Posts
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Home Leave at Last for Frank
Frank went on home leave on 21 January 1940 and to celebrate a late Christmas with his family. The Leave Ration Card belwo shows he was on leave for 10 days to 31 Janary 1940.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
This is the p.s. written on 12 January 1940 to the letter of 11 January 1940. More bad news for Frank as he reports another man going on leave in front of him. Patience!
12/1/40 12.00 noon
(Am thinking of lodge meeting tomorrow)
p.s. Have since received your card from Eltham and letter posted on 8th. Both arrived yesterday (11th) - good going! Many thanks.
Nice letter from Auntie Hilda, poor old dear. I shall have a lot to fill in my time when leave arrives but I must try and pay a flying visit to her.
Have just heard of another man going on leave in front of me, extra to the original arrangements. This may put me back another week. Everything comes to he who waits!
Not bad - (cannot read word). I can't see myself getting time off during the same period to join you, though.
Weather has been cold the last 3 days; below freezing point all the time, I believe, but beautifully sunny and healthy if one keeps warm.
Am very pleased when I get letters from home and go through the mail anxiously every day. Things have been much quieter in that respect since Christmas, of course.
Again, fond love.
Frank
p.p.s. Am extremely sorry to hear the news about old Mrs. Saunders. Send my regards.
12/1/40 12.00 noon
(Am thinking of lodge meeting tomorrow)
p.s. Have since received your card from Eltham and letter posted on 8th. Both arrived yesterday (11th) - good going! Many thanks.
Nice letter from Auntie Hilda, poor old dear. I shall have a lot to fill in my time when leave arrives but I must try and pay a flying visit to her.
Have just heard of another man going on leave in front of me, extra to the original arrangements. This may put me back another week. Everything comes to he who waits!
Not bad - (cannot read word). I can't see myself getting time off during the same period to join you, though.
Weather has been cold the last 3 days; below freezing point all the time, I believe, but beautifully sunny and healthy if one keeps warm.
Am very pleased when I get letters from home and go through the mail anxiously every day. Things have been much quieter in that respect since Christmas, of course.
Again, fond love.
Frank
p.p.s. Am extremely sorry to hear the news about old Mrs. Saunders. Send my regards.
Monday, 11 January 2010
Frank is still waiting to go on his Christmas leave and his thoughts are clearly with those at home as he patiently waits.
11/1/40
881937 Gnr. Faulkner
157th HAA Regt. RA
53rd HAA Battery RA
B.E.F.
Dear Dad,
Many thanks for yours of 27th Dec. which I did not get until about 8th Jan. - after letters sent from home since that date!
No books appear to have arrived yet. At any rate nothing has been said about them and in any case I should probably see them when sorting the post. Were there many?
I received the "Clay Thomas" card on the 7th. It was a jolly good idea and I certainly appreciated the kind thoughts of those who signed it.
Well, I shall not be home for the Lodge meeting of the 13th but will have to be patient. I do not, I should not be allowed to tell you but it seems fairly certain that you will get a wire from me (if I have the time) to say I've arrived in the next 2/3 weeks. Unexpected compassionate leave upsets the roster. Everyone who goes "out of their turn" puts me back one place.
Oh, I must thank you for the £1 note. Besides that I have a 10/- note which I think you sent me but I'm hoping to keep them intact until I get home.
I've got such a lot I want to do when I get leave. I want to go to a dance, see Louise, see Uncle Frank, Auntie Hilda and a lot of others too. I shall have to see the G.E.C. people as a matter of policy. We shall see!
I hope Jack Sharman will be able to come to the meeting on 13th. He sent me a long letter about 3 weeks ago which I've been unable to answer.
I received a letter from Edie with the Summons and thank her very much. She seems to expect me "at any moment" but she will have to patient, I'm afraid.
I had a letter from Connie some time ago but have not had a chance to answer it. Perhaps Ernie will let Frank know that she is not forgotten. I hope their baby is going on alright.
The weather is most changeable here. The day before yesterday it turned terribly "muggy" after a week of severe weather. Now it is just as cold with all the snow gone - thank goodness. I made use of Auntie Nellie's balaclava helmet for the first time the other night when travelling in an open lorry to a concert and the pull-over Louise knitted for me a long time ago was brought into commission during the cold spell.
The concert was not very great and I did not appreciate a 3rd rate concert party very much after a long cold journey. The latter part of their performance, however, was much better and after an 18 franc dinner in the town afterwards I almost enjoyed the journey back.
I may be going to see "Aladdin" tonight or tomorrow. Things are looking up!
Lunch is ready so cheerioh, and I hope you are feeling much better now. As regards the suggestion of sending £1 per month I must talk it over with you later. Many thanks for the offer.
