Letter from Albert Evans to Mary and Bill Edwards

Letter from Albert Evans to Mary and Bill Edwards

In the letter to his sister and brother in law Albert he thanks them for their letter. He talks about getting married but his service is getting in the way.

1943-06-05

Five handwritten sheets and an envelope

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[date stamp]

Mr & Mrs. W. Edwards,
No 2 Leabrook Road,
(Near Boat Inn)
Leabrook,
Wednesbury.
[underlined] Staffs. [/underlined]

1433237. SGT. Evans. A,
Sergeants’ Mess,
RAF Station,
SALTBY.
Nr. Melton Mowbray
[underlined] Leicestershire. [/underlined]

[underlined] Saturday [/underlined]

Dear Mary & Bill,

Thanks for your letter of Tuesday night which I received on Thursday, and don’t apologise about the delay in your replying when I can quite understand you’ve still got quite a few things to do around and about. I congratulate on putting the “spuds” in right, Bill, but don’t let them pull your leg about it. I can imagine them doing it when they all get together – the female species, I mean – but if they do, you can refer them to me and I’ll personally deal with one for you. I may get more back than I bargain for, but its [sic] worth trying!

Your memory must be affecting you. Mary, if you don’t know

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where you live, but no doubt you were glad to know it was all a mistake. You seem to have found what you’ve been after for so long, and you’re certainly very happy about it all, but I don’t blame you. I have hope that it won’t be long before Mick & I can settle down in a house of our own, but I’m afraid there’s a lot of work to be done yet and there’s a lot of worry & anxiety going with it. But we’ll live through it and peace will be all the more heavenly when it does come at last.

Yes, I did have some bad luck last week-end, but its [sic] even worse this week because although I have Monday off I can’t get a train to give me any length of time at home. I’ve been told, too, that I won’t be given leave to get married in the middle of the course, but I’m hoping to be able to work round that

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by flying as much as possible and getting ahead in hours. We’re leaving all our arrangements as they stand at the moment, hoping to be able to carry them out, but if luck isn’t with me, we shall have to postpone the happy day until Aug when I finish the course.

I had a good laugh to myself about Joan and her curls, and I wish I could have seen her! I’d have had her crying if it was at all possible with teasing her!

It seems that your tongue did work overtime to get your working hours cut down, but honestly I don’t blame you in the least. Lots of people have told me you seem to be getting thinner all the time, and I think you will admit [indecipherable word] lost some weight doing a double job, so I’m glad you have got Dr Lambert certificate for that.

I never thought about writing

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to Rays’ about Sam, but it’s a good idea and I wonder if you’d put in a word from me when you do write, sending them my sympathy. I don’t think I knew Joe’s girl, but I certainly know the Robinson family in Richards St so its possible I’d know her if I saw her. Trust George to say that – its his factory language coming out, you know. (I’m glad I can always stop using air force language for women when I’m at home!)

Well, Mary, there’s only one point left – about Jim Leavesby, and I must say I didn’t even know he’d gone out East. Still, he’s a prisoner and that’s for the better than being unaccounted for, isn’t it?

The only news I have for you is about exams we’ve had this week They’ve been concerned solely with the Wellington aircraft from the point of view of the pilot, but I’ve

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not had any trouble with them. The other day we had to do a blindfold check in the cockpit, going through all the various actions as though actually flying, and today we had a 2 hr paper on pretty well everything connected with flying Wimpy’s. [sic]

Well, there I must close I’m afraid because I’m due on link in ten minutes time, and I want to have a wash before I go. So good luck for now, and all the very best.

Cheerio,

With love from
[underlined] Albert [/underlined]

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