Letter from Ian Hay to his grandmother

Letter from Ian Hay to his grandmother

Writes of meeting fellow student who also lived in Cookham (where grandmother lives). Mentions upcoming six words a minute test and consequences of failure. Writes of plans to visit Bath and a little about his training.

1940-01-05

Photocopy of two page handwritten letter and envelope

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SFieldPL907804v10037

[Royal Air Force crest]

906233. A.C.2. HAY. I.
Hut Y.66.
‘B’ Sqdn:
No: 2 Wing,
R.A.F. Station,
Yatesbury,
Nr Colne,
Wilts.

5/1/40

Dear Granny,

Thanks for your letter, absolutely nothing has happened here.

Strangely enough I was talking to a bloke in our class [deleted] t [/deleted] yesterday, whose name is Cahusoe – and I said I knew people in Cookham called that. He said “That’s where I live too” so apparently it is the son (I don’t know what his name is), so he is in the next hut to me, and it is rather good having [deleted] to [/deleted] two Cookhamites both here at the same time, and in the same class!

Next ([deleted] Monday [/deleted]) Monday week we get our 6 words a minute test, which means, if we pass, we go on with the course; if we fail by a few marks, we go back to the start – and if we fail badly we cease training

[page break]

and leave Yatesbury. I hope I pass but I can’t say whether I will or not yet.

To-morrow afternoon being a free afternoon (I hope), I’m going over to Bath to see the Waterhouses, if they are still there. If not I will go to the Miles, who have moved back from Hythe.

In our ‘General’ work, which is really the theory of elementary electricity, we had simple fractions yesterday (some of them no easier than I found them at school), and today we had a dictation, which was ridiculously easy, as I have had to do the same speed in French before now. But still it makes a bit of a change from the usual routine.

No more news at all I’m afraid.

Very best love

[underlined] Ian. [/underlined]

P.S. I haven’t seen anyone else wearing black slippers here yet, but it is too muddy anyhow just yet.

[postage stamp]

Miss F. Hay,
Coruisk,
Cookham,
Nr Maidenhead,
Berks.