Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 15

SEPTEMBER, 1944

Monday 25 

I got up at about 1600 & had a

shower & then went to tea. We

raced down to do our duty as

duty crew and then got briefed. I

went to supper & at about 2300 they

scrubbed flying so I got off to
bed. Blue fixed the bike chain

today & I wrote to Phil & Ferdy.

& sent of a whole lot more Xmas

cards.    

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Tuesday 26
I got up about dinner time then
had my meal. In the afternoon I 
went to Cheltenham with Blue
in just battledress - I banked
my money & we had tea at the
American Red Cross. We bought
a bit of stuff for the bikes then
came home.  After briefing we
had our supper & flew quite a 
bit at night. It was a glorious
evening and I did an R/T X/C &
a becon hop. I had N/F supper & at
about 0400 got off to bed.

SEPTEMBER, 1944
Wednesday 27
I got up fairly late & went to the
showers & then had dinner. After
that I went down to the flight to
find out what was doing but
I was not sure whether I had
finished N/F or not. I came back
& cleaned my bike a bit more   
then had tea. I came back then
went to briefing. I was off N/F
so Chips & I had supper and
then went to a free Ensa show
called "Destination Tokyo" which 
was pathetically American but
quite entertaining. I had a shave
& shower & got off to bed
Letters from Ian & Shiela
Grabham  

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 1944

Thursday 28

I got up early & made my bed then

went to breakfast. I went to the

flight & managed to get away first

period & did my post N/F check.

Then I had dinner & did Camera

Obscura Low Level X/C & some mutual

I/F. It was a very full day but

most enjoyable. I had a heated

argument with the mess women

over my tea & then came back to 

the hut and went back again to

supper. I came back again to the

hut and wrote to Ted Brown &

Margaret. I had a wash & got off

to bed early. 

SEPTEMBER, 1944

Friday 29
I went to breakfast and then down 

to the flight. I then reported to the

flight and there was a clamp

on all morning. In the afternoon

I got a bit of I/F and bombing

We went up to Church Lawford

& landed there to drop a ground

staff chap. I had tea and

came over & painted my bike

then we had supper and I

got off to bed after having a 

wash. 

 

 

SEPTEMBER, 1944

FIFTY-SIX

Saturday 30

Chips & I got up usual time & had our

breakfast then shaved & showered.

We caught a light army van to Oxford

& from there a bus to Banbury. We

passed thro some beautiful country

& on arrival had a good look round

the town. We didn't spend much

time there but saw the Cross. We 

got a bus back to Oxford & saw a lot 

of the lads there.Then we came on to

Witney. We had a look around and

walked as far as the A/D & got there

short lifts home. We had tea then

came to the hut, changed & I got

down to some little writing & wrote

home to Shiela, Pat Wade & Sue Wainwright.

Also got letters from Daisy

Moss and Smith's bookshop & two

bundles of papers from home.

OCTOBER, 1944

Sunday 1
I got up & had breakfast and then 

went to briefing and got a double

formation. I then went to the site

but it was U/S for a while so I lost

some time there we did a spot of

dual & some solo & Blue & I paid a

visit to Pershore & Cheltenham. I had 

dinner and then flew Maclowan

around on a Nav. 6 & we saw

Ludlow, Letchworth, Stampford.

I had tea and then came back

to the hut & then went & had 

supper and a shower. We came

back to bed and got tucked in.

I wrote to Margaret. 

 

 

OCTOBER,1944
Monday 2
My Nav. 6 was scrubbed at the last
moment but I managed to get in
a bit of O/N. In the afternoon Blue &
I started to get cleared and spent a
hectic hour rushing around every
where. We had tea and in the
Evening packed most of our stuff
and then I went to supper. I had
a shower and shave & got off to
bed.

OCTOBER,1944
Tuesday 3
Went to the flight and flew with
Thody to Oswestry but we ran
into chuff weather at Stafford so
turned back. We were back feeling
very sick but got back O.K. I
did some O/N in the afternoon &
then continued to get cleared.
We eventually fired up and I
had tea then a shower & we put
our stuff in the picket post after
packing Blue & I hitchhiked into
Cheltenham & booked in at A.RC.
We met Gwen & she seems a nice
kid. I went to see "Cover Girl"
but it was rather thin & showy
& very American. I walked to Lansdown

Stn. & found out about the

train then came back to bed.

