Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 10

JUNE, 1944
Saturday 17
I had breakfast & went on parade & then we
had P.T., sigs., & a couple of Nav. periods &
broke off. I changed after dinner & then went
on parade & we got our leave passes. I
went to town & then to Manchester which
was interesting but dirty. The public
library is rather beautiful so is the Town
Hall. There has been a lot of bomb damage
in the town. We passed the Manchester
Airport & I saw a of of rabbits at a warren
& also a chap cyclling with a double bass
slung over his back. I had tea/supper
back here & spent the evening straightening
up & I wrote to Mr Short at Durban to-night.
JUNE, 1944
Sunday 18
I had breakfast & then took a shower &
shave & got dressed & went to church
with Gordon. It was quite up to
usual standard. I had dinner & then
Ken & Jack & I took a walk to town & a
bus to Northwich about 15 miles south
The town was industrial but the country
along the R. Weaver very delightful. We
walked a bit & guessed we were about
the first Aussies down there. We had tea at
a cafe & after strolling about a bit more
we caught the bus home & came by a
different route which was most attractive.
We came to the NAAF1 & then I had
a wash & hit the hay. I read for a
while before turning in.
 

JUNE, 1944
Monday 19
After breakfast we had parade & then
went to lectures & finished up on the
range firing .303. We had dinner & then
I did a bit of washing. We had some
most interesting lectures in the afternoon
& then knocked off. I collected my boots
and had tea & then we stayed in all
night. A Thunderbolt & two Lightnings
shot us up tonight. I did a bit of
ironing & played cards & had a bath &
shave & then got off to bed.
ROCKET BOMBS (PILOTLESS) CAUSING CONCERN &
DESTRUCTION IN ENGLAND U.S. TROOPS ACROSS
CHERBOURG PENINSULA.
JUNE, 1944
Tuesday 20
I got up and we went to Nav & were
taught about the sextant. I bludged
off two clay pigeon shoots. I had dinner
& then we had more lessons. I had my
A/rec. exam & did O.K. & then had our final
intelligence & finished off. We had tea & I
had a shower & shaved then went into
town, with Ken & Cx, Harry, Ligu, Bill &
Frank to the YMCA. We had a super time &
I got up a couple of times with Sue & with
Pat. Pat is a slashing dancer & a very nice
kid. We walked round to Sue's place &
then came home by train. I had a wash
& then got off to bed.
 

JUNE, 1944
TWENTY-NINE
Wednesday 21
A/G.
I got up & had breakfast & then we were given
our postings. I'm off to Clyffe Pypard & we
were kit inspected. I spent a bit of time
in the Southern Cross playing cards. I
had dinner & we lay in the sun all the
afternoon. Then I had a shower & shave
& changed. I got a bus into town &
called for my films but they still
weren't ready. I bought some music
& went to the YMCA & played for about
2 hrs. I met Eileen & then Pat came up
so I had tea at the YMCA & then we
yarned all night. Harry turned up
c 2030 & I went to dancing down at
Two. It was my 9th & last period.
I came home & had a wash & went to
bed. I got a letter from Pat Cromwell
today.
JUNE, 1944
Thursday 22
I had breakfast & in the morning I stayed
around & collected some ACP socks &
we had the morning off. I went to
dinner & then we had a parade & after
packing I put my bag in the store &
also collected 3 pairs of new socks & a
tie. My socks were the first Aussie ones
she had seen darned. I took my luggage
down & had tea then a shower & shave &
then got ready & we went to town. We
all went up to YMCA & had a super time
I got on well with Pat but was pathetically
slow after it all. I came home with the
other lads & got off to bed. I got my
chocolate & cigars last night & sent
letters to Pat Cromwell & Margaret.
 

JUNE, 1944
Friday 23
We got up as usual & at 0815 embussed
and went into Warrington where we
caught the train to Curve. We changed
trains & proceeded via Shrewsbury,
Weir, Abergavenny, Newport to Bristol
Country round Shrewsbury is xtra beautiful -
We had two hours at Bristol & I had a
look about. It has been horribly
blitzed. We came on thro' Bath to
Swindon where we got a bus out to
Clyffe Pypard. It is a very out of the
way station & I am not terribly impressed
by it. We had tea & went to NAAF1
& then had a shower & hit the hay. I
wrote to Pat Wade tonight
JUNE, 1944
Saturday 24
I had breakfast & we paraded & had
orders read to us. Then we had morning
tea & signed a couple of doovers & got off to
lunch. I lay in the sun for a while &
got quite burnt. We had some more pep
talk then went to parachute section &
then collected our inter comm equipt. Then
we had afternoon tea & bludged the
rest of the day. I had tea & went out for
a walk. I went about 5 miles mainly
across country & almost into Clyffe Pupard. I
walked right around the drome & passed
thro' a lot of wheat & barley fields. I walked
to the edge of the Chilterns & sat down for a
while gazing down on to the low lands.
I took a photo & then came home to the
NAAF1 & got my chocolate & then had a
shower & got off to bed.
 

