Letter from Ernest Tansley to his brother Albert

Letter from Ernest Tansley to his brother Albert

Writes thanking him for letters and discusses money jointly spent on sons uniform. Talks about his current location and lack of progress and thinks they are wasting their time. Speculates on the near future, Catches up with other family matters.

1941-11-15

Three page handwritten letter and envelope

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ETansleyEHTansleyAE411114

[underlined] ON. ACTIVE. SERVICE. AFLOAT [/underlined]

[postmark]

SEA. A.E. TANSLEY. JX263230.
H.M.S. CHASSE. MARIE.
TRAWLER BASE.
PORTSMOUTH.

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WRITTEN FROM MANCHESTER NOVEMBER 1941 WHILST AWAITING HIS OVERSEAS POSTING TO AMERICA TO HIS BROTHER ALBERT

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[underlined] 14/11/41.

c/o MRS. MARKS
“MOORWINSTOW”
LEICESTER AVE.
SALFORD 7.
MANCHESTER.

Dear Albert.

Thanks a lot for your letter and also the two ties that are fine.

I will send you off a £1 for Peters uniform in a day or two, I meant to send it before, and don’t you worry about asking we agreed to go halves didn’t we and in any case you can’t afford to keep spending money on other people like you do.

Well as you see we are still at this dump, and honestly Albert, if anything has come near to breaking my heart this is, I have almost forgotten what I volunteered for. Fly with the R.A.F. what a farce I am just about back to where I

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started from. We are simply wasting our time here, and are treated like a pack of schoolboys. At least Albert you are in operations, you have got a job to do. I wonder if I even shall, I feel like throwing in the sponge. I do realise how you feel now, but it is hard to visualise all this when you are in “civvy street” isn’t it. I think we shall be here quite a while yet, they might at least have given us a longer leave mightn’t they. Well I suppose I will have to put up with it.

I will write to Rene & tell her to listen in to Ray Rich on Tuesday & I will try myself, only we haven’t got a wireless here, but I will try to get to a Y.M.C.A & listen.

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I think Peter is getting a bit impatient about his suit so get it as soon as you can won’t you. Don’t bother to send me any fags Albert, you can’t afford to keep doing it and I manage to jog along alright. Sorry to write such a moaning letter, but you know how I feel don’t you.

Well cheerio for now Albert and best of luck. [underlined] Ernie. [/underlined]