Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 14

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY.
Tuesday 5
Last up & had breakfast & we came
to the flights but it really wasn't
necessary. I wrote a bit & then went
to dinner. After dinner we were down
here again & I carried a couple of
N/F kits around. Ken & Chips & Jack
all went to Pershore today. I rode
to St. Barrington and posted
a letter home & sent a cable to
Shirley. After tea I wrote some
more & then went for a ride to
Bourton-on-the-water with
Blue Brittain & met his friend
Enid & also collected my films. I
had a shower & shave & got off to
bed. Letters from Ian, Alan, Pat
Cranwell, Audrey, Pat Wade,
Beryl, Correspondence course.
Wrote Margaret, Alan and Shirl.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Wednesday 6
I went to breakfast then down to the
flight. we had to go to a Nav. lecture &
then we went to the flight & I did a
bit of flying, I got on O.K. but it

was a bit strange to start with but
got used to it. I had late dinner &
went back to do some D/N but it
was scrubbed as the sodium light was
U.S. I wrote a bit then had tea &
came back to the hut & packed a
parcel for home & then went to supper.
I then had a drink & listened to
Beethoven's 5th. Symphony & Mozart's
35th. It was marvellous. I did a
bit of swat for 1½ hrs then wrote
my diary & turned in. Wrote to Ian,
Judy, Pat Cranwell today. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Thursday 7
Got up as usual & had our Nav.
lecture then went to the flight. I
did a bit of flying around dinner
time & then my X/C nav 5 in
the afternoon but the weather
got too bad at Thurleigh so I
turned back; I flew round a bit &
landed at 1800. I had tea & then
came to the hut & opened my

parcel. Then I had supper &
came back & packed a parcel
for home. I had a shower &
shave & got off to bed rather
late.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Friday 8
I got up & had breakfast & flew a
lot in the morning. I had most of
the afternoon off so did some reading

& then went to tea. At 1000 I went for
a ride to Burford & had a look about  
then went to Holwell & Westwell &
then home - Westwell is a beautiful
village but very small. I just got
back before some very heavy rain
& went straight to bed. Blue
Brittain put down at Ansty on

his Nav V & I got a letter from
Daisy today. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY-ONE
Saturday 9
I got up & had breakfast & spent
the morning at the flight. I had
dinner and flew till 1600 then came
back and had tea & shaved &
showered. Then I got changed &
hitch-hiked into Gloucester. I had a
very hurried look around then
caught a bus to Evesham via
Tewkesbury. I tried to get a bed at
Evesham but they were full up
every place so I decided to come
on to Pershore. I caught a train &
got here in good time & left a
note at Daisy's. I walked out
to camp and had a yarn with
Jack & Chips & then made up a
sort of bed with 2 blankets two
biscuits & 2 ground sheets. I had a
wash etc & hit the hay. I got a lot
of newspapers from home today
& also wrote Margaret.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Sunday 10

I had breakfast & then walked to the
Pinvia church but they had started so
I went to the Baptist in town & then
came home to dinner and went
back into town & met Daisy. we went
for a stroll in to the river & sat there a
while then we came back & had tea.
I saw Joyce & Irene this morning. I
went with Daisy for a stroll and
then took her photo. After saying
goodbye to her folk I caught the
train to Worcester with her and we
walked thro' town a little way &
said goodbye on the station. I caught
the train to Cheltenham & then the
station bus from there to Windsor 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Monday 11

The big exam in the morning and I
think I did O.K. I got briefed & did
my Nav. V till 1430 but got lost
& had to call up a Yank drome &
get a eley to St Ives. I landed at
Smithfield & then came back. I
had dinner & did some horrible
O/N at 1000. I fixed up my log book
and then went to tea. After tea I
came to the hut & read & yarned
with the boys who came back
from Pershore today. Just can't
forget Daisy but I feel a cad for
ignoring Margaret.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY-TWO
Tuesday 12
I got up & hurried over to breakfast
& then we had the big bull defence
parade. We watched a demonstration
of incendiary & also had our
deficiencies taken. They showed us
the film "Right of Heart" instead
of having a discussion Group &
it was exceedingly good. After
dinner I hung round the flight
then went to the big bull talk
for N/F. After that I wrote a few
A/G's & went to the showers & then
to the mess & ended up at the
briefing. After briefing we went
to the ENSA show but it was
about 2nd rate. I went to the
flight & read a little & then had
supper. I went back to the
flight & flew early in the
morning. I wrote home & to
Margaret, Geoff Briggs & Daisy
today. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Wednesday 13
I slept until 1030 then had a shower
& shave and went to dinner. I made
application for a new pair of
boots. I hitch-hiked to Oxford &
did some shopping then phoned
Mrs Bridge and went out to
Cumnor to tea. Met Mr Bridge going
up the hill & I had a nice talk. After
tea I helped pick some apples &
played with the dog & showed Mrs
Bridge some photos. Then Mary
Bennett came up & we had a super
yarn. Met a Professor Carpenter who
was on ARP rounds. I gave Mrs Bridge
some custard powder & Mr Bridge
is printing me some Xmas cards.
I walked down the hill with Mary
& then went to town. I cancelled my
YMCA booking & spent the night at
American Red Cross.
One of the happiest evenings I've
ever spent.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Thursday 14
I was called at 0600 and got dressed
quickly & went down to the station
but the train left very late. We
went via Honeybourne to Stratford.
I arrived c. 1030 & hurried to the
city then went to the theatre & the
Avon. I got a got of gen. at the
services club & then went to see
Shakespeare's house & birth place
in Henley St. I caught a bus to
Shottery to see Anne Hathaway's
cottage. Then I just caught the
train at 1219 to Cheltenham. We
passed thro some beautiful country
I had some food at the services
club then hitch hiked home. We had
tea & went to briefing but vis. was
too bad to fly so Blue & I mucked
about with our bikes while the
rest of the camp got drunk. I had
supper & then went to bed. I got
letters from Margaret, Ian & Shirl 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Friday 15
I got up about 1100 & went & had
a shower then got dinner. In the
afternoon I fired up the bike a
bit more & then had tea. We
went down & got briefed &
later I got away solo. I was on
circuits all night. Letters
from Margaret today. & also
wrote Margaret.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY THREE.
Saturday 16
I got up about midday & went to

