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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Valentine, JRM
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Start of transcription
1251404 AC II Valentine JRM
Squad 25 Hut 40
E Flight
2 Squadron 2 Wing
RAF Station
Bridgenorth
Salop
Mon – 11-11-40
[circled [indecipherable numbers] 40]
My Dear Ursula
Another of your ever welcome letters arrived today followed shortly after by your third parcel. The contents of the latter gave my conscience an uneasy turn for it gave many signs of your usual generosity and it came soon after my appeal to you for money. I am afraid that the cost of all your parcels to me must have had an appreciable effect on your strained purse especially in view of the apparent reluctance of the RAF to furnish you with its allowance, meagre as it is.
A jar of honey will be a real joy – thank you very much you darling – and I will do as you suggest about the jam. Those two should last me for some time now. The second lot of fruit too is very welcome. Unfortunately I don’t want the Duraglit. I bought some on my first day at Uxbridge & have been using it ever since but it doesn’t produce nearly such a brilliant shine as the liquid metal polishes. Everyone of experience here recommends Silvo but I shall carry on with the Bluebell just to see how effective it is – so please don’t send any Silvo for the time being. Can you use the Duraglit at home – let me know and I will return it to you.
I really must moderate by demands on you otherwise you will be ruined. I think that by now I have mentioned all my immediate wants so that you may have a week or two for recovery.
In your parcel, I couldn’t find the 2 1/2d stamp nor the letter from [indecipherable word]. I gather that our furniture has been destroyed & that they have repaid the cost. I am terribly disappointed & can only hope that they have sent a cheque for the right amount. There should be full details on my file, but if I remember rightly, we paid £25.7.6 for the suite. If you still have the letter do let me see it. We can conveniently use the money in part payment of Belula’s a/c & take the balance from the joint P.O. Savings Bk. Let me have full details when sending the latter. That will save disturbing your Savings Certs.
[page break]
This will be just a short note. I am taking advantage of another period of pouring rain & can just dash off a few lines before we go for a gas lecture.
Sunday was my most enjoyable day here It only rained at intervals & we were still excused parades because of our inoculations. I went voluntarily to the Church Parade in the morning & we were allowed out at 2.30 – 48 hours after our inoculation. It was my first time out of the camp for a week & Grant & I called for tea again on our aged lady friend. She made us very welcome again & provided us with a nice tea and home comforts for a few hours.
This morning was bitterly cold & we spent most of it lying on our [deleted] le [/deleted] bellies at the rifle range. It was the first time in my life that I had ever held a gun – let alone fired one and I was not such an utter boob as I had expected for my score was by no means the lowest. However we finished our firing and stood up again, frozen to almost solid masses of ice. Immediately afterwards it started to pour with rain & has been doing so ever since. We were soon wet as well as cold & we still are – sheltering in our usual unheated huts. What a life! What a moaner you must think I am! But I am standing up to these foul conditions far better than some of the fellows. Nearly all have coughs & some can’t even speak. Apart from the physical discomfort of the cold the only effects that I have suffered are complete loss of taste for two weeks and slight sore throat.
Do send a chess move sometime. I do want to start the game as soon as we can Dont [sic] forget our first move – each pawn to King 4.
And now I really must stop for our lecture is due fairly soon.
All my fondest love my dearest
Affectionately yours
John.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula
Description
An account of the resource
Thanks her for parcel but worries over cost to her. Discusses parcel contents. Discusses financial and domestic matters. Describes daily activities, visit to locals for tea and mentions first rifle range firing in poor weather.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1940-11-11
Format
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Two page handwritten letter
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Correspondence
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
EValentineJRMValentineUM401111
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Shropshire
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1940-11-11
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Ross Mckenzie Valentine
military living conditions
military service conditions
RAF Bridgnorth
training