Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

Writes after recently arriving at new station. Comments on weather. Writes about his crew, pilot from New Zealand, engineer and wireless operator from London, bomb aimer from Derby and gunners from Hull and Preston. Comments that none of his old crew were with him. He says he does not know what to think about the war but all he was bothered about was getting his tour done quickly. Writes of his son Derek and comments on war news (Arnhem).

1944-10-30

Five page handwritten letter

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[postage stamp] [post mark]

Mr & Mrs. F. Gill.
55, Kyffin Avenue,
Halton,
Leeds,
Yorkshire.

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[crest]

OFFICERS' MESS,
ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION,
[deleted] SYERSTON, NEWARK, NOTTS [/deleted]
[inserted] Woodhall Spa. Lincoln, Lincs. [/inserted]
Oct. 3RD./44

Dear mum and dad,

Just a few lines in answer to your letter of the 28th/44.

Hope you're back at work alright dad and your leg is much better.

There's been no damp down here at all since we arrived, the weather has been really grand, though it looks like we might get a drop of rain before morning.

The crew are coming along fine though we're a mixed crowd alright. The pilot F/L. Gumbley comes from New Zealand, the engineer and wireless operation hail from London, the bombaimer from Derby and the gunners from Hull

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and Preston so you see we're quite a cosmopolitan crew. Unfortunately none of my old crew are with me but we'll manage alright I reckon.

I'm glad to hear Ron has received his shirt alright, it's a bit of a do when they can't get stores out there we've held Italy long enough now.

I don't know really what to think of the war except that it's a nuisance, Jerry seems to be patching up his armies again and it may last ages yet or maybe it's his last stand we don't know.

All I'm bothered about is getting my tour done quickly and then

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taking things easy while some of the others have a go.

Well hello again it's Thursday now, I didn't have time to finish before. As you say we'll have to watch Derek he's a real treat to watch too, Vera says she had him in the tramcar and he was laughing at everybody, one lady said his smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds I think it is too.

You were talking about Arnhem well I've seen and spoken to several of them, infact some of them were brought back to our 'drome, they were tired alright and a lot were wounded but they weren't licked they'd have gone back there and then if they'd been allowed to and they all knew what they had been sent to do and

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they did it too. If the weather had been better we could have done more for them but as it is now they did their job and anyone who says Arnhem was a failure should come down here and talk to the lads who were there.

Well I can't think of anymore to say just now except we havn't done anything yet except some "stooge-flying".

That's all for now, keep well and look after yourselves.

Your Loving Son
Ken. [kisses]
David [kisses].