Diary of Denis Patrick (alias Rupert Bert Patrick), 1941-1945 - Part 11

SATURDAY, JUNE  21 1941

Pressed flower - see original 

SUNDAY JUNE 29 1941

Pressed flower - see original

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 1941

Pressed flower - see original

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 1941

Canadian Pacific Telegraphs

World Wide Communications

EPPING NSW July - 

603468 Patrick R B 7 SP23

[[Kno cod?]]

Loving Birthday greetings  Daughter born family all well.

Patrick

[[*Ruperts Daughter*]]

19551c

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 1941

Document - see original

 

MONDAY, AUGUST 25 1941

With Best wishes  I Good Luck

sincere affection

from 

Les (uncle)

New Westminster

B.C.

Happy Landings.

The car is very nice Dad & I went to town one Sat night

recently. Had dinner at the Monteray. Saw a news reel

very good. War pictures, boys getting their wings at Calgary.

I thought of you. Later we had refreshments & drove

home under the starry sky. Life begins at 50 for us anyway.

All send their love, and enjoy your letters

answer a few questions I ask you occasionally.

Your always

Loving Mother

xxx

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 1941

Aust 403468

F/O Patrick RB

RAAF

Kodak House

ENGLAND. 
KINGSWAY LONDON

Green Gables

Ray Rd

Carlingford

N. S. Wales

11.11.43

My Darling Boy

So Col has paid the price

one of the many, but the first

of those most dear to us. I grieve for him

as though he were my son.  It means much to you

who loved him. When the first keen [[?]] so pass
we can look into the gardens of memory and see
his lovely smile, his loving hands, his love for
all lovely things, and in years to come 'Age Have
not weary him or the years condemn.
Cols family are very broken up as you would
know. Colin said he had had his photo taken
in F/O dress I suppose. Can you find out if
he had it in his possession or is it at the
photographers? His mother longs for it.
Darling [[?]] came for our [[?]] and
God give us courage to face life's hard
knocks. All are well I know you
are writing. Keep a stiff upper
lip.
Loving Mother
Ethel Patrick
Ethel [[?]]
 

With Best Wishes / Good Luck
sincere affection
from Les (uncle)
Near Westminster
B.C.
Happy Landings.
Ah! surely though he seems to lie
On that far hill where eagles fly
A pack of [[?]] will pass that our way
And walk with us throughout
that day.
Sharing with us in quiet pride
Those humble things for which he died.
Aust 403468

F/O Patrick RB

RAAF

Kodak House

ENGLAND. 
KINGSWAY LONDON

Green Gables

Ray Rd

Carlingford

N. S. Wales

11.11.43

My Darling Boy

So Col has paid the price

one of the many, but the first

of those most dear to us. I grieve for him

as though he were my son.  It means much to you

who loved him. When the first keen [[?]] so pass
we can look into the gardens of memory and see
his lovely smile, his loving hands, his love for
all lovely things, and in years to come 'Age Have
not weary him or the years condemn.
Cols family are very broken up as you would
know. Colin said he had had his photo taken
in F/O dress I suppose. Can you find out if
he had it in his possession or is it at the
photographers? His mother longs for it.
Darling [[?]] came for our [[?]] and
God give us courage to face life's hard
knocks. All are well I know you
are writing. Keep a stiff upper
lip.
Loving Mother
Ethel Patrick
Ethel [[?]]
 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 1941

REMINISCENCE.

There was a time (could I forget?)

When the Sabbath man shone through

The Gothic windows on his hands

Of the boys in the old church pew.
In Sabbath best each lad was dressed,

And he sang  youthful treble:

Nudged his neighbour, watched the clock;

Part saint, and partly rebel.

The boys sat still in the old church pew

As the rise and fall of nations
Fall on their oars from the sacred dark;

They are now at battle stations:

And Sabbath come, and Sabbath go.

The sky in a murky hue

With burst of bomb and whirr of plane

For the boys of the old church pew.
 Mot ''Mother's Day' is but a dream.
The hymns are hymns of hate:

The bright eyed boys, from the old church pew

Are tossed on the Sea of Fate.

We pray the old [[h???]] cords will hold,

That the test will find them true,

That once again the Dove of Peace

Finds our boys in the old church pew.
--[[?]] Patrick--
[*Not poetry but you will see
yourself in the old church pew.*]
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 1941
High Flight
Newspaper article - See original document 

 

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29  1941
Each day brings another, close to

the grand finale of this life of swotting

as the exams cannot be far ahead now.

I don't expect a commission as the running

is too tough, me not being a member

of the brain trust - However I shall not

knock back a pip if they offer one to me.
This book is a gift from my ''Uncle 

Les. he seems to be a gentleman, only
as I would expect, from such a noble

family to whom I am related & deeply

attached-

Did some more formation flying

today. the aggragate total of flying

hours is about 120 now.- I suppose

I should be able to call myself a pilot

soon now,- as I can't be a ''Rookie""

for ever.-
The world looked strangely peaceful
today, from 9,000 feet - with Strata Cumulus
clouds mixed with billowing white
nimbus, & a blue sky above — The
artist never even saw anything like this
so I count myself strangely priviledged
The British forces are taking [[?]] with
little opposition - although I don't approve
of open aggression of the kind I
suppose it is necessary if we are
ever going to finish the war.
Featuring in a concert to night in
aid of the local swimming pool -

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 1941
Today was dink trainer day. the dink is an
ingenious little machine, which, inside
strangely resembles an aircraft - the instruments
are the same the big difference in the 'feel'
is due to their being no centrifugal force
consequently all turns feel as if they are
slippery turns.
The concert last night was quite
a success, the talent was almost brilliant
Earle nelson sang - he has a big voice but
it needs a lot of training — Dunn sang
The Lords Prayer with feeling & color. Bill Clarke
now P.O Clarke is really a brilliant pianist
& was encored again & again.
The last course 31. has set a very high
standard they have a number of men with
ranging standards from D.A. upwards - Their
wings parade was another co^urse of "Aussies"
to finish the fight. they look fine with
their wings and stripes, one third of them
were granted commissions —
A new course of Aussies are due here
tonight - good luck to them —
Spencer returned after doing a forced landing
at Queenstown through running out of
gas - he had to stay with the plane for
three days, as it was bogged in a paddock
Three Englishmen hit the deck at [[??]]
and none survived. All were in different
planes
 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 1941
Relaxing in good style today - the usual
Macleod gale is blowing - they don't seem
to notice the wind here until the rooves
start coming off buildings - then the scrub
flying and admit that its windy
Some very sore head greeted this day
all the boys "went to town" last night.
and nearly made a night of it. some
of them look like apparitions today —
I am making this entry in the "Canadian
Legion" rooms - they are very tastefully
furnished with modern chairs & settees
the show is supported by a society of
this state.
Flying started at 1300 hrs. today with
the wind just howling down the runways
The new Aussie bunch look a likely
lot & very smart too in their Blue orchid
suits - or Purple Passion as they are
sometimes called.
I met a sweet young thing last tonight
at a local function, she was rather young
not much more than nineteen I should
say, but with a lot of sense - The women
over here certainly turn on the fire works
& it makes it harder to concentrate on
hard work. - who wants to anyway.?
Bob went to Waterton Lakes this weekend
in search of treasure - the other sort,
& so much for Sunday