Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 1

NOTES FROM 1943

6SFTS £1.1. Subs.
PD643 10/1.

R.J.DEANS. Benalla  (125 Bridge St)

Prescription: B9701 (A/sickness).

430678 P/O WINDMILL A.D. 1 WAGS RAAF BALLARAT VIC.

430359 SGT BUTLER K.J.

V145007 CPL KEYES

429316 SGT FORSTER H.P.   KILLED.

VF514802 PTE GRABHAM S.10 AACS CLUB ELIZ. ST MELB VIC. 

TELEGRAMS:- RYDERMAC SOUTHKENS LONDON

LADY FRANCES RYDER C.B.E.

MISS MACDONALD OF THE ISLES C.B.E.

FLAT B

21 CADOGAN GDNS

SLOANE SQ. LONDON SW 3

(AT HOME 10AM -10 PM INC. SAT. & SUN.).

TELS:- SLO 5871 LADY F. RYDER C.B.E.

6822   MISS MACDONALD C.B.E.

5871   MRS WALLIS  M.B.E.

6822   MRS FRY.

Ian Homewood

Australia House

London. Eng.

Dick Ivory

W.A.G. Eng.

Dr ^Robert Strang Dolly & Ruth.

128 Toilsome Hill Rd

Bridgeport

Connecticut

Alan Frazer

Station CFRX

Toronto. Montreal Canada

Rex E Phillips 

c/o Barclays Bank

Johannesburg

Pretoria S. Africa.

Transvaal.

417361

SGT WOLLASTON

(EASTBOURNE).

Shiela Grabham

97 Grey St  (A.C.F. parcel).

Traralgon  Vic.

(VF 514802-PTE. S.T.M. GR. - 10 AACS Club - ELIZ ST. MELB).

Margaret Hearn (Skullcap)

Illabrook S.S.  722 (122)

S.I. Bunyip No.2229.

(Polo Sweater)

Malvern A.C.l. (Balaklava).

MRS  DUNCAN

JOSEPHINE BULLWINKLE

69 PETTITS LANE

ROMFORD [JOSE, BRENDA]

ESSEX. 

Vivienne Leathley

129 Junes Rd

Durban S. Africa.

Mr Short 129 Junes Rd Durban S. Africa

G.H. PALMER  Phone:- F6280

c/o E.S. LAWRENCE & CO PTY LTD

BORSDORFF'S BUILDINGS

277 FLINDERS LANE

MELBOURNE

MRS BRIDGES C PhoNE. C.H.11

7 HIDS COPSE RD

CUNMOR HILL ("HIDS WARREN")

BERKS. OXFORD

BRIDGET WILSON  PhoNE Ox. 8

"SHEPHERD'S CLOSE"

HINKSEY HILL

BERKS. OXFORD  [MRS HORDER] 

x MRS HARRISON   PhoNE C.H.173

'ORTNER'

HIDS COPSE RD

CUNMOR HILL

OXFORD.

x MRS ROBERT DUNCAN   C   PhoNE:- VAL3748

254 CRANBROOK RD.,

ILFORD  [AUNT DORIS, MARG., [[?]] ]

x MISS PAT. WADE  C

M 8 JESMOND RD.

NEWCASTLE

x MR BALLARD

67 LONDON RD

STOCKTON HEATH     No 8 bus.

x MRS H. WHEELER    GEOFF BLACKER'S AUNT

"WATERLOO HOUSE"  (MRS CRANWELL).

EPSOM SURREY

MR B.A. LEVINSON    (DUDLEY'S UNCLE).

199 PICCADILLY

LONDON W1

x MRS J. KIDDIE  (MARGARET SHORT)

7 GRIERSON SQUARE    GRANTON.

EDINBURGH

DR HARRIE DRURY    PHONE:- MITCHIN 1057

64 STRATHMORE AVE   [MR DRURY]

HITCHIN HERTS

x MISS EDNA SLADE   [MRS SLADE'S DAUGHTER]

113 ALEXANDRA RD    PHONE:- MAI 7504

ST. JOHNS WOOD    LONDON NW8

x MR F. MOLD,  C

20 KERSWELL RD.,

ST THOMAS, EXETER, DEVON.

DR ERIC YULE

NUNCATER

WARWICKSHIRE

MRS BRYANT SMITH,     [AUNTY PHYLLIS]

LLANDRINDON WELLS,     (SISTER).

RADNORSHIRE, WALES.

JANUARY, 1944

Saturday 1

I spent the morning in bed and

got up a bit before lunch, did

some washing & eventually went

over to lunch. In the afternoon I did

an AH with Chips Carpenter & made

a bit of a blue of it. We were

asked the pressure of the oleo leg

& told 4 & 5 lbs sq." F/L McCracken said we

were wrong tho' we were right & so we

had to pump up a leg. Then we came

in & I missed a period of link. I

had tea & went to the unit pictures.

The show was "Scarlet Pimpernel" &

"About face" & very good. We

got to bed as soon as possible

as it was very cold & we were

not flying. 

JANUARY, 1944

Sunday 2

Church parade as usual & a good address

by Padre Hancock who is being posted.

