Letter from Geoffrey Beckett to his mother
Title
Letter from Geoffrey Beckett to his mother
Description
Mentions arrival of granny's cake and recent visits to Calne and Chippenham. Comments on weather and activities at camp. Mentions events in Europe. Writes of upcoming Easter leave. Catches up with family news and gossip. Added to transcript that Geoff did well on his wireless operator course at RAF Yatesbury resulting in promotion and pay increase. Then expecting a posting to first operational station RAF Wittering.
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Transcribed printed letter
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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SBeckettG622136v10015
Transcription
Hut Y 56 (still at the same address)
March 19th.
Dear Mom.
Well I have been expecting a letter from home this week, but I suppose I shall get one sometime next week. Granny’s cake has come – and it’s nearly gone, though I have not had a great deal of it! It is jolly nice. I went to Calne last night with Stan Brooks, but there was nothing on at the pictures, so we jumped on a bus to Chippenham, (1/- Return), at 5.45. I did some shopping, went to ‘Boots’ for something for my cracked lip, Pink Healing Ointment.
At 6.45, we queued up at the Gaumont and went in at 7-45. We caught the 10.45 bus back and were “home” at 11.45. p.m. I had a good piece of cake, as no-one was there to ask me for some. It snowed yesterday. We had drill on our new square, which is a terrific size (about two and a half sizes bigger than the Market Place) and a kit inspection in the morning.
Events in Europe don’t seem to be too cheerful at the present, what with that swine (herd) Hitler trying to mess about in Romania. We shall be out there in no time, if we don’t watch out. We are all hoping that we shall be able to get our Easter leave in before he starts anything. It is raining this morning. Not ‘arf it ‘asnt, was it. Yes it will be, that is if you divide it by the length of a piece of string. What are you talking about, because I don’t know. A fortnight on Wednesday. Yippee. Only 7 days, worse luck! Have put £2-0-0 birthday money in my safe. Shall buy an R.A.F. tie with Ted and Andrew’s money. (3/-)
I wonder if ‘Gris’ has got a job yet? I hope he is enjoying a well deserved holiday. Tell him Sheffield ‘Wednesday’ ought to go up, if they watch their steps. Well, I will close now. My next letter will be from Prague, or somewhere, I don’t hope.
Hope Barbara had a nice time in Liverpool. These people that dash about the country. Well, cheerio to all, for a few days.
Love – Geoff.
Am doing 20 words per minute in morse. Next highest to me is 16 w.p. minute!
Geoff obviously did well on his Wireless Operator, (Ground) course and duly passed out of R.A.F. Yatesbury. This would have probably included him being promoted to the rank of A.C.1, with a small pay-rise. It also entailed yet another posting, to his first operational station, as a fully fledged ‘sprog’ radio ‘op.
That was to be Royal Air Force Wittering, in Northamptonshire. A ‘Fighter Command’ Station.
March 19th.
Dear Mom.
Well I have been expecting a letter from home this week, but I suppose I shall get one sometime next week. Granny’s cake has come – and it’s nearly gone, though I have not had a great deal of it! It is jolly nice. I went to Calne last night with Stan Brooks, but there was nothing on at the pictures, so we jumped on a bus to Chippenham, (1/- Return), at 5.45. I did some shopping, went to ‘Boots’ for something for my cracked lip, Pink Healing Ointment.
At 6.45, we queued up at the Gaumont and went in at 7-45. We caught the 10.45 bus back and were “home” at 11.45. p.m. I had a good piece of cake, as no-one was there to ask me for some. It snowed yesterday. We had drill on our new square, which is a terrific size (about two and a half sizes bigger than the Market Place) and a kit inspection in the morning.
Events in Europe don’t seem to be too cheerful at the present, what with that swine (herd) Hitler trying to mess about in Romania. We shall be out there in no time, if we don’t watch out. We are all hoping that we shall be able to get our Easter leave in before he starts anything. It is raining this morning. Not ‘arf it ‘asnt, was it. Yes it will be, that is if you divide it by the length of a piece of string. What are you talking about, because I don’t know. A fortnight on Wednesday. Yippee. Only 7 days, worse luck! Have put £2-0-0 birthday money in my safe. Shall buy an R.A.F. tie with Ted and Andrew’s money. (3/-)
I wonder if ‘Gris’ has got a job yet? I hope he is enjoying a well deserved holiday. Tell him Sheffield ‘Wednesday’ ought to go up, if they watch their steps. Well, I will close now. My next letter will be from Prague, or somewhere, I don’t hope.
Hope Barbara had a nice time in Liverpool. These people that dash about the country. Well, cheerio to all, for a few days.
Love – Geoff.
Am doing 20 words per minute in morse. Next highest to me is 16 w.p. minute!
Geoff obviously did well on his Wireless Operator, (Ground) course and duly passed out of R.A.F. Yatesbury. This would have probably included him being promoted to the rank of A.C.1, with a small pay-rise. It also entailed yet another posting, to his first operational station, as a fully fledged ‘sprog’ radio ‘op.
That was to be Royal Air Force Wittering, in Northamptonshire. A ‘Fighter Command’ Station.
Collection
Citation
G Beckett, “Letter from Geoffrey Beckett to his mother,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 16, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.omeka.net/collections/document/41332.
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