Diary of Edward Lloyd Fleming, January- September 1945 - Part 7

out. A large crowd at Stranraer, so I got the slow train
- in which I’m now writing. ‘Ye Gods’ the parting
was hard! Betty was going back with Nella. The train
trip wasn't too bad but very cold even in daylight. We
arrived at Kentish Town about 1200 & I got a U/ ground
to Euston where I had a bath & shave & then set forth to
eat but food just wasn’t so I had to go without. I
went to Kodak House to see about my job but they
told me nothing doing for Wed, & advised me to see
Capt E.U. Allen of QUANTAS about the civil aviation.
Went round to BOAC but he was out so I rang thru'
& the Willis' to see if it would be O.K to come down. They

agreed & I got the first available train. In the mail
was a parcel from home and some newspapers but no
letter from Mum or Margaret & also I discovered I’ve
left my pyjamas at Portrush !!! We went for a very
enjoyable walk to meet Dr Willis & I also met a Mrs
Herbert & we had tea together then Betty printed my
”dull” 35 m.m. film for me to see if we could find
where the trouble lay. We nattered for a while then

turned in. They all seem well & Betty Willis
has taken up music as a career. Mrs Willis gave me
some very interesting dope on book-writing too.
8.8.45 (Wed). Betty called me at 0730 & I dressed
& nipped smartly into town and just arrived at Airways 

House as Capt Allen was coming out so I got on the bus to
the Strand with him & he told me a/. University degrees in
science are now required for aircrew & in econ. & comm.
for ground duties b/. that terrific expantion is 
envisaged & the demand will be greater than the supply.
c/. that the knowledge I have of flying will be invaluable.
d/. that the degrees will be useful in retired life. I left him

at Aerial House & headed for Edgware Rd., to pick up
my shoes but the shop is closed till the 11th so I went to
the camera folk. They seemed to think the light was getting
thru the window so we blacked it out more. Caught
the bus to Oxford Circus & went thru the Airplane
exhibition very thoroughly then had dinner at Kensington

restaurant. Returned to Kodak House to report progress

& they had nothing new to report give me so I went to the 
Boomerang Club and met Frank Dimmock there. Came home
shortly after. A bod called Dr Reggie Ruell came
in the evening, a real bumtious pommy but very

brainy & harmless enough. We had some very nice
gramo records.
9 8.8.45 (Thurs). I had a bath & shave & then breakfast
& Betty washed my clothes for me while I helped

Mrs.Willis shake some apples of a tree & cut them up
for preserving. Met Sir Arthur Keith & then I did some
reading before dinner. In the afternoon we printed some

films and then went for a nice walk thru Loxted &
 round Biggin Hill airdrome & watched the Dakotas come

in. Had tea and spent the evening writing & reading up
in my room.
9.8.45 (Fri). JAPAN SURRENDERS.
Dr Willis drove us in to town after breakfast and the
run thru the suburbs was most interesting. I called
for mail after seeing Drs rooms & they have a beautiful
outlook over a park. Betty, Mrs Willis & I set out for
 Charing X Rd. to do some shopping of books in I
spent most of our time on Foyles & I bought 9 books
We returned to the National Gallery where Betty bought
ticket for the midday concert while Mrs Willis & I
bought the lunch which we all ate on the steps of the

Gallery overlooking Trafalgar Sq. It was a beautiful
sunny day out and the two piano playing at the concert
was bang on. When it had finished we were looking

at some paintings when I noticed the news on a 
bloke's paper. Betty nipped out and bought another &
sure enough the war was over. We walked up
Haymarket to Lyons Corner House & had a drink

after watching the crowd in Piccadilly a little while.
They were throwing blokes in the air, service men & cops
& standing all over the Eros statue. Buses were
stopped on & one crowd was beseiging every taxi that 

passed. After our drink Betty & I went to Piccadilly
again & now the had a "crocodile" going and
were dancing. Someone slung up a toilet roll
& it undid beautifully. We saw two big-
breasted trollops who figured rather prominently 
later. We walked down Whitehall to Downing

street but apart from service cheifs, there was
little to be seen altho a fairly large crowd was
waiting for Attlee to appear. So we returned
to the Haymarket & these two trolls had

been hoisted on to shoulders minus their
sweaters & that was all the clothes they had
on top ! They were taken into a shop presently
where they dressed & altho they made out they
were annoyed they lost no time in getting
back to Piccadilly & swaggering their hips & 
bosoms all the way. By this time horse-police had

come & the crowd dispersed. We went up some of
the back streets & saw the Yanks & trolls in
action & the sly grog too. Met Dr & Mrs Willis at
Charing X Lyons Corner House and had a beaut
tea there got a taxi to Albert Hall. We "promenaded"
- ie. had to stand or sit in the pit & hear 

