Joe’s Letters, WWII: “A Radio!”

One of my Uncle Joe’s letters will be posted to this Blog each and every Friday until they are done. Please see below for a link to Joe’s full story and the other letters in this series so far.

At the time of this letter , Joe has just been posted to a squadron and has just arrived at RAF Chedburgh, from where the 218 Gold Coast Squadron will engage in active operations. And so it begins.

Letter 89; 7th December 1944

Letter transcript:

” 2050—

c/o Sgts’ Mess

RAF Station, Chedburgh

Suffolk

Wednesday.

Hello Mom,

Well I will just knock off a few lines to let you know I’m okay. We got in here last night and it’s a fine place too. The food isn’t too bad and the mess is a good one. We don’t have to walk so far to the different places on the station either. We are only 6 miles from Bury St. Edmunds and Tom our Engineer says it is a bang-on place too.

I posted the dirty washing tonight so you should get it before Sat. I shall be ready for it as well (socks!!)

I think we will fly in the morning on an exercise. One of the chaps in the hut has a radio, and as you can guess it is on most of the time. We only hear a radio when we are at home it seems, so this one is going to get some hammer!

Well I must admit I’m at a loss for something to write about, I hope you’ll excuse me. By the way, have you got any of those photosof you and Joyce done yet? Let me have one as soon as you get any please.

‘Til the next time. Cheerio and God bless.

Love Joe xxxxxx”

A hurried short note to tell his mother that he has arrived safely at Chedburgh. Settling in to a new camp certainly seems like a well-worn routine to Joe now, and he sounds at home with the new digs, new room-mates and new grub!

To read more about Joe’s letters please follow this link. There you will find the full selection of letters to date, as well as more information about his fascinating yet ultimately tragic story. He was our family hero. He IS our family hero. If I knew how to complete an effective RAF salute, I would salute you now, Joe. Long may your memory live in our family stories. I hope to post a new letter from Joe’s correspondence with his Mother here every Friday until they’re done. It will be a turbulent and heart-wrenching journey. Subscribe to the Blog to make sure you don’t miss any of it.

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