Summer term 1944

 

Undated, Sunday

I am afraid a tragedy happened.  The winder of my watch broke off on Wednesday night.  I wrote you a letter that night and packed the watch up but I never posted it so have unwrapped the watch and am enclosing this letter with the other.

I am very happy here in my study which is looking very nice.  I am afraid there are several things I have forgotten.  Firstly a cloth of some kind for drying things on.  Do you think you could find me a piece of sheet or something.  Also I forgot to bring a mat back with me for my study but I fear that it will be difficult to send………you could bring the rug with you except its so bulky.  The cake was very good and has almost gone.  I am going to have most of the eggs this afternoon.  I hope they will be O.K.  Everything in my trunk came safely.

I am still in the same form and taking School Certificate next term.

I am sleeping over at the Infirmary in charge of some  new boys.  It isn’t very exciting or good fun.

 

Undated

I have been sculling a lot this last week and am enjoying it.  It is Ascension Day on Thursday and a whole holiday.  I am going on the river with two other people in a canoe.  I only hope it’s a nice day.

I am glad you got my watch safely.  I am reading ‘Berlin Diary’.  I am enjoying it very much.

In the J.T.C. two terms ago I told you I had a uniform, it was the kind they had in the last war with lots of buttons to clean.  Well on Wednesday I got battle-dress like the army wear.  It is much more comfortable and I am very pleased.

May 21st

I had a very good time on Ascension Day.  I went out with four other people in two canoes.  I was in one canoe with one person, the other three were in the other canoe.  They put everything on the bank out of their boat as they were going to ‘fight’ us because we had been annoying them.  Then they all fell in, because one of them stood up and tipped the boat up.  At that moment we were out of sight but five minutes later we saw three bedraggled specimens walking along the bank.  We rushed to the scene of the accident and after much trouble righted the boat.  They got into the boat and we all rowed back safely.  The weather was quite decent.  In all it cost me six shillings.

Today all those in the J.T.C. with battle-dress, all the S.C.C. (Senior Cadet Corps) and the A.T.C. (Air training Corps) went into Abingdon for a youth parade.  It was quite good fun and I enjoyed it.  There were girl guides and other things like that in the parade.  There was a service in the middle.  The weather was pretty foul.

I have been doing a lot of sculling lately, getting in training for the races which come off in about a week.

We had ice cream for lunch to-day which was very good.  It is the second time we have had it this term.

I am getting on well in work this term.  I got four pluses this week and took the list to the Warden.

Could you please send me some ‘Crestona’ Ginger Wine essence.

Sunday

Yesterday was BOILING and I had a long bathe.  To-day promises to be hotter still and I am wearing a silk shirt.  It is very comfortable and cool.  I am going to bathe this afternoon.  I am going to try and get the bronze medallion for life-saving.  Anybody who wants can try to get it every summer and about twenty people try every year.  When you have got it you are allowed to bathe at any time, which you are not allowed to do ordinarily.

Evening                 It has been BOILING.  I’ve never know it so hot.  It has been about 80 degrees at times. I had a gorgeous bathe this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  At the present moment I am sitting in my study without a coat or tie and am still hot.  I am racing in some sculling races next week, and if it gets as hot as it is now I shall faint!!  When I was bathing an aeroplane kept coming over about six foot from the water.  Several times it flew just under some telegraph poles.  It was an American plane and we could see the people in it very clearly.

I am very sorry, but could you please send me some more money.  Last term I had a lot of my own but this term I didn’t bring any of my own back and I spent 10/- on Ascension Day alone.

It is half-holiday to-morrow because of Whit-Monday and I am probably going to Oxford to get a fountain pen if I can as mine leaks abominably.

P.S. I got 3 pluses this week.

June 4th

Thank you very much for your letter and the pound.  Don’t bother to bring the squash racket when you come as I don’t think I’ll need it this term and it is very cumbersome.  We had some very good kippers for breakfast.

I had my sculling races  last week.  I didn’t do very well.  I lost my race yesterday, only it was against the probable winner.  It was a very close race.

