Welcome back to part 10 of the Peter Heywood war letters. Peter is at RAF Belvedere in Rhodesia to begin his flying training, he has been describing his experiences in letters home. Peter's mum writes to him on the 16th Jan 1944, she says:
" We are glad to hear from Des that he can receive letters from you within 7 days. It is now the end of the second week of 1944! We are hoping to hear from you soon, but suppose it takes everything from 4 - 6 weeks. Expect you had a quiet Xmas somewhere or other. Young Jones along our road has now gone abroad. He failed to gain a commission. Too nervous I should think. Expect things will soon begin to hum now Monty has returned!
Frisky came in yesterday with a large piece of fur missing from his side! He is lying beside me enjoying a bright fire. Well my darling son we miss you very much, the house is just a shell! Your bike is getting very dry! Shall have to put a little fresh muck on it! Am hoping to hear from you soon, the intervals are so long. Hope you are keeping fit and enjoying life"
She also writes another letter on the 23rd January 1944 to let Peter know she has received a couple of his airgraphs:
" Another week has passed bringing peace nearer we hope!! Your two graphs dated 17th and 19th Dec arrived on Thursday. Am hoping to get one sent at Xmas soon! Glad to know you met such kind peoples.
So pleased to know you passed the lessons satisfactorily. Sorry the camp is muddy, you will have to be very careful about the mosquitoes. Expect you are used to early rising by now, although you did not shine at it! Except at bicycling trips! Des said he was listening in when he heard the alert from 'ye old home town'. Oh boy! we've got some good guns! Frisky is getting quite an old stager and sits near us without turning a hair!”
Also on the 23rd January 1944 Peter wrote to Joan and described some of the flying training he was doing:
“My flying is going fairly well, though progress is difficult at times. I started solo aerobatics on Friday with an easy and pleasant manoeuvre called ‘the stall turn ‘. There is still a possibility of my getting onto ‘twins’, it depends whether I’m any good at instrument flying. I have hopes anyway.”
An interesting pamphlet that was in with the letters, these must have been given out during training.
On the 5th February 1944 Peter wrote an airgraph to Joan thanking her for her letter and parcel containing cigarettes. He went on to explain that his friend Bob had a bit of an accident:
“We went riding last Sunday, but Bob had the misfortune to be thrown off and has broken a bone in his wrist. He has now got his arm encased in plaster of paris and it’s touch and go whether he’ll be able to finish the course or not. Otherwise he’ll have to start all over again, just our luck as we will no longer be together. My hopes of getting onto ‘twins’ have been dashed too as it seems impossible to get over the height regulation.”
The next few letters are from Peter’s mum to Peter, she updates him on all the news from home, in an undated letter and on the 12th Feb 1944 she says:
“Well another week passed and we are all alive and kicking! We went to the five guards dance on Friday night, quite enjoyable, very well attended. Dad auctioned a lemon, sent by Des and it raised 25/- for the Red Cross. We have not been to the Panto yet as tickets were unobtainable, through so many Americans going! However we have at last got them for Feb 19th Sat mat. Betty is coming too.
…My dear, am afraid I did not get very far with this epistle last night! Just as the post script was being read, the alert went, only just as the hounds were passing over! Luckily nothing further developed. We have been free locally for over a week! And very much appreciated, yes dear, we had a pretty stiff time with the heaviest barrage ever! But apart from the shell in St Martins Approach, nothing fell near us.
May and I went to see a film on Saturday called ‘The Nelson Touch’ filmed with the co-operation of the Royal Canadian Navy, with Randolph Scott as a naval commander, also James Brown and Ella Raines. It depicted actual scenes of U boat attacks on allied convoys and the methods we use to eliminate them, a really thrilling film. Also a film called ‘Young Ideas’ a lot of tripe! This week we have a revival of Good Bye Mr Chips at the Astoria, also ‘Ladies Day’ with Eddie Albert. We don’t do too badly in war time! Last week I went one afternoon to see ‘This is the Army’ With Irving Berlin singing in a somewhat strained voice and ‘My British Buddy’ quite a marvellous show.”
The Nelson Touch, originally called Corvette K-225.
I would have thought the Naval film would have scared the life out of her since her son Des has been aboard ship in the Navy for over two years, the fear of what may happen to him would have been on her mind all the time. She writes again on the 20th February 1944:
“Another week is past and we are all alive and kicking, despite some disturbances! Jerry has been flinging his weight about, and on Friday night and again tonight has started big fires, he seems to be giving the S.W. a doing. Our barrage is terrific! Poor old Frisky was quite upset whilst in the cupboard with me on Friday at 1.30! May was fire watching at office, so I was all alone! Just like many others, a shell came down on the first house after the car park in St Martins Approach, mucked up the bedroom! The man was hurt, but insisted next day on coming out of hospital. I think we must have a few mobile guns running round! Dad is great these days, does his stuff with alacrity! We have not had any trouble locally tonight.
I have put all your flight mags and cycling etc. in your book cupboard. It is pretty well full now. But the house looks too tidy for my liking. I prefer plenty of young things about! Des is leading a busy life, he has just been inoculated again! Lets hope it is in readiness for his vacation at home. He seems to have quite a fair amount of fun with his pals. How is your riding progressing? Well I hope, wish we could have a snap of you. Glad you are able to get some good bathing. Do you remember the Vaughans of ‘Rose Ways’? Well they have sold their house for nearly 2000 and have taken a place at Horsham with a large amount of ground planted with fruit trees!
