Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Peter Lamprey writes about life at Royal Air Force Hixon and follows up with gossip catching up with friends.

Six page handwritten letter

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ELampreyPGuntonW[Date]-13

Sgts. Mess.
RAF. Hixon.,
Nr. Stafford.

Dear Unk.
Thanks for your letter and books. Very welcome and popular. At present things are – if not full – at least as full as they can be without splitting the seams. At the present moment the future holds nothing but more trips with their usual complement of ring twitters. In fact I have spent quite a few hours with said ring on a slice of lemon. Still it saves wasting valuable beer money on salts.

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The big city's lights have not seen me for quite a while lately, but sometime next week I am due for a rest and will I have one? Will I hell. If I cannot do it any other way I shall buy me a pub of my own and really get weaving. How in Hades I am going to explain my absence to my little Potteries playmate I don't know. She doesn't believe me a lot at present so how my next line will go with her is a bit of a puzzle.

So you have had a visit from our old esteemed Cherry. I'll lay he is very glad he joined and got all the benefits of a holiday with congenial companions – vidé [sic]

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seems to be doing plenty of home work. He wants to look out before they issue him with a pair of shorts and a sun-hat. After his stay at the “Old Welsh Garage” I don't think he would go for that in a very big way. I can't understand Charlie not being in love with his work. Bags of fresh air and exersise [sic] and all that. He should have been in the mob before it got really well organised. Us old hands have got the bloody war well aired for him. One way and another this fighting business doesn't seem to be so popular with the boys as it was. I can even see Moloney

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[underlined] 5. [/underlined]

coming unstuck one of these days – I hope.

As for the rest of the loafers at Park Royal. Tell them I am still thinking of them but what with a possible censorship etc. I can't write what I am thinking. Not that I wish to appear niggly in any way but if they think I am going to do their fighting indefinitely they had better look around for a good substitute as I have just about been reigning champion long enough. Just because Bro. G. won the last do on his own it is no good expecting me to do the same.

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He was only fighting the Indians and it took him four years.

I hope the rest of the chapel are still under control and not doing anything rash like have a do or dinner without Mr. Hunts [sic] consent – always freely given if asked for. In any case that's all he ever gave. If Rusty still gets his usual bother with the “Old RIP” tell him to use a firm hand and refuse to buy him his Friday nip.

Remember me to all the boys. Fred Baulch etc. See you sometime.

All the best.
Pete.

P.S. A certain party wrote to

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[underlined] 7. [/underlined]

me and suggested you were a low type but after all I told her that I knew that in any case.

P.P.S. She also said that if she could meet you again it would be just too bad for
someone after all your promises.

P.P.P.S. Also she'd use your guts for garters.

P.P.P.P.S. And thats [sic] not a bad idea at that.

[underlined] P. [/underlined]