Welcome back to part 13, this post covers the letters for June and July of 1944. Peter is still in South Rhodesia and is close to taking his wings exams to finally become a pilot. Back at home parts of the UK are being bombed by the new Doodlebug, the V1 bombs used by the Germans which started falling in June 1944. Peter's mum mentions these several times in her letters.
On the 13th June 1944 Peter sends an airgraph to his sister Joan, he thanks her for her letter and mentions that he has a cold at the moment, he goes on to say:
“ It is good to know that your music is progressing ok. Keep it up as you deserve some good results for your efforts. My flying is going quite well, and I’m starting advanced formation tomorrow. If one tried to forget what one has learned of theory of flight, it is sometimes quite amusing to speculate of what enables us to remain aloft! I have visions of hoards of ‘lift’ gremlins supporting me thus:-“
I love the little pictures Peter draws for his sister. On the 19th June 1944 Peter sends another airgraph to Joan, he says:
“ My dear sis, I was glad to have your letter of 1st June. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your weekend at home, and that the weather was fine for you. So you are saving your leave in case Des and I come home in the Autumn! Well I guess Des may be able to enjoy it, but I am afraid it is highly improbable that I shall see dear old England this year. However we’ll keep our fingers crossed! These are wonderful days and I sincerely hope the invasion will be of short duration and not too costly. My wings exam is only a few weeks away now, it begins a day after my birthday. There seems a heck of a lot to learn and I cannot visualise myself gaining high marks.
Assuming I pass, it will be some time before I eventually pass out and am entitled to wear the wings. I am quite well, although I have had quite a troublesome cold during the past week. Saturday evening we saw an amusing film called ‘The learned friend’ Yesterday I confined myself to camp in an effort to do some revision, but I hope to go to the farm next Sunday. It is a grand day today and very sunny.”
The next letter is from Peter’s mum to Peter dated 20th June 1944, she has quite a bit of news to share from home:
“ My dearest Pete, I’m afraid this epistle is rather belated as we have had a few relations staying, which as you know, makes extra work. Dorothy Mollaid came for a long weekend and this Friday Uncle Ralph has arrived on a weeks vacation! Luckily it has been a fine sunny day, so they have enjoyed the garden. Elsa as usual is staying at J. Harrow. They both send love to you and were very interested to hear of your doings! Fancy you seeing hippos! And expect many other interesting things.
No doubt by now you have had your wings exam, which I expect you have had to concentrate a lot on, and hope you have been successful. Not having heard from you since May 19th we conclude you have gone to another training centre. My thoughts are always with you dear, and pray you will be kept from all harm. Mrs Eyres son has been awarded the D of E. he is now grounded and instructing. It was very sad about Ron Underwood, very hard luck.
We are all well, but having a rather disturbed time at present, owing to Germanys new weapon paying us continual visits! One came down in a field back of cottages in Bury St, near the wood yard. Another at Rickmansworth! Palmers Green and Streatham and many widely scattered points. They carry explosives equal to about a one ton bomb! And can travel 150 miles! We can only hope the bombing of ‘their lair’ will ease attacks.
What a gigantic undertaking the invasion is. The planes were wonderful and the shipping operations must be marvellous. Des also has his share of activity and excitement. I wonder if he will be lucky enough to get home by August as he hopes.
You will be amused to hear I’ve bought six more baby chicks, 4 guaranteed hens and 2 cocks! The others turned out to be 3 cocks and 1 hen. They have grown into fine birds and enjoy roaming the garden. May is going to Bromley next week as part of her holiday, expect she will spend it mostly in the shelter! I slept under the stairs last night and May in the cloak cupboard as we were fed up with getting up so many times, but luckily we had nothing locally. As I am writing, the siren is wailing, the brute has just exploded some distance off. Pop does his stuff quite well, but most men have felt the strain of such continued long nights. Of course what we are getting is only a flea bite to what the enemy is having. Curse them!!”
Peter used one of his letters to jot down some notes, most likely flying times for the next day.