We went to the flight but I was not

flying either before or after lunch.

I did some link after tea & finished the

A.T.S. link syllabus then we went to

lay the flare path but after doing a

bit we heard that it was scrubbed

so came in. I got my hair a bit

singed when one flare exploded. I

came back to the hut & had a shower

& a shave & eventually hit the hay.

x SUE WAINWRIGHT

VIOLET WARR         PHONE:- OX4776 61   x

FROGHALL HSE.

2 ROLLESTON AVE

STANTON WARCOURT. WARRINGTON LANCS.

REV'D & MRS J.H. MARTIN  [MRS SLADE]

32 MANSFIELD RD

ESSEX

x DAISY MOSS PhONE:- PER50. ✓

4 DEERHURST TERRACE

PINVIN, NR. PERSHORE, WORC.

MRS RUSSELL LEWIS

10 SOUTHERN DRIVE [KAY BRIDGE].

ANLABY PARK HULL

LUCY CARDONA

3 SOUTHERN RD., [BARONSMERE RD].

E, FINCHLY N. LONDON

JANUARY, 1944

Monday 3

I went down to the flight and just

sat around for a while & then did a

spot of I.F. It went fairly well. After

dinner we all set to making 

pusper wings & in the middle of the 

afternoon I went & did an A2 & made 

a bad show of it. After tea I had to go 

down and lay the flare path once more. 

We flew from 1030 till 1230 & I've now 

finished ATS N.F. We flew in cloud 

& rain & were lucky to get in our 

time. Flying was later scrubbed. 

JANUARY, 1944

Tuesday 4

C.O.'s parade but I slept in a bit. Ron

told me I was flying so I hastened 

down & did a spot of I.F. last period. 

After dinner I listened to the wireless

a while & then went to the flight but 

was not flying during the afternoon.

I read & slept. Before tea I had a bit

of a run & a shower. A letter from

home & I made up the old cot & 

tidied up my locker & then packed a 

parcel for home. My chocolate has all

gone mouldy after the hot days. Myers

have not yet sent the wretched photos

& so my gifts are going to be a little

late. A kite was forced down at

Wyhalla today.

RUSSIANS CROSS 1939 POLISH BORDER.

R.A.F. DROPS 15,000 TONS OF BOMBS ON

BERLIN IN 2 MONTHS. CAPE GLOUCESTER IN N.G.

TAKEN BY ALLIES.

JANUARY, 1944

Wednesday 5

I spent the morning in the hut reading

& sleeping as Don Crase & Ken Colby were

the only ones flying. Weather conditions

were very bad today. I did some

washing before lunch & then went to 

mess & in the afternoon I bludged as

long as possible then went to the flight &

helped sandpaper a floor & also clean

some walls. I had tea and then we

attended a compulsory lecture by F/L

Richardson & F/L Westmore both VADC

reps. who gave us a talk on the

organization and operation. I then

had a shower and got off to bed

A Xmas present & letter arrived from

the Prestons today & I also sent a

parcel home. I've returned all our

text books today. 

JANUARY, 1944

Thursday 6 

A lot of the boys stayed in late after flying

but I went to the flight & did a few

odd jobs but went to sigs later about

our Aldis. After dinner I went up &

did [[EWa I.F.?]] A WAAAF Sister came up 

with us but was very sick. When we landed

I did a few jobs for the officers & then

came to the hut. A letter from the Archers

arrived today & after tea I went to a 

concert by Eileen Ralph & Thomas

Mathews. They played Beethoven's 

"Kreutzer" sonata & Brahms No 3. It was

a real treat. Unfortunately there was 

clapping between movements & Eileen

developed a nasty cough. I came back

to the hut & got to bed as soon as possible.

Latest news is that Wings Parade is on

Saturday & that we'll be home by then.

JANUARY 1944

Friday 7

A couple of the chaps flying early went

down on the 0700 train but I stayed

& missed breakfast. There was very

little doing all the morning so I

washed & packed and as the train

had to take the whole station down I

went into Mallala early with Ken. It

was very hot & we had lunch at a

cafe & stayed there where it was cool

for a while. We made the trip down

in U/pants only. In town I went &

saw Pat. & did a few jobs in town.

I just saw Judy but didn't

speak to her. I came out to Burnside &

it was good to see Mrs Cranwell again

After tea Pat & I went to see 'Saludos 

Amigos' & 'Victory thro' Air Power'. I

came home & strolled around the block

with Pat & then came in to bed. 

JANUARY, 1944

Saturday 8

I slept in a bit & then got up when

everyone had gone off to work. I just

pottered about all the morning playing

the piano & reading. We had a beaut

dinner & then we waited till Jack came

back & all went down to Henley. Jack

was the only one who went in as it

was a bit too cold. Mrs Cranwell came

down later & we had tea on the beach.

After a little walk we came home &

had a hit of tennis. I'm playing

fairly well at present & beat Jack. We

yarned & had a sing-song & while

we were doing so, Bill one of the A.IF.

boys who had been billeted there 2 yrs

ago, came. He is at an OTS at Woodville

We sang some more & then we drifted

off to bed after supper when Jack 

left.