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The Heywood WWII Letters - Part 12

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Welcome back to part 12, it is now May 1944 and Peter is still in Rhodesia on a flying training course. He is having a lot of adventures while he is there and writes to tell his family about them. On the 1st May 1944 Peter sent an airgraph to Joan, he says:


“Many thanks for your air letter of the 9th April, written during your first days at home, which I’m glad you enjoyed. I am very well and enjoying many things, the last few weekends, Bob and I have enjoyed some wizard cycle trips. A week ago we went to a pleasant spot near Salisbury – Cleveland Dam, whilst yesterday afternoon we did a round trip of about 22 miles to a lovely spot on the river – Prince Edward Dam. On arrival, after some miles over roads thick with sand and dust, we arrived there and were greeted by this notice:



Needless to say we saw no such unwelcome amphibians! The dam reminds me in places of Ruislip reservoir! In the evening we went to the cathedral and the Bishop preached at tremendous length and I’m afraid I went to sleep towards the end of the sermon!”


On May 6th 1944 Peter’s mum wrote to Peter, she talks about the sunny weather and how the chickens in the garden are doing, then goes on to say:


Glad to know you hear from old friends, I hope you will soon hear from Cled. Fancy George Strong on ops, how quickly the training time goes.

Joan has fixed up for a week in Bude for us in July, so that is something to look forward to. Desmond’s friend Bing Crosbie turned up last week and came to stay this week for three days. We have been out to lunch each day to Barbara’s Pantry! We went to Harrow Coliseum to see ‘No No Nanette’ Very good musical play, very well produced for war time.


Bing is a most likeable chap, Frisky was soon all over him and never left him!! He was most interested in your paintings and drawings, also photography and considers you have much talent! Bing and his brother were on the HMS Cornwall and both were saved when she was torpedoed, he was in the water with sharks around for many hours. No wonder his nerves failed him! He is now stationed at Hove and hopes to pass for commission by the time Des comes home in August, we hope.

..Well my dear, no other news, we are all well and awaiting the invasion!!! We all send best love and kisses galore, your loving mum”


The Bing Crosbie she speaks about is obviously not the famous Bing Crosbie we all know, but it sounds like the poor chap went through a horrible event when his ship the HMS Cornwall was sank on the 5th April 1942. There is a really interesting account of the sinking of it here HMS Cornwall - a story of her sinking by a survivor (world-war.co.uk)


On the 6th May 1944 Peter sent another airgraph to his sister Joan as he had received a letter from her, he says:


“In my last airgraph I described a trip to Prince Edward Dam. Tomorrow, Bob and I and the other friend who came with us last week, are going to a well known beauty spot about 26 miles away – ‘Mermaids Pool’. I have my doubts whether we shall be lucky enough to see a mermaid as I expect they have their own private aquatic boudoir!

Today is Saturday I’ve done 2 ½ hours solo flying this morning. Time is passing very rapidly indeed and I’m doing some daily spare time work in preparation for the ‘wings’ exam.”


Mermaids pool, photo taken in the 1950's, image from Pinterest.


The next letter on the 9th May 1944 is one of my favourites because it contained some items that Peter sent to his sister Joan, some wildflowers, now brown and crisp, but still there, and a piece of mica that he found on the road. They are still in the letter all these years later, which I find amazing. (pictures below). He says:


“I’m writing this short sea-mail letter chiefly to enclose the rather poor and shrivelled specimens of wild flowers which I picked at Prince Edward Dam!

…Well, last weekend was really a very happy one. On Sunday morning at 9.15am, Bob, Harry and I set off on our bikes with our destination ‘Mermaids Pool’ this time. The road at first was very good, the tarmac was almost of English quality. Then the tarmac gave way to strips and the strips to just gravel and dust. Whenever a car passed, we were enveloped for the succeeding 5 minutes in a cloud of choking dust. The scenery was the best we have yet found near Salisbury – very high wooded hills, quite fertile river valleys and large fields of mealies. We saw native kraals with banana trees growing amongst them, and we saw the native women carrying all manner of articles on their heads with quite effortless grace.


At one point the road was strewn with mica, which, besides gold is mined in this country. I enclose a small piece as you may be interested. Eventually we arrived at the pool and found that it was every bit as pleasant as we had been led to expect. It suffers little from the fact that it is a little commercialised. The pool itself is quite small, circular in shape, and kept free from bilharzia (a very unpleasant kind of snail) by a constant flow of water over a steep granite face. One can use this granite slope as a slide, one sits on a piece of sacking!