JUNE, 1944
Sunday 25
I had breakfast & then we collected
parachutes & went across to "C" Flight.
We just had a pep talk & a few of the
lads went off for a flip. NAAF1
came around in the morning & then
at 1200 we went to dinner. We had a
talk by the C.O. at 1400 & then went
over to the flight. I had a small flight
& felt very sick. We couldn't get much
ceiling & the country side is very congested
& there is a huge number of kites about.
We had tea & I didn't go for a stroll
because it rained but went to
"Coastal Command" instead. I
cam back & shaved & had a shower.
JUNE, 1944
THIRTY
Monday 26
After breakfast we stayed in our huts as
long as possible but then went in the
rain to the parachute section & then to the
flight but flying was scrubbed so we
came back. Then I had dinner & wrote
home & we stayed a lot of the afternoon
in the hut. I read & wrote to Sue. Then I
went to parachute section & Cx & I taxied
a kite over to C flt but flying was still
scrubbed. I came back & posted some
mail & then got a cable away to Sybil. She
is to be married on Saturday - this I
gleaned from an Aust. Newsletter. I
had tea & then wrote some more & had
a bit of supper & then had a shower &
got off to bed.
 

JUNE, 1944
Tuesday 27
12
I had breakfast & there was a mad rush
for kites but we got on OK, we taxied
across & spent the morning either reading
or flying & I did 50 min duel & was a
bit sick again. I had dinner & in the
afternoon we just stooged around the
flight but did not fly. I read & then we
got a kite back. I had tea & then went
for a long walk (c. 9 miles) to Wootton
Bassett. The countryside is beautiful & I
saw a lot of thatched roofs & beaut green
trees. I passed thro the most attractive
village I've yet seen - Bushton, at the foot
of our hill. I got letters from home, Mrs
Slade, Beth Duncan, Ian & two from
Margaret. My shoes have worn out & I've
only two pairs! I had a shower on
return & then got off to bed.
NAAF1 comes round to the flight at 1030
with grub & also the R.A.F. at 1530.
JUNE, 1944
THIRTY-ONE
Wednesday 28
I got up & had breakfast & we went down
to the flight but there was no flying. We
mucked about down there & I wrote to
Ken & Ian Parkin then we came back to
dinner. I got another letter from Margaret
& also one from Mr Drury's son in Herts.
I stayed in the hut after dinner as it was
too wet to go to the flight & I wrote a bit &
sent one to Margaret. I wrote home too
but am leaving it till tomorrow. I had
to spend a while at a picture on NAV &
then came & had a haircut & afternoon
tea then wrote a bit more & went to
tea. There was an A ENSA show here
tonight featuring the Southern sisters,
Irving Kaye (S. African whistling violinist,
John Purkiss, pianist & Jack Warenan,
B.C.C. comedian. In addition were several
acrobats etc. I had a shave & a wash &
then went to bed. Weather was bad all
day. I got a bite at the NAAF1 first before
bed.
 

JUNE, 1944
Thursday 29
13
I had breakfast & we went down to
the flight but flying was scrubbed.
I did an hour link period & then had
dinner. I wrote a bit & then we taxied
kites down to the flight but there was
only a limited amount of flying & I
didnt get up. We taxied back & then
had a read & the intelligence library &
went went to tea. The objectional MO
kicked Cx & me out of a discussion
group. After tea I went to the library
again & then had supper. I took a
run around the drome & then had a
shower & got off to bed. I wrote
Leandina Fleming & Beth Duncan today
& posted one to home yesterday.
JUNE, 1944
Friday 30
I went to breakfast & then we had a
big parade & heard the charge & want
of court martial against Sgt.Sibly
an Australian. Went to the flight & after
a dual check did my first solo in
England! I had dinner & went up
a lot more all solo. I got ready to go on
leave & Cx had a big push to get away on
time. We caught the 1730 bus to Swindon
& came on to Oxford by train. All the
YMCA places & hotels were full & we were in
a real predicament so I eventually put
a call thro' to Mrs Harrison & she very
kindly told us to come out. It was
raining hard & we were at Marston Rd
so walking was out of the question. We
got a jeep to town & a private car out to
Cunnor & after a bite of supper we hit the
hay.
 