June 11th – Letter from Dennis

June 26

I got the watch safely and I was very pleased to get it.  I have not been doing much sculling this week.  The Social fours are in about a month.

There was a J.T.C. inspection on Wednesday.  We were inspected by a Brigadier.  We had a whole holiday that day and it was quite good fun.

I have found quite a nice desk which somebody wants to sell, and I want one for my study, as I am only borrowing one this term, but he wants rather a lot for it.  I am considering buying it, but may not as I haven’t got a frightful lot of money and there’s still quite a long time to go.  What do you think?

3rd July

I should think the Ramillies is back in action again, because it mentioned in the papers that battleships had been shelling again, which I haven’t seen for about a week or more.

I had a very nice day yesterday (Sunday).  I went to the home on my Study Companion with him and four other boys¹.  It rained most of the time but I had great fun.  I went on the river and enjoyed myself.  I tried using a punt pole but it wasn’t a great success.  He had a horse but I was a bit too heavy for it, but I had a two hundred yard canter and I really enjoyed it.  It was so strange riding again after about 50 years!!!!

I got six pluses last week and took the list to the Warden.  Exams start next week, I think; we have them at the end of every term except Easter.

I should keep Michael’s sweets till the end of the term, and I’ll eat them if it isn’t too great a temptation for you.

9th July

I had a short note from Granny….She wanted to know if we were allowed to come and watch the race at Henley (Radley was beaten by Eton there by 1 ½ lengths which wasn’t too bad).  We weren’t allowed to watch it so I wrote back and told her so.  With any luck I’ll be racing at Henley in two or three years.

You never told me definitely you were going to drive an ambulance.  I am glad you are going to do it as it will give you a change from Dusting!!

I got four pluses this week but I’m not quite sure if I’m taking it to him this week, I don’t think I am.

I hope you don’t eat all Michael’s sweets before I come home, but I’m sure I couldn’t resist them.

We have started practicing for the Social fours, which are in about ten days to a fortnight.  I am in the third four and getting along fine.

I have almost run out of jam, I fear.  If you have the points to spare could you send me a lb or two of marmalade.  It’s cheaper than treacle in the point line, isn’t it.  Only four points per tin.

I took the new third-class spotters test and got 40 ex 40 which pleases me very much.  I also took the 2nd class but don’t know if I passed.  You have to get 90 ex 100 to pass.  I can tell you later in this letter.  (it was 78).

My watch is going very well.  It gains about a minute per 24 hours or a bit less, which isn’t too bad.

I have been appointed a Member of the Junior Games Committee.  I can’t really explain what that is as I don’t know myself.

Sunday undated

Thank you very much indeed for  your nice letter which arrived at the same time as the jam, which I was very pleased to get (thank you!).

The exams have started now.  We had one (Geography) yesterday.  The rest are on Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday.

We have been practicing a lot for the social fours this week.  They start on Thursday I think.

It is a very nice thought but I will be home in about 10 days, and I’m longing to be home.

My life saving went quite well yesterday.  We are taking the test next week.  I don’t know if I’ll pass because we haven’t practiced much.

I got four pluses last week and DIDN’T take the list to the Warden!!!

Sunday undated

I took my bronze medallion for life saving and I passed.  I was frightfully please at passing.  That was to-day and now I am feeling very tired indeed and when I have finished this I must ‘turn in’.

It is a lovely thought being back home in about four days.  I have got quite a lot of work to do next holidays, mental and physical.  I’ll come back the usual way.  9.45 from Reading, 2.15 from Bridgend or the 1.15 (I hope).  I will avoid London.  I haven’t seen a single flying bomb yet (Touch wood).

We had the end of term exams last week and I did quite well on the whole, and I think I was top of my form.  The only exam I was (not?) top in was science.

The social fours also started last week as well as the bumping races.  I was rowing in the third four but we were beaten as well as out fourth and fifth.  One of our men strained his back in the third four and we had to have a substitute at the last minute, but we only lost by 3 seconds.  Our first IV was bumped but the second has not been yet and is still leading.  I had a very good tea to-day.

I am longing to see you again.

 

 

1. this must refer to Peter Sturges with whom I had a study and he lived at Long Wittenham ↩︎