Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

He thanks her for her letters. He is back in Manchester and he is not amused. Jean has joined a choral society and he makes flippant comments about her singing.

1943-02-14

Two double sided handwritten sheets and envelope

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EDarbyCAHWellandJ430214

[postage stamp] [postmark]

Miss Welland,
7, Queens Drive,
Surbton
Surrey.

[inserted] 14-2-43 [/inserted]

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927893. L.A.C. Darby.
M.P. 13.2.43. 3 Sqdn.
R.A.F. Heaton Park,
Manchester.

14.2.43.

Dear Jean,

Thanks so much for letters, a double shock, they both arrived by the same post, at the moment I'm completely in a flat spin, as you may have noticed by the address we've been shunted back here again, the draft has been cancelled, so after being issued with full overseas kit, marking it, packing according to orders, we unpacked , handed it in and were reissued with home scale kit, what a mess up, the air was blue when we

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heard about it, after last week's panic we are just in the same position, that's after carting three ruddy great kitbags to Blackpool, think I need another 7 days leave to recuperate; still thats how the Air Force treat you, so you can see I'm completely cheesed off.

I hate to ask but what has the choral society done to merit such treatment? anyway who told you you could sing, be careful, one of these days you will take a mighty top note and all the factories will stop work, thinking its knocking-off time, then you'll have Mr Bevan after you for sabotage, I'd stick to skating if I were you, you don't hurt so many people

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Now I am back in Manchester have been put in civvy billets, nice and comfortable, also the landlady has a nice daughter about 23, not engaged or married so my fellow billetor (doesn't look right} tells me, that 5/- is looking like a good bet again. will write and report any progress on her part.

By the way, regarding the skating, is that the only reason you [deleted word] made a grab at some chap, surely they're not all that scarce, some chance for me yet, what would you think?

The change at Blackpool has done my cold good, have practically lost it, the weather was fairly good, quite a lot of sunshine although the

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wind was cold, of course when we came back here it was raining as usual, still its an event if its dry for more than 24 hours.

So sorry about mistaking Eastwoods for Littlewoods, must have been thinking of football or something like that.

Really that remark about those fire buckets caused me great distress, fancy thinking I was sewing (bet you don't know the meaning of that) I would'nt know where to begin.

Well, thats all at the moment, take care of yourself and write soon.

All the best

Yours

Jack.

P.S. In case you lose your voice (miracles dont happen) "Go, suck a Zube ([indecipherable word])