Letter to Alan Green from John

Letter to Alan Green from John

The letter refers to an erroneous posting then transfer to Waddington. He will be flying Manchesters. He is billeted with an old couple who don't tolerate drinking. He enjoyed seven days of leave in Coventry and surrounding towns.

1941-09-07

Five handwritten sheets

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R.A.F. STATION
WADDINGTON
Sept 7/41

Dear Allen,

Well, this is [underlined] IT [/underlined] at last. We reported to Coningsby on Fri night but they decided there wasn't any place for us there – called up “group” and found out we shouldn't have been posted there in the first place. We stayed Coningsby about 12 hours then they flew us up here.

We will be flying in Manchesters and from the navigators standpoint it's tops. Bags of room – everything handy. I got my first

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glimpse of an automatic bomb site. All the Manchesters are equipped with them. Looks as though will be training a few weeks yet. I thought I'd finished that bloody beacon hopping at night.

P/O Sawyer and I are billeted off the station about 8 miles – but not for long if we can help it. They have stuck us with an old couple who have never had any children of there [sic] own – don't tolerate drinking of any sort and “of course you went to church this morning”. It takes a half hour bus ride to get out here [deleted] and [/deleted] the bus

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leaves the Station at 9:30. So you see every evening is broken up.

I had a very successful 7 days leave. Thanks to you for starting it off properly. I enjoyed very much going to Coventry and meeting your family. We must have the record for travel between Coventry & Warwick – 3 hours to go about nine miles. That ride was one of the highlights of my leave.

I stayed in Leamington until Wednesday morning while I was there I managed to get into Coventry one night -saw “Merchant of Venice” at Stratford – went through

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a brewery at Banbury (but only drank port)

The last two days I spent quietly with a couple of old aunts in dear old Surrey. Doesn't that sound peaceful?

On my way back through London I met several Canadians who I trained with. The first chap of our course to land in this country has been reported missing over the Irish Sea – he was still at O.T.O.

Give my best regards to Tunny. I miss his guiding hand when I do a little drinking – he knows my weakness.

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Lichfield probably thinks we are stationed at Coningsby so would you drop into the PMC's office and have them send our mail up here instead. P/O Sawyer & P/O SPEIR are here too.

Cheerio for now. Let us know where you and Tunny are posted.

Best regards
John