WW2 Era Letter Written by Canadian Pilot In Training While in England.

This letter was written by a P.H Lawrence who was a R.C.A.F. Pilot in training. He wrote this letter while in England to his family living in the U.S. The letter reads:


“ England

March 25th, 1943


Dear Ruth, Bowen and Barbara:


It is raining today in England after a month of clear weather. Of course you might know, it’s my day off, but due to the weather, I am spending it in camp. I am at a flying field, continuing my flying training. The time is short now and soon I will be on with the job I came over to do.


This place is sure out in the country. It is twelve miles to the nearest town and not very much means of transportation. It is so spread out, that we have to walk a mile to eat, a mile to wash and a mile to the field. Needless to say, I’m tired of walking. We are going to be issued with bikes soon, so that will help. The food is fairly good here. Today for dinner, we had liver, potatoes, dried peas, greens, pudding and tea. We have four meals a day, breakfast, dinner, tea and supper, which is the English way of doing things. This is a R.A.F. station to which I am attached.


If everything goes the way it is now planned, I’ll be flying four engine planes soon and what pilot could ask for more. This flying business gets more complicated every day and it seems I do nothing but study and more study. I have just finished a weeks ground school and that’s the way it goes.


We are treated as Sergeants on this station which is really the first time since we came over. We have a separate mess and lounge and our own barracks. All of this of course doesn’t compare with things back home, but it’s pretty good over here. We pay mess fees and have table cloths on the tables. We have butter twice a day, never see any sugar and get about two chocolate bars a week. I have only seen oranges over here once and they weren’t for sale. We used to be able to get apples, but can’t any more.


I hope you are all well, happy and together. Give my regards to all and to you, Bow and Barbara,


Love,

Puse(?)

 

A mile for everything? Thank goodness for bicycles. Thanks for sharing the letter.

Sucks to pay extra for air mail and get surface mail instead.

 

No problem! And yeah Id get pretty tired of walking as well.

And I didn’t even notice that haha.

 

Pity we couldn't work out which airfield he was at. The distances were pretty much standard- most airfields provided pushbikes for the erks. There are accounts of men at one Highland airfield getting lost in a blizzard and later found suffering from frostbite.
Without actually leaving the station at any point.
Visited the remains of this hospital a few times a long time ago. Once the longest building in the world, staff actually used bikes inside to get around-
Netley Hospital - Wikipedia