At London Civil Defence Regional HQ newsletters
were compiled regularly throughout the war with news of how
former colleagues were getting on in the armed forces. Newsletter No
8 was issued in March 1944 and started with a 'special message' :-
“We
are honoured on this occasion in being able to include a special
message for you all from the Chief Administrative Officer Mr A S
Hutchinson CVO. Mr Hutchinson says:- 'Since the beginning of 1941
more than 50 of you have left London Region to join the Forces.
Before the end of the war, some of you, in offensive operations
against the enemy, will have been called on to endure even greater
hardships and dangers than you endured in the Battle of London :
others will look back on that battle as the time of their greatest
effort.
To
all of you, your friends and comrades in Civil Defence, preparing now
for the possibility of renewed demands upon them, send their
remembrances and wish you the best of luck and a speedy and
victorious return.'”
“Jimmy
Ives, who has now been in the RAF two and a half years, was seen a
few weeks ago in Exhibition Road surrounded by feminine members of
the staff. After that he seems to have been submerged, because we
did not see him again. We remember noticing he had a very red face,
though whether that was the campaigning or the company we do not
know.”
We
had a long visit from W G Poulter, who is now Flying Officer. He has
been for several months in the Arizona Desert instructing American
Fighter Pilots. He is now in Fighter Command in this country and his
address is the Queens Hotel Harrogate. The day before he left the
States he married a charming American blonde.”
The
next newsletter (#9) was circulated six months later – reporting
tragic news:-
“Now
as regards those of you who have gone from us to serve in offensive
operations, we have first to report the sad news of the loss of Jimmy
Ives while on a bombing raid over Germany and A E Clifford who was
killed in action while serving as a Captain with an Anti-Tank unit.”
Jim Ives was, of course, already dead by the time Newsletter #8 was circulated. His former workmates at LCDRHQ would not learn of his demise until Lilian's letter, written to him mid-February, was returned to in May.
Alma
Coombs had sent a copy of both newsletters to colleague Cecil
Gardener (who was still convalescing at home) with a covering letter
dated 17th November 1944. Alma's reaction to the news of
Allan Clifford's death is redolent of the time -
'Rather bad
luck about Alan isn't it, I suppose we have to expect these things
now although they still come as a bit of a shock, lets hope its all
over soon.'
If
anyone can tell me anything at all about Captain Allan Clifford or
F/O William G Poulter please contact me here or via the website
contact button.
No comments:
Post a Comment