Sir Arthur Bolt conduct some Beethoven
works - Egmont overture, Eroica Symph & more

 

concerts - he was brilliant. Took the taxi back to
Sardinia Street & saw more crowds at Buckingham
Palace & they were singing on the steps of

Nelsons Pillar In Trafalgar Sq. The parklands were
full of people, so beautiful was the night, and
Boadicea's statue looked A1 beside a finger nail
swan. We waited a while for Mrs Herbert then drove
home. London streets were littered with paper &
streamers but up near Kingsway it was deserted
tonight. They celebrated here with some Dutch grog
& after supper we all got off to bed. I wrote a little
first.  "The world Turned upside Down."
10.8.45 (Sat) Up early & off to town with only a couple of bits
of bread inside me but I went first to Charing X and then
to Trafalgar Sq. I took snaps of Admiralty Arch and also
walked up the mall to Buckingham Palace to Boadicea's
statue. Walked back along Piccadilly to the circus & wandered
along Shaftsbury Ave back to Charing X Rd. where I
caught a bus to Kodak house & got my first letter from
home for 6 weeks ! I continued on to Blackfriers Bridge &
walked along the embankment, eventually getting up into
the little back bombed streets between the river & Fleet Street.
Went thru newspaper land & had lunch then went up to
St. Pauls. Made down to Pauls wharf & then to the U/ground &
got a train to Marble Arch. Then I went To Regents Park to see

the zoo. The walk from the tube thru the Park  was very beautiful

and I spent a most interesting time at the zoo. Saw the birds

plenty of kookaburras & budgies & dingoes & wallabies. It is

quite a big place on the way back I took a photo  of a pavement

artist but it was off the film. Took the train to

Charing X & then came out home straight. We had

a beautiful tea and Betty & I went for A walk in the 

direction of Orpington then developed my film I read

a bit before turning in. Was amused at the baby

monkey looking for ticks in its father & eating what

 it found and also the chim baboon which splashed

the onlookers with his water. Another monkey had a

mirror & couldn't quite fathom it.

11.8.45 (Sun) We were up latish and Betty and I

printed my films but they were done on the wrong

paper so results were not particularly satisfactory.

We then went for a walk over the golf links & sat near

Biggin Hill Airfield & nattered for an hour or so then

returned & I packed.  I said goodbye to Betty first as

she had to play for S.S. and then I took leave of Dr. & 

Mrs Willis & caught the bus to Nth Bromley. I'd  missed 

the train so went to Sth Bromley & got to London

just in time to catch the 1705 north. It was  terribly 

crowded & I had to stand all the way. Even the

lavatories were occupied by about 4 bods in each

 

At Retford I got a bus which took me to Elkersley & I

got a good bed.  Lost little time in turning in.
12.8.45 (Mon) After breakfast I went to Despatch Flt
in high hopes of getting away today but no joy &

a bit of trouble over rail warrants but I think all

will be well tomorrow. I went to the luggage store to
fix my stuff & found John Coffey there. He'd been 
to Morpeth etc & we had a long yarn together.  He's
off to get a job at Leeds or Bradford. I went to 

dinner & then put the braid on my old N.C.O jacket 
& at 1545 started to hitch into town with a parcel 

for John & one for homke & my best blue pants which 

I'd dropped in some white paint. Posted the parcels 

& also got my uniform cleaned & pressed at very

short notice by Clarks of Retford. No one would sew 

up my kit pack so I started to walk back when a 

R.A.F. Ambulance gave me a lift to the corner & a station

truck back to camp. I collected my sweet ration 

and spent the evening packing & organizing things 

& writing. Turned in quite early. 
13.8.45 (Tues). I got up at the usual time, had breakfast &

a shower & then packed & took my best blues to the luggage

store then collected my leave pass, signed out & hitched 

into Retford on a G.P.O. van & a ordinary car then caught 

the train to Sheffield. I had a long time to wait and so
 caught a tram to Millhouses thru some very pretty suburbs & 

Millhouses itself was very beautiful with a good type of house 

& plenty of tree. I walked thru' some woods to Bents 

Green and saw a big school on modern lines at 

High Storrs Road. I walked to Endfield Gdns. presented to 

the city in 1887 & they were looking very beautiful. Then I 

caught the tram to the Botanical Gdns which I walked 

thru & then got an inner circle bus to the LMS station 

& saw a lot of the industrial districts that way. I 

went to a theatre & saw "None But the Lonely Heart" 

& it was very good. Had tea prior to that at the usual

cafe and then caught the 2040 train. Had quite a 

good trip but a lot of O.R.s filled the 1st compartment.

