[Postmark: F.P.O.-???. DE 5 44 1]
#41 Dec 5th. 1944.
Dear Mother:
Well it is great to be back in London again for a bit of leave. I am staying at the Cumberland as usual and I think I was lucky to get a room for the city is as crowded as ever. The lights are supposed to be slightly brighter than formerly but I cannot notice much difference. However I have become an expert in tube travel so manage to get around alright.
Had tea this afternoon with Uncle George and Meg. [“Uncle George” may be George Henry Dawkins, born 1854, a maternal uncle of Tony’s mother.] They are both very well. Uncle G. says that I must visit his nephew when I go to Scotland as I shall soon. Well I wonder—this nephew is the Duke of Argyll.
Tomorrow I hope to go up to spend a night with Violet and then later to Uncle Geoff [Freer] so I shall be moving around quite a bit. I hear that Tom has been missing for almost a month—happened around the Adriatic somewhere. I hope he is alright. [“Tom” may be Thomas St. Barbe Freer, born 1922, son of Tony’s maternal uncle Reginald Freer.]
I am awfully glad that course is behind me now. It wasn’t much fun towards the end and we were pretty fed up particularly as it ate up a bit of our leave. Putrid weather and considerable mechanical trouble made it a bit shaky at times. Have come home three times now in trouble. The last occasion was about 4 in the morning. A terrific storm had got up while I was away and apart from the R/T report you cant [sic] tell what it is like at night for landing. Had it been day I should never have attempted landing in such a tremendous cross swell. It was no fun trying to handle twenty five tons of scrap metal that was behaving like a bucking bronc. An hour later a cat broke its back when it came in and an hour before my chum had refused to take off because the spray was coming right over the wings so it was bad. This poor chap was still trying to finish the course when I left so I doubt if he will get much leave.
Had to do a sort of P.T. test before I could get cleared from the station. You had to do as many sit-ups as possible with somebody holding your feet, chin yourself likewise and do some running. It was too wet for the latter but I did 45 of the first, 10 of the second and my stomach was sore for days.
Have sold my bike £5.
With love from
Tony
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[Postmark: ALNESS ROSS-SHIRE 9 – AM 18 DE 44]
#42 Dec 16. 1944.
Dear Dad:
I think last time I wrote I said the following day would see me off to see Violet. I didn’t let her know I was coming in case anything cropped up in the meantime and a day in the country even if she wasn’t there would have been pleasant anyway. When I got to Chippenham I tried to phone but it was out of order which seemed a bit ominous. However I managed to find a taxi to take me the six miles to Seagry and arrived just in time for tea. Violet was quite well but suffering a bit from rheumatism. That is probably because the house is too cold despite the portable oil stove heater which alternates between various rooms. I stayed two nights there and had a very comfortable time with electric heater on all night. A rule of the house is breakfast in bed so I never got up much before 1100. The idea is to give Alice some elbow room for dusting etc. There is also a retired major staying there (who mixes a pretty good cocktail) and one of their mutual hobbies seems to be auction sales. They were at one that lasted six days. I don’t think Violet is too extravagant but the major showed me a piece of furniture he bought for £15. I had no idea what it was but he says its [sic] a Georgian powder stand. I can think of many more useful things for the house. V keeps no live stock except a few goats. I was surprised there were no chickens—a bit disappointed too because I hoped to take some back to the Cumberland for breakfasts. Most of the books in the place seemed to date about the foxhunting era. There were several good pictures and two watercolours of either you or grandfather on a pony jumping over a log. V and I get on very well together and I hope I have not disappointed her groom’s wife.
All the best for Christmas
Tony.
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[Postmark: ALNESS ROSS-SHIRE 9 – AM 18 DE 44]
#43 2 Dec 16. 1944.
RCAF Overseas
Dear Mother:
I just opened the parcel with the cake tonight which had been stored in my trunk while on leave. The cake was excellent but I am afraid the tins of fruit were mouldy on the top. I wonder if they would have been alright when first arrived. Perhaps they would because previous tins have leaked slightly but been alright. This mess is not as good as the last and not so suitably equipped as before for taking food into the mess. However there is a Canadian crew in this hut and they do a lot of cooking from toast to steak so I will contribute my tin of jam to the general pantry.
