Welcome to part 5, Peter is nearly 6 weeks into his basic training for the RAF stationed on a sea front in Newquay, UK. He writes to his sister on the 26th April 1943 and he thanks her for her letter and starts by saying:
" Your experience in the car was certainly an unpleasant one and it would have been even more unpleasant had you landed in the public conveniences! No wonder you went as white as a sheet!"
I wish i had Joans letters because i would love to see some of these stories she is telling him, especially this one, i wonder what happened. Peter went on to talk about Easter:
" Easter here has been very much the same as any other weekend. On Friday evening Pete and i went to the church, but owing to either a lack of enthusiasm or to the fact that few people read Daily Routine Orders, only six of us turned up. Three WAAFs and three cadets including myself. However our Padre read us a few passages and we sang a few hymns during which i alternated between one note and another! The church here is very nice but i am not too enthusiastic as our Padre is rather high - church in his views. On Sunday morning at communion we had incense etc. It was a pleasant service however as hymns were sung and civilians were also admitted.
After breakfast we went on a special parade service attended by the R.A.F, W.A.A.F and the army, on the cliffs. It was taken by the Bishop of Truro."
For reference, Peter's address is listed as A flight, 1 Sqn, No 8 I.T.W. RAF Newquay, Cornwall.
In May Peter writes to his parents again, the 3rd May 1943 he thanks them for the parcel they sent and says:
"This week i'm afraid i haven't very much news. The exams are only a month off and we are all getting rather feverish! I hope i get good marks. When we pass out we become leading aircraftmen and our pay jumps from 3/- to 7/3d per day! There is a farcical arrangement by which cadets are not allowed to wear their 'props' - the indication of an L.A.C. We shall continue to look like A.C. 2's! I shall come on nine days leave immediately the finals are over, which should be five weeks today - June 7th.
We have found a fine place in Newquay in which to study, the Christian Science Reading Room for the forces. Cled and i go there most evenings and it is very popular with our flight. There are several arm chairs and writing tables and any noise is frowned upon. I am still swimming every day though the weather is somewhat unsettled at the moment and the wind is blowing strongly. All day yesterday i was on guard - four of us, which worked out at three hours each. We get a duty about once every eight days. Saturday afternoon we had to go for a route march of about 6 miles. It was really quite pleasant, but it caused several unprintable songs to be sung and much unacceptable language! In the evening Cled and i went to see 'Wake Island' - a very fine film.
The food here continues to be very good indeed. We invariably get three cooked meals a day, but sometimes we have cold ham or meat and salad. We usually have jam for tea and we sometimes succeed in getting quite a large quantity of bread and butter, jam and cakes. We usually have porridge for breakfast and it is quite delicious, but not up to mothers standard! We get a shell - egg about once every ten days. Nevertheless there are some fellows who will always find something to grumble about."
On the 5th May 1943, Peter writes to his sister Joan again and repeats much the same news as the letter to his parents, but he also adds:
" Boy am i looking forward to my leave! We will go to some shows in town. Unfortunately Bob's leave is a week before mine so we shall not see each other. He too has the same trouble with aldis as i do. In the near future our flight is going to Fowey for a wings for victory week march, which will make a pleasant change. In the meantime they are trying to smarten us up!"
Wings for Victory Poster via Wikipedia
On the 9th May 1943, Peter's mum writes to him, i find her letters very informative and interesting, with lots of glimpses into what life was like at home during the war. She mentions visiting the Royal Academy of Arts in London and recommends that Peter should visit when he is home on leave, here is what she says:
" My dearest Pete, we were so glad to have your photo's and to note how you are enjoying life! You certainly look very well! Also your pals seem a fine lot of young knaves!!
What a blessing you have a quiet room for your study, and retreat from noise! You certainly have done grandly with the navigation test and no doubt you will master the rest of the job!
Joan will have told you about her trip home, and that we went to the Academy. You will have to go on your vacation! It really is a fine collection of art in war time! Especially Dame Laura Knights war records, also pictures by Alfred Thomson Air Ministry artist. Also oil painting of Field Marshal Smuts by Hank Salisbury. Also many beautiful water colours. And the usual nudes, some a blot and affront to nature!!
What boisterous winds we are having, mind you don't get blown over the cliffs!! Have you resumed your dental treatment? I have parted with perfectly good teeth! and what roots! an inch long! Fangs i call em, am now left with three, so hope to have some peace for the rest of my span!!
The garden is looking very green and the lupins and poppies are coming into bloom, also a fine lot of lilies of the valley. Last evening i heard loud cries of an animal in pain coming from Notleys side of the house, i located it in their bath drain and found it was a large hedgehog had fallen down and was having the hot water pouring on him. Dad hopped over the fence and got it out with the tongs. I have never heard such a distressed and almost human cry. Old man Notley and son turned out and took it down their garden, but it looked to me past help!
Well my love, i must pack up it is now 11 o clock. What good news from Africa! Des is now well on with his course and writes interesting letters. Much love and hugs from us all, Cheerio. Mum "
On 10th May 1943 in a letter to his sister Peter writes:
" The weather since Friday has been absolutely putrid. On Saturday there was a howling gale blowing which did quite a lot of damage. The rain was heavy too, the bay was a wonderful sight, lashed by the gale into a seething mass. Mountainous waves dashed over Porth Island and the spray was blown over town by the wind like snow.
The weekend was spent very pleasantly. The bad weather was in some ways welcome on Saturday as we were due to go on defence exercises which would probably have entailed the use of mud to camoflage our faces etc. However it is only postponed, next Saturday we are going to Fowey for a Wings for Victory march. We shall probably march behind the local girl guides or brownies i expect!
Yesterday morning ... breakfast was super, i had two large dishes of porridge, a plate of cold ham and several slices of bread and butter with loads of marmalade! In the afternoon we went for a swim and then spent the rest of the day at the Christian science room. Tea was very nice, cold meat, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, pickles, mayonnaise, beetroot, followed by bread and marmalade and cake. Todays tea was very nice too, frittered spam and potato and bread + butter with lemon curd, also cake"
The RAF Wings for Victory week was one of the wartime appeals sponsored by the government to raise money for the war effort. On the 17th May 1943 Peter tells his sister Joan all about the day that took place in Fowey, Cornwall:
" On Saturday afternoon we went to Fowey. We wore our 'best blue' and our buttons and boots shone brilliantly (we hope). The journey in the train was very enjoyable and i don't think i have ever seen the countryside so green and beautiful. On arrival we formed up in the station yard and then at about 3pm the procession set off. The Army, Navy, RAF, WAAF, NFS, Home Guard, army cadets, ATC, British Legion, Boys Brigade, Girl Guides and Uncle Tom Cobley and all! Somewhere in front, a band of the Royal Marines thumped away, and the inhabitants of Fowey (they all looked as though they were descended from pirates) lined the narrow streets as we marched slowly along (at the speed of the smallest girl guide).
We marched all round the town and up and down the steep streets and eventually turned into the grounds of a beautiful house where we marched past the Group Captain who took the salute. Then we assembled in front of the dais to listen to a number of boring and pointless speeches by the Mayor who looked like this: "
"...Fowey's objective was to raise enough money to buy a Catalina, one of which lay moored in the river below us. After the speeches we were given a very short time for tea, so Cled, Joe and I went to a little cafe and had a very enjoyable tea and then returned for the tea provided by the authorities! It was certainly a pleasant change and they gave us quite a fair clap when we marched past."
The Catalina was an amphibious aircraft made in the 1930's and 40's and was one of the most widely used seaplanes of WWII.
Catalina photo from Wikipedia.
To be continued...
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