Browse Items (1151 total)

  • Tags: military service conditions

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Bill has now received his posting and is coming home on leave. Rushing about clearing out and saying goodbye to friends.

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Bill writes he will now be staying at East Wretham for the time being. Possible conversion course in two weeks but currently training on Wellington. Pilot arrived after touring country looking for Honnington. Most crews have now arrived. Describes…

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Complains at receiving no letters from home. Have done no flying at pilot has injured his knee again. Has found a local YMCA. Little news to report.

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Bill has received her parcel and letter. Visited Bury St Edmunds. Describes area around camp and where it is in relation to part of the village. Would be a good place to use his bike when it is repaired. May remain there but could move if parent…

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Written as cadet from posting wing. Sending washing home. Will be glad to get away from current location. Describes daily activity, a friend and going to Westminster Central Hall. Suggests that hardest part of Initial Training Wing will be aircraft…

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Writes of mail received and complains of time taken but will be worse when he gets to Scotland or California. Christmas approaching. Went to chapel and had good carol service. Catches up with home news. Speculates on future as aircrew and possible…

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Writes of guard duty, gas exam and inoculations and their effect. Talks of food and domestic matters. Catches up with home news and makes requests for specific food when he gets home

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Writes of daily activities and course progress including marks for exams. Notes if he fails as pilot he would be happy as an observer. Worse subject is Air Force law. Mentions other subjects such as hygiene. Only 3 weeks before leave and discusses…

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Announces he will be coming home next Friday and states arrival time. Also due further leave. Catches up with family and home news. Hopes they had good Easter, wished he was there. Notes that Eastbourne was crowded over the weekend, weather was good…

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Mentions late arrival time at home and plans to fill in day until train. Mentions navigation, meteorology plotting and medical exams over next couple of days.

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Writes of sending cash and asks about getting savings certificates.

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Describes journey back to Theale and snowy weather. Still unclear about his future. Says he enjoyed his brief visit home.

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Bill thanks them all for the parcel which included pyjamas, a cake, a carrot and notepaper and envelopes.

They have been working very hard and have managed to get a day off tomorrow. Expecting to go into Oxford and go to a theatre in the…

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Relates journey to new station and 115 Squadron somewhere in Norfolk/Suffolk. Arrived at Honnington but no 115 Squadron. Arranged transport to correct base at Wretham. Well looked after at Honington by American maintenance squadron. Many other…

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Bill catches up with family news and comments on the wet weather. States food is now better, although not as when first improved. Catches up with more news of farm and friends as well as family fund-raising for dinghies. Outlines what they do for…

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Bill writes he is home again after just a week but has to return to West Freugh to pass out with 37 out of 40 students. Moans about the total confusion and having to return there unnecessarily. Found his bicycle at the station when he got back so…

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Bill writes about the hot weather which has caught him out. His diet could be more varied (Mary has mentioned tomatoes) and there could be more food. He queued for an hour to get a seat at the only cafe in Stranraer.

In answer to her questions,…

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Wishes her happy birthday, no news of next leave. Is now ready to leave West Freugh with its eternal training. - the Operational Training Unit must be better. Notes Scottish band passing by 'they are for ever making no end of a wild din dancing…

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Bill writes they are still waiting to find out what is happening to them. Catches up with friends news who went abroad for training. Discusses which crops have been successful this year and how good the tomatoes she sent were (although some were…

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Bill discusses a friend at home who has just gone into the RAF. Writes that he will have to go into the decompression chamber again, this time to see which men are able to crew a strato-bomber.

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Bill still does not know what is happening to him. Weather has been terrible for flying but he had to go up with the Commanding Officer and it went badly (page missing from letter, so no end to story).

Complains again about the lack of food and…

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Writes about how happy he was to receive lots of letters following the birth of her baby Michael. Looking forward to leave at the end of month so he can see him and (when he his a longer leave, even take him out in his pram). Writes about life on his…

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Comments on photographs recently sent and catches up with family news.

Bill describes his mounting flying hours during air navigation training and the imminent start of bombing training. He can’t wait to be doing it for real on operations.…

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Written when at the Initial Training Wing in Newquay.

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Letter mounted on four pages of album. Writes of her activities at RAF Leeming and catches up with family news. Gives reasons for not coming home on leave for Christmas. Describes shirt and pillow cases she had just bought. Writes about several…
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