To continue with my leave. When I got back from Violets [sic] I stayed two nights in London. I didn’t do much but saw the odd show. There was nothing particularly good on but I took in a technicolour called “Western Approaches” thinking it might be something like a busmans [sic] holiday but it was rather disappointing that way. While away from my hotel for those two nights a V2 landed fairly nearby causing considerable damage. On Sunday I left for Moreton-in-the-Marsh and arrived in time for lunch. That afternoon there was a terrific downpour and we stayed in all afternoon. There has been an enormous amount of rain there making up for the previous drought and you wouldn’t believe it could be so muddy. Knee rubber boots are barely high enough in some places. Probably the tractor is partly the cause of their muddy roads. On Monday morning Uncle Geoff [Freer] and I hauled some of the hay Dick [Stubbs] had baled in the summer, also fed the horses and cattle and moved some cattle from one field to another. It was great fun—a lovely change. Valerie [Geoff’s daughter] went fox hunting that day—for both she and Dorothy [Geoff’s wife] still follow the hounds.
With love
Tony
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[Postmark: ALNESS ROSS-SHIRE 9 – AM 18 DE 44]
#44 3 Dec 16, 1944
Dear Mother:
Uncle G. is worried that the local labour authorities will catch V going hunting and press her into some job or other. But she does a days [sic] work really—getting up early to milk the cows, coming back to breakfast about nine (still before I’m up) and then going on to churn butter etc. They have tea about 5 and supper quite late—we just manage to make the nine o’clock news. Like us most meals are in the kitchen but not lunch. Beer or cider is the drink with the two main meals and a barrel of cider is kept handy in the dining room. Uncle G. hasn’t had a glass of water for years—says it is poisonous stuff.
On Tuesday I spent the morning working on a shelter they’re putting up for the cattle (horses after the war). I was surprised they could get the lumber but there are ways. We were putting in the roof which was of corrugated iron. Uncles G. and Reggie [Geoff’s younger brother] spent that morning hauling loose hay with the tractor and both Reggie and Neena [Reggie’s wife] were there for lunch. I am sorry to say that Tom [Reggie and Neena’s son] is missing. He was shot down near Trieste I think and seen to make a forced landing.
In the afternoon I went back to my carpentering and did some fairly intricate work with the saw having satisfied the family retainer (I suppose that might be the man’s official position who was doing the job) that I could handle the hammer fairly satisfactorally [sic] on the corrugated iron.
The following afternoon Uncle G and I spent in painting sheets of iron for the roof only a third of which had been covered the day before. Its [sic] not galvanized these days—hence the paint. The morning is a different story. When hauling baled hay on the Monday a piece of old Dobbins [sic] harness broke so this provided the necessary excuse for a trip to the harness joe at Stow. She (D) [Dorothy] had planned to drive to Stratford-on-A that day but took me on our Cook’s Tour instead and I feel a bit guilty about the gas.
With love from Tony.
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[Postmark: ALNESS ROSS-SHIRE 9 – AM 18 DE 44]
#45 4 Dec 16. 1944.
Dear Mother:
I hope you get these letters in chronological order or better still on the same day. Here is the Cooks [sic] Tour.
First to Moreton. Dorothy took me into an inn or hotel and introduced me to Miss Olive Tanner who gave us some excellent port and a mince pie. She runs the hotel and I believe you know her quite well. Next we went on to Stow and deposited the harness. Through Stow to Quarwood [childhood home of Tony’s father]. D and I left the car at the gates and walked in. The grounds were beautifully kept and the place was in excellent repair. We took several photographs but didn’t call in and no one seemed to notice us although we could see various people through the windows. Perhaps they thought I was some official come to requisition the place and now daily fear the postman’s arrival. I was greatly impressed by the situation of the house and the view would have been perfect had it not been rather a hazy day. I would like to go back some day and go through the house itself.
From here we drove by some devious but pretty route toward Kitebrook [childhood home of Tony’s mother]. On the way we saw Oddington Lodge but couldn’t see a great deal due to a very solid wall. Dorothy kept pointing out places of interest but I forget who they belonged to though you must know them all. Kitebrook itself was deserted and it looks like it would cost a fortune to make it once more habitable. All the doors were locked but we could peer through the windows. The conservatory is still there but the other end has been built onto since you knew it. I took some more photos but they will be spoilt by an ugly structure the army has put up right in front of the house. From here we drove down passed [sic] Chastleton Church. The huge house beside it is one of the show places of England but D says it still has only one bathroom and no electric light. This about completes the leave for I had to catch the next morning train to London and then the evening train northward from there.
With love from Tony.