Letter from Jack Hay to 'Auntie'

Letter from Jack Hay to 'Auntie'

Acknowledges letters and thanks her for parcel with tobacco. Mentions receiving a letter frim colleague about varieties of RAFVR and how they worked. Mentions French interpreter, his pay and other matters discussed about filming. Continues with comment that Ian was lucky to be accepted by the RAF instead of the army. Concludes with description of meal and wine.

1939-11-09

One page handwritten letter

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SFieldPL907804v10050

Hqrs. 71 Wing.
R.A.F.
c/o. Army P.O.

9th Nov. 1939.

Dear Auntie,

I have two letters of yours to answer, of 29th Oct. which crossed my last, & 3rd Nov. which arrived yesterday – no, 7th – a day slower than usual. Also thanks for parcel which arrived with tobacco. Next time please make it 2 tins tobacco – this time just right. I had a very matey letter from Col. Griffiths at Reading, but apparently there seem to be two varieties of R.A.F.V.R. now. When I left, there was of course only one. It has been damn cold here – if wind is east it is icy, far more so than at home. The last three days have been positively hot – too sunny – yesterday very hot but deadly [indecipherable word] sun. From what Griffith said, Ian should become A.C.2. Hay any day now, so should not worry much about studies – [underlined] they [/underlined] wont have him long. Curiously we have here a French private, interpreter, who is Korda’s right hand man at Denham. Incidentally he doesn’t trouble to draw his French pay of 75 centimes a day, say almost 1d., as its hardly worth while, although quite an inoffensive little Yidd. I have been talking to him about camera jobs & he swears by them – proposes to put both his sons to that when old enough. On the other hand, he has never even heard of Highbury Studios Ltd! And he presumably knows whats [sic] what in film companies. I have written to Sheila today in reply to hers – will also to Ian if time. Incidentally, Ian ought to think himself lucky to have been accepted for the R.A.F. instead of army, & in these days the more we here see of the army the better pleased we are to be in the R.A.F. Which you can think out! By the way, it appears we are pretty well on top of the Hun upstairs, anyway, in these days. We dined in X the other night & broached an excellent bottle of burgundy, Nuits St. Georges, which was quite a change from the interminable champagne. The latter costs [inserted] here, [/inserted] best café price, about 4 fr. a glass – not the shallow English glass either, - say 4 1/2d or 5d. – the equivalent of half a bitter! I see in the Paris-Soir that Holland has started flooding, which must mean they