Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton
Title
Letter from Peter Lamprey to W Gunton
Description
Peter Lamprey writes complaining about route marches and lack of sleep although he was able to get into town on nights off. He continues with comment on life and concludes with friendly banter to former workmates. Letter was stamped 'Examiner 2473 51/9911. H.B., Opened by P.C.90'.
Creator
Date
1942-07-26
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
Envelope and five 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
ELampreyPGuntonW420727
Transcription
[postage stamp]
Mr. W. Gunton.
Machine Room.
Waterlow and Sons. Ltd.
Twyford Abbey Road.
Park Royal
London. N.W.10
[inserted]
EXAMINER 2473 51/9911. H.B.
[/inserted]
[page break]
[inserted]
OPENED BY P.C. 90
[/inserted]
[page break]
1384535. LAC. Lamprey.
Signals Section.
HQ. 14. Group. R.A.F.
Inverness
[underlined] Sunday. 26th. July. [/underlined]
Dear UNK – Others.
Very – very funny. I take it that the last missive I received from you was Maloney’s farewell letter. If some of you people are not more careful you will be getting a rush of brains to the head and Christ knows what will happen then. I might even get a bit of news – not that I want good news after your last effort. However it served its purpose and I [inserted] am [/inserted] able to see you are still alive. I almost said glad but have decided to stick to the truth.
[page break]
Life still continues to drag me feet first. If I wade through much more of this glorious Scotch scenery I shall apply for a transfer to the infantry so I can at least ride on the bleeding route marches. We have spent exactly two nights in our own beds in the last seven days and I am seriously considering taking in a lodger and making a bit on the side.
Still on the two nights mentioned we managed to get into town. I am sorry to say that I disregarded Mr. Hunts good advice and went on the beer. If we could have had a few more pints we’d have had this war over before August. I might mention that the evening lasted very well and the W.A.A.F I had, was a bit tight – at
[page break]
first. I also ran into a printer who said he knew Jack Denny but I told him not to worry about it too much, as we all had some undiscovered mistakes in our lives. We have also a new pal that has been stuffed up here. A Welshman. Dave Evans – but this one is a decent bloke so I never mentioned the old RIP. Taken by and large, we have a nice little party now. Seven strong, healthy airman willing to let anyone do our share of the war as long as the beer – and the cash – lasts out. If any of us see this year out without doing a spell inside it will be because we have collapsed under the strain of total war.
If the three dumb clucks have gone I hope they run into a sergeant we
[page break]
have just been unfortunate to lose. He will at least prove that all the battles are not won and lost on foreign fields. In fact he’ll prove that you can start a bloody fine war over nothing. I hope it keeps fine for them.
Some while ago I asked Bert Smith if he would forward a certain photo on and having thanked him for it would like to know when the hell he’s going to do it. If I get posted down south I shall be stopping off for a night and I don’t want to do any more explaining than I can help. I do so much blasted explaining at this lark that I am running out of tales and I should hate to have to fall back on the truth.
I have just been informed that I am on another job tomorrow. Lord knows
[page break]
where – I suppose they are finding the muddiest place. The sooner they find out I am only and air gunner U/T and not a bleeding camel the better I’ll like it.
Well I am packing up now and will write when I get time. Theres [sic] a date in town that must get by.
Remember me to all.
Love.
[underlined] Pete. [/underlined].
P.S Don’t forget the Royal.
Mr. W. Gunton.
Machine Room.
Waterlow and Sons. Ltd.
Twyford Abbey Road.
Park Royal
London. N.W.10
[inserted]
EXAMINER 2473 51/9911. H.B.
[/inserted]
[page break]
[inserted]
OPENED BY P.C. 90
[/inserted]
[page break]
1384535. LAC. Lamprey.
Signals Section.
HQ. 14. Group. R.A.F.
Inverness
[underlined] Sunday. 26th. July. [/underlined]
Dear UNK – Others.
Very – very funny. I take it that the last missive I received from you was Maloney’s farewell letter. If some of you people are not more careful you will be getting a rush of brains to the head and Christ knows what will happen then. I might even get a bit of news – not that I want good news after your last effort. However it served its purpose and I [inserted] am [/inserted] able to see you are still alive. I almost said glad but have decided to stick to the truth.
[page break]
Life still continues to drag me feet first. If I wade through much more of this glorious Scotch scenery I shall apply for a transfer to the infantry so I can at least ride on the bleeding route marches. We have spent exactly two nights in our own beds in the last seven days and I am seriously considering taking in a lodger and making a bit on the side.
Still on the two nights mentioned we managed to get into town. I am sorry to say that I disregarded Mr. Hunts good advice and went on the beer. If we could have had a few more pints we’d have had this war over before August. I might mention that the evening lasted very well and the W.A.A.F I had, was a bit tight – at
[page break]
first. I also ran into a printer who said he knew Jack Denny but I told him not to worry about it too much, as we all had some undiscovered mistakes in our lives. We have also a new pal that has been stuffed up here. A Welshman. Dave Evans – but this one is a decent bloke so I never mentioned the old RIP. Taken by and large, we have a nice little party now. Seven strong, healthy airman willing to let anyone do our share of the war as long as the beer – and the cash – lasts out. If any of us see this year out without doing a spell inside it will be because we have collapsed under the strain of total war.
If the three dumb clucks have gone I hope they run into a sergeant we
[page break]
have just been unfortunate to lose. He will at least prove that all the battles are not won and lost on foreign fields. In fact he’ll prove that you can start a bloody fine war over nothing. I hope it keeps fine for them.
Some while ago I asked Bert Smith if he would forward a certain photo on and having thanked him for it would like to know when the hell he’s going to do it. If I get posted down south I shall be stopping off for a night and I don’t want to do any more explaining than I can help. I do so much blasted explaining at this lark that I am running out of tales and I should hate to have to fall back on the truth.
I have just been informed that I am on another job tomorrow. Lord knows
[page break]
where – I suppose they are finding the muddiest place. The sooner they find out I am only and air gunner U/T and not a bleeding camel the better I’ll like it.
Well I am packing up now and will write when I get time. Theres [sic] a date in town that must get by.
Remember me to all.
Love.
[underlined] Pete. [/underlined].
P.S Don’t forget the Royal.
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/6599.
Item Relations
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