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 [[?]] subjects. No mail & a 
very ordinary day. I joined in an
interesting natter around the fire
and our principal 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

49 Saturday 16

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 Jasper

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,

Preston, Ian and Margaret & a

cable from Margaret. I wrote to

Sheila Brabham, Pat Branwell &

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.

48

DECEMBER, 1944

Monday 18

After breakfast we went to briefing

and at 1200 took off on an X/C to

Frome. St 20N0830W & then to

Fishguard. Had a spot of 

trouble during the last part of

the trip but we got back

OK. despite a fuse frayed tanker

Got up to 21000ft & 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 Prestans.

DECEMBER, 1944

SEVENTY-EIGHT

38 Tuesday 19

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 Liberatore 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 Windruck,

Frida, home, Dad, Mrs Teal, Mrs

Bridge, Daisy, Moss, Shiela

Brabham & 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 [[?]]

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 [[?]]

K/E. to Conway, William Pt. Sea

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

first past but ran into duff

weather coming home and

couldn't do any bombing at all.

was in a MK511. Went to the big

interrogation & then had tea. There

were letters from Pat Granwell,

Mrs Granwell, Aunty Grace, Ken

Butter, Beryl Ballarat. 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 fights

[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 basket-

ball & 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 hay. Got a

card from Kiddies & wrote Freda. 

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 & [[mud?]] 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 & [[?]] & some

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

parcels from Sheila Graham.

Parcels also from Pat [?] &

Shirly Philliips. I wrote to Beryl

Ballard, Mrs Reddy & Pat Wade.

Got the Chronicle too from home. 

Soaps, shaving brush, blades, clothes, 

brush, Brylcreem, paper, envilopes &

tooth brush.

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 24

I got up early and had breakfast

then went to the guard room with

Jack and Beck to crew assembly where

we got some jobs. I managed 

to get Jack away today & also got

Wednesday off too. We went

down to do some flights after &

then went to [e?] but it was 

scrubbed so we got dressed &

set off on leave. Jas & I went to 

Thornton & tried to hitch hike to 

Stratford but couldn't so we caught

the train to [?] despite the 

rail ban. Asked a few places, then

got in at the Flop 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

Christmas Day

After breakfast we went into town

and roamed about a bit before

going to the Nth.Church. We then

were invited to several places & 
the service was most [[?]]

with a trace of the [[silky?]] 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 & looked about a bit

with a few of the guests & then

went to bed.

DECEMBER, 1944

Tuesday 26

Boxing Day

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 [?] & went

into town where we called in at

the Angel Hotel. We were adopted

into the family [[?]] & 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 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 hour 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 [?] 120 & 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 Mass. We had

dinner there and then Daisy came

home. [?] 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 [?P] 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 [?]

home back and got settled by the fire

but Daisy didn't wan 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

50       Thursday 28

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 bunch of letters after tea to

home, Mrs Slade & David &

for them from Ian, [?], 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 [?Anna] play

called the "Cage" which was 

fairly good. Came back and

finished my letter to Margaret.

had a shower & got off to bed.

50

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 [?], [?] I got ready &

caught the train to Worcester. I

got off at Beecham. I met Daisy &

we had some dinner then looked

about town and went to see

Song of Bernadette". It was super.

Came back to Penhose for tea & 

went to the dance at [?were] but

Daisy was making up F/L

whole time so I didn't enjoy my

self much. I rode home with her 

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

night. 

DECEMBER, 1944

Sunday 31

1st after Christmas

I had a bit of breakfast then said

goodbye to Daisy and started the

ride back home. I was tired out

by Beecham. 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

[?] and we spent the afternoon 

some 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 Bronwell.

JANUARY, 1945

Monday 1

New Year's Day - Commonwealth Day

I got up and had a lot of trouble

with Al 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 Cronwell & David.  

JANUARY, 1945

EIGHTY

51    Tuesday 2

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.