Letter from Jack Darby to Jean
Title
Letter from Jack Darby to Jean
Description
His squadron is about to disband and his flight will become part of Transport Command. He may be retrained for non-flying duties in Yorkshire. He discusses complications regarding the wedding due to the leave situation.
Creator
Date
1945-07-16
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
Three double sided handwritten sheets and envelope
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
EDarbyCAHWellandJ450716
Transcription
[postage stamps] [postmark]
[inserted] 16.7.45. [/inserted]
Miss Welland,
7. Queens Drive
Surbiton
Surrey
[page break]
Tel No.
Wickhambrook 259.
Officers’ Mess,
R.A.F. Station,
Stradishall,
Nr. Newmarket.
Suffolk.
Saturday..
My dearest Jean,
Thanks so much for your letter which arrived this morning, as I mentioned over the phone things have altered very much in the last few days, however I’ll tell you all the angles as I see it which may or may not be true, theres plenty of rumours flying about, some of them must be incorrect.
The position at the moment is that 186 Squadron will be disbanded next Tuesday,
[page break]
2/
all leave has been stopped and those on leave recalled pending further information from group. Transport Command is coming here with Stirlings this week. one flight is being attached to another squadron which is under orders for S.E.A.C. Naturally we want to avoid that and I think Jack has been successful. From here its just guesswork, we may be sent to another squadron, or sent on Transport Command in which case I shall be termed redundant. If that happens I shall go to Yorkshire and probably end my flying career and be retained for ground duties, this sounds O.K. but it will probably mean an overseas posting, the fact that my release group is low does not make any difference.
[page break]
3/
In any chase it means leave once every three months and not so many privileges as regards petrol etc. However as everything is so uncertain its no use worrying about it, I shall carry on as usual and if I dont get leave for the wedding you’ll know I’ve seen everyone that matters over it, as soon as I know definately [sic] I’ll ring you. I’m leaving our holiday arrangements as they are but the petrol situation might be complicated.
Well after just reading what I’ve written
[page break]
4/
don’t look on the gloomy side it’ll turn out O.K. theres no need to worry, I’ve given you all the facts.
Regarding the photo’s, I dont mind who does it as long as they make a decent job of it, I think I prefer them taken at the Church but if you’d rather have them at Chessington its O.K. by me, see what our people say about it, expect theres advantages to either place.
If you keep receiving presents you’ll have to employ a secretary to reply to them all, am rather surprised at you losing weight still even the meat ration has been cut so I can’t grumble, in my case I’ve gained a stone, am now 12 st 8 1/2 lbs., getting quite
[page break]
5/
a spare tyre round my middle, bet I’ll lose it when we’re married, the rolling pin will probably cause me a lot of running. When I read the bit about looking after you for 80 years I nearly broke it off immediately, why I should be 109!
Am glad the problem of getting my car over to Chessington is solved, shall be giving it a good clean in a few days, bet it’ll rain when I come down on the Tuesday. This other business has upset the tyre control as the tyres may not come until I’m
[page break]
6/
somewhere else, regarding the Jacks, apparently the washers are unobtainable but the garage chap is fitting a reconditioned pump – I hope..
Well darling this is rather a mournful letter but there we are, plenty of people have worse troubles.
Cheerio for now, remember me to Mum & Dad,
All my love, dearest,
Yours
Jack
xxxxxxxxxx
(something to go on with)
[inserted] 16.7.45. [/inserted]
Miss Welland,
7. Queens Drive
Surbiton
Surrey
[page break]
Tel No.
Wickhambrook 259.
Officers’ Mess,
R.A.F. Station,
Stradishall,
Nr. Newmarket.
Suffolk.
Saturday..
My dearest Jean,
Thanks so much for your letter which arrived this morning, as I mentioned over the phone things have altered very much in the last few days, however I’ll tell you all the angles as I see it which may or may not be true, theres plenty of rumours flying about, some of them must be incorrect.
The position at the moment is that 186 Squadron will be disbanded next Tuesday,
[page break]
2/
all leave has been stopped and those on leave recalled pending further information from group. Transport Command is coming here with Stirlings this week. one flight is being attached to another squadron which is under orders for S.E.A.C. Naturally we want to avoid that and I think Jack has been successful. From here its just guesswork, we may be sent to another squadron, or sent on Transport Command in which case I shall be termed redundant. If that happens I shall go to Yorkshire and probably end my flying career and be retained for ground duties, this sounds O.K. but it will probably mean an overseas posting, the fact that my release group is low does not make any difference.
[page break]
3/
In any chase it means leave once every three months and not so many privileges as regards petrol etc. However as everything is so uncertain its no use worrying about it, I shall carry on as usual and if I dont get leave for the wedding you’ll know I’ve seen everyone that matters over it, as soon as I know definately [sic] I’ll ring you. I’m leaving our holiday arrangements as they are but the petrol situation might be complicated.
Well after just reading what I’ve written
[page break]
4/
don’t look on the gloomy side it’ll turn out O.K. theres no need to worry, I’ve given you all the facts.
Regarding the photo’s, I dont mind who does it as long as they make a decent job of it, I think I prefer them taken at the Church but if you’d rather have them at Chessington its O.K. by me, see what our people say about it, expect theres advantages to either place.
If you keep receiving presents you’ll have to employ a secretary to reply to them all, am rather surprised at you losing weight still even the meat ration has been cut so I can’t grumble, in my case I’ve gained a stone, am now 12 st 8 1/2 lbs., getting quite
[page break]
5/
a spare tyre round my middle, bet I’ll lose it when we’re married, the rolling pin will probably cause me a lot of running. When I read the bit about looking after you for 80 years I nearly broke it off immediately, why I should be 109!
Am glad the problem of getting my car over to Chessington is solved, shall be giving it a good clean in a few days, bet it’ll rain when I come down on the Tuesday. This other business has upset the tyre control as the tyres may not come until I’m
[page break]
6/
somewhere else, regarding the Jacks, apparently the washers are unobtainable but the garage chap is fitting a reconditioned pump – I hope..
Well darling this is rather a mournful letter but there we are, plenty of people have worse troubles.
Cheerio for now, remember me to Mum & Dad,
All my love, dearest,
Yours
Jack
xxxxxxxxxx
(something to go on with)
Collection
Citation
Jack Darby, “Letter from Jack Darby to Jean,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 17, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/40159.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.