Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

He writes of life at RAF Silverstone and of his colleagues.

1944-02-13

Five handwritten sheets

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EGortonHGortonLCM440213

[Royal Air Force Crest]
Officers’ Mess
R.A.F. Silverstone,
Nr. Towcester,
Northants.
Sunday
Dearest,
I’m settling down here O.K., although it’s a big change from Cark. The Mess is about three times the size, very warm & comfortable & the food, owing to better rations, is much superior. We had an egg this morning, & apparently we get them at least once a week.
The atmosphere of the Mess cannot be compared with Cark, however. There never seems to be anyone there, but where people get to I don’t know, as it’s very difficult to go places from here.
On Friday & Saturday we had lectures from 8.15 to 5.30 p.m. – a bit of a bind after coming from a fortnight at Dallachy, but they are fairly varied, so it isn’t so bad. Today is our day off – very useful, isn’t it, to have Sunday? - & I was lucky as I
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was not detailed to attend Church Parade like most of the course.
I’ve sent off your book. I slipped a Readers’ Digest in with it, but forgot to put extra postage on for it, so I must apologise if you have to pay excess postage.
Do you remember F/L. Cooper? He drove us from the main road to Ossington one day. He is at the satellite, I believe, so I shall see him when I go over there.
I’m having a good deal of trouble with my luggage. I left it at the Guard Room when I arrived, & it is still there, although I’ve kept asking them to put it on a passing lorry. Whatever Cark’s faults, that was the sort of detail they were very good at dealing with. When I’ve finished this letter, I am going along to fetch the stuff myself, but it will be a fairly big job as it’s nearly a mile from the Guard Room to my billet.
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One of the officers on this course has been refused permission to live out. He brought his wife back from Canada, & she has to follow him round, as she has no home or relatives here. He says he’s going to live out in any case, but it will mean that he won’t get any allowances.
I forgot to mention that the handle of one of my suitcases has come off! I shall have to try & get workshops to mend it for me.
On the whole, my impression if this place is that it’s not a station to linger on, so I am feeling very pleased that I shall be [deleted] [indecipherable letter] [/deleted] here for a less time than most.
Have you taken any action as a result of all our “conferences” at Newhouse? I shall be very
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interested in the results.
We’ve had one P.T. period so far, but I managed to avoid it as my kit was at the Guard Room. I’m afraid I shan’t be so successful next time, however.
I’ve had a letter from Douglas Dant. He doesn’t say anything of any importance, but as far as I can gather, his reasons for leaving Bath were (I) he wanted a change of jobs. (II) he didn’t like his digs
(III) there were no girls there that he wanted to marry!
He sends you his regards.
I drew my high flying underwear this morning, but haven’t yet had a chance of seeing if it fits.
It’s not a week since I left Cark, but already it seems ages since I saw you. Two days aren’t enough, are they, but if I am lucky I may be able to have a fortnights’ leave at the end of this course
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We shall then have the problem of where to spend it, but that’s a problem I don’t mind tackling.
All my love.
Harold.