Air Letter No 6
30th Dec. ‘44
Dear Mum,
It’s over a week now since I arrived back from leave but from then until Xmas we were getting things ready for the Xmas Party & since Xmas I have been getting over the party.
Everything for the party was very nice, including the eight bottles of beer, but, unfortunately, about eleven o’clock went out on a job & it wasn’t until three o’clock that they arrived back again & so by the time we got there everyone had eaten & gone back to their billets.
One good thing about getting there late was that there was plenty to eat. The cooks gave us a turkey for each crew, which consists of a pilot, fitter & rigger & believe me, by the time we had finished we were properly full. Another good thing about getting there late was that the C.O. arrived with a case of beer & as there was only a few of us there we did a lot better than if the whole squadron was there.
After dinner we got dressed up & went around to the officers mess for a few drinks. And talking about getting dressed up, I don’t think I mentioned it before but three weeks ago we were issued with new battle-dress not made out of the old brown material but officer type Aussie Blue &, even if I say so myself, they really look smart, so smart, in fact, that all the time we were in Florence we ate at officers clubs, dran in their bars & went to their dances & no questions were asked. It was quite amusing to sit down talking to Brigs., Generals etc & them not even suspecting that they were talking to a common L.A.C.
Two of us did talk to a General for about an hour just because some of the others bet we wouldn’t do it. He even asked us to dine with him but we thought it best to tactfully decline his most generous offer.
While I was in Florence I had my photo taken & I got one of the boys to pick them up for me so when he comes back, if they are any good I’ll send you one.
In my last letter I told you about the Aussie Club the Padre opened in the village well, the day before Xmas one of the lads was married there to some Italian girl. I didn’t go to the wedding but believe me she was very nice but even so it’s not the sort of thing I would do so don’t worry about me on that score.
We had a real English Xmas this year as far as snow was concerned. We had several heavy falls just before Xmas & although it was clean & bright on Xmas Day we had to walk to the mess in four feet of snow. The most I’ve ever seen to date.
Well, Mum, that’s all for now but will write again soon?
Love to Dad, Bet Leo & Jr.
Lovingly Yours
Frank
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