Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

He writes of life at RAF Cark, his social activities, arrangements for his leave and his colleagues.

1943-09-11

Four handwritten sheets

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EGortonHGortonLCM430911

OFFICERS’ MESS,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
CARK,
NORTH LANCASHIRE.
TELEPHONE GRANGE 390.
11.9.43
Dearest,
I’ve been coming to your conclusion, that Newhouse will be the best place for our leave. It will be far more comfortable than anywhere else, - I’m very fond of our own bed, aren’t you? – and I shall be able to inspect the chairs etc., that you have been buying.
The two chief snags are the extra work I shall cause, to the lack of change for you. As to the first, I shall be only too glad to agree to any suggestions you make, for the second snag I suggest if possible a day in Cardiff together, & perhaps a few days in Grange or Cartmel for you later on. Still, we can talk about that when we meet.
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2.
I hope you didn’t mind my unloading my troubles on to you in my last letter. I was pretty much cut up about it at first, but I’ve calmed down about it since then. I didn’t bother to discuss it with the C.O., because he’s such a slippery customer that it would have been a waste of time. I went to see Basher yesterday, told him I wanted a posting & explained why. He admitted that there’d been a “slight slur on my professional ability”, but didn’t hold out much hope as far as a posting is concerned. Still, I’ll keep pounding him from now on; I’m fed up with this place, & want either an ops posting or a training job where I’ve got some responsibility & some work to do.
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3
We’ve got a billiard table in the Mess now, & I seem to spend a lot of time on it. Today the weather has been duff, so this morning I played billiards & then had a game of squash. It’s a shame to take the government’s money, isn’t it?
I should say your dental appointment would be O.K. I should prefer to travel down on Wednesday, but I think I should feel silly if I’d no old trousers to put on so that I could perhaps lend a hand, so I’ll spend Wednesday night in Farnworth, & catch the 9.25 next day. I shall catch the slow train from Hereford, - or at least, whichever will get me there earlier.
Bill Dale is still with 14 A.F.U., I believe, & I think he
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4
is still an F/O.
Leave the Utility form until I arrive, & then we can do it together.
Less than 5 days before I see you again, darling.
All my love,
Harold