Has visited his local friends, who work very hard but are so kind and welcoming. Spent day trying to get airborne, then had problems getting anything to eat. Writes that friend who left recently was killed in flying accident.

Hopeful of getting leave very soon.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01]]> W Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01-19]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01]]>
Last night he went to the church fellowship in the village and then to his friends for supper. Has also had an invitation from their neighbours, so is getting to know lots of people.

Speculates about where he might be posted - hopes it will be somewhere close to home.

Talks of his drawings of gremlins which he has made up into a little booklet. Has been suggested he should send it to the RAF Journal.

Resuming the letter the following day, Bill thanks his mother for her parcel and replies to news from home.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01]]>
Have just been moved in operational flights and should be finished in 6-8 weeks.



]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-12]]>

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 evening.

The landing field at Upper Heyford is now unsafe, so they have had to the satellite station at Hinton in the Hedges. This has made the chasing about even worse.

Most of the Christmas activities planned seem to involve drinking, so Bill is not looking forward to that side of it. He mentions that there are some other men who he gets on with - 'nice chaps', but there are also some very loud Canadians and Americans. Most of the Canadians are not like this at all.

Sends Christmas greetings in case not able to write again.

]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-12]]>

Has received a gift from the 'Comforts Fund'.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-12]]>

Describes his crew in some detail - has every confidence in them, and hopes he 'knows his stuff' as well.

Flying was cancelled on Sunday, so was able to go to chapel and to supper with his new local friends.

Bill mentions he will not be home for Christmas, since they are starting their last 5-6 weeks soon, but should get a break and is looking forward to that.

Was able to go to the cinema to see 'Jungle Book'.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]421208-0002
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]421208-0003
EAkrillWEAkrill[Mo]421208-0004]]>
Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-12]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]>
PS two days later in which he describes the day before (Sunday), how he went to chapel and was invited to tea by the Bates family, who were very hospitable. There were a number of people there and they had a most enjoyable time.

Today they were moved to Armament Flight and hope to start flying again tomorrow. Describes his crew and how he feels about it - 'I trust I may be worthy of their trust and capable to undertaking my duty in their safety'.

]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]> William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]>
Writes about the second front and Mrs Roosevelt's speech. Bill also gives his opinions of Canadians (fine) and Americans (always complaining) that he has met.

]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Oxford]]> 1942-11]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-11]]>
Provides a detailed description of his and others experiences in decompression chamber including anoxia. Mentions recent operations to Milan. Enclosed is a medical confidential sick report concerning decompression training dated 17 August 1942 but with Bill's signatures on the back, showing how it changed during the decompression chamber experience.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> Italy]]> Italy--Milan]]> 1942-10]]>

Continuing letter on following day, they have no started their course, which looks like it will be difficult, but at least only on navigation. Food is better than at last posting RAF West Freugh. No much to tell her yet.]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tricia Marshall]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-10]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jan Morgan]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway]]>
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William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Robin Christian]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1942-12]]>
William Akrill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Robin Christian]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Royal Air Force]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1943-01-18]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Czech Republic]]> China]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Poland]]> United States]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay]]> Czech Republic--Pilsen Basin]]> China--Hong Kong]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Suffolk]]> Florida--Clewiston]]> France--Gironde Estuary]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Friedrichshafen]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Kiel]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Wuppertal]]> Italy--La Spezia]]> Italy--Milan]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Florida]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1943-03-11]]> 1943-03-12]]> 1943-03-22]]> 1943-03-23]]> 1943-03-27]]> 1943-03-28]]> 1943-03-29]]> 1943-04-02]]> 1943-04-03]]> 1943-04-04]]> 1943-04-05]]> 1943-04-16]]> 1943-04-17]]> 1943-04-20]]> 1943-04-21]]> 1943-04-26]]> 1943-04-27]]> 1943-04-28]]> 1943-04-29]]> 1943-04-30]]> 1943-05-01]]> 1943-05-04]]> 1943-05-05]]> 1943-05-12]]> 1943-05-13]]> 1943-05-14]]> 1943-05-30]]> 1943-05-31]]> 1943-06-11]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-06-20]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-23]]> 1943-06-24]]> 1943-06-25]]> 1943-06-26]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-06-30]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-07-26]]> 1943-07-29]]> 1943-07-30]]> 1943-08-12]]> 1943-08-13]]> 1943-08-15]]> 1943-08-16]]> A N Hollis]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Photograph]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Manchester]]> Canada]]> Nova Scotia--Halifax]]> United States]]> Florida]]> New Brunswick]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Rutland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Buckinghamshire]]> France]]> France--Saint-Nazaire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Plzeň]]> Italy]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Friedrichshafen]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Northamptonshire]]> China]]> China--Hong Kong]]> Nova Scotia]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> 1940]]>