Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 18

November, 1944
SEVENTY
45 Friday 24
I spent the night in the corridor
with Smoky Davison and the
WAAF. We arrived London c. 0730 &
I had breakfast & went to Paddington
with Smoky. Had a haircut & then
caught the train back to Moreton.

We walked out to the camp & had

lunch then went on parade & were

allotted to our flights. We got a

lecture from flying control then

broke off for the day. We had

tea and I spent the evening

writing a few letters. I had a

shave & shower & then got off

to bed and did a bit of work. I

got letters from home & Ian &

Margaret. Ian & Margaret sent

some snaps and also her

big photo & she's simply divine

I wrote Margaret & home and sent

parcels to both too.
42.
NOVEMBER,1944
Saturday 25

I got up and had breakfast, we 

went to briefing as a crew. We then

went to the flight & waited to fly.

Reported to crew assembly and I

did a period in the [[ASHS]] section &

also some link. We had lunch & I

heard that Len Haines is in hospital

at Cosford. I went back to the 

flight but it rained so we had

to write it off. I went to Airmanship

section for a while then [[?]]

off. I had tea & came back to the

hut where I wrote a few letters. 

I had a shower & went to bed. 

Jack Coffey is on a X/C tonight. 

I got letters from Ian, Judy

Beth and Len Haines. Wrote Ian,

Judy & Beth.

NOVEMBER,1944
Sunday 26
I got up & had breakfast & we went

to the flight but there was a huge

amount of messing round so 

that we didn't fly till 1100. We went

to the dispersal and started up &

were actually running down the

runway when they gave us a red
so we had to scrub it. I had dinner

& in the afternoon we went to

crew assembly & I did 2 periods of

link, one with Jack^Ed Walsh. We

read the M.I.9. & then had tea. In

the evening I helped get the fire

going and read then had a 

shave & shower & got off to bed. I 

wrote Len Haines today. 

NOVEMBER,1944
Monday 27

Got up and had breakfast & we had a

planned day so we went to lectures

on rigs then a link period followed

by the airmanship. After dinner

we got dressed & took a tender to

Cheltenham for wet, dinghy drill

We just had to right the dinghy &

get in. I had a bit of a run about

& then walked round the town &

got the bus back here. Spent the 

evening messing about reading &

writing a bit. Had a wash &

hit the hay.

NOVEMBER,1944
Tuesday 28

I got up and then had breakfast

& we went on parade & then

I did a period of link with Ed.

Walsh & went to the gm room.

After break I did a link period
& we watched a dinghy being
released & inflated. I had
dinner & then we were told we
were flying so we went down
& actually got off. It was a
crook day but we did a lot of
S.E. work. Had tea & then wrote
a couple of letters. Got mail
from Mrs Slade & Beryl Ballard
& wrote Margaret, Aunty Mabel &
Kit Wade,
Washed my socks to-night &
then had a shower & shave.
43.
NOVEMBER,1944
33. Wednesday 29
Up early as usual but as we
didn't fly till 1130, we did a bit
of sigs & link beforehand. Then
we drilled & I put on a lousy
exhibition. After dinner we did
some radar and went to do a
spot of PT. We played badminton
& I swung the racket a bit &
did some skipping. Had tea &
came back to the hut. We
didn't do much & I got off to
bed early and read. I got two
bundles of newspapers from my
Margaret and a letter from
home. 