Hope Anne and Edie and Ernie are keeping well. Give Anne xxxxxxx for me.
Fondest love,
Frank
11/1/40
881937 Gnr. Faulkner
157th HAA Regt. RA
53rd HAA Battery RA
B.E.F.
Dear Dad,
Many thanks for yours of 27th Dec. which I did not get until about 8th Jan. - after letters sent from home since that date!
No books appear to have arrived yet. At any rate nothing has been said about them and in any case I should probably see them when sorting the post. Were there many?
I received the "Clay Thomas" card on the 7th. It was a jolly good idea and I certainly appreciated the kind thoughts of those who signed it.
Well, I shall not be home for the Lodge meeting of the 13th but will have to be patient. I do not, I should not be allowed to tell you but it seems fairly certain that you will get a wire from me (if I have the time) to say I've arrived in the next 2/3 weeks. Unexpected compassionate leave upsets the roster. Everyone who goes "out of their turn" puts me back one place.
Oh, I must thank you for the £1 note. Besides that I have a 10/- note which I think you sent me but I'm hoping to keep them intact until I get home.
I've got such a lot I want to do when I get leave. I want to go to a dance, see Louise, see Uncle Frank, Auntie Hilda and a lot of others too. I shall have to see the G.E.C. people as a matter of policy. We shall see!
I hope Jack Sharman will be able to come to the meeting on 13th. He sent me a long letter about 3 weeks ago which I've been unable to answer.
I received a letter from Edie with the Summons and thank her very much. She seems to expect me "at any moment" but she will have to patient, I'm afraid.
I had a letter from Connie some time ago but have not had a chance to answer it. Perhaps Ernie will let Frank know that she is not forgotten. I hope their baby is going on alright.
The weather is most changeable here. The day before yesterday it turned terribly "muggy" after a week of severe weather. Now it is just as cold with all the snow gone - thank goodness. I made use of Auntie Nellie's balaclava helmet for the first time the other night when travelling in an open lorry to a concert and the pull-over Louise knitted for me a long time ago was brought into commission during the cold spell.
The concert was not very great and I did not appreciate a 3rd rate concert party very much after a long cold journey. The latter part of their performance, however, was much better and after an 18 franc dinner in the town afterwards I almost enjoyed the journey back.
I may be going to see "Aladdin" tonight or tomorrow. Things are looking up!
Lunch is ready so cheerioh, and I hope you are feeling much better now. As regards the suggestion of sending £1 per month I must talk it over with you later. Many thanks for the offer.
Hope Anne and Edie and Ernie are keeping well. Give Anne xxxxxxx for me.
Fondest love,
Frank
Saturday, 2 January 2010
This letter reflects on Christmas Day spent on overseas service, the wintery weather conditions and the anticipation of reaching the top of the list for home leave.
2/1/40
881937 Gnr.Faulkner
157th HAA Regt. RA
53rd HAA Battery RA
B.E.F.
Dear Edie,
Thank you very much for thinking to write me a line on Christmas Day. Your letter arrived here yesterday which is rather longer than usual.
I was thinking of you all throughout Christmas Day But as some sort of consolation for not being with you I also kept thinking that the day is not so far distant when I shall have a second Christmas dinner and celebration at home.
Everybody is talking about leave. A list has now been put on the notice board giving names in the order the men will get their leave. There are only six names in front of mine but as only 2 are going home from B.H.Q. each week my turn will not come for about 4 weeks. There is a possibility of a speed-up coming in the near future so perhaps it will not be quite so long after all. I'll keep you in touch with developments. The first party which left about the 20th December are due back today or tomorrow.
Tell Anne I thought her letter was wonderful. Clever child just like her Uncle! I shall see a big difference in her, I'm sure.
Auntie Hilda and Vic sent me a letter and a Christmas Card showing the Butter Cross at Winchester. Remember it? The Elthams also wrote to me enclosing 2 thrillers and 6 pyramid handkerchiefs. Have I already mentioned that Auntie Edie at Kidderminster sent me a pair of socks and also enclosed another pair knitted by Mrs. Fletcher? I've written to both of them.
Dad will be interested to know I received a letter from W.Bro Jack Sulston around Christmas time. I have answered that, too. I'd very much like to be home for the Lodge meeting on Jan 13th but am afraid it's too much to hope for, although at one time I thought I would be.
I'm sorry to hear Dad's got a rotten cold - I hope it has not developed into anything worse and that he is on the mend now. That was a nice present he gave Anne wasn't it? Can she make me a face flannel with it? I badly need one.
I think I answered the questions in your leeter when I wrote to Ernie.