14.8.45 (Wed) VJ - 0FFICIAL DECLARATION OF PEACE

We were woken near Stranrear & told the news. I 

got the boat & the trip was perfectly smooth & we arrived 

home early. Rang Mrs Knox and then caught the

train to Belfast & had quite an interesting yarn

with the fellow passengers (Yanks). At the LMS NCC

sation I had a bath & shave & caught the Portrush 

train. Met Betty & the girls at the house and Portrush

was exceedingly gay with bands marching 

about & banners & fancy dress. A fancy dress 

parade took place at 1500 and a huge, happy
 

crowd assembled on Ramore to see it. After it the
people just wandered around & then after tea at 

2000 we went to Ramore to see the bonfire & rockets.
The naval boats shot of some traces & rockets etc &
the fire was very big & bright & a huge crowd was
there. We had supper & went to the Palladium & even
after the dance the crowd were still roaming around 

singing & dancing. Hit the hay about 0230.

15.8.45 (Thurs) Was up in fairly good time & after breakfast

just waited about for Betty. We went for a stroll down along
the Strand to the dinner & I just sat on the sand in beautiful
sunshine & nattered. We sunbathed but didn't swim &

came in to tea after which we watched the Lambeggers & there
were 4 of them. We went to go to the pictures but there was

a full house so called it off & instead came back & read 

then went out to supper & the Epilogue. A bod was 

drowned off the East Strand today. We had "supper" at the

Majestic after waiting an hour & getting a really stinking

sausage! Came in & nattered for a while then got off to

bed.

16.8.45 (Fri). Caught the 0900 to Belfast & made my

way slowly to Employment Exchange where I saw

Mr Latimer again but he was against the clerical job 

so I gave up the idea as it would have taken too long
 
pury we had tea after da been talking to a cha
Majste Ofter waiting tas hour & getting a really starkg
who ansidered pagdays all wrong & started to tell
derege Came it & ratterd fora whole ten got offte
me why ( he was tight) and in the weaig Cetty
A2t Pre) baught the eges to Refest & made ay
pan? I went to the Palladuion It was full
way placely to Emplayment Edang where Isaw
but my daming is improving ots rat the begin
tbe hatie again but he was against the clral to
of each danse wed get a good ren Cane hame to
so Igave of to the ast would have taken oting
supper to bed
 

enten) wwes up for braffer and then wald for
City we set on the Counge a whe ten went for a
tng wall to the white lochs discussing the ereation
Eligion generally we las teek for dines, den in
t aftenson we went out along te said dimes &
read te papss we didnt say much after te we went to
the sucader listend to the musie and same hom
interding to go to the Epilegal but changed our mind
sett cut my land for tonsury thi hane get my
tresfest healy then ie but the hay
4 245 (M) Iwasarak but oter called w at or
weeled, at I got rely for my lay onth land I waiter
at the state forthe nuch and met another bad &
bleraine we answered our names and Mr Stewart
come of & told me he had a lt wer fortuest for one
bed I was diffident but te promiced aring one
during the mbrning, meantion I returned hom here
the rreend of wolkes sertainly looked mht roug
I felt a bit & agig in my nice nea demons I
spen the mirning reding, waiting for he shene
when it did come, it was to diret me to a te belde
gentte farmer who lves narty I had be
and stacl photes in in the afterson after the Cetty
and I went to se wheing in Brooklyn what
was a literious stow and I got a pain laughing
 

at ine tlge where A shetterput on geggles, fala
sett Support an also good we came sed to
supper and the got up a few more lauison &
drewing resm and then turned in
Tes) woks fuling ant ofte buffed I
wrote a little thengot outod twent fora walk 4 te
whiterocks and it was til battling against a gale
going tthe said was plying hed shead boming bec
as a whole let casies & reads stept all dinnr time
and den started to contisider a picture of King willian
I souget at the conce shop stell full rotteer at the bat
lede nitt & after Bitl had been to te doctor we
went along to te salladum Hes were very po
tre to start will & we hes the pleas to reuslves we
came back, Bilt has some supple and the cougt
aff te bed
222 (wid) Dint falter trght odry tt
morning writng & redorg Collected my plen onle
rlts fe dinner Bitty ss off for the afternaon
swe went out on the sand Limes & stabitle
but cleud car up a we gave it away & camt
at to I ley & Legort toon while whole Petty
reed to mth Tast into my own restd
we read its Itmed in about ess0, stillfaln
sut fiered Atty brought me a tittle supper
 