Well my dear, we had more excitement last evening again! Although nothing near us, the barrage is pretty heavy and breaks them up! They brought down 3, expect more, I believe things were all mucked up near your old college! We are all ok touch wood! I hope my dear you are well and making good progress, you are ever in my thoughts. Take care of yourself as much as possible, no letter from you this week yet. I kiss your photo and Des every day on the sideboard when I remove the dust! Cheerio dear, tons of fondest love and kisses from us all at home, your loving mum”
Looking on the map, St Martins Approach is the next road away, leading on to their road, so the bombs dropping there must have seemed very close indeed. On the 22nd February 1944 Peter sent an Active Service Letter Card to Joan his sister, he says:
“It is fine this morning, but the clouds are building up and I expect we shall have our usual showers later in the day. I’m writing this in the break between lectures and P.T. – how I loathe P.T. it’s organized torture! Flying is going quite well and I seem to have satisfied my instructor so far. I only hope my luck holds! I have done one evenings night flying and found the experience quite pleasant. The lights of Salisbury are a remarkable and wonderful sight.
11.30 am – my letter was interrupted by the P.T. corporal shouting “on PARADE!” However P.T. is over and I’ve had a shower.
Moreover Bob has just brought me some mail – another one from you (thanks very much) and one from mum. However to continue, I’ve done some cross country trips. On one of them my instructor went to sleep in the back cockpit underneath the blind flying hood. Yesterday morning I did my first solo X country and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I find the most difficulty in trying to keep a log, map read and fly at the same time. Poor Bob is definitely off this course and will have to start all over again. It means that we shall be separated when I go to S.F.T.S. and we are greatly disappointed.”
P.T. = physical training
S.F.T.S. = Service Flying Training School
On the 26th February 1944 Peters Mum writes a letter to him (mentioning post I don’t have), she says:
“We were very glad to receive your letter card dated 9th Feb, very good going also graph no 17 dated 16th Jan. So glad to know that you are progressing with the flying and that your instructor has a keen sense of humour! I note how keen you are to get on to the advanced course, plenty of time my dear. It certainly is a great pity about Bobs misfortune, especially as you have been together so long.
Dad is off to Glasgow tomorrow, until Friday. Mr Sigstons manager is going with him. They will be glad of a change after the hectic time we have had for 5 nights. I only hope we shall not have a repetition. We have some truly wonderful guns, including a few mobiles running around! It really is a marvel that any birds are alive! But the sparrows seem to turn up just the same! Also beautiful blackbirds for their dip in the pond!”
Another letter from Peter’s mum written on the 5th March 1944, she says:
“My Dearest Pete, so glad to have your letter card of Feb 14th no 20! How we rush when the post comes! And how relieved we are to get them, the mail seems to be arriving more swiftly. Dad returned from Glasgow on Friday morning, having had a good trip. We had two alerts whilst he was away! But the gunfire was not so heavy locally. Wattie came along to tell us he was at hand! Mrs Watts has to report this week for national service!
Des said he had heard from you again, if possible send him a card for his Birthday April 3rd, we have sent ours off, but he has already received Mays! Des says he was hoping to have a trip to the Sphinx! Not very romantic with trams running! But suppose it is the thing to do whilst in Egypt!
Well my dear, I hope you are keeping fit, it certainly is a job to do so in this climate. Pop is in the throes of a beautiful cold! May is well and doing her fire watching stuff in style. We have had a peaceful week, much appreciated! No special news dear, just jogging along, hoping for the safe return of our loved ones ere long. Take care of yourself, crowds of fondest love and hugs galore, from us all! Your loving mum.”
On the 13th March 1944 Peter wrote a short letter to his sister Joan:
“Here is a short sea mail epistle to accompany the enclosed photograph. It is an amusing snap as the horse might as well be made of wood and the rider looks rather clownish. You will observe that I look far from ‘pukka’ as we wear our issue drainpipe slacks for riding. The white arm band we wear is instead of the white flash in our caps. The snap was taken some weeks ago on a stretch of ‘bundu’ just outside Salisbury. My one regret is that I have no camera to make a record of this country. Our course here is finished now and we took our exams last week. As far as I know I passed alright, but I don’t know the marks.”
Sadly I don’t have that picture of Peter on horseback, but I wish I did. Peter then wrote a letter card to his sister Joan on the 16th March 1944, he says:
“We finished our exams last week and tomorrow morning I am off to S.F.T.S. at a station quite near Salisbury. I was not too satisfied with my results, but I can claim that they were obtained entirely of my own efforts! My average was 83%. My instructor was satisfied with my flying and it was indeed a pleasure to fly with him. I only hope I have an instructor as pleasant as he at S.F.T.S. He trained in the colony, went into coastal command and flew from bases in England for some months. He spent many leaves in London and has friends at Enfield and Stanmore.
On Tuesday evening, we had our farewell party to which we invited the C.G.I. and the instructors. There was an abundance of beer and Flt Lt. Filmer my instructor was in his element. We talked of many things. He was farming before the war and still owns two farms. Last Saturday Bob and I went to an excellent gymkhana arranged by the Belvedere riding club. Flt Lt. Filmer was again in his element as he’s been riding since the age of three. He won several events. Well dear, space is short, I will write again from my new address.”
To be continued...
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