Today has been the coldest so far, in my opinion, and the snow which fell about 3 days ago is like ice.
It's a relief to know Dad wasn't hurt in the explosions at his office but it must have been a rotten experience, and worse than that for the men that were hurt.
I'll be writing again soon. Next time to Dad, I expect, when I get his letter.
Am keeping very fit and hope you all are, too.
Fond love to all and xxxxxxx for Anne.
Frank
2/1/40
881937 Gnr.Faulkner
157th HAA Regt. RA
53rd HAA Battery RA
B.E.F.
Dear Edie,
Thank you very much for thinking to write me a line on Christmas Day. Your letter arrived here yesterday which is rather longer than usual.
I was thinking of you all throughout Christmas Day But as some sort of consolation for not being with you I also kept thinking that the day is not so far distant when I shall have a second Christmas dinner and celebration at home.
Everybody is talking about leave. A list has now been put on the notice board giving names in the order the men will get their leave. There are only six names in front of mine but as only 2 are going home from B.H.Q. each week my turn will not come for about 4 weeks. There is a possibility of a speed-up coming in the near future so perhaps it will not be quite so long after all. I'll keep you in touch with developments. The first party which left about the 20th December are due back today or tomorrow.
Tell Anne I thought her letter was wonderful. Clever child just like her Uncle! I shall see a big difference in her, I'm sure.
Auntie Hilda and Vic sent me a letter and a Christmas Card showing the Butter Cross at Winchester. Remember it? The Elthams also wrote to me enclosing 2 thrillers and 6 pyramid handkerchiefs. Have I already mentioned that Auntie Edie at Kidderminster sent me a pair of socks and also enclosed another pair knitted by Mrs. Fletcher? I've written to both of them.
Dad will be interested to know I received a letter from W.Bro Jack Sulston around Christmas time. I have answered that, too. I'd very much like to be home for the Lodge meeting on Jan 13th but am afraid it's too much to hope for, although at one time I thought I would be.
I'm sorry to hear Dad's got a rotten cold - I hope it has not developed into anything worse and that he is on the mend now. That was a nice present he gave Anne wasn't it? Can she make me a face flannel with it? I badly need one.
I think I answered the questions in your leeter when I wrote to Ernie.
Today has been the coldest so far, in my opinion, and the snow which fell about 3 days ago is like ice.
It's a relief to know Dad wasn't hurt in the explosions at his office but it must have been a rotten experience, and worse than that for the men that were hurt.
I'll be writing again soon. Next time to Dad, I expect, when I get his letter.
Am keeping very fit and hope you all are, too.
Fond love to all and xxxxxxx for Anne.
Frank
Friday, 1 January 2010
Happy New Year!
The first post of the year is another letter from the GEC Well-Wishers Club. The optimism of the opening line is almost painful when you know the years of struggle that were to follow.
The Diary of the 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of which the 157th HAA Battery was a part, records the weather for the whole of January 1940 as "bad, with extreme cold" and a temperature of minus 20 was recorded. 6 inches of snow and icy conditions made it difficult to move around by road and influenza amongst the troops meant it was difficult to man the guns.
The G . E . C . WELL - WISHERS CLUB
Letter No.3
President: The Lord Hirst of Witton
Vice-President: M.J.Railing
Magnet House, Kingsway,
London, WC2
1st January, 1940
881937 Gunner F.A.Faulkner
Christmas is over again. With 1940 here the natural thought of everybody is "Will it see the end of the war?" Let's hope so.
This Christmas was a long holiday - four days of it - and yet the time seemed to fly, as it always does now. It did not seem so very different. Harry Williams ran his Christmas Draw, The Lecture Hall on Christmas Eve became a large poulterers establishment, and the travellers had their usual lunch. There was a moon too, to lighten the blackout. Quite a number of Head Office men were lucky enough to get their Christmas leave at Christmas, and as a result, there was more khaki in Magnet House than usual.
Every month many letters come in from those to whom we send parcels. We like to have them, but if you are pushed for time, the return of the card enclosed with the parcel is sufficient. Receipt of the card by us is a check. If, after two parcels have been sent to any one man, no acknowledgment is received here, we shall take that to be fair evidence that the parcel is not reaching its destination and the future despatch of parcels will be withheld. So please do not fail to mail the card on each occasion - or write, if you wish.
To return to the letters. These are all interesting. Quite apart from comment on the contents of the parcel, they give us a picture of conditions in the various forces, what life is like in the Navy, Army and Air Force, news of G.E.C. people and much other interesting matter. There is plenty of humour. We learn for instance, that the present needs of a member of Engineering Department are:-
(a) A pint of Mild & Bitter.