NOVEMBER,1944
SEVENTY-ONE
Thursday 30
I got up & had breakfast & we went
to the flight & I had an A1 dual
period then he got out & I took the
boys around on a solo circuit. It
was OK. & we landed quite nicely
I had dinner & in the afternoon
Jack & I had a visit to the M.O.
and he ordered more treatment
for my neck. Len Haines came
back today after his stay at
Cosford. I had tea after a link
period & at night listened to
Radio [[?]] awhile then
wrote home. We went to supper
and then had a shave & shower
& got off to bed.
DECEMBER, 1944
SEVENTY-TWO
46 Friday 1
After breakfast I went on sick
parade so missed the full parade.
Then after treatment I saw a
pyro technic display. We did a
period on bombing then sigs,
nav & sigs. Had dinner & after
dinner I went & did two periods
of radar & was going to P.T. but
it was scrubbed. So we knocked
about in the hut. Went to see a
WAAF corporal Jack knows & then
had tea. Wrote a bit at night &
went to see Sheila again. We
had supper at the YM then came
back to the hut. I got letters
from home, Ian, Pat Cramwell
Blue Brittain & Margaret. I wrote
Margaret, Blue, home & Pat.
Had a shower & got off to bed.
44. 

DECEMBER,1944
Saturday 2
I got up and went to the flight. I
did a couple of dual circuits and
they were a big ropey & then went
solo. Poor landings & on the last
one I bounced & tried to overshoot
with full flaps & U/C & we almost hit
the trees then I pulled the flaps up
& we surged toward the ground.
Our speed was about 80 mph! I
damn nearly killed three of the boys.
Told the flight blokes & they tried to
tell me where I was wrong. In the
afternoon I went to link & then we
did a bit of P.T. I played badminton
with All & Ed. I had tea & later
we nattered awhile then I had a
shave & shower & changed to go to
the mess dance but it was a
beer up so I left & came back to
the hut & got off to bed.
DECEMBER,1944
Sunday 3
I got up and had breakfast then 
we went to crew assembly. We 
did some A.M.B.T. We were called to
fly at very short notice & it was a
check period. I did obs. and he did
a lousy landing. We had our
dinner and then went to airmanship
and did three dinghy drills.
We then split & I went to link. I 
did a poor period. Had tea then
came back to the hut and
wrote a bit. Jack & I went to
supper & a sing-along at the Y.M.C.A.
we came back & I had a 
shower and got off to bed. I
had wrote letters to Miss was Slade
today.

DECEMBER,1944
Monday 4
We went to breakfast as usual & 
then went on parade. We had 
a lecture on 'Gec' first & a [[?]]
Then I went & got my A.C.F. comfort
[[?]], bootpolish, chocolate, fruit etc
We had more lectures and then
had lunch & got the truck to
Cheltenham where we did some 
wet dinghy drill. It was a funny
trip with a light car which could
not pass tracking up behind as 
far as Andoverford. We had a
look about town & a bit to eat
then came home. Had tea & I
had a lot of washing for my
towel & togs. Went to a wet
show at the mess but left half
way thro' it. Had a shave & I
then got off to bed.
I wrote Aunty Grace today & got
a letter from Pat Wade.
DECEMBER,1944
SEVENTY-THREE
Tuesday 5
I had breakfast & today we had
some flying at 0900. I did a check
& some solo then I cut a tyre so
stopped for a time but took off
again & did some more solo & 
was finishing off when S/L McKeand
came out & got me to take us to 
Austone. We were late back & 
had dinner - tea & in the

evening Jack & I went to the mess to 
write some letters. I got a bundle
of parcels papers from home & I
the wrote home & to Besy Baker
and Ian.
Had a shower & got off to bed.

DECEMBER,1944
SEVENTY-FOUR
47 Wednesday 6
We all went to briefing & attended
some AMB7 and then waited till
noon to fly. We did our bombing
(dual) at '2,000' today & the crush
was about 139 yds- a pass. We
were up till about 1530 & had
to do another circuit to test the
flaps but they were o.k. Had a
natter with the bombing blokes &
did two parachute drills & then
went to tea. I came back to
the hut & did a spot of writing
then had a shave & shower &
got off to bed.
I got letters from Ian, Judy &
home today and wrote to
Margaret & home.
Clive Jameson was grounded today
& is probably being sent home.
45.
DECEMBER, 1944

36 Thursday 7
I got tup and we went to briefing but
they scrubbed X/C's so I organised
a grope for us & we were stuck in
that all the day. we had dinner &

went back. In the afternoon when
we had finished, I did two
link periods & got on pretty well.
Had tea & came to the hut where
we nattered for a long time then
I wrote up my letter & diary.
Today I got letters from Mrs
Cranwell and Sheila Brabham &
a parcel ^letter from xxxx ^home. Also a parcel
from home & one from Margaret.
Had a shower & hit the hay.

