Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
Title
Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
Description
He writes of moving into a new billet, his colleagues, the weather and the lack of flying due to the bad weather.
Creator
Date
1943-10-06
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Six handwritten sheets
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.
Contributor
Identifier
EGortonHGortonLCM431006
Transcription
OFFICERS’ MESS,
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
CARK,
NORTH LANCASHIRE.
TELEPHONE GRANGE 390.
6/10/43
Dearest,
I am writing this before starting to pack up my things. Riches has arranged for me to have a single room on 2 site, so I am moving in the morning. It’s only about 1/4 mile from the Mess, instead of nearly a mile, so that it’s a big advantage for me – nearer to the Flights & to the exit to camp, as well as enabling me to be on my own. The distance is a very big consideration in the weather we’ve been having lately, when I’ve several times got very wet in going to the Mess from here.
I was hard put to it last night in trying to stop myself shooting a horrible line with Percy about you. We had a long & very interesting talk about his life in S. America, & he confided
[page break]
2
some of the difficulties he’s up against. Apparently his wife hates the idea of leaving England, & he won’t give up his job under any circumstances, although he’s pretty certain that she’ll be like a fish out of water in the Argentine.
He’s also very hard up. He says his wife has absolutely no money sense, & spends every penny he gives her, leaving him with nothing for himself. Apparently she assumes that she can afford to buy the best of everything as though she’s married a millionaire instead of a F/Lt. I just managed to stop myself saying what a wonderful wife I’d got, but believe me, darling, if I didn’t say it, I thought it all the more. I’d sooner be married to you & penniless than have the best job in the world & Percy’s position. You can’t imagine what a
[page break]
3
wonderful feeling it gives me to compare Percy’s moans with my own confidence & complete trust in you. I [sic] perfectly certain that I couldn’t possibly have a better wife than you, darling, I want you to remember that that’s my genuine conviction, not a bit of flannelling to cheer you up while I’m away.
There’s something about the way we feel about one another that must be quite different from the way the Percys are. I’m afraid I can’t put into words the thoughts that are in my mind, but I certainly feel the most fortunate man in the world compared with Percy, & that’s entirely due to you.
[page break]
4. [inserted] 120984. [/inserted]
In the last day or two I’ve heard two rumours, one of a furnished house in or near Cark, & of an empty house near the Royal Oak in Allithwaite. Are you interested, or shall we let them slide. I believe they’re both on long tenancies, which is rather a drawback, isn’t it?
I rather fancy that I may still go in December. The only thing against that as far as I can see is that we are finding it difficult to get replacements for the people we lose, & so they may not be willing to let any more go. Still, lots of things can happen in two months, can’t they?
I’ve done very little flying lately – 20 minutes this afternoon for the first time since Saturday.
[page break]
5
The weather has been simply atrocious – howling gales & pouring rain most of the time. It cleared up Monday evening & tonight – when I was not on night flying, but I’ve been on the programme five times in the past 8 days & haven’t flown once.
I haven’t been O.C. night flying this week because we’ve at last got the Staff Pilots doing alternate weeks with us. I shall start on Saturday evening, so I shall return to Cark on Saturday afternoon, & go home as early as possible on Friday.
Mother has written to say that she has got your frock,
[page break]
6
so I’ll send it off while I’m at home.
All my love, darling,
Harold.
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
CARK,
NORTH LANCASHIRE.
TELEPHONE GRANGE 390.
6/10/43
Dearest,
I am writing this before starting to pack up my things. Riches has arranged for me to have a single room on 2 site, so I am moving in the morning. It’s only about 1/4 mile from the Mess, instead of nearly a mile, so that it’s a big advantage for me – nearer to the Flights & to the exit to camp, as well as enabling me to be on my own. The distance is a very big consideration in the weather we’ve been having lately, when I’ve several times got very wet in going to the Mess from here.
I was hard put to it last night in trying to stop myself shooting a horrible line with Percy about you. We had a long & very interesting talk about his life in S. America, & he confided
[page break]
2
some of the difficulties he’s up against. Apparently his wife hates the idea of leaving England, & he won’t give up his job under any circumstances, although he’s pretty certain that she’ll be like a fish out of water in the Argentine.
He’s also very hard up. He says his wife has absolutely no money sense, & spends every penny he gives her, leaving him with nothing for himself. Apparently she assumes that she can afford to buy the best of everything as though she’s married a millionaire instead of a F/Lt. I just managed to stop myself saying what a wonderful wife I’d got, but believe me, darling, if I didn’t say it, I thought it all the more. I’d sooner be married to you & penniless than have the best job in the world & Percy’s position. You can’t imagine what a
[page break]
3
wonderful feeling it gives me to compare Percy’s moans with my own confidence & complete trust in you. I [sic] perfectly certain that I couldn’t possibly have a better wife than you, darling, I want you to remember that that’s my genuine conviction, not a bit of flannelling to cheer you up while I’m away.
There’s something about the way we feel about one another that must be quite different from the way the Percys are. I’m afraid I can’t put into words the thoughts that are in my mind, but I certainly feel the most fortunate man in the world compared with Percy, & that’s entirely due to you.
[page break]
4. [inserted] 120984. [/inserted]
In the last day or two I’ve heard two rumours, one of a furnished house in or near Cark, & of an empty house near the Royal Oak in Allithwaite. Are you interested, or shall we let them slide. I believe they’re both on long tenancies, which is rather a drawback, isn’t it?
I rather fancy that I may still go in December. The only thing against that as far as I can see is that we are finding it difficult to get replacements for the people we lose, & so they may not be willing to let any more go. Still, lots of things can happen in two months, can’t they?
I’ve done very little flying lately – 20 minutes this afternoon for the first time since Saturday.
[page break]
5
The weather has been simply atrocious – howling gales & pouring rain most of the time. It cleared up Monday evening & tonight – when I was not on night flying, but I’ve been on the programme five times in the past 8 days & haven’t flown once.
I haven’t been O.C. night flying this week because we’ve at last got the Staff Pilots doing alternate weeks with us. I shall start on Saturday evening, so I shall return to Cark on Saturday afternoon, & go home as early as possible on Friday.
Mother has written to say that she has got your frock,
[page break]
6
so I’ll send it off while I’m at home.
All my love, darling,
Harold.
Collection
Citation
Harold Gorton, “Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 25, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/9136.
Item Relations
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