Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton
Title
Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton
Description
Peter Lamprey starts with some banter and continues with some general comments on Tiree before catching up with news of friends.
Creator
Date
1942-03-05
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
Envelope and eight page handwritten letter
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.
Identifier
ELampreyPGuntonW420305-0003
Transcription
INVERNESS
3.45 PM
5 MAR
1942
[postage stamp]
Mr W. Gunton
Machine Room
Waterlow and Sons
Twyford Abbey Road
Park Royal. N.W.10
London
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[page break]
[RAF crest]
Signals Section
HQ. 14 Group
[underlined] Sunday [/underlined]
Dear Uncle Bill
It seems quite a time since I have written to you. It will be a hell of a time before I write again if I do not get a more friendly style of correspondent. You have certainly got some gyver [sic]. Cracking on about my spelling – if I ever lower myself to visit that den of thieves where the machine managers hide, I shall fetch some of the brightest of the letters from my mail and shake a few of you.
[page break]
[underlined]2. [/underlined]
Things are very much the same as the last time I wrote. Not that half of you care if I am lying dead and the other half hoping it. Very shortly I hope to visit London on one of my periodical excursions. Should any of you wish to see me keep it to yourselves as the others will think you are mad. I am alredy [sic] (have a look at that for spelling) convinced of that fact.
The poetry was, I am afraid, a wasted effort on Mr Ashton’s part as I had only time to give it a quick glance and have not got down to it seriously yet. I am dodging around a bit and do not get a lot of time for the present. However I shall consider its contents before the week end and let you have a real poets [sic] opinion on it.
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[underlined]3[/underlined]
I am still waiting for a plane for a trip back to the island for a week or so, but from the look of things Ill [sic] get fallen arches hanging around.
In my, unfortunately limited, spare time I have managed to get to town a number of times, and things – I am glad to say –are very nice thank you. The beer is still fair and there is plenty around. The only drawback at present is the snow. Its [sic] very damp and you show up against it when on private affairs with one of the new recruits.
This I suppose, will cause Mr Hunt to reach for his book of tracts and get ready to post another one on to me. If, however, it should arrive while I am
[page break]
still sober I will give it the consideration it deserves.
The ideas some of you people have of Tiree evidently need a serious overhauling. From the general idea you think it is just one round of life and laughter. Listen to my friends – if I ever hear one peep of pleasure at the blood I’ve spilt on those sands I shall proceed to erect a gallows in the machine room and have a good time hanging you in bunches of five.
Despite the horrible threats against my person, Brother George seems to have retired into his cave. Again, [deleted]s[/deleted] he is, I take it, now inventing a new type of stone axe to use when his age group gets its second chance.
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
Since starting this epistle the parcel arrived. Many thanks for everything and if I can do anything for you don’t [sic] be afraid to ask. I shall not be afraid to refuse. I am glad to see by the Royal that there are one or two others helping me with the war. The work I have been doing lately made me wonder if I was carrying it alone or if Harry Beacham had been called up. At one time I understood the gallant Home Guard was on the verge of writing. If all he wants is encouragement I dare him.
While still on the same page I should point out that, every time I receive a parcel packed by the ginger cat it is opened outdoors and left in a bucket of water for a couple of hours. This
[page break]
being purely a precautionary measure against and because of the bloody inventors bright ideas. It might ruin the parcels but I am still alive, or as near as doesn’t matter.
How – if I am not overstepping the bounds of friendship – is our old friend Dave? Still pulling the same copy around as when I left or has he started another one? From the information I have had, he seems to be going to the dogs. Hitting the high spots at night and late every morning. A very strict watch is advisable on all chapel accounts as we know he intimidates Rusty and I take it they go over the books together.
Not having heard from Mr W. Collins since his outburst some months back,
[page break]
[RAF Crest]
I presume writers [sic] cramp has set in and he has still to undergo treatment for it. The usual method is a glass vessel filled with liquid clasped firmly in the right hand. He should know as he had something to do with this mob once.
Things are now moving towards me and it looks like a bit more work so I’ll finish up.
Remember me to everyone. With a bit of luck I’ll see you before the month is out. Keep your hands of [sic] my women or I’ll tell the chapel.
