Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 19

DECEMBER,1944   
Thursday 14
We got as far as briefing but they
scrubbed flying so we went to do 
some grnd subjects. No mail & a 
very ordinary day. I joined in an
interesting natter around the fire
& our principle problem was -
what is the height up the wall -
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
15ft ladder & 5 ft sq. box
I had a run around the perimeter
with Jack & had tea. Had a shower   
& shave & hit the hay.   

 

DECEMBER, 1944
SEVENTY-SEVEN
Friday 15 

I got up and flying was scrubbed 
again today so we went to a lecture 
by an intelligence officer who is an 
interrogator. He was first class. We 
then got stuck into a grope. It 
wasn't too good as Jack had a
niggelly. We had lunch & stayed 

at sigs all afternoon. I had tea & 
in the evening had a very serious
talk with Alf Birt. He objected to 
being the only drinker in the sigs 
& complained of our quietness. I 
told him straight he would not 
fly if he got drunk. He went out 
tonight instead to which I agreed.
It is a pity there is dissension in 
the crew. I wrote home and then 
had a shave & shower & got to bed.
Letters from Mrs Morris, Beth Duncan
Pat Cranwell home in the form of
LIFE and some Argus magazines.

DECEMBER, 1944

Saturday 16

49
I got up and had breakfast then

went on parade. We had a few

interesting lectures and then I

collected my laundry and went to

work again. I had lunch & in the

afternoon nattered with F/O Tasker

in A/ship section. I then had tea

and came back to the hut. Alf was

very drunk this morning and hardly

affable. He improved during the

day and I went to the pictures with

him this evening. There was a 

dance in the Sgts mess but I gave

it away. Got letters from home,

Prestons, Ian and Margaret & a

cable from Margaret. I wrote to

Sheila Grabham, Pat Cranwell &

Miss Lewis. 

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 17

I got up & had my egg for breakfast &

went to briefing. Weather was a 

bit duff to start with but cleared

so we got away at 1145. By the time

we got to 10000ft, Hal was out to it

& the nav. very groggy thro' oxygen

lack & so we came down to 2000'

and returned home. We had lunch

and then I messed about with the

guys for a bit then had tea. In

the evening we stayed in the hut 

and I yarned for a while and

I wrote a letter to Margaret. I

had a shower and got off to bed.

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DECEMBER, 1944

Monday 18

After breakfast we went to briefing

and at 1200 took off on an X/C to

Frome. At 5500N0830W & then to

Fishguard. Had a spot of 

trouble during the last part of

the trip but we got back

O.K. despite a few frayed tempers

Got up to 21000 ft & had a 

beaut vapour trail at one

stage Had tea and came 

back to the hut then went to

pictures in the mess -"Road to

Morocco" and "Dance Band."

Jolly good. Mail from Prestons.

 

DECEMBER, 1944

SEVENTY-EIGHT

Tuesday 19
38

I got up and had breakfast & went

on parade then had lectures

whole morning. After lunch we

had some more lectures and

in the afternoon 22 Fortresses &

a Liberator came in here. We

did some P.T., badminton being

the game. After tea I started my

letter writing and had some

toast & cheese in the hut. I

got letters from Alan Windmill,

Frida, home, Dad, Mrs Teal, Mrs

Bridge, Daisy, Moss, Sheila

Grabham & Mrs Hatte. I wrote

Beth Duncan, home, Dad.

DECEMBER, 1944

Wednesday 20

I got up & went to breakfast then

as parade was scrubbed, we went

to Crew Assembly & got some jobs

for the morning. After dinner I

went to intell. with the boys and

then we all did some P.T. - basketball

and badminton. I had a 

shower and then tea and we

went down to the station cinema

and to see "Fanny by Gaslight"

which was 100%. Tass & Jack &

I went to YM. for supper then

came back & I had a shave &

wrote Margaret & hit the hay.

I got a letter from Sue today.

49.

 

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Thursday 21

I got up & went to breakfast &

briefing & we got away on a 5 hr

X/C. to Conway, Millom Pt. Sea

posn. - P.H - Od-base. Xtra good

first part but ran into duff

weather coming home and

couldn't do any bombing at all.

Was in a MKIII. Went to the big

interrogation & then had tea. There

were letters from Pat Cranwell,

Mrs Cranwell, Aunty Grace, Ken

Butler, Beryl Ballard. I wrote Aunty 

Win, Ian, Ken & Sue.

Had a shower & hit the hay.

DECEMBER, 1944

Friday 22

I had breakfast and then we

went to briefing but our bombing 

trip was cancelled so we went

to crew assembly where we got a 

few jobs and just settled down

when they put us on fighter

affil. It was cancelled also & 

we went to lunch. In the afternoon

we went to have a look over

one of the fortresses and then

had a beaut game of basketball
& badminton. We beat

Goldsworthy's crew 5-2. Had

tea and spent the night here
in the hut. I had a shower &

shave then hit the hays. Got a

card from Keddies & wrote Frida. 

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Saturday 23

I got up & had breakfast & then

we went on parade and

had a planned day, but the

whole place seems fired with

a holiday spirit so we didn't

get much work done.. I had 

dinner & we had an interesting

lecture on Escape & med. then

came tea. In the evening

wrote a whole lot of letters &

then had a shower & got off 

to bed. Got 3 Australasians

from Margaret 7 Lifes & some

A.B.C. programs & WEM's & some

papers from Sheila Grabham.

Parcels also from Pat Wade &

Shirley Phillips. I wrote to Beryl

Ballard, Mrs Keddie & Pat Wade.