The last letter I have for June is an airgraph from Peter to his sister again dated 25th June 1944. He says:
“ It is good to know that you are making progress with your music. Do you play anything else besides classical stuff? I hope some day I shall be able to hear you play. I can well imagine that becoming an accomplished pianist is decidedly harder than learning to fly. As you say D day has passed and I cannot visualise a rapid or easy victory. However let us hope that it will not prove too costly.
You seem to have seen some good films recently, I too would like to see The Wizard of Oz again, it was an excellent film. However I saw Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney this weekend in ‘Girl Crazy’ a very amusing and entertaining film. I’ve heard recently from two old I.T.W. friends, both in the Union and also from Cleds father. Cled is now in Canada on his navigational training. Bob is very well and getting on ok with his course”
In July Peter’s mum writes to Peter on the 8th July 1944. I really love her letters, she gives a lot of insight into how they are coping with things at home. She says:
“ My darling Pete, we were glad to have your two graphs of June 6th and to know you are thriving and enjoying life as much as possible. You certainly seem lucky in meeting such very kind people, and can guess how you would enjoy the trips to the farm. We were amused about your cycle adventure. I have blown your old pals tyres up this week!! Only wish I could ride it! May does not progress very rapidly with hers, she can ride all night, but lacks confidence on the busy roads. Perhaps she will enjoy it when Des returns on leave, which we hope won’t be long now. May has not heard from him for nearly three weeks, but mail is being delayed all round.
The last graph from you is dated 13th in which you say there is little hope of you returning until you have done a spot of good work! We are sorry not being able to send you a greetings telegram for your hotel day, but as no doubt you know, they have been stopped anyhow. You know we are always thinking and talking about you. If I come across a decent book of interest to you, will get it for your collection.
Dad went to Aldershot this week, so Frisky and I had a day out! Old Frisk just revelled in a scamper in Windsor Park. Joan is coming home on Friday, and we are hoping to get to Bude on Saturday. What a heavenly thought! Travelling is rather a hectic business at present, owing to the kids being evacuated again! The damn doodle bugs have certainly created a problem! Don’t you wish you were having a shot at them? Apart from the one in a field near the Lido and two at Rickie, we have been lucky, touch wood! Around Bettys and Edwins things have been a bit sticky! Also at May’s Aunts district, she has taken the little girl down to Devon and they were stuck in a pullman carriage in a siding of Exeter all night! And arrived next afternoon. It really is a marvellous sight to see our endless trail of bombers.
The garden is looking its best at present, masses of roses. Oh! This is the latest club yarn, a Spitfire pilot overtook a doodle bug and said to it, you’re in a hell of a hurry and the doodle replied, so would you if your ass was on fire!!! How do they think them out! Well my darling, do hope you are ok and your cold gone, take care of your dear self. Our very best love to you, we shall be thinking of you on your Birthday tomorrow. Cannot realize my baby is 22! All the very best from us all, your loving Mum and Dad, May and Frisky”
V1 flying bomb or doodlebug. Picture from Wikipedia.
On the 10th July 1944 Peter sent an airgraph to his sister Joan, he says:
“ My dear Sis, I was glad to have your Air Letter dated 23rd June 1944, and especially for your Birthday wishes, though the card, which I look forward to receiving has not yet arrived. I also had an A.L. from Des today and he seems very well. He’s taken up sailing as a pastime! My Birthday was spent quietly and uneventfully. In the morning I went to Church Parade and in the afternoon Bob and I visited some very kind people who we have recently got to know. They live very near the camp and their name is Searles. Mr Searles has an accountancy business in Salisbury and they have two sons, one married and one a sergeant.
The wings exam begins tomorrow and I sincerely hope I know sufficient to pass. The attainment of high marks is a very different matter! Next weekend they will be all over.”
Aside from anything else, Peter is somehow managing to get through all this training while knowing that bombs were falling close to his parent’s home back in the UK. It is difficult to imagine the kind of stress they were all under. On the 14th July 1944 Peter’s Dad wrote a rare letter to Peter, he says:
“ At long last I am making time to send you a few lines. I managed a long letter off to Desmond last Sunday. I know mum writes to you every week and sends all the news, and I look forward to your letters, which I read with great interest, and because I have not written don’t think I forget, and can assure you that you are constantly in my thoughts morning and night. We remembered you last Sunday on your Birthday, and it was a Sunday when you first pushed your cheeky face into this troubled world. We do hope that before your next anniversary, you may be home again.