Keep your nose clean
Pete.
[page break]
P.S. Hard luck, nothing to say.
3.45 PM
5 MAR
1942
[postage stamp]
Mr W. Gunton
Machine Room
Waterlow and Sons
Twyford Abbey Road
Park Royal. N.W.10
London
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[page break]
[RAF crest]
Signals Section
HQ. 14 Group
[underlined] Sunday [/underlined]
Dear Uncle Bill
It seems quite a time since I have written to you. It will be a hell of a time before I write again if I do not get a more friendly style of correspondent. You have certainly got some gyver [sic]. Cracking on about my spelling – if I ever lower myself to visit that den of thieves where the machine managers hide, I shall fetch some of the brightest of the letters from my mail and shake a few of you.
[page break]
[underlined]2. [/underlined]
Things are very much the same as the last time I wrote. Not that half of you care if I am lying dead and the other half hoping it. Very shortly I hope to visit London on one of my periodical excursions. Should any of you wish to see me keep it to yourselves as the others will think you are mad. I am alredy [sic] (have a look at that for spelling) convinced of that fact.
The poetry was, I am afraid, a wasted effort on Mr Ashton’s part as I had only time to give it a quick glance and have not got down to it seriously yet. I am dodging around a bit and do not get a lot of time for the present. However I shall consider its contents before the week end and let you have a real poets [sic] opinion on it.
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[underlined]3[/underlined]
I am still waiting for a plane for a trip back to the island for a week or so, but from the look of things Ill [sic] get fallen arches hanging around.
In my, unfortunately limited, spare time I have managed to get to town a number of times, and things – I am glad to say –are very nice thank you. The beer is still fair and there is plenty around. The only drawback at present is the snow. Its [sic] very damp and you show up against it when on private affairs with one of the new recruits.
This I suppose, will cause Mr Hunt to reach for his book of tracts and get ready to post another one on to me. If, however, it should arrive while I am
[page break]
still sober I will give it the consideration it deserves.
The ideas some of you people have of Tiree evidently need a serious overhauling. From the general idea you think it is just one round of life and laughter. Listen to my friends – if I ever hear one peep of pleasure at the blood I’ve spilt on those sands I shall proceed to erect a gallows in the machine room and have a good time hanging you in bunches of five.
Despite the horrible threats against my person, Brother George seems to have retired into his cave. Again, [deleted]s[/deleted] he is, I take it, now inventing a new type of stone axe to use when his age group gets its second chance.
[page break]
[RAF crest]
[underlined] 5 [/underlined]
Since starting this epistle the parcel arrived. Many thanks for everything and if I can do anything for you don’t [sic] be afraid to ask. I shall not be afraid to refuse. I am glad to see by the Royal that there are one or two others helping me with the war. The work I have been doing lately made me wonder if I was carrying it alone or if Harry Beacham had been called up. At one time I understood the gallant Home Guard was on the verge of writing. If all he wants is encouragement I dare him.
While still on the same page I should point out that, every time I receive a parcel packed by the ginger cat it is opened outdoors and left in a bucket of water for a couple of hours. This
[page break]
being purely a precautionary measure against and because of the bloody inventors bright ideas. It might ruin the parcels but I am still alive, or as near as doesn’t matter.
How – if I am not overstepping the bounds of friendship – is our old friend Dave? Still pulling the same copy around as when I left or has he started another one? From the information I have had, he seems to be going to the dogs. Hitting the high spots at night and late every morning. A very strict watch is advisable on all chapel accounts as we know he intimidates Rusty and I take it they go over the books together.
Not having heard from Mr W. Collins since his outburst some months back,
[page break]
[RAF Crest]
I presume writers [sic] cramp has set in and he has still to undergo treatment for it. The usual method is a glass vessel filled with liquid clasped firmly in the right hand. He should know as he had something to do with this mob once.
Things are now moving towards me and it looks like a bit more work so I’ll finish up.
Remember me to everyone. With a bit of luck I’ll see you before the month is out. Keep your hands of [sic] my women or I’ll tell the chapel.
Keep your nose clean
Pete.
[page break]
P.S. Hard luck, nothing to say.
Collection
Citation
Peter Lamprey, “Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 28, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/6589.
Item Relations
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