Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

He thanks her for her letters. He discusses Jean playing tennis and the weather.

1944-05-16

Two double sided handwritten sheets and envelope

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EDarbyCAHWellandJ440516

[postage stamp] [post mark]

EXAMINER 1348

[2 censors rubber stamps]

[inserted] 18-5-44 [/inserted]

Miss J. Welland,
7. Queens Drive,
Surbiton
Surrey.
England.

[page break]

P/o. J. Darby. 154676
Officers Mess.
R.A.F. Station
Bishopscourt
Co. Down
N. Ireland.

16.5.44.

Dear Jean.

Thanks so much for letters dated 9th & 10th May, the first one was quite a diary, they were both censored but nothing was removed.

I’ve just heard from home and learn’t the tale of the letter, well third time lucky, it did reach me, as in your case, Dad had added another page each time it came back!

Well, regarding the socks, I won’t bother about a permit, perhaps

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2/

I shall be on the move again, and I should’nt like them to get lost after your [deleted word] strenuous efforts and burning of midnight oil! Regarding the laundries out here, well, the pair Mother knitted me must have been boiled for hours, they are about half the size and like a board.

Am glad to hear you have decided to take exercise in the shape of tennis, what are the courts like? expect it has been dry enough to play, I hear it has been fairly warm just lately, over here its still more like winter. of course with plenty of rain, a small cloud

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3

only has to appear and it rains.

We have’nt been out at all yet, in fact today is our first free day, can tell you time and days lose their meaning at the moment, all it is at the moment is work, eat, sleep. with plenty of the former. one good thing we are ahead of programme at the moment so we mus’nt [sic] grumble.

After Mother’s unsuccessful efforts to send the proofs of the photographs she has decided they are quite O.K and by this time probably ordered them, she was rather keen on a coloured one but I don’t know whether she ordered it.

Am glad to hear [inserted] of [/inserted] your

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4/

promotion on the kitchen front, can see your giving a wavy effect to the lawn with your manipulation of the mower, still don’t forget to stop when you come to the flower bed, Father might not like his lettuces cut as well.!

Well, must pack up now, by the way, dont send those ‘feathers’ photographs, they might think its a map of the spot where we are going to invade, I now [sic] my face is a bit fattened, but the postal people though [sic] it was a map as they returned it to Dad again.

Cheerio for the moment, take care of yourself.
[indecipherable word]

Yours Jack