Letter to Mr & Mrs Wright from Arthur Wright
Title
Letter to Mr & Mrs Wright from Arthur Wright
Description
Letter to Henry, Lil and Barbara from Arthur Wright, their brother. Flying training has not gone well due to his 'Undeveloped air sense'. He is now training as an Observer. At first he was unhappy but quickly started to get much satisfaction from flying. He is looking forward to getting home.
Date
1942-07-07
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
Envelope and three handwritten sheets
Conforms To
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.
Contributor
Identifier
SWrightAC1149750v20142, SWrightAC1149750v20143, SWrightAC1149750v20144, SWrightAC1149750v20145
Transcription
[postmark]
[postage stamp]
Mr & Mrs Wright,
150 Hatherley Gdns,
East Ham,
England
[inserted] H.J. Wright
150 Hatherley [/inserted]
[page break]
[RAF Crest]
15 COURSE NO. 6 SQUADRON
42 AIR SCHOOL
PORT ELIZABETH
SOUTH AFRICA
JULY 7th 1942.
Dear Henry, Lil (and Barbara),
I have just received your letter dated 10th of May which I was very pleased to get. It gave to me a breath of home which was like a tonic and when I got to the part about your Cup-Final well, believe me, in imagination I stood on the touch-line yelling my head off. Well, Henry since I wrote to you and you replied with this letter a “lot of water seems to have run under the bridges” I have been to flying school and in R.A.F language I have “had it”. I was suspended from the pilot’s course through a chain of circumstances which I can only describe adequately when I see you again. The final analysis was “Undeveloped Air Sense” which, as anyone can see, can mean absolutely nothing. Anyway, although I was horribly dissappointed [sic], completely “cheesed off” and nearly heartbroken I decided to re-muster as an Observer. I started out on this course in a very half-hearted manner but after two weeks of it I feel more contented than I expected to. The work is very intense and complicated but the main thing is that I am flying in bigger aircraft. Flying has certainly got into my blood and I never feel happier than when I am in the air. Each time I go
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
out to the flying field I get such a feeling of satisfaction. I get into the aircraft set my instruments, maps and all the paraphernalia we, as pupil observers, carry in their appropriate places and then wait for the pilot. He comes along and then I get impatient for the time when we shall be airborne and each time I get the same thrill. The aircraft speeds across the plying field and then that feeling of buoyancy as she becomes airborne. Not only buoyant in body but even my spirits and emotions seem to take on a new lift. Yes, sir, flying is the tops. Anyway that’s enough of that. Another big source of satisfaction is that after another 18 or so weeks, if all goes well, I should have my stripes and half-wing, but best of all I should be on my way home. I have had a good time since I have been out here. I like South Africa but I love England and your letter with its open picture of my homeland, grim but gay, conjured up many pictures in my mind which I am longing to see in reality. The camp here is not too bad as far as camps go but the food leaves a lot to be desired and, as we had a pukka mess at flying school I notice the change and certainly don’t like it. But still, I find I can put
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
up with many things each time I realize my training is coming to it’s close and I shall have that long awaited chance to get cracking. We have just had a passing out parade of some of the cadets who have just finished their training and the day when we pass out can’t come too soon. Well Henry, I haven’t much more to say now excepting that I am in a perfect state of health as I hope you all are at home. So looking forward to a re-union which should come about sooner than I expected.
Your loving brother
[underlined] Arthur [/underlined]
[postage stamp]
Mr & Mrs Wright,
150 Hatherley Gdns,
East Ham,
England
[inserted] H.J. Wright
150 Hatherley [/inserted]
[page break]
[RAF Crest]
15 COURSE NO. 6 SQUADRON
42 AIR SCHOOL
PORT ELIZABETH
SOUTH AFRICA
JULY 7th 1942.
Dear Henry, Lil (and Barbara),
I have just received your letter dated 10th of May which I was very pleased to get. It gave to me a breath of home which was like a tonic and when I got to the part about your Cup-Final well, believe me, in imagination I stood on the touch-line yelling my head off. Well, Henry since I wrote to you and you replied with this letter a “lot of water seems to have run under the bridges” I have been to flying school and in R.A.F language I have “had it”. I was suspended from the pilot’s course through a chain of circumstances which I can only describe adequately when I see you again. The final analysis was “Undeveloped Air Sense” which, as anyone can see, can mean absolutely nothing. Anyway, although I was horribly dissappointed [sic], completely “cheesed off” and nearly heartbroken I decided to re-muster as an Observer. I started out on this course in a very half-hearted manner but after two weeks of it I feel more contented than I expected to. The work is very intense and complicated but the main thing is that I am flying in bigger aircraft. Flying has certainly got into my blood and I never feel happier than when I am in the air. Each time I go
[page break]
[underlined] 2 [/underlined]
out to the flying field I get such a feeling of satisfaction. I get into the aircraft set my instruments, maps and all the paraphernalia we, as pupil observers, carry in their appropriate places and then wait for the pilot. He comes along and then I get impatient for the time when we shall be airborne and each time I get the same thrill. The aircraft speeds across the plying field and then that feeling of buoyancy as she becomes airborne. Not only buoyant in body but even my spirits and emotions seem to take on a new lift. Yes, sir, flying is the tops. Anyway that’s enough of that. Another big source of satisfaction is that after another 18 or so weeks, if all goes well, I should have my stripes and half-wing, but best of all I should be on my way home. I have had a good time since I have been out here. I like South Africa but I love England and your letter with its open picture of my homeland, grim but gay, conjured up many pictures in my mind which I am longing to see in reality. The camp here is not too bad as far as camps go but the food leaves a lot to be desired and, as we had a pukka mess at flying school I notice the change and certainly don’t like it. But still, I find I can put
[page break]
[underlined] 3 [/underlined]
up with many things each time I realize my training is coming to it’s close and I shall have that long awaited chance to get cracking. We have just had a passing out parade of some of the cadets who have just finished their training and the day when we pass out can’t come too soon. Well Henry, I haven’t much more to say now excepting that I am in a perfect state of health as I hope you all are at home. So looking forward to a re-union which should come about sooner than I expected.
Your loving brother
[underlined] Arthur [/underlined]
Collection
Citation
“Letter to Mr & Mrs Wright from Arthur Wright,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed October 30, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/2285.
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