The chief artificial attraction is an aerial and pulley. One holds onto the pulley, steps off the platform and to the accompaniment of suitable Tarzan calls (oh yeah!) one whizzes into the icy water. Then there is a raft and a swing, which all go towards making enjoyment at this lovely spot an easy matter. We had a picnic lunch, bread and jam, sausage roll, bananas, oranges and chocolate. There was another fellow on our course there he’d drove by car with some friends. However, these kind people gave us a very acceptable picnic tea – the first I’ve had spread out on a tablecloth in the woods for a very long time.


We left on the return trip at 4.40pm and when we reached the strips at 6 o clock we stopped and sucked the oranges which the good folk had given us. It was full moonlight for the rest of the way and a pleasant trip it was too. We had a grill at the troops hostel to finish the day, but we came back with a bump to the world of reality when we had to turn out for lectures at 6am the next morning!”



On the 16th May 1944 Peters mum wrote to him again with news from home, she says:


“ We were glad to have your letter dated 12th March, better late than never!! We were delighted with the snaps on gee gee! You certainly look as though you were enjoying life. Wish I could have been on one beside you! Poor horse! Certainly looks a bit of wild country. How do you fair with insect bites?

Dad has gone to Glasgow until Friday. A London to Glasgow train was derailed early yesterday morning and three people were killed, one an A.T.S. girl and an airman and another woman near Gretna. Sad business.


The chicks are grown into long legged ostriches! They now roam the garden at will and turn up at the cook house door for meals! Sometimes coming in and sitting on chairs! Frisky loves them, sometimes he runs after them, but then can defend themselves!

May and I have just come in from a trip to the Astoria to see a very interesting film called Song of Russia with Susan Peters and Robert Taylor, very good photography and music. Well my dear, how is the flying progressing? Expect you have to do much study now. You are always in my thoughts, we miss your bright presence. Things seem to be moving again-lets hope they will soon bust em up! Cheerio dear, much love and kisses from mum and May and Frisky. ”


On the 22nd May 1944 Peter’s brother Des wrote an airgraph to their parents, his address being the HMS Prometheus, he says:


My dears, please don’t have a fit because I am writing direct to you. I know that I should write to you more often, but the news is the same and May will pass on what little I am able to write about. Well how are you both keeping? Like most chaps, I am a bit fed up with this ruddy war, and only hope that our efforts will bring the end in sight soon.

Went out to grab a bottle of bubbly, ready for my leave. I actually laid my hand on a bottle of White Honey a fortnight ago and decided to put it away to bring with me, but unfortunately some low types came aboard one evening and knocked a hole in it instead. I also helped them in the good work and my months spirit ration has gone down the drain.

Well my dears, it is hard for me to say just how much I long to be with you all at home once more, but am expecting my relief to turn up any time now. God bless you dears, and please give my love to my darling May. Ever lovingly Des.”


On 25th May 1944 Peter’s mum writes to Peter again, she says:


My dearest Pete, So glad to have your letter dated 6th May with its amusing sketch of the crocodile! What a fearsome monster! I noticed your bike wheel! Rather a disappointment not being able to indulge in a dip, but expect you enjoyed the ride. Hope you enjoyed your trip to ‘Mermaids Pool’ Shall look forward to a description of it.

We hear from Des quite regularly, but he cannot give us any definite news about his return, but hope it will be soon. Bing said he thought about August. Des sent May some very nice blue woollen

material for a dress! Complete with cotton! Also some stockings. May was delighted to receive your greetings telegram this morning, it was very thoughtful of you. We cannot send them at present, because of this invasion business! Only really important messages. Joan was very pleased also to receive hers.


Friday eve May 26th 10-30

May and I have been on the giddy again! Have been to Harrow Coliseum this evening to see a revival of a musical comedy which was a great favourite, ‘Floradora’ with an all star cast of fifty, including Leslie Stuarts immortal melodies, very gay and colourful! Made a nice change and a little brightness for Mays Birthday.

Mr Egerton is now home, he looks very brown after his stay at Hastings. Unfortunately Mrs Egerton and the old lady are in bed with chest trouble due to the cold winds we have had lately. I have been over this afternoon and done a spot of washing up of dishes and clothes!

The thrush in the aviary has five big chicks ready to fly, the nest is on top of the budgie box! And a robin inside! Well my dear, the news is certainly more cheering and we hope this will soon be the end of the Germans. Then I suppose the blasted Japs will have to be finished off! There seems to be no end to it all.

Oh! Next week at the flicks we have Basil Rathbone in ‘The hound of the Baskervilles’ I think you and I saw it together? Fancy it is Whitsun weekend, we have had very little warm weather yet.”


To be continued...

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