Letter from Wally Layne to his wife

Letter from Wally Layne to his wife

Apologises for not writing, had been very busy. Writes that he had been on operations to Duisburg and Pilsen. Mentions off duty activities and photographs of his service mates and his aircraft. Catches up with news of acquaintance and comments on not making much progress with his moustache. Writes of good weather, punting on the river and what he was reading.

1943-05-15

Three page handwritten letter

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ELayneWHLayneAJ430515

F/Sgt Layne
Sgts Mess
R.A.F. Bourn [deleted] e [/deleted]
Nr Cambridge
May 15/43

My dear wife,
I expect you will be wondering why I havent [sic] written, please forgive me dear. We have been pretty busy just lately, we went on the Duisburg effort on Wednesday and we went to Pilsen on Thursday, Bob came round and fetched me out of bed at two o.clock [sic] yesterday afternoon and we went to Cambridge and spent the afternoon and evening on the river.

You must worry about these ops, these two were only a flash in the pan, I don’t suppose I shall be doing any more for some time.

We took some photos the other day, we

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havent [sic] finished the roll yet, when we have I will let you have them, they are all round our own aircraft, one of them was taken just before we got into the kite to go to Pilsen. I hope they come out all right.

We are trying to get a large photo of a Lanc in flight, I will send it on if we manage it.

I was walking thro’ Cambridge yesterday and saw Doreen with her baby, [deleted word] her husband is in the R.A.F, but has come back to his old job for six months, he is a mechanic or something like that.

My moustache is not making much headway, if I stick my lip out and look down I can see a few bristles, it is so very fair it doesnt [sic] show up at all.

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The weather here is lovely, I expect you are having it as well, it was grand on the river yesterday, we had a punt, we darent [sic] tackle it with a pole, we used canoe paddles.

Bob sent his wife your address, she is going to write to you and confirm our visit there on our next leave.

I am reading a book called ‘The Murder of my Aunt’, it is very different to the usual run of books but I am enjoying it very much.

All my love
Walter