Air Letter No 10 Dancing in the streets for VE Day

Air Letter No 10

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

461 Squadron 

R.A.A.F.,

AUSPOST LONDON ENGLAND 

28/5/45

Dear Mum,

               At long last I can settle down to write to you again. After I wrote to you on V. day we went up to London for the celebrations & believe me I’ve never had such a crazy time in my life.

    We had several beers to celebrate the victory & whilst in the pub we met a man & his wife & nothing would suit them better than to take us out to their home in “Bomb Alley”( the worst blitzed part of London) for tea. After tea we all went back to Piccadilly Circus & sang & danced in the streets until it was time to catch the 5.20AM train back to our transit camp at Brighton. Straight after parade at 8 o’clock we caught the train back to London & the celebrations were still in full swing & we stayed there that day & night & caught the 5.20am train back to camp & slept the round of the clock. What happened the following few days is still rather hazy because Brighton had a V-week.

Pubs were thrown open & as we hadn’t seen beer for about three years we certainly had our Quota. During the week we took part in a Victory parade in Brighton & the following day went up to London for a similar parade. We met about 15 of our pilots who had just been released from P.O.W. camps & of course had to have a 3sqdn reunion or two.

            Last Friday we were all posted & because the squadron we were posted to from Italy does not exist we were all split up. I went to 461with Bo & Ben Dodd & from what I have seen of the place it seems alright. We are on Sunderland Flying Boats & stationed at the most westerly point in Sth Wales.

            The first day we arrived we put in for leave with the result that I am now in Brighton again on 11 days leave. We are going to stay here until Friday or Saturday & then go up to Leeds or Manchester for the rest of the time.

Next time you write to Betty tell her that I may not have a chance to write whilst I’m on leave but will do so as soon as I get back to the squadron.

            By the way, our “working hours” at the squadron are 8.30 to noon, 2.30pm till 4.30 so I won’t be overworked 

                        Much love to Dad

                                    Lovingly Yours 

                                                Frank

 

 

Link to photo of the party in Piccadilly Circus on V day

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205125104

 

 

Air Letter No 9 We got here in time for V-Day

Air Letter No 9

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF.,  

AUSPOST KODAK HOUSE, 

KINGSWAY 

LONDON ENGLAND 

8/5/45 V.E. DAY

Dear Mum,

                        Well, here I am in England at last. We disembarked at 10 o’clock yesterday morning & arrived at the Aust. Transit camp last night at 7 o’clock & after we were cleaned up & had tea we went off to the pub for a few drinks.

For the first time in three years we were able to drink beer that had been drawn out of a barrel & it was good.

I can’t tell you much about our trip over except that the boat was very crowded & very, very slow but we got here in time for V-DAY & that’s the main thing.

I wont be able to finish this letter because it is now 10.20 & we have to be on parade at 10.30 & straight after that we are going up to London for the big celebrations & probably won’t be home until tomorrow or the day after.

            The squadron we are posted to does not exist. It was disbanded some months ago. The aircrew has gone home & theground staff is scattered everywhere so I have no idea what is going to happen to us as yet except that we are going to get two or three weeks leave soon.

            No more time now so will close. Excuse scribble

                        Love to Dad

                                                Lovingly Yours

                                                            Frank

  

Air Letter No 8 I’m posted to England!

  

Air Letter No 8

AUST. No 34171 LAC Cooney, JF No. 3 Squadron R.A.A.F.,  Cent. Medit. Forces 

27^thMarch ’45                                                            Don’t answer till you hear from me again

Dear Mum,

            When I arrived back from 10 days “duty” in Rome I had three air-letters & a sea mail letter waiting for me.

            I have more news about the party & that is you can cancel it for a long while yet. We had a visit from the Group Capt. In charge of repatriation & he told us that as there is now only half as many squadrons in this command as there was when the scheme first started we will now only get 50 replacements every two months instead of 100 & also told us that with a bit of luck we may get a boat in November or January but repeat but, he also told a few of us something that made us forget all about the repatriation scheme.

    The news is that this will probably be my last letter from Italy because something I have been waiting for for ages has at last happened. I’m posted to England! I don’t know exactly when we are leaving but it will be as soon as the next replacements arrive & they are due any day now. It also means two or three stripes will also be coming my way, I believe. I guess you can imagine how excited I am, I have given work at this squadron right away. Another good thing is that all my best cobbers are going with me, including Stork (sgt), BO, Kevin Harris, Ben Dodd & ten others.

            My fingers are just about fixed up now although they are still very tender if I knock them.

Dad was very lucky that the car was not smashed up properly when those sailors stole it. Has anything more been heard of them yet?

            I told you about the club the padre started for us at the last ‘drome, well at our new camp he has started a bigger & better one. He somehow managed to get a big refrigerator & ice-cream machine & I have got the job of making it work. A lot of parts were missing & so I went to Rome for ten days to see if I could get the spares. I managed to get most of them the first couple of days I was there so the rest of the time was leave. As soon as the gas arrives from Naples it will be working.

            The last couple of weeks the weather has been simply glorious & adjoining our room we have the best little sun verandah & most of the day I lay out there in a pair of shorts.

