Letter to Jean Welland from Jack Darby

Letter to Jean Welland from Jack Darby

He has had no mail and he is nearing the exam period. He has been doing a lot of flying. There has been a parade and an air show.

1943-10-11

One handwritten double sided air letter

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EDarbyCAHWellandJ431011-0001, EDarbyCAHWellandJ431011-0002

No.48 11.10.43.

Dear Jean,

Just a few lines to let you know I’m still busy, hav’nt received any mail for three weeks from home so suppose the air mail service has finished for the winter.

At the moment we are nearing the exam period, we have the oral exams for five subjects on Thursday, then the rest of the written next week. In the meantime we are flying extensively, am writing this at 12:30 AM. have two trips to do, but the weather is closing in, so we may get washed out. The weather up to the present has been marvellous, very warm, 80° in the shade, the last two days however have been wet, its quite like home for a change. My bombing average is not too bad but twice I’ve had rough weather and a ropey pilot, these two factors make a devil of a difference also night exercises are difficult, Last Saturday they had an air Show here, as usual a parade through town in the afternoon was decided on, yours truly did his best to get out of it. but nothing doing, I was there, still I suppose the crowd must have something to laugh at. In the evening an Air Show was arranged, our friends from Town came up and we showed them over the camp, all the training section was open and I suppose it must be interesting for a civilian to see how the air force works. Of course the idea of this in England would be impossible but all kinds of weird things happen here. We have a 48 hour pass this weekend, are thinking of going to Banff if the weather is at all decent, should be able to get some decent snaps.

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3/

How are you getting on? will soon be thinking of Christmas I suppose, at the moment I’ve no idea where I shall be probably travelling back to Moncton, there seems little chance of leave until we get back to England, this will be nearly 12 months without leave. Well must close now, shall have a little more time to write in a week or so.

Cheerio for the moment, Yours Jack.

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AIR LETTER TO ARMED FORCES
BY AIR MAIL
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED, THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT BY ORDINARY MAIL.

[deleted] Number, Rank or Rating and Name [/deleted] Miss J. WELLAND.
[deleted] Unit (Company, Battery, Ship, Squadron, etc) [/deleted] 7. QUEENS DRIVE
[deleted] Regiment, Branch, Establishment or Station [/deleted] SURBITON
Service SURREY ENGLAND.
[inserted] 11-10-43 [/inserted] OVERSEAS.

FROM (Sender’s full name and address)
[deleted] M [/deleted] 927893. DARBY.
[symbol] 8. B & G.S.
Lethbridge Alta.

[inserted] 43 [/inserted]

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2/

This is really part two as its now the 13th and I’m night flying again, I think this will be the last as I have 4 exercises to do. The last two days have been uneventful. we had our oral exam today, am afraid I made a mess of some of the questions but I should know if I’ve passed tomorrow. Thank goodness we have two days rest, whoever said these courses were a piece of cake must be a superman.