Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

Letter from Jack Darby to Jean

Bad weather made them divert to Cornwall then they had engine trouble but got back safely. Jean has knitted him a pair of socks.

1945-01-16

Two double sided handwritten sheets and envelope

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EDarbyCAHWellandJ450116

[postmark] [postage stamp]

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

[inserted] 16.1.45 [/inserted]

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F/O. C. Darby, 154676.
R.A.F. Station,
Stradishall
Nr Newmarket,
Suffolk.

Monday

My dearest Jean,

Thanks so much for your letter of last Thursday, expect Mother has rung and let you know I’m OK, am sorry I could’nt write but as we had been diverted to Cornwall it would’nt have been any use writing from there, the weather was very bad when we took off but it apparently closed

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in and there was a thick fog. they made us very comfortable where we landed and we had a decent meal before turning in. Next morning I walked into the mess and saw a chap I shared a room with at Filey, he’s been stationed there since November so he gave me all the griff on the place. We decided to leave early and fly over home, but we had engine trouble and didn’t leave until 4 o/clock, however we made it before dark.

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The weather there was quite mild and like spring, much different to this part although it has’nt been too bad today.

Am so glad to hear a pair of my socks is ready, fancy 70,000 loving stitches, worn your fingers to the bone [word deleted] I expect, still don’t worry darling, will make them nice and hard for scrubbing, cooking, cleaning etc. as for nagging you skinny, why that would take me a lifetime, I shall probably be bald and battered long before that.

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Regarding making morning tea, well you know dearest I would’nt want to deprive you of the pleasure of making tea from October to March, so I’ll let you do it, and to show you how much I love you I’ll give up making it from April to September as well.

Well hope your cooking went off O.K. any deaths yet?

That’s about all the news, take care of yourself darling, I love you more than I can say.

All the best

Yours Jack.