Diary of Edward Lloyd Fleming, January- September 1945 - Part 9

28.9.45 (Fri) We went early to breakfast so we 
could get our crumpets toasted & they tasted
beaut. We read the paper for a while then went
on parade.  After it the C.O. announced very big
cuts in draft numbers on account of the
conditions being pronounced unfit for the
original number.  Waited for mail then came &
did some work on my khaki shorts. After
dinner I spent all my time indoors just doing
my squadron crest and sewing.  I got the
beaut defence medal today & put it on my
best blue. We had tea and Bill went to see his
relations in Hove so I did quite a lot of writing.
When he returned we went to A.C.F. for supper &
came back to bed.  Met Kev Pearce today.
29.9.45 (Sat). Writing tonight in Winchester, an
American boom town & one of the deadest & most
immoral places I've been in.  Anyway, we had 
breakfast & went on parade and were told that
we would not be required until Monday so
Bill& I packed and caught the train to Chichester
passing Arundel back on the way looking
fairy like in the morning haze.  In Chichester we
walked thru the centre of town & saw the tower &
then had lunch after which we went to the
cathedral.  It is quite big & has a beautiful stained
glass window & the architecture is unique & varied.
Then we caught a bus which took us to
Gosham along the beach a bit & thru Havant.
At Gosham we changed to a Fareham bus &
it was then I discovered I'd lost my coupons in
the last bus.  So at Fareham I rang the Portsmouth
bus people & asked them to keep an eye open for
the book of 21.  We had a snack in Fareham & I
used some of Betty's sweet coupons and then we
caught a bus to Winchester.  It passed thru
some glorious wooded country & we saw the
quaint market place at Wickham where they
had a Spitfire on view and on to Bishops Waltham
where the street would only just take the bus it
was so narrow & twisty.  Along the road the fields
were covered with spider web which put a sheen
on the grass in the sun's rays.  And the telegraph
wires too were all webbed. We eventually reached
Winchester, full of Yanks & no accommodation but
after several tries, we got in at the Cricketer's Arms
at the C. end of town.  We tidied up & went for a walk

up the top of the hill & watched the sun sink and
the smoke fill the valley where the town lies then
we came down & had supper at the "Old Chesil

Rectory" cafe built 1445 & claiming to be the oldest
house. Everywhere are plaques telling local history
We got onto the cathedral but were tossed out 
at closing time & we spent an hour or so just 
wandering around then returned to the pub
utterly disgusted & tired out.
"Old House at Home", "Mafeking Hero", 'Bell & Crown"
"Crab" "Woolpack" "Barleycorn" "Bell & Anchor"
"Bell and Dolphin" "Harbour Lights."
30.9.45 (Sun) I had a fairly restless night on account
of the noise from the pub but got up quite early. We
couldn't have a bath 'cos there was no hot water & I
caught a flea in the bed ! We went out as they
didn't serve breakfast, and wandered up thru
High St. past the Pentices, an arrangement
similar to the Pantiles only this was on the street.
I took a few photos & we were lucky to get breakfast
at Westgate Hotel. We saw the High Cross just
by the Pentices, erected in the 15th cent., and behind
was a 4 storied Tudor house built in 1498. Further
up High St. the Curfew Bell is hung and is rung
each night at 8.- where is the third curfew bell?
After breakfast we went up thru Westgate, dec

orated with the town's & the nation's coats of arms
to the castle in which King Arthur's round table is
preserved. Then we came back down the hill and
got into the little old back streets on the south side
of the town. The cathedral looked beautiful in the
morning light & haze. We went past Pilgrim School
and saw the lads going to church, and then past
Wolvesey Coll. Saw the house in which Jane Austen
spent the last years of her life in a quaint little
street with old Tudor style houses in it & beautiful
trees & spires as a background. The cathedral
bells were the only sounds that broke the stillness
of a beautiful sunny morning. We had a look 
at Wolvesey Castle, built in 1138 and now in
ruins but not very interesting. We walked
along some very pretty streets with little water-

ways flowing beside them & crossed the river.
We followed a path along the stream and it
was so pretty & rustic. Then we went to settle up
at the pub & collected the case. Bill arranged for
an RAAF scarf we saw in a shop window to
be bought by the pub girl. We walked up St Giles
Hill & looked down over the town, a most
beautiful sight in the early morning light & 
haze. Then we walked up High Street to the
Westgate Hotel for lunch. In High St near
Eastgate is a huge statue of King Alfred with

his sword drawn. We then made for the S.R.
station and caught a train to Eastleigh
where we had to change to the Portsmouth
line. When we arrived there I rang the
Southdown Bus Co. to see about my coupons
but no joy. So we caught the fast electric
to Brighton. Back here things were terribly
crowded as it was such a glorious day. The
promenade was full of people. I read for a
while and then we went to tea. After that
we sat on the verandah for an hour or so &
watched life go by and then Bill went to see
his relations so I came up & did some
sewing & fixed up the camera then did my
washing. I wrote a bit, had a bath & got to
bed. I'm on 109 draft according to the Board.

______
Edward L. Fleming
30.9.45.

AWM 2017.167.1