Got the Chronicle too from home. 

Soap 3, Shaving brush, blades, clothes

brush, brylcreem, paper, envilopes, & a

tooth-brush.

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 24

I got up early and had breakfast

then went to the guard room with

Jack & back to crew assembly where

we got some jobs. I managed 

to get Jack away today & also got

Wednesday off too. We were

down to do some fighter affil &

then went to control but it was 

scrubbed so we got dressed &

set off on leave. Tass & I went to 

Moreton & tried to hitch hike to 

Stratford but couldn't so we caught

the train to Worcester despite the 

rail ban. Asked a few places & then

got in at the Hop Market Hotel. 

We went to the Y.M.C.A. & it was 

very nice. Roamed about town

& then came back to bed.  

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Monday 25

After breakfast we went into town

and roamed about a bit before

going to the Meth. Church. We then

were invited to several places & 
the service was most unorthodox

with a trace of the Story from

bible & hymn book. We went to the

hotel for dinner and in the afternoon

went to the pictures & saw 

"Love Story" which was very good

Then we had our tea and walked

to the station, came back & sat in

the lounge & fooled about a bit

with a few of the guests & then

went to bed.

DECEMBER, 1944

Tuesday 26

We were docked for ₤2-9-0 as our

bill so pinched the money from the

electric heater and then got out. We

caught the train to Pershore & went

into town where we called in at

the Angel Hotel. We were adopted

into the family circle & given a free

meal etc. and then left them and

went to the Moss house where we 

first met Daisy coming out. She took

us along to Edna's place and we

had tea and then conducted a beaut

session in the lounge. We left about

0230 & then stopped on the station 

for ½ hr but it got too cold so we

walked out to the drome & got

the S.P.'s to put us up.  

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Wednesday 27

I got up 0730 & had eggs from the

Sgts Mess & a shave & shower. I

stuck around while Tass had

his then went to the station &

rang Daisy. Nattered for a while

then went to the Mess. We had

dinner there and then Daisy came

home. Irene came around & we

had tea & went up to Ednas to go to 

the dance at Cheltenham but there

was a bit of trouble about it so

we went to Pershore to the pictures.

- what. I don't know. We went in 

a mail van but had to walk home. 

Then we had a sess. in Daisy's

& how! and then went to Irene's

Came back and got settled by the fire

but Daisy didn't want to go to bed

but we sent her in the end 0300

woke at 0400 & had a bit to eat &

again at 0515 when we went to

the station & caught the train

DECEMBER, 1944

SEVENTY-NINE

Thursday 28
50

Arrived back here 0700 & walked to 

the hut across the drome. Had a 

clean up then went to find out

about briefing. We didn't fly

fortunately so we just did 

odd jobs around the place. We

had dinner & then filled in the 

afternoon same way. Both feeling

terribly tired today. I wrote

a number of letters after tea to

home, Mrs Slade & Daisy I

got them from Ian, Stumpy, home,

Dad & Molds & a parcel from 

home & a cake from Hampton. 

 

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Friday 29

Got up as usual and went to 

crew assembly. I picked up my 

uniform from the stores and

after dinner we did more

work. Had tea and went as a 

crew to see an Ensa play

called the "Cage" which was 

fairly good. Came back and

finished my letter to Margaret,

had a shower & got off to bed.

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DECEMBER, 1944

Saturday 30

We started off the day in the usual

way with no set plans & so

were surprised to get leave granted

at 1100 hrs, Len & I got ready &

caught the train to Worcester. I

got off at Evesham & met Daisy &

we had some dinner then looked

about town and went to see

"Song of Bernadette". It was super.

Came back to Pershore for tea & 

went to the dance at Worc but

Daisy was making up to a F/L

whole time so I didn't enjoy my

self much. I rode home with her 

& we had supper and said goodnight
& I slept with Bernard at

night. 

 

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 31

I had a bit of breakfast then said

goodbye to Daisy and started the

ride back home. I was tired out

by Evesham. Passed thro' Broadway

& climbed the hill then pushed 

the rest of the way home. I was 

a bit late but there was nothing

doing for us so we did a bit of

Link and we spent the afternoon 

same way. I collected my new

battledress from the tailors and 

then went to P.T. Had a super

game of badminton with Hal. 

After tea I went to the hospital

and got some Ultra-violet ray

treatment. Came back & wrote a

bit & got to bed. Wrote Mrs

Bridge & Mrs Cranwell.

JANUARY, 1945

Monday 1

I got up and had a lot of trouble

with Alf Birt. He was very drunk &

had busted a window last night. 

I went to briefing but flying was

scrubbed so we stuck to ground

subjects all day and in the afternoon

had a super game of

badminton. After tea I went to 

treatment and came back to the

hut & did some letter writing. I 

had a shower earlier. We had a

beaut supper because I pinched

some butter & bread from the 

mess. Wrote Aunty Grace, Dad &

Pat Cranwell & David.  

 

 

JANUARY, 1945

EIGHTY

Tuesday 2
51

I got up and had my breakfast

pretty early and then went to briefing

I didn't get off on bombing but 

we did intelligence all the morning
and in the afternoon went
to the gym & played badminton.
They sent Pipper & Goldsworthy
on before us bombing so I got a
niggelly. I had a shower & tea
and went to treatment and
then came back & wrote some
letters. Had a shave before turning
in. Letters from home & Ian
An I wrote to home, Mrs Mold,
Margaret, Ian and Syb
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