(b) A corkscrew (continuously rated)
(c) A Turkish Bath.
It has also been revealed that a well-known member of Export Dept. is making great efforts to grow a moustache (something we find it difficult to imagine him wearing) but that "so far it is only visible when viewed sideways in astrong light". He would seem to be meeting competition, for two other G.E.C. people in the same unit are making similar efforts, and of one the writer reports that "he is looking more like Old Bill every day". It sounds very good fun. Let's hope we hear more. By the way, a Circular goes every month round the departments giving the latest news about the G.E.C. Well-Wishers and extracts from letters received are quoted. Will the commentator on the moustache competition please give us further news? The whole of Magnet House is anxious for it.
The Junior Social was held last Friday, and although we greatly missed the help and companionship of a number of members now on Active Service, it was as usual a great success. Incidentally, it was the first Social function that has been held in the Lecture Hall since the outbreak of war.
There is enclosed a letter from Mr. Railing which we know you will read with interest.#
All best wishes for the New Year.
For the G.E.C. Well-Wishers Club.
G.H.Barrett
(# Letter not attached. A list of employees on Active Service is atached though: 33 O/Rs (including F.A.Faulkner and A.J.Endacott) 3 Officers - Army, 12 O/Rs 2 Officers - Navy and 3 O/Rs 1 Officer R.A.F.
The first post of the year is another letter from the GEC Well-Wishers Club. The optimism of the opening line is almost painful when you know the years of struggle that were to follow.
The Diary of the 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade of which the 157th HAA Battery was a part, records the weather for the whole of January 1940 as "bad, with extreme cold" and a temperature of minus 20 was recorded. 6 inches of snow and icy conditions made it difficult to move around by road and influenza amongst the troops meant it was difficult to man the guns.
The G . E . C . WELL - WISHERS CLUB
Letter No.3
President: The Lord Hirst of Witton
Vice-President: M.J.Railing
Magnet House, Kingsway,
London, WC2
1st January, 1940
881937 Gunner F.A.Faulkner
Christmas is over again. With 1940 here the natural thought of everybody is "Will it see the end of the war?" Let's hope so.
This Christmas was a long holiday - four days of it - and yet the time seemed to fly, as it always does now. It did not seem so very different. Harry Williams ran his Christmas Draw, The Lecture Hall on Christmas Eve became a large poulterers establishment, and the travellers had their usual lunch. There was a moon too, to lighten the blackout. Quite a number of Head Office men were lucky enough to get their Christmas leave at Christmas, and as a result, there was more khaki in Magnet House than usual.
Every month many letters come in from those to whom we send parcels. We like to have them, but if you are pushed for time, the return of the card enclosed with the parcel is sufficient. Receipt of the card by us is a check. If, after two parcels have been sent to any one man, no acknowledgment is received here, we shall take that to be fair evidence that the parcel is not reaching its destination and the future despatch of parcels will be withheld. So please do not fail to mail the card on each occasion - or write, if you wish.
To return to the letters. These are all interesting. Quite apart from comment on the contents of the parcel, they give us a picture of conditions in the various forces, what life is like in the Navy, Army and Air Force, news of G.E.C. people and much other interesting matter. There is plenty of humour. We learn for instance, that the present needs of a member of Engineering Department are:-
(a) A pint of Mild & Bitter.
(b) A corkscrew (continuously rated)
(c) A Turkish Bath.
It has also been revealed that a well-known member of Export Dept. is making great efforts to grow a moustache (something we find it difficult to imagine him wearing) but that "so far it is only visible when viewed sideways in astrong light". He would seem to be meeting competition, for two other G.E.C. people in the same unit are making similar efforts, and of one the writer reports that "he is looking more like Old Bill every day". It sounds very good fun. Let's hope we hear more. By the way, a Circular goes every month round the departments giving the latest news about the G.E.C. Well-Wishers and extracts from letters received are quoted. Will the commentator on the moustache competition please give us further news? The whole of Magnet House is anxious for it.
The Junior Social was held last Friday, and although we greatly missed the help and companionship of a number of members now on Active Service, it was as usual a great success. Incidentally, it was the first Social function that has been held in the Lecture Hall since the outbreak of war.
There is enclosed a letter from Mr. Railing which we know you will read with interest.#
All best wishes for the New Year.
For the G.E.C. Well-Wishers Club.
G.H.Barrett
(# Letter not attached. A list of employees on Active Service is atached though: 33 O/Rs (including F.A.Faulkner and A.J.Endacott) 3 Officers - Army, 12 O/Rs 2 Officers - Navy and 3 O/Rs 1 Officer R.A.F.
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