JULY, 1944
Saturday 1
We got up about 0800 & had a beaut
breakfast & after getting dressed etc we
went to town with Mrs Bridge & Mrs
Harrison. Young Susan is calling me
"Uncle Ted." We bought bicycles in town
& then went to dinner, After seeing Mr
Bridge. In the afternoon we looked over
the Bodleain Library, Ashmolean hall
& Divinity school & also Christchurch. We
road thro' the Blin walk & along the
Thames then came back & went to the
YMCA. We had a bit to eat & then sat
there a while & did a line with a girl
called Violet Warr & her china (cousin).
We had a hot tea & collected our stuff
then went to the station & caught the 2040
train. We eventually got to Swindon &
had a rather tiring ride thro' Wootton
Bassett to here. I had a wash & cleaned
some handkerchiefs from a blood nose.
I go off to bed quickly rather done in & xx
was feeling very tired.
JULY, 1944
THIRTY-TWO
Sunday 2
It was raining & misty when we woke &
after breakfast we just stayed in the huts &
went to a church parade at 0930 in the
NAAF1 reading room. It was run by the
local Presbyterian minister & was quite good.
I went down to the flight & fixed up my log
book but didn't fly. After dinner we went
down again but it rained heavily the whole
afternoon so I slept or read. We came
back & I dropped some log.books at the
time-keepers room then came back to the
hut & we went to tea. In the evening I
read & wrote to Dr Drury & Mrs Harrison
& then had a shower & crawled into
bed & read awhile.
 

JULY, 1944
Monday 3
I stayed in the hut for a while & then we
went down to the flight but were sent
back to the intelligence library. I had
dinner x in the afternoon had two hours
of flying all solo. My landings were
quite good today. We taxied back &
then I had tea. I did my washing and
then went for a ride to Winterbourne
Bassett, Long Benton & home with Cx.
Then I had a shave & got off to bed.
I wrote to Margaret today & got a letter
from Pat.
JULY, 1944
Tuesday 4
We went down to the flight and an "A"
program was in operation. I did a X/C
to Cirencester, Faringdon, Marlborough &
base altho' a bit bushed at the end, had
a hellerva good trip. After dinner we went
to the flight again and I did another X/C
this time with a navigator, to Marlborough,
Pewsey, Bath & base. It was xtra good but
I made a wicked landing. At night I
copped guard so after writing for a while
I reported & got first shift till midnight.
It was very quiet & I had a bit of
supper & then at midnight went to bed
after a shower etc. Sgt Maddocks (a fool),
force landed near Newbury today when
he was booked for circuits. He says he
wasn't low flying but I doubt the veracity
of his statement. A Nav. also got lost at a
Yank drome at Andover & got chicken for
lunch! Mushrooms are growing in the
drome & a lot are being gathered at night
now.
 

JULY, 1944
Wednesday 5
I was able to stay in bed all morning
but go up about 1000 & shaved & then
after messing about went to dinner. The
A.O.C. was holding an inspection today
so that called for a general panic. Flying
was restricted & I went up about 1600
& did a spot of I.F. & some aerobatics. They
were fair only. I was sick on the way
back home. I changed & we raced out &
caught the bus to town & then the train to
Oxford. We met Violet & Jean & went to
see "Halfway House" & it was fair. We
had a stroll & then the girls went home &
we mooned around a bit longer then
went to bed. I had a bit of strife over
beds but got fixed up OK eventually.
Wrote to Beryl Bullard & Pat Cromwell.
& Shirl.
JULY, 1944
Thursday 6
We got up 0900 & had breakfast & then
roamed about thro' town & I bought a
camera case. some music & drew out
some money. We went over Balliol &
then had dinner at Kemp Hall. We
saw Violet for a while then went down
to the bridge & walked along the river &
sat down all the afternoon. The Yanks
were putting on disgusting shows of
perversion. We walked back into town
& had tea at the YMCA & then I went for
a walk along the Thames W of Magdalen.
It was very delightful & I round the
University Parks. I came back to YMCA &
we went to the station & so away. At
Swindon we just missed the bus home
so four of us caught a taxi out.
had a wash & got off to bed.
A letter from Ken today.