Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton

Peter Lamprey writes a light hearted letter to his friends and mentions that he hopes to get back to the mainland soon. The letter has been opened and signed by censor.

1942-05-13

Envelope and six page handwritten letter

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ELampreyPGuntonW420509

GLASGOW
1.30 PM
13 MAY
1942

[postage stamp]

Mr. W. Gunton
Machine Room.
Waterlow and Sons Ltd
Twyford Abbey Road
Park Royal
London. N.W.10.

[inserted]
EXAMINER 6440
51-9912-G.W.D.
[/inserted]

[inserted]
X
[/inserted]

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[reverse of envelope]

[RAF Crest]

[inserted]
P.C. 90
OPENED BY
[/inserted]

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[RAF Crest]

Hut. Z14.
[underlined] Tiree [/underlined]

[underlined] Saturday. 9th. May. [/underlined]

Dear Unk and others.
So - at last my efforts reap their just reward. At least I have beaten into your solid ivory skulls the fact that I can read and would like the pleasure of laughing at some of you dumb clucks working for the inland revenue. It is more than you perishers ever did while I watched you. Then you had no excuse - and needed none.
Well - my better nature rising as usual to the surface - I thank you for your effort. But I still don't remember getting the March "Royal". If you are up to some of your usual skull-

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duggery and are holding out on me, I should advise you to stop and consider the horrible risk you run. I am very glad to hear Brother George is back in the folder but - for Petes' [sic] sake don't say he is back at work. That I know is a lie. A man that lies to an airman has as much [deleted] undecipherable [/deleted] conscience as a girl that wears her suspender belt over her panties.

It is nice of you to talk about promotion my friend but - the rings I aspire to most at the present, are a nice dark set round my eyes. And as to my prop going round - I hope it goes round London with me very shortly. You still seem to get the wrong impression of this place. Where do you get the idea that the island looks any better when the sun shines. You can see more of it. I think the place was very well disguised if you liked the scenery when you

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[underlined] 3. [/underlined]

[RAF Crest]

were around this part of the world. Sand my friend looks just the same in or out of a fire bucket.

Now that Brother George is back in harness - how apt a phrase - I suppose he is now doing his usual digging for victory. Raising his usual crop of bloated wireworms and fine looking sparrows. If he could only raise raspberries like he deserves them. Rusty as usual has his ex-pected failure with his plums - an annual event. The only bloke down there that get[sic] any-thing out of allotments is Moloney. He gets his suits.

So Frank Batchelor is going to carry the war into foreign parts. I hope you wished him luck for me. I can see the other boys are playing the good old minders game of letting

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someone else do it. But I am still a minder under the blue of the service and if you want me to do your bit my friends, you've had it. At the present moment I am easing the war along very nicely thank you and am capable of taking care of any stray pints the boys leave without an owner. In fact, life is rolling along without me having to leave my seat to help shove.

I do not like your dirty cracks about my bit of pash [passion] in Blackpool. That is a bit of the reserves the air force like to fall back on now and again. In any case tell Bert Smith to send that blasted photo back pronto in case he gets called up and sent up there. I'd hate to have my character blackened by an engineer who can't keep his mind above the [deleted] undecipherable [/deleted] navel.
Once again we are in the throes of expecting.

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[underlined] 5 [/underlined].

[RAF Crest]

Not what you mean, but expecting to get back to the mainland. It might be this week at last. If it is my lucky date, I think I shall pop in for a bit of leave straight away and get me a few days of riotous living. A few days spent under a bar room table.

Altough[sic] Although I really need not ask, I suppose Mr Hunt is still prostrate at the thought of having to pay for my enjoyment out of his own pocket. Every time I smoke a fag I think of him and hope he lasts long enough to see the war out. I also hope Maloney sees it out - in Libya. That thought also goes for those two fugitives from the rooftop.

They have now got a station band here and can those boys play. They all play in the station team.
One of these days someone will show them a

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sheet of music and then there will be some excitement. Still the boys are pretty good and now the place is getting civilised the natives are coming out of the woods and mixing a bit. As soon as I learn the language I shall pick me a nice hula maid and hang around until the hot weather dries the grass up.

This, I am sorely afraid, will have to do for a while. Remember me to the OPA's- engs.[engineers] old man etc. Look after Dave and give him his bottle regular.

Best of luck.
Pete.

P.S. Have a look at that red carpet, you might need it soon.