DECEMBER, 1944

SEVENTY-FIVE

Friday 8

I got up a little later today and

had breakfast then went to parade

for our planned day. I did link

for three periods and A/ship for

two then had lunch. In the afternoon

we had a film on oxygen &

Jack and I ran around the

perimeter & then had a shower. I had

tea & came back to the hut. I tried

to collect my laundry but it had

not been sent. I got a newspaper

from Margaret today and a 

LIFE from home. I wrote to

Mrs Cranwell and home then got

off to bed.

DECEMBER, 1944

Saturday 9

Got up early & went to briefing &

then made way out to the kite &

it was U/S for some time and we

waited about for a time then

got off on our first Mas tup,

which was dual. We went to Frome

Laffen Walden - Thiuck - TLettering -

Adstone - Priors Hardwick & base.

It was a good trip at 18000 ft. We

had tea as soon as we got down

& I got my latest boil looked at.

I came to the hut & wrote a bit

more of my long letter then got to

bed early. I had a shower earlier

in the evening.

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 10

I got up to get to breakfast and then

went to do some flying but it

was scrubbed so we got put on

to a grope. We were there the whole

day and knocked off for lunch. I

went to the hospital but they would

not trust me so I came back to

the tup section. We got around quite

well & when it was [[?]]. I went to

the mess and had any early tea. I

spent the whole evening in the hut

and made some toast then got 

off to bed. I wrote to my Margaret

today.

46.

DECEMBER, 1944

47 Monday 11

I got up early for briefing and we got

away on our solo K/E at 10.30. We went

to St Davids - St Mary's - Frame. Adetone -

Pupis Hardwick & best. We had a good trip

at 18,000ft but nicer Lands Bank had a 

bit of trouble when we struck a very

high bank of cloud. I climbed to 19500

but could not get over it so we came 

down by divines ways to 9000ft. We

couldn't bomb & poor Jack was a 

bit worried but we arrived home OK.

& my landing was reasonable. I was

interrogated then had to give in my

pay book & collect a parcel from home

& one from the cigarette fund. Then I had

tea & came back to the hut & spent the

evening cleaning it out & polishing it

& nattering. I had a shower & went to

bed. I got a letter from home & one

each from Margaret and Ian.

DECEMBER, 1944

SEVENTY-SIX

Tuesday 12

I got up usual time & we went on

parade then got stuck into our

planned day periods. I went &

saw the P.I. about a certain amount

of intelligence at briefing but he

said he'd look into the matter. We

had dinner & then went to the

hospital & the Doc. was surprised

that I'd put up with my boil.

I went to lectures & later had a 

game of badminton with Tabby.

Had tea & collected a super parcel

from Shirl with 12 cakes of choc.

3 films & two jelly crystal boxes.

I wrote to a few folk, Shirley,

home, Ian, Kitty, had a 

shower & hit the hay. Got a cable

from Shirl today.

DECEMBER, 1944

Wednesday 13

I got up & went to breakfast and then

got briefed. X/C was scrubber but

they put us on bombing. We took

off and there was cloud all over the

country for about 200' so that only

high chimneys and masts were

showing thru. We had a capsy Past

engine and got a recall eventually

so came in. We did a dinghy drill

and then had tea. In the evening I 

wrote some letters to Shirl, Freddy,

Ian & Margaret. Got mail from

home, Mrs Mosers, Pat Cranwell, &

Beth Duncan & Mrs Lewis.

47.