et state + we got the wirpas working Had notting a
during to regrt
est all day again + Cetty has been a great react to mi
De (thurs) tlex about se feeling very sun +
we betenld to the weeekes at night and then sterned in
spent the morning saday woriting rly went out to pr
+ for a change, get a very good night rest th that
a letter Iouty has a serateh al dinner ten Citty were
Eeauld be home in ny old next apstans now
beck to work and I reas or played the piacs all te
26845 (sun) wile feeling ight on tes of the
Oftenson It was sold + ready outsed & twa ver
world but that elation passed off before long&
sold on to drawing room pd up there ofter
Twas quite siek for a time I had a batt & chavce
tu 1900 ten idecidedtiting in Betty can& nat
ten care ball to beso just distines to the cadis Bott
by te redt &I was tuidlyhet in it so she tecl away
stayed with me geting anything I wanted being
some of the clothes fack bill MeAtayd a
very checrful & I got betty rttte during te day
lt o noi aber ty sam in generally opeeding
at rocted tallled a pacted egg On mum
te nght iccef
I could have done wid one of issuire packed
E4 Pridy) I fill a bet better in the morning
It was very enjoyable & I oe been having quite a bet
bat didn't habe any breakfast and sat in the
drewing room went up the street to plone betly desin
o gestit agucon tos was in great spirits te
to morning fill thubl Taged in doers all the
About 1020 when my cchubirance rather, had to
aftenoon actually bd am te, Bitty or
pay heavily & for the rest of de mest I felt on
minged evest to a te e e a yo
Rith stayed wed we sel about 2120 whe
& gave the soae medicine the has gent some te.
Alssue ow D pack in trite to we imtam I terned in
262.42 (Mon) was sock all worning & misse
s fulng thdace got stought to be
out in all weals again Trees some toast for
345 (t) Seaned to be a lot worse in the morning
after a first effort at getting ip, I lay intess of my next tea te went down to see Ds Shiln Cloomen
went in front of me + another bludged in
rest of the norning and Woln Cetty came in, He made
the bids I spot the afternoon in it in a cather chan Iwas sick when talking to him H wanted
 

to devr what sert of attention Iwas getting
suggested I should fo to the hospital & acked for
a dut and he fired ups I decided to try it
for a day or so firsl Had quite a pt getting hem
a I was vlly weak & then hit the lay
Teaper
in portruch oe costing 8/6a16 and olter is
tiully annoying in her effocts to please the
suggests a sohale d mense & asks, after Ia
al are you seet now t a
to stepid weath piles siddotting on top of me
on see would have on suffecate Bltty is
stl a wizeu lid t have round stideed t re
whice Tives out tonight
22 Rues) another full day in bed but feeling
guite a tet better thy fired me up for bulfast and
as diner time they brought out 6 fied from the
house which was very nice I got up about 1800
shared and went to be doctor I felt rotter dere &
atthe he discesed an improvatient. I was very
plased to get to bed & Altt, who was alse thre apu
te night will me tel 2300
(ed) I have a taully disgraable nature
Im sure My behavious towards bitly has hee pip
& is rethr rminiscent of te way I behaved with
pnon one Sixtand tip. I nus dought it and
 

memfet telf wit a gus I lep woiding her glane, bees,
grempy & argumentive ty trouble is that all good
recollitions foued in bl absence go by te wind
wohen shishere yet thee couldnt be anyon so kind
attentive to me He day passed ordinaely & for a char
I reda lt which I vefell mmlik doing before Iwas
vry tired at mast & Belly read a bitt to me thed
tred in
38 242 (Thure fust spent an sederary moning in
sed and had a beautiful dinner there I get up
en & cleaned af a bet then went to be part office
It was very tiring & played the preas a bet & got be
to bed at 1620 Nugaret can out for a fgs as sa
wesed the dose. I deeided to hand it thei He wind
put it, hal full of wates, on the bed o repaet the
whole lot Just read a bit at night & Autty
tided the reson & made my bed M & MisRass
toll came out to ill me & it was very nice of the
Retly read me a couple of stoppy sheep stores
and then I get set fol the nightsumed in
(The) le before so had buakfest
telegram saying leaw was not extended & to
then as soon as possible was brought me
I set u most of the morning & wrote a bet I
did some embroidey den slept for a while Ellen can
 

