Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

Letter from Kenneth Gill to his parents

Writes that he had now recovered from illness and had recently done a seven mile route march. Catches up with news of friends and family and researching Navy matters. Continues with family gossip which reminded him of books he had read and comments on other news.

1944-10-25

Four page handwritten letter

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

OCT. 25TH./44.

Dear mum & dad,

Thanks for your letter of the 22nd. it arrived yesterday.

I'm glad to say I'm quite alright again though I did lose a few pounds in weight, however I can that O.K. so maybe some good came of my little complaint.

On Sunday afternoon we went on a seven mile route march because there wasn't anything else to do. The C.O. led the column and he certainly did get along, we went round in under two hours without a break so you can guess we were pretty tired after that.

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2/

I'm glad to hear Leslie's photograph is a good one, you'll be [underlined] able [/underlined] to see all four of us now with one glance round the room.

I was looking up the Naval "gen" the other day and according to the latest list there hasn't been an H.M.S. "Coquette", since before the Spanish Armada sailed up the channel, so I reckon as you say that Les' ship is a brand new one.

Didn't the picture "Behold I stand etc" used to be hung up over the gas-light between the two [deleted] pictures [/deleted] [inserted] windows [/inserted] in [deleted word] our bedroom in Arthur Street? I've seen it since of course but I seem to remember it best

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3/

as it hung there; the old tie-frame has come in handy too, a good example of "mend and make do".

Reading about Gladys and the “Glass” reminds me of the book "Road to Endor,” a story of two officers who escaped from a Turkish prison camp by using such a device to fool their captives; it's quite a good story and it's authentic too apart from the glass of course which was a fake it's quite easy to remember the positions of letters in a circle and easier still to answer questions by auto-suggestion, still if people like to believe it it's a good way to pass an evening or two.

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4/

Glad to hear Grandma & Grandad are still keeping fairly well and Aunt Muriel too, how's Aunt Lil and Uncle John these days have they been over lately? and has Arthur heard any more about the Navy?

I'll have to drop Gladys a line, my correspondence has gone all haywire these last few weeks or so.

Tell David I'm trying to get him some stamps, we've quite a few chaps from Australia & New Zealand here but their mail only arrives about once a month.

I can't think of any more to write just now so I'll close & say Goodnight.

Cheerio, chins up & keep smiling.

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