I got two Airgraphs from.

Margaret today and my

proofs arrived from the photographers 

 

 

OCTOBER, 1944

FIFTY-SEVEN

Wednesday 4

We set off from Cheltenham fairly

early & got the train to Birmingham.

The next train took me all the way

to Glasgow but Blue hopped off

at Stafford for tea & got left. When

I arrived I got a telegram telling 

me when his E.T.A. so I went up &

organized a couple of beds for the

YM. I walked round the streets for

a while & they are all lit up & there

are double decker trams in them

just like home. The station itself

is big & hundreds of interesting

people are passing the whole time.

I spoke to a number of folk whilst

waiting for the train & when Blue got

here, we made straight for the YM.

in Caweadden St. & hopped off to

bed.
10

OCTOBER, 1944

Thursday 5

In the morning we gave Glasgow the

once over and bought a few things

then in the afternoon we took a bus

to Alexander Park. There was a thick

fog so we couldn't see much & 

came back fairly soon. I had

both my battle dress & uniform

pressed today. We went to the O'seas

club for tea and put our names

on a list for a party of dancing &

games. It turned out to be a staff

dance & we went with an AIF chap!

We met a couple of nice kids & I

had a super time. The place was

Youngs Xpress Agency. Blue & I came

away with a smashing blonde

piece. We did a thing called an

eightsome which was one of these

real highland dances. The girls got

terribly worked up calling out all 

the time! We got a tram back to 

town & got off to bed. 

 

 

OCTOBER,1944

FIFTY EIGHT (2)

Friday 6

We had breakfast and in the

morning went to see Epstein's

"Consummatum Est" and looked

round town a bit. Then we had

lunch & caught a bus to Balloch

We walked thru' the castle grounds to

Loch Lomond & it was a beautiful sight

with a light blue mist everywhere & 

the hills reflected in the water & the swans

We took a few snaps then got a bus to

Luss (a busload of sightseers - Aust

Canuck & Yank) & it was simply charming.
Then we came back to town &

had tea and read our telegrams advising

us of 10 dys. xtra leave!! In

the evening we went to hear Vic

Oliver at the Empire & our uniforms

got us decent seats in the stalls.

YM. was full up so we went to

the Community Service Club. Wrote

two letters to Margaret today. 

OCTOBER, 1944

FIFTY-NINE

Saturday 7

I got up & after breakfast we

went to the station & got a train

to Edinburgh. There was a fog

the whole way across and we

then got our beds booked & went

to the Carlton Hill & saw the beaut

new Admin. Offices then we went

to Granton & I went to the

Keddies. Margaret was the only

one home so we took a tram away

round town & the other two got

asked to a dance & I came back 

to town & had tea then went to

visit the Keddies. I had a great

time there & went saw lots of photos

of Margaret as a kid & learnt her

family history! I met a police 

lady there & she was quite interesting

I caught the tram home & got off

to bed. 

 

 

OCTOBER, 1944

Sunday 8

I got up & had a shower & then went

to St Georges Presbyterian church &

there was a good preacher. I had

dinner & then met the boys and

we went to Nth Beswick on the

mouth of the Forth. It was very nice

place with lots of little islands. We

had a look at a couple of castles

& then came back home. After tea

we went to the New Victoria

theatre to the Sunday Night variety

show but it was fairly pussy.

We caught the train back & got

to bed. I wrote to Margaret today.

OCTOBER, 1944

SIXTY

Monday 9

I got up with the boys & had

breakfast then went out to collect

the photos I'd seen at Tynecastle. The 

dumb conductor put me on the

wrong tram so I was way out of

town with only a few minutes to

go. I caught a bus which broke

down! & arrived on the station at

1000. Blue's time was wrong as the

train went at 0955. I caught a

slow one to Dundee over the Forth

& Tay bridges & had a look round

there then I got the fast one on

to Aberdeen. The boys had left no

message there so I put up at

the O'seas club then had a look

about town. Then I wrote to

Daisy & home & hit the hay I

think I will continue on alone

now. 

