Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

SGillK1438901v10021.pdf

Title

Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

Description

Writes about recent poor weather, that flying had suffered and no one had gone solo. Hopes better weather coming so he should either go solo or be eliminated from pilot training. Comments on life, facilities, training, discipline and activities. Catches up with family news and gossip. One page missing.

Creator

Date

1942-03-09

Temporal Coverage

Language

Format

Six page handwritten letter and envelope

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Contributor

Identifier

SGillK1438901v10021

Transcription

[postmark and postage stamp]

MR & MRS. F. GILL.
55, KYFFIN AVENUE.
HALTON.
LEEDS.
YORKSHIRE.
ENGLAND.

[page break]

1438901 L.A.C. GILL. K.
No. 31. R.A.F. PERSONEL DEPOT
MONCTON.
NEW BRUNSWICK.
CANADA.

MAR. 9TH 1942.

Dear Mum & Dad & all,

Well here we are once more finding time to write a few lines amidst the hurly-burly of American Army discipline.

The weather here is not so good lately, we have been having plenty of rain, winds, and squalls. Consequently our flying time has suffered and as yet nobody has enough time in to go solo.

Yesterday we had 90° in the shade which was very uncomfort-

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2/

able, but that's the hottest its been up to press, thank goodness. They tell us that we're in for some good weather in a week or so, so that by the time this reaches you I should have gone solo, or else be on my way back to Moncton with the eliminees.

Life here isn't too bad at present, although there is plenty of bull --- flying about.

Mum how would you like to have to measure the turn-down on the bed to exactly 6 inches, and pull the blankets so tight across the bed that when you touch the top, a ripple goes down the whole length of the bed? Dad how would

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you like to have to hang your over-coat, dress-suit, working suit, dress shirts, working shirts, overalls, pyjamas & athletic kit on hangers and have them evenly spaced along the rail in the above order from left to right; and your towels, handkerchiefs, collars, & underclothes neatly folded & spaced evenly on the shelf of the wardrobe with your socks in one pile, the open ends all facing one way? Now Leslie, how would you like to have to clean your boots & shoes every day for inspection, & your buttons on your suits & overcoat even if you don't wear them, & your finger-nails too?

Just think of me doing these things & lots more every day & you can imagine the rut I'm

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getting into.

Still what with all these regulations, flying, ground-school, studying, & writing up notes we find time to smile now and again even though it is edgewise.

Dad remember you said I was an artful dodger once,? well I think you can say that again.

Discipline here is maintained??? by a demerit system; that is if you do anything wrong, don't clean your boots, buttons etc. they give you so many demerits. A demerit means you do one hour's walking on your day off (if you get one) and they allow five demerits before you have to start walking. Well, the room orderly collects the demerits for any thing that is wrong

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5/

in the room, so when the room orderly gets four demerits, we change the room orderly. That way nobody has any walking to do. So far I've got three demerits this week so my name will be changed as soon as I get another one. Well I haven't much more to say just now about myself.

I'm feeling fine & putting on weight, so far I weigh 12st. 2lbs. in my uniform and 11st. 9lbs. stripped so don't worry about me not getting enough to eat? By the way I hear they've rationed you with soap now? is that right? it should suit some folk alright, especially those who are never in a hurry to wash after work (O.K. Les. no offense).

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7/

to the lads at Templenewsam.

Well mum, hope you're keeping your chin up and a smile on your face; and dad too.

Who's doing the digging in the allotments and garden now? wish I could get over and give you a hand! maybe a little hard work would do my waistline good any how.

I'm hoping to be able to send you some photographs soon. I bought a camera of my own but so far I've only taken six snaps & the film isn't done yet. The snaps I sent Vera were taken on Bert's camera & I'll send you some as soon as we get them reprinted.

I think that's about all for now it's dinner time and

Collection

Citation

K Gill, “Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/35569.

Item Relations

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