Well I hear you are doing well with your flying, and look forward to hearing you have gained your stripes and wings. Your name was mentioned in the Westerly Gazette saying you were trying to buy a bike, you seem to be having quite a good time in your spare moments. It has been overcast and cold for weeks past, but the first crop of roses were wonderful. The garden is not too good as i get little time these days as ______ (can’t read the word) takes up most of my working hours and fire guard duties the rest as you know.”
He goes on to mention some of the news already mentioned by Peter’s mum in a previous letter and to say he hopes that Des will be coming home on leave and he wished Peter could too. The next letter is from Peter to his sister Joan on the 19th July 1944, he says:
“ It was very good of you to send me the Birthday card, it reached me today. Thanks too for your air letter of the 2nd July. I’m sorry to know you are sporting some grey hairs – I am too, though in spite of my increasing age, I have less justification for them than you! It is good to know that the work you are putting into your music is meeting with some success, I look forward greatly to hearing you some day.
Well the wings exam is now over and I’m glad to say that I passed alright with an average of 85.3% which gave me fifth place in the course. I also came top in Airmanship much to my amazement and surprise. Noris, my room mate, met with success too in spite of the language difficulties. He gained an average of 77%. It is a great relief to have the exams over and done with, but there is much to do yet before we finally pass out and are able to wear our wings. We have to finish our flying at this station first.
I expect you are looking forward greatly to your holiday, and I’ve no doubt it will do you and mother some good. We have not been for any runs recently as I’ve spent one or two Sundays revising. Last Sunday Bob and I spent at our new friends who live very near the camp. Mr and Mrs Searles. They are charming people indeed. Mr Searles has an accountancy business in Salisbury. In his youth he played hockey for Southgate and he’s had experience in the Boer war, the Great War and afterwards in the British South Africa Police. His wife is a pleasant soul and at one time had a dressmaking business in Swansea. They entertained us to lunch, tea and dinner and it was grand to sit in the shade of the big tree, the exams becoming a memory of the past! Their son Tom is a pleasant fellow indeed with an excellent taste in books and gramophone records. He is a sergeant in Group H.Q.”
On the 25th July 1944 Peter’s mum writes to him while on holiday in Bude, she says:
“ How are you my dear? Do hope you are ok, you are always in my thoughts day and night. Expect your exams are over now, for which guess you will be thankful. Hope it was not too stiff an ordeal!
Isn’t it grand my having a fortnight here, could hardly believe my luck! Joan returned on Saturday, much to her disgust. She looked quite brown, she had several dips and swims in the pool. The place is just the same, they hardly know a war is on, apart from the planes going to Plymouth, they have had very little to disturb them, and now just our own planes pass over in sometimes an endless stream! Also there is a training school near Parson Hawkers Cliff, where we used to visit in the car, expect the farms near are given up for them. They come over in training planes and others, a 4 engine one, came along just skimming the water, a fine sight with the sun on it. I have spoken to quite a number of interesting folk on the downs, there are a lot of Londoners here.
Joan and I went to a dance at Stratton with two girls staying at the hotel last week, great fun! We returned in an army lorry!! I was lifted in and out by two Welsh soldiers!! Pop would just about pass out if he knew!!! There are quite a lot of people here, the Clifton College boys from Bristol have the big hotel last to be built here, also all the houses near it, so there is quite a buzz of young life, also in the bathing pool!
Joan and I went to see the Holsworthy folk, they were so pleased to see us and to hear about you boys, also to see your photos. They had managed to make a little cream for our tea with rasps! Oh! Boy was it good! Also nice cakes, scrumptious! They have seven cows and one calf, and numerous chickens, but no pigs, no feeding stuff available, isn’t it crazy, yet they can ship bacon from America!
Taylors are much the same, he is busy as usual and they have people all the year in the house. Marg is a nurse at University Hospital, Gower St, she has been there a year and likes the life very much and sticks it despite the doodle bugs! How we all wish this blasted war would end, surely it won’t be long now.”
Unfortunately they still had a while to go until the end of the war.
To be continued...
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