out at the hire which put m in a towering uge
which I wluted all day on psor old Bett I ssent to
afterneon reading the eening being niggly
&c& &o Oat & got up for buabfect but lay in
my bed most of the morning and read a ltell In
the afternoon, Aeter dina, Betly I went out in
to the said dunes for an hour or a but Id las
it by the tews we got bec + turned in Had tee in
bed and read a lot & Betty went to the pitures
Imad my rest + turned in there was an arrift
cerrier offstore a bet ooday, I believe it came in
say sd at night
2Er Bun once again I was up early and Belly
I sent the liter part of the morning sumning on lane
H Ident fuel wel enough to go to church In the
Afternoon we went out to the sandhills & Bully
um beted but as the serg yas a bit much
for m. I just set in the shade nearly +reas. al
te jachts sent out to the sarries and looked very
pty e came back lesurely to tee and inthe
evening Citty did a wholelet of my embrssdey &
wisled presed it we aldged af tel about 22
waiting for this knox to come out bal sh
came ds I was drawying
2910 Mon) Killd Bltly &2 were all upa
 

570 at eatch the 0900 to Belforl freaus Bell ha
an appointment with D Hloke t tenoue, Hille
wat to meet the Bill & Iwanted to tey to get a fly
by air to Hlendon the teep to beffesl was putt
dissed remoded we went to £0 but the only char
was censillations & so we sald on kill bros
then Iwent tac to 20 to se if any starters has
failed to arrive but all well on pron so we took
my steff to the station and went to dimer ats
Cartton- stra good then the girly went to the
spualest &d to be statin & back to a tookslef
weter they were neding a felen called Back in
exland & saul red to come out of the shop
reating to praise of illiter & the managu same
out shad a word with him Auit andusing los
beck to city tlall + met the gul rleft hilfe to her on
dwvices while faly & Tsat for a while by twar
Mmoria then went 6 a ca. At 120y we na
our way to the statin & I got the 1220 for hain
Depatsgues as best I could for my some behave
te parting was maredly platance but I still
felt the same pang as t trom pulled out slas
aony at harn sot knowing a letter sd geten
the rest or no but buiseed mwhen 80 stea
places were rebased & tely got on the Avoy
 

test to PNayeret. Avery smoold trep over
Ellens sickn sandwiches were As service
personell were the first off at Stramder I got a
sat but some rid day pups filled to comp
activen
x (lus) a putt goot nght o slet a
we had to get out at Hutll sown again the
countly thre Derbyslic was beautiful in the
tms Icauset the Ground to Kings & but codd
not get a bect so went to Radal house wheres
ficked ip a hupe wad of mad and my pay too.
I raught a huis to Edquald & went to the shal
place to pix ye nos dleft to long ago out they
didnt kave a cl to I left in adslute disguse
went to Kings & (where they were seeling beautifu
appls) caught the 1600 norttbound train lt a
good seet & I read my mearl & papes on the
run o Hd 14 his to wait for the bus at
lattold so went to a ce and ten waited ito
stret. Put ap the neght in the late arried huts
el was I teed Met lite booneyd ahe thous
(wed) up in good time capter shaving &
brakfast I went to accomodation & got a bex &
reported to dispatel fit. Im not on dight & thy
dont esent me chtel Friday Dod got my bep in
 

of atore s came back to the heet to wait for the stif
Apart from going to bund & tee I spent the realy
ddy in the But re pasting and mending in
Rit ag In the evening & irate a bit then turne
in ally very cold The Hen Butler on the mes
&246 Thurs went if to buskfast & had a
shower pattered round in the nuot all the
morning & tool my stols to town at 1220&
had denne in there too then started wall
ig out but an lt oan driver by an
Aussee of pished me up & brought me in
to back evey Hhe didnt book behind as io
tuned off the man rad + a by any true
who was swinging out to overtake has
eterifie fot avoiding an accident s tough
our tike had some waited for allowances
the afternoon but didat get in so I statled my
mus buil of £159 sead dune and then
reiy ball to de put & wrote tul it came on
da th corin becease ours the rad
buts are widout least toneght
2ane (Ir) we were woken very early by the
felles on draft going out then Ihas bullfast
collected my allowences amounting to £10903
went over to lear what dispatch fet had to ray