Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

He writes of the area around Lincoln and of finding a house.

1944-06-01

Six handwritten sheets

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EGortonHGortonLCM440601

[Royal Air Force crest]
ROYAL AIR FORCE,
SCAMPTON,
LINCS.
‘PHONE: SCAMPTON 226.
1/6/44
Dearest,
I was very glad to get another letter from you today, event though it makes me feel you are putting yourself out too much.
I was very interested to see your story of the betting, but at the same time disappointed. Your letters are so much better than mine, that I thought the story would be, too, but as you say, you must have been feeling off form when you wrote it. I think, on the whole, that my version is better.
I have been talking
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it over with Derek (who fancies himself on these matters!), & we have evolved another ending, on which I should like your opinion: the bloke who places the bets has a fit of caution & doesn’t place the bet on the last day when they should have won. That’s a very rough resumé but I’d like to know what you think of it.
The funniest thing happened today. I was talking to one of the air gunners, named Beevor, when I discovered he came from Retford. I asked him if he knew the Ossington agent, & it turned out that our Mr. Beevor is his father! I suggested that he should ask his father
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to find us a house, preferably furnished, so he said he’d ask his father. Apparently the Vicarage is now occupied by the C.O. of the O.T.U. You never know, we may get something useful even out of old Beevor!
As for the insurance, I realised afterwards that probably Grace couldn’t issue the cover note herself.
Wigsley is about three miles to the east of the Trent, about a couple of miles farther north than Ossington. Perhaps the sketch map will make it clear.
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[drawing of a directional map]
I don’t know where you’ve got the idea that you can’t ring up this aerodrome. People are telephoning all through the day.
The two rings are a very useful boost to one’s ego. I think there is definitely a tendency for everyone to treat me with more respect – I don’t mean the other officers on the course, but Mess servants & camp N.C.O.s, & even the P.O. who is i/c the Link!
I’ve just finished
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another question paper on law, so am feeling pleased with myself. I don’t suppose I shall have any time at Con unit, so I may as well do some now.
I think I’ll re-write the story, send it to Jimmy to be typed, & then let you have it for final revision.
All my love, darling. I wish I were with you now.
Harold.
P.S. I met one of the pilots from 79 course this morning. He’s at Wigsley & says it’s very isolated and dispersed, 2 miles from the officers’ quarters to the aerodrome. There’s one bus
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a night to Lincoln, and the nearest village of any size is 4 miles away – Saxelby [sic]. He says we don’t get days off, but we may get some leave at the end of the course. Cheering, isn’t it, but these things rarely prove to be as bad as they’re painted.