Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Peter Lamprey writes about basic airman’s training and his life in the Royal Air Force whilst stationed in Blackpool. He concludes with some speculation about taking his gunnery course as all other courses are full.

Four-page handwritten letter

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ELampreyPGuntonW[Date]-02

1384535.
A.C.2. Lamprey.
84 [underlined] Dickson [/underlined] Rd.
[underlined] Blackpool. [/underlined]

[underlined] 2nd year of war. [/underlined]

Dear Bill [underlined] etc. [/underlined]

I am writing this from the front line and in the distance I can hear the booming of the trams getting the RAF to their evenings [sic] enjoyment. The week has been very quiet, and the enemy have only given us a few shakings this week. They are wondering whether to make us parade on Sunday this week (don’t the weeks pass in these letters, you cant [sic] help repeating yourself when you do the same thing day after day) as the C.O., bless him, discovered we were lousy on a route march and now he thinks we need more marching. This will certainly bring about total war in [deleted] is [/deleted] its direst form as the boys have all got some wonderful dates. Even the N.C. O’s are talking about throwing their lot in with the rank and vile [sic], but we are very particular and will have nobody who can do all the drill without making a mistake. We have been plastered with a Corporal this week who is an old sweat, twelve years

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service, when he starts telling us how, I close my eyes and imagine I am round No 7 listening. By the way, tell Bro. George, I don’t want anyone to show me how to do things, there’s too many already, I want a volunteer to do it for me, I can easy fill my time in. You will all be glad to know that I have only my final test to pass and then I shall be finished up here and I shall try and get along and extract retribution for the insults you have all been thinking. If I can get along I shall be pleased to take on one and all, in the Plumes. There is a terrible rumour going round that all posting leave has been cancelled and if this is so I shall get my cards and come back to Waterlow’s, this job’s not so hot as all that. Some of the boys went this week, without leave, to a new station entirely, so I shall apply to go there and then I am bound to get shoved down somewhere else. We get about four lectures a week now and they are definitly [sic] good, for your feet. The last one was about “The man with a mind of his own,” the bloke said we were free, white and twenty-one and were expected to decide our own fate. This is talking to A.C. Plonks, in the RAF, browned of, [sic] and 33.

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He certainly had a marvellous imagination. Another F.C. lectured us, mind you on saluting. We know who not to salute and when to turn our heads. By the way, I ran into Harry Lentle again and he hasn’t started Morse yet, but couldn’t have a long jaw as I had only got five minutes to look after something. Its [sic] the same bit I was looking after last week. I am getting quite a few week-ends out of Blackpool, away from the turmoil of things and generally manage to beat the S.P.s by a short sharp head Sunday night and get in about 11. You always notice the Morse after a week-end like this and I sometimes wonder if I am not overtaxing myself doing Morse etc. when I am evidently doing better over the week-end than during the week. Mr. Hunt, as usual, will be glad to notice the lack of reference to alchohol [sic] (s--- the spelling) in this letter but I can assure him we still do it only it is so much part of our training we hate to talk of it. This letter you will notice is being done in smaller print down this part of the paper. The weekend came in between the two parts and I’m too tired to print big. I shall most likely get posted Friday week and will let you know in plenty time what is happening and where I am going. There

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is a possibility of my going to the I. of Man to take my gunnery course first, as the advanced Morse and science stations are very full of [deleted] of [/deleted] ground W/Ops. I hope I do, even if it means another 9 weeks without leave as it will mean flying on operations after six weeks, on Sunderlands, on convoy patrol as relief gunner. There is a terrific shortage of aircrew and once we get by this part of the course we shall be treated like lords, or thats [sic] what we hope. Only about one in eight that go by, up here, are air-crew. Remember me to everyone and many thanks to Fred for his letter. Express my sympathies to Charlie and I will write him personally. Give my love to Rusty and Dave and tell them I’ll put the books right when I get back so don’t worry. If anybody wants advice on any matter connected with the Air Force I’ll give them the best answer they’ve ever had and they still wont [sic] be satisfied. Remember me to the Guvnor, Bill T. and G.F. and hope to see you soon
Here’s how
Pete.