Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

He has more flying to do on his course and he is not sure about his leave. He and his crew have been into Newark for cinema and beer.

1944-10-04

Two double sided handwritten sheets and envelope

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EDarbyCAHWellandJ441004

[postage stamp] [postmark]

[inserted] 5-10-44 [/inserted]

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

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OFFICERS’ MESS
R.A.F. STATION
WINTHORPE
Nr. NEWARK
Notts.

4.10.44

My darling Jean,

Have’nt received your usual letter yet but expect some to be here tomorrow. well, how are you getting on, still missing me? I’ve been working out, we should be leaving here in about a fortnight if everything runs to schedule. The weather has’nt been too good but we’ve got some more flying done and if the weather is good we shall be night flying tonight, we were on a bombing detail yesterday but after waiting half an hour in the aircraft we did’nt

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take off as the kite was U/S.

We have been on early flying detail quite a few times, this means getting up at 5o/c, this morning we were up flying, the weather was’nt too good, bags of cloud and rain, however we did the exercise, thats the main thing.

As we finished early yesterday we went to Newark in the evening, went to the flicks and had a pint after, the film was’nt too bad, Dorothy Lamour in “Melody Inn”, the film you ought to see is the one at the camp cinema “The Uninvited” a really wizard ghost story, would guarantee to make you jump six feet at least, its really most creepy but very well acted.

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How’s the battle for Eastwoods progressing? Any more successes by either side? Can see you drilling holes in aircraft as well as yourself, still it would build up your muscles for the strain of coping with me.

When Mother wrote the other day she said they had sent the odds and ends from Broadstairs, I expect she was busy deciding where they would go, the only thing I’m interested in was one of those chair covers. I think I could make a good fire screen out of that after the war, if you see any during the course of your travels

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just take a look at it, at one time (way back) I was quite handy with carpenters tools.

Well, must soon finish as the tannoy [sic] has just given us times of briefing, must have something to eat before I go, you know how I look after my inner man!

Take care of yourself, darling, write me soon, the letter rack at lunchtime is a big event in my day!

Goodbye for now,

All my love dearest,

Jack