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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
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-09-06
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.
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
If you could read the scrawl on the back of my last letter’s envelope, you will have received the news that I have been billeted on. Two policemen came round this morning & apparently had to find billets for 50 Waafs by the evening.
Saturday
Your letter has just arrived announcing that you haven’t got a commission after all. I’m more depressed & disappointed about it than I like to admit. I wept hot tears of rage & humiliation when I read your letter. It’s all so damned unfair. You’ve worked harder than most, you can do the stuff better, you’re the right type you’ve deserved it in every way, & to think that so much should hinge on so little – because I’m afraid
[page break]
it will make an awful difference to your comfort and wellbeing, as well as to our pride – even though financially we may be better off as we are for a bit. I’m terribly cut up about it. I hadn’t realised just how much I had banked on it. I suppose there’s absolutely no hope now? The only hope that I cling to desperately is that you may perhaps be chosen for further specialised training on the strength of your navigation results, and if so (a large “if” I admit) you might possibly have another chance of a commission after that. But it’s a forlorn hope, so I suppose we must just swallow our hopes & our pride & continue as Sergeant & Mrs. But it’s a bloody shame.
[page break]
Please congratulate Norman on his commission – the lucky bounder, he’s not a patch on you in any way except perhaps that he’s got more confidence & is more pushing. (You needn’t tell him that, though!)
Altogether this is a sad day. Mrs Stenzel heard yesterday that Otto has been killed, on July 18, presumably on the Russian front, tho’ she has no details. It’s pretty awful for her, tho’ she seems to be calmer about it than I am over your commission!
My Waaf arrived last night, quite a nice girl, Dorothy Smith by name. She’s older than me & [indecipherable word] think, and a quiet homely type, fairly intelligent I should say & very grateful for a home atmosphere.
[page break]
She’s only been in the Waaf for 2 weeks (at Bridgnorth!) so is rather strange & homesick still. But I haven’t the heart to talk about her, I’m still all boiling inside over your not getting a commission. When you think of the little skunks on the administrative side [deleted] you [/deleted] who get them!! I hope I shall be able to write more rationally tomorrow.
I’ve got to go & register for National Services this p.m. It’s a nuisance.
I get 4/2 a week for the Waaf. She’s sleeping down stairs at the moment as we are full up. I don’t have to provide any food, only 2 bathes per week.
Could George or Jim Valentine do nothing about it? I suppose you’ve no mind to ask anyway.
Anyway I love you just as much as ever if not more, & I know how loyally you’ve worked. It’s absolutely wretched.
All my love to you darling. I’m sorry about this letter, but its just how I feel at the moment.
Yours always Ursula.
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 Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Description
An account of the resource
Writes that she has been billeted and that she is very disappointed and cut up about him not getting a commission. Hopes that he might be chosen for specialised training on strength of his navigation results and get another chance of a commission. Mentions Mrs Stenzel's son was killed. Catches up with local news and gossip.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four 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
EValentineUMValentineJRM410829-02
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--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-08-29
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1941-08-29
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
Ursula Valentine
aircrew
ground personnel
home front
military service conditions
navigator
promotion
training
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force