Letter from Pat Hogan to Miss Marie Hogan

Letter from Pat Hogan to Miss Marie Hogan

Discusses recent mail arrival and frequency. Not doing much flying due to poor weather. Writes about going to York and seeing real snow for the first time in his life. Snow might relieve drabness of English towns and make it more like they imagined from post cards in the past. Discusses issue about the food that she had sent and difficulties getting tinned stuff cooked. Says they are doing well with parcels and got a large hamper. Relates some of his other activities and films he has seen. Catches up and asks after friends and family.

1944-12-09

Four sided handwritten airmail letter

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EHoganPJHoganM441209

[inserted] P.S. I did ask Eileen to have you cable £10 or £20 as soon as poss. I'm not broke or anything but with Christmas coming on, I didn't want to be caught if we got another leave soon after. Pat. [./inserted]

A436464VF/SGT HOGAN
RAAF AUSPO
LONDON
9/12/44.

Dear Marie,

I received an air letter from you again several days ago. Glad to know my mail seems to be arriving fairly regularly, at last, if not quiet [sic] as frequently as you expect. You seem to have my approximate whereabouts pretty well tabbed. We are not doing much flying these days for the weather is pretty woeful & for the better part of a day there is no visability [sic]. All the district, round here have had an occasional bit of snow but it had mussed us. However Alan & I went to York yesterday & as we came out of a cafe I saw real snow for the first time in all my life. I should image [sic] it would rather relieve the drab appearance of most English towns & perhaps give us a bit of the old English atmosphere we've so often imagined through the agency of postcards etc.

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Glad to note you've got the right slant on the [indecipherable word]. Please don't think we didn't appreciate the tinned stuff but it is rather awkward to get the water to cook it in the hut & the mess is so overcrowed [sic] I suppose you can't blame them for moaning about it when you ask them to cook it. We usually bring back several water bottles of water which just makes the cocoa & washes out the cups. We've done pretty well the last couple of days with parcels. I got a large hamper from the Phelans, whilst Roger & Greg got two each & Wally's people sent up some cackleberries which are one of the scarcest commodities in England. Moreover the A.C.F. came good & that meant another 6 hampers, although Alan no longer lives with us as he had to transfer to the officer's quarters.

By way of a change rather Alan & I have made the supreme effort of going out twice running the last couple of nights. We've seen so few pictures lately, we enjoyed both immensely. First up we went to Selby & saw “Thousands Cheer” (I'd seen it before) & then last night as I said before we got away early & saw a very light but amusing show in York.

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The rest of our mob have gone down for a few spats & a hop down in the village. Wally & I are the only ones in. I cabled Jim during the week just a day after the cheap rates cut out, hence pretty brief. Pleased to note Dad was on Sirius. I heard on the Aus. news the other night that Simmering has again come to the fore. Alan & I were both wondering what Lou had done with her this season.

I suppose Eileen will be home again this week. Has her appointment come through yet? Hope she likes Sydney. Glad to know Doreen's doing alright in her supps. Heard of another half doz navs. who went through Gambier & Piri with me & who have either been killed or failed to return from ops. In recent weeks, so keep praying for me as we should be soon amongst it. I'll go crazy if we are not for this boredom of hanging round makes one very “cheesed off” as they say in this country. Good to know Jack Hogan is doing well.

Well, Marie, give my regards to everyone & thanks for everything.
Love Pat.

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AIR LETTER

Miss Marie Hogan
67 chapel St.,
Bendigo Vic.
Australia.

Sender

A436464 F/S HOGAN P.J.
RAAF AUSPO
LONDON.