Sun. July 5 10.10. pm. [1942]
# NOTES WRITTEN FOR RON’S WEDDING SPEECH
# GARDEN CANTERBURY BELLS ADMIRED
# ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN LOCALLY
# WEATHER HOT AND HUMID

Have been writing to Ron and did not notice the time. Must soon follow Jean to bed. Have written a few, very few, lines as a guide to Ron if he has to make a speech at the wed. Have just put the kettle on the fire as I can’t manage without a hot water bottle. It is our only kettle and it has been pest. Mended once and is leaking again. Mr A thinks he can perhaps get us one made at Rowley’s, a tin one, hope he does. He came to look at my Canterbury bells, they really are a picture – 3 or 4 shades of blue and purple from very deep to very pale and some huge cup and saucer creamy white ones like wax. Most are double or cup and sau. It is marvellous the different shapes and shades all out of a packet of seed, all looking identical and all grown in the same soil. “Not God in a garden? Nay, but I have a sign, ‘tis very sure He walks in mine.” Bill came of course, he is rather a nuisance when Mr A is here as he lets him do as he likes, I don’t like him and his hairs in the room. Mr A says I am to go and see his especial delphiniums some day, they were just coming into bloom when I was there last. His garden is lovely.

The war news was a little better Sat. and today, from Egypt. We brought 3 planes down on Fri. two in daylight returning from a raid. Flying low, one over Lincoln to escape AA fire. I think fighters got them. One came down in flames in a farm-yd 2 miles from Linc. All killed, one a boy 18. A Polish plane got that one. The second came down near Will[oughby] and Alford. Later one was brought down at sea almost opposite the C.G. box. [Mr] Paul and Mad[dison] were on watch. Saw and reported the flash and were congratulated by Air Min[istry] for promptness. But in their excitement they omitted to put it through to Mablethorpe so had a reprimand from there. Rather an anti-climax.

I got up at 6.45 this a.m. and made tea as I had asthma and a bad head. Went back to bed until 8.50. It was just beginning a heavy shower at 7 and came another after I got up. It cleared in time for Jean to wear her new coat to chapel, then turned very warm and windy again. Later the sun came out and the air seemed fresher but the mist is rising off the warm wet earth tonight, which does not suit me, lovely as it looks. It has the appearance of being hot tomorrow and the rain will have done a lot of good if it takes up again. Well, the days are shortening now instead of lengthening tho’ it is hardly perceptible yet. I fear the worst winter of the war is creeping towards us now, but we may make a lot of headway before then, but if we are having a “second front” why, why, don’t we start while the weather is good. The icy winter weather aggravates the evils of war more I think than the summer tho’ the heat too is terrible.

Rowley’s were ironmongers in Skegness.

Incidents were noted in Lincolnshire Air War 1939-1945, Books One and Two (S. Finn, ‘Aero Litho Company’, 1973, ‘Control Column’ Publications, 1980) and in the Skegness Standard (Wednesday July 8th 1942) – also listed online in the ‘Bomber County Aviation Resource’ Incident Log: Spitfires of a Polish squadron brought down two Junkers 88 aircraft on farms near the Wolds villages of Aswardby and Baumber. The two crew members of one were uninjured and taken prisoner. However no specific record of the incident near Chapel St Leonards has been located.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

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