dinner. In the afternoon I stayed
in the hut & wrote home & also got
some paint from the paint store
& touched up the bike. I had tea &
came down to briefing & had
supper. I flew the wing X/C & got
on O.K. then was going to do an
R/T X/C but a damp set in
so they scrubbed it. I had N/F
supper then went to bed. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Sunday 17

I slept in till fairly late & then went
to dinner. I had a decent bike
ride thro' some pretty country past

a Park Lodge & the place looked
like Gippsland. I passed thro'
Aldsworth & noticed the virginia
creeper is reddening. I picked a
few blackberries. I wrote a couple
of letters - one to the Slades for the
Xmas cards. I got to tea & went to
briefing then flew twice during
the night & hit the hay at 0300.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Monday 18
I was up at 0730 & had a shower &
shave & breakfast & then started
my long hitch hike. I got an REME
truck to Gloucester & then a Ford 10 to
Bristol. Then I got a garbage van &
a milk wagon, an army truck &
a food Co. truck to Bridgewater
At Bridgewater I got a market gardener's
truck then an Austin to Taunton
From Taunton to Wellington I got
another Austin & from Wellington
to Exeter a Hudson sedan managing
50 mph! I went to the YM then
had a look about town I went to
tea then out to St Thomas to see
the Molds. I met Mrs Mold & GEM &
later we went up to Mrs Pearce &
saw her & Stella. I caught the bus
back after bidding fond farewell
& after a bit of supper, got off to bed.
Exeter has been blitzed in the center but
is a big shopping town & there is a beaut
cathedral here. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Tuesday 19
I got up about 0800 and went to
breakfast then got out on the road
again. I got a short lift, then a
longer one & then a very long one
from a most interesting gentleman
to Bristol. They were all in private
cars: I went to the Priory café to see
my little waitress then caught the
bus to Filton & got a Yank truck
to Cheltenham. From Chelt. I got
an RASC truck to Windrush
arriving home about 1600.
had tea & then went to briefing
I flew AW/T X/C then came
back to the mess & to the hut. I
flew some more later on. I got
a letter from David today & one
from correspondence course. I
wrote to Pat Cranwell, Shirl,
David, Ian & Mrs Mold

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY FOUR
Wednesday 20
I got up late and had a shower &
dinner then spent the afternoon
stooging about the place here. I
went down to the flight and was
briefed & at night we hung about
until about 2230 but there was a
damp so it was scrubbed. I didn't
fly at all & had a wing trip scrubbed
just as I was about to take off. I
had supper then got off to bed. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Thursday 21
I got up fairly early and went & had
a shower & then shaved. I took in
my application for the Middle East
& also saw the Adj. about my shoes
and my old ones were placed O/S.
I had dinner at Cheltenham at the
A.R.C. then we went & did a bit of
shopping and ended up at the
pictures to see "Phantom Lady" &
"Moonlight & Cactus". We got back
& I had tea & went to briefing but
they didnt flyin do any flying.
I got letters from Betty Wilks,
Shirl, Sid Brown, Doreen Lancaster
Daisy, G.W.R. Swindon & Margaret.
I wrote to Margaret & Betty.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Friday 22
I got up early and had a
shower, then went to the mess but it
wasn't open so Ken & I got a truck
to Oxford & we averaged 60 mph
for the 25 miles! We waited for Blue
& Jerry Minch & then had dinner at
the George hotel. I had my photo
taken and then went to the pictures
and saw the 'Bridge of San Luis
Rey' & it was very good indeed.
We hitched home but it was a
bit slow. I went to briefing but
flying was scrubbed and I had
supper then wrote some letters
and went to N/F supper. I wrote
to Doreen, Swindon Rly Stn &
Mrs Morris today. Ken visited the 
Bridges. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
FIFTY-FIVE
Saturday 23
I stayed in bed till about 0745 then
had breakfast & dashed off on the
bike to Aldworth then to Gdn St Aldwyn
which was beautiful & on to Quenington
where I saw some eucalypts & Norman
gates on the old church. At Fairford I saw
the church & had a yarn with a couple
of ladies then went to Cirencester. I
had lunch & climed the church steeple -
204 steps,150 ft! I rode down & an old
lady showed me where the source of
the Thames was. I had a look & took a
bit of stone & then came back home. Made
a detour at Chedworth to see a Roman
villa but the chain busted so I had 
to walk from there thro Northleach. I
saw quite a number of squirrel on a
beautiful park drive. Also saw an old
chappy giving kids their haircuts with the
kids sitting on a chair in the front garden.
I missed tea but had supper & wrote
home then came back & hit the hay.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Sunday 24

I got up fairly early & had a shave & a
shower & collected my laundry then
went to dinner. In the afternoon I wrote
a couple of letters and then did a bit
of work on my bike. I went for a
ride with Jack Lindsay to Northleach    
& we had some tea there. There was a
very strong wind & we had to push
downhill & then could almost free-wheel
the whole way back. We came back
for tea & then got briefed. I flew a lot
but the whole program started very
late & we flew until 0700 on the 25th.
I flew over Pershore & kicked up a bit
of noise. Wrote Margaret today