Letter from Jimmy Doughty to his sister Winnie

Letter from Jimmy Doughty to his sister Winnie

Writes that had not replied to her letter but it had only just arrived (envelope enclosed showing address changes chasing him around). Comments on his training activities which include swimming and dinghy drill.

1943-07-08

Two page handwritten letter and two envelopes

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EDoughtyJCDoughtyW430708

[postmark Torquay and Paignton, Devon 8 July 1943] [postage stamp]

W/206227 Pte. Doughty, W,
‘B’ Coy A.T.S.
31, Highfield St,
Leicester.

[page break]

[inserted] E A M S Not 19. ITW [/inserted]

[postmark Leicester 24 June 1943] [postage stamp]

1386802 A.C.2. Doughty J.
Hut 45
2, Flight. C. Sqdn.,
R.A.F. Station,
[deleted] Eastchurch,
Sheerness,
Kent [/deleted]

[inserted] 21, I.T.W.
BRIDGNORTH
[underlined] SALOP [/underlined]

4C [/inserted]

[page break]

4, Squadron,
C. Flight
St. James Hotel
Torquay
Devon

Dear Win,

Sorry you have waited so long, but as you will see by the enclosed envolope, [sic] the reason why I have just received it.

I’m not quite certain whether I’m training to be a Commando-Airman or fish, as we do an assult [sic] course, infantry training, use Sten Guns, do bags of class work and drill, do piles of P.T. and every spare minute we have we spend down on

[page break]

the beach swotting & swimming so as you may gather we are fully occuppied, [sic] and I must admitt [sic] I feel a lot better for it, although I am now a walking bag of skin & bones.

We are also thrown of [sic] the wall into the sea, for dinghy drill, (it’s about 15’ drop) so if a fish comes and speaks to you when you are swimming in the sea, I expect it will be the remains of me.

I will have to close as I have 2 other letters to write before I lay back on my head and drop into an exhausted slumber

Love.

[underlined] Jim [/underlined]

1386802.