 

 

OCTOBER, 1944

Tuesday 10

I got up & caught the 0800 train from

Aberdeen to Inverness. We passed along

same beautiful scenery by the R Don

then into rugged hilly country with

thick forests. Pines predominated

but studded with a huge variety of

trees all with their autumn tones.

We crossed a number of beautiful

mountain streams especially in

Dufftown where we also crossed the

Dobson, we passed Elgin & Forres

& eventually ran along the Moray

Firth into Inverness. I booked in at

YM, & saw O'seas club who arranged for

a Joan Kelly to take me round town &

along the river. We saw the cemetry too

& passed some beautiful country. I went

to her place for tea and then we

went to a picture show. " The Short

Escape". She took me to a Joe ...'s place.

He is a Yorkshire chap F/L. but gives

all the lads a super time & that hour

only lasted a few minutes!

OCTOBER, 1944

Wednesday 11

I got up & went & caught the bus at 0915

down the side of Loch Lomond. It was a

glorious trip rich in colour & beauty. We

saw Urqhart castle, Fort Augustus & finally

arrived in Fort William on the Loch Linnhe.

I fixed up about a bed then had lunch

& set off to climb Ben Nevis (4406 ft). It

took about 3 hrs up a rocky pathway

had a stream. I passed a number of sheep

& eventually climbed above the snow line

where there was only moss. It was

snowing when I arrived there & I ate a

bit of it to cool off & at 1620 we started

down. It only took two hours back &

we went round nearer the lake away

up in the hills. I took a few photos but

the general scenery was to grand & distant

or else we were in mist. It

rained the whole way back so we

got very wet. I had tea & yarned

with a couple of Yanks at the house

(Roselea) then hit the hay. The best day

yet! 

 

 

OCTOBER, 1944

SIXTY ONE.

Thursday 12

37

I caught the 0926 train with the two Yanks &

we had a good trip down thro Rannoch

Moor & past several lochs. In Gare Loch

were several battle ships. The journey took

5 hours but was very interesting. I went

to Glasgow P.O. & then walked about a

bit & caught the train across to Cain.

I wrote an air letter home on the trip over

& also had a yarn with an S. Army. bloke

just back from the Orkneys. I came 

out to Graison Sq. where I got settled

in & received a couple of letters Chips

had sent on to me. I had tea & Mr

Keddie took Margaret & Mary & me to a

M.of I. film show in town & we saw

one film on the Sutherlandshire crofters

which was most interesting. We had

supper when we got back & then I got

off to bed. 

OCTOBER, 1944

Friday 13

I had a shave & breakfast & then we

all sallied forth to town (Mr Keddie & 

Mary & me) & we continued on to

Colinton. We crossed to the Pentland

hills and it was very pretty country.

We saw several dams or reservoirs

& eventually had our lunch on the

Dumfries Rd. Then we caught the

bus back a bit & walked past a 

German P.O.W. camp. We visited

Swanston, the little village in

which R.L. Stevenson was born. We

came back to town & I collected

my food coupons & we went to a 

Canadian exhibition & also a British

P.O.W. exhibition. Then we came home &

had tea & played a spelling game. In the

evening a whole lot of relatives came

to see Mrs Keddie whose birthday it

was. I played with the Polish Capt &

Mary & Anne awhile then hit the hay. The

women folk are all mad on the Poles

here for some unaccountable reason. 

 

 

OCTOBER, 1944

Saturday 14

I had breakfast & then went with Mary

& Margaret to Rusden Castle. We took a look

at the chapel and also saw all over the

castle then we went into Rostin Glen

which was very pretty. We came back

& had a late dinner and in the afternoon

we went with Mr Keddie to the

big castle & had a most interesting

time there. We had a look at the town 

from the camera obscura and then

got the train back home. After tea we

sat around the fire & I helped Mrs

Keddie with some folders to the Women's     

Co-op. Guild. Then I wrote to my

Margaret & hit the hay.