Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
Title
Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife
Description
He writes about flying duties and social activities.
Creator
Date
1943-10-17
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Seven 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
EGortonHGortonLCM431017
Transcription
OFFICERS’ MESS.
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
CARK,
NORTH LANCASHIRE.
TELEPHONE GRANGE 390
17/10/43
Dearest,
I did well out of my week of O i/c – two full nights & once till midnight, 4 complete scrubs.
For a change yesterday, I went to Lancaster to the pictures. The only amusing thing that happened was [deleted] that when [/deleted], in the Empire Café (the one we visited). I told the waitress I didn’t think much of the menu, which consisted of fish cakes or cottage pie, or sausages, & she came back a moment later to ask if I’d prefer some mutton. My wings must still have their charm, after all.
I didn’t go home this week-end as I was there last week, & shall be there a week
[page break]
2
on Wednesday. I’m not so fond of home as all that, & only go because of the concerts.
I’m sorry to say that I’ve forgotten to get your travel voucher. I’ll go along to S.H.Q. after I’ve written this to see if I can get it.
I’m spending the evening with the Wyvers; I only hope I don’t get wet through, because the weather has been terrible today. This morning we sat in the office talking, & this afternoon we stayed in the Mess & played billiards.
I’ve not seen Moodie yet since he went to Morecambe, but Boddy tells me that there’s something wrong with a lung, & he can’t possibly go on Ops. That means that I shall
[page break]
3
move up into his place & go in November. It’s not absolutely definite yet but very probable. I shan’t know for certain until I fill in my forms stating my preference.
I’m afraid that will fix our leave for us. I’m wondering whether, instead, you’d like to come up here for a couple of weeks until I go. I warn you that it’ll be no picnic, because the weather really is terrible here, raining day after day. I was thinking that if you’d care to come, I might be able to get Moodie’s old digs in Cark village. They’d be handy for you, too, as being
[page break]
4
less than a minute from bus & train. I don’t know if I’m talking through my hat in suggesting this, but let me know what you think, & where you’d prefer to live.
Anyway, darling, you know that I love you & wish I could be with you. I was so cheesed off last night, sitting in front of a warm fire after I’d finished the last of that correspondence course, that I started playing patience, as the nearest approach to two-handed bridge.
But don’t let that worry you, & make you come when you don’t want to. I only feel like that very occasionally, and actually I’m doing very well & having a good deal of
[page break]
5
comfort.
By the way, I nearly made a gaffe by blowing your trumpet too loudly at home. In honour of my arrival, Mother made a dried egg custard, which tasted O.K. but looked awful, as there was a bright yellow skin & white custard underneath.
I managed to limit myself to saying that I’d eaten dozens of your custards that had looked all right, & did not say anything like offering to send her your recipe, or anything else which might have reflected injuriously on her cooking.
I’m glad your frock
[page break]
6
has arrived. Mother was a bit conscience-stricken because she didn’t register it. She’ll be relieved to know it’s safe.
By the way, is it possible to send her eating apples in a parcel? She can get them, but they’re small & very expensive – about 4d each for apples scarcely half the size of a cricket ball. (2/- a pound.) Don’t bother if it’s awkward, but if it’s possible, it would be the best Christmas present we could give.
I haven’t sorted out those figures properly yet (pay, I mean), but the extra on your allowance is ration money for my leaves, I think.
I’m glad you’re feeling fit, & trust you’ll be able to bear up during Janko’s absence. I told Mother, who asked about him, that I’d acted as a slight
[page break]
counter-attraction while I was at Newhouse!
Thanks for your letter, darling.
All my love,
Harold.
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
CARK,
NORTH LANCASHIRE.
TELEPHONE GRANGE 390
17/10/43
Dearest,
I did well out of my week of O i/c – two full nights & once till midnight, 4 complete scrubs.
For a change yesterday, I went to Lancaster to the pictures. The only amusing thing that happened was [deleted] that when [/deleted], in the Empire Café (the one we visited). I told the waitress I didn’t think much of the menu, which consisted of fish cakes or cottage pie, or sausages, & she came back a moment later to ask if I’d prefer some mutton. My wings must still have their charm, after all.
I didn’t go home this week-end as I was there last week, & shall be there a week
[page break]
2
on Wednesday. I’m not so fond of home as all that, & only go because of the concerts.
I’m sorry to say that I’ve forgotten to get your travel voucher. I’ll go along to S.H.Q. after I’ve written this to see if I can get it.
I’m spending the evening with the Wyvers; I only hope I don’t get wet through, because the weather has been terrible today. This morning we sat in the office talking, & this afternoon we stayed in the Mess & played billiards.
I’ve not seen Moodie yet since he went to Morecambe, but Boddy tells me that there’s something wrong with a lung, & he can’t possibly go on Ops. That means that I shall
[page break]
3
move up into his place & go in November. It’s not absolutely definite yet but very probable. I shan’t know for certain until I fill in my forms stating my preference.
I’m afraid that will fix our leave for us. I’m wondering whether, instead, you’d like to come up here for a couple of weeks until I go. I warn you that it’ll be no picnic, because the weather really is terrible here, raining day after day. I was thinking that if you’d care to come, I might be able to get Moodie’s old digs in Cark village. They’d be handy for you, too, as being
[page break]
4
less than a minute from bus & train. I don’t know if I’m talking through my hat in suggesting this, but let me know what you think, & where you’d prefer to live.
Anyway, darling, you know that I love you & wish I could be with you. I was so cheesed off last night, sitting in front of a warm fire after I’d finished the last of that correspondence course, that I started playing patience, as the nearest approach to two-handed bridge.
But don’t let that worry you, & make you come when you don’t want to. I only feel like that very occasionally, and actually I’m doing very well & having a good deal of
[page break]
5
comfort.
By the way, I nearly made a gaffe by blowing your trumpet too loudly at home. In honour of my arrival, Mother made a dried egg custard, which tasted O.K. but looked awful, as there was a bright yellow skin & white custard underneath.
I managed to limit myself to saying that I’d eaten dozens of your custards that had looked all right, & did not say anything like offering to send her your recipe, or anything else which might have reflected injuriously on her cooking.
I’m glad your frock
[page break]
6
has arrived. Mother was a bit conscience-stricken because she didn’t register it. She’ll be relieved to know it’s safe.
By the way, is it possible to send her eating apples in a parcel? She can get them, but they’re small & very expensive – about 4d each for apples scarcely half the size of a cricket ball. (2/- a pound.) Don’t bother if it’s awkward, but if it’s possible, it would be the best Christmas present we could give.
I haven’t sorted out those figures properly yet (pay, I mean), but the extra on your allowance is ration money for my leaves, I think.
I’m glad you’re feeling fit, & trust you’ll be able to bear up during Janko’s absence. I told Mother, who asked about him, that I’d acted as a slight
[page break]
counter-attraction while I was at Newhouse!
Thanks for your letter, darling.
All my love,
Harold.
Collection
Citation
Harold Gorton, “Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife ,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed December 4, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/9141.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.