            Well, Mum, space is getting short so I will close & write again when I’m settled in England. Which I hope will be very soon.

                        Love to Dad

                                    Lovingly Yours 

                                                Frank

 

Airgraph No 14 The squadrons keep pretty much to themselves

 Airgraph No 14

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron 

R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces 

3^rd  February ‘44

 

Dear Mum,

                  It’s only two days since I sent you one of these airgraphs but to-day I received three letters from you & this is just in answer to them. The letters I received were No’s 105, 107 (1.12.43) & 107 (6.12.43). no doubt one of them is meant to be No. 106.

Glad to hear that the green material I sent Bet was suitable. Haven’t seen anything over here yet but may get hold of something shortly.

I haven’t seen Alan Sherwood lately. I must go down there one of these nights. The squadrons keep pretty much to themselves & the only times we see one another is at the two-up, & then it’s only a certain few.

Next time Tom Williams rings up tell him that, if I can get a couple of weeks home leave, I’ll change places with him anytime. Any of those boys who envy me can swap places too.

With a bit of luck I may get to see Johnnie Curtis shortly, seems as if we have a good chance.

Have you got all the letters that I have sent since I came over here? If so, hang on to them ‘cos I want to go through them when I eventually get home. No more now so I will close.

Much love to Dad & the family                                             Lovingly Yours                    Frank

 

 

Airgraph No 13 We look like staying here until it’s all over.

 Airgraph No 13

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron 

R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces 

1^st  February ‘44

 

Dear Mum,

                                    I haven’t much to tell you this time except that I am having a book sent to you. It is a book on the doings of the RAAF for 1943. I don’t know what it will be like but last year’s was rather good. We pay for it here & it is posted to you from somewhere in Aussie. Let me know if you receive it alright.

                  The couple of parcels that I sent from here should just about be home by now. I will be looking forward to an Airgraph saying that you have received them. Can’t understand what could have happened to Betty’s pyjamas & kimono. They should have arrived long ago. Should hate to lose them now after keeping them for so long.

I had hopes of being home in time for Betty’s blessed event but can’t see it coming off now.

We look like staying here until it’s all over.

Received an airgraph from Mrs Palmer to-day so must set to & answer it.

Much love to all at home.  Lovingly Yours                     Frank

 

Airgraph No 12 A cake from sisters in Wagga

 Airgraph No 12

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron 

R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces 

24^st  Jan ‘44

Dear Mum,

                  Your airgraph No 12 (9.1.44) arrived here to-day. Also received two from Betty. I woke up to the fact that letters No 91 & 94 were airgraphs I think I sent you an airgraph to tell you so.

Tell Dad that it’s been cold enough over here to give anyone chilblains but somehow I haven’t had any at all. The weather at present is very good the sun is quite warm & the nights are cold but not windy like they used to be. We were issued with leather jackets the other day & they keep us warm.

I received a cake to-day from a couple of sisters in Wagga. I wrote to them some time ago & told them if they didn’t send me a cake soon I wouldn’t write any more. I only said it as a joke but they up & made me one. I’ll have to try it on others.

If I have time to-morrow I will write & tell you about my leave. Had a rather quiet time so the letter won’t be a long one.

It’s good to hear that Bet is still keeping well I still keeping well I still have hopes of being home in time for the coming event.

            Much love to all at home                                      Lovingly Yours    Frank

 

Letter No. 113 Mt Vesuvius, typhus & a Hotel in Pozzoli

 Letter No. 113

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron 

R.A.A.F.,

Cent. Medit. Forces 

22/1/44

 

Dear Mum,

                                    It is about a month since I sent you a letter by surface mail but that is only because there is so little news. I have my work cut out trying to fill an airgraph. This is just to let you know what I did on leave.

We expected to be away for two weeks but the army took over our hotel at Amalfi & so the leave was cut down to eight days so that everyone could get away.

    We had a very quiet time indeed because Naples was out of bounds owing to a typhus epidemic amongst the civilian population & so we spent most of our time at the hotel.

In peace times the hotel was a sanitarium for people suffering from gout, lumbago & similar ailments & in each room was a bath into which flowed hot mineral water straight from the hot springs on Mt. Vesuvius. It was good to be able to hop into a steaming hot bath anytime during the day or night.

    The hotel was at a place called Pozzoli, about ten miles from Naples & we spent our days just wandering around the town. We just used to walk down the street & buy a couple of pounds of walnuts or almonds & then sit on the sea-wall & eat them.

    I only went on two trips while I was there. They were to the top of Mt. Vesuvius & Sorento. It took us an hour & a half to walk to the top of Mt Vesuvius & about ten minutes to come down again. I wouldn’t like to see you try & walk it. It was almost too much for me.

    That is all I did for the eight days I was away. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there & it has been pretty good since we returned.

    I spent the day to-day putting up a hut for our mess. It is about 15 ft wide & 30 ft long & stands about 10 ft high. It is made from galvanised iron & angle iron & just fell together.

Well, Mum, that’s all for now but I will write again soon.

Much love to all at home 

                                                      Lovingly Yours

                                                                                          Frank