78.

Aus 407963

F/Sgt Carthew E.G.

Base Post Office

RAAF

Kodak House

Kingsway

London  W.C.2.

July 3^rd  43

1.

Dear Mother and Father,

I am afraid that I missed your letter last week, so will try and make up for it this time.  I have quite a good excuse, too, as I have been very busy – did nearly 50 hours flying – flew seven nights out of eight.  After the eighth night I could easily go to sleep sitting on  barbed wire fence.  Of course the actual flying is only half of it, we do nearly as much ground work before and after the trip as we do in the air.  With the briefing, preparing charts etc., checking instruments before, and interrogation after, another six hours has gone west.  However today is the first day of seven days leave, so I am going to make up for it – especially as I have just collected £15 back pay. / That is all they would give me, the other £5 goes on to my deferred pay, which, I have just worked out, is about £87 now, and going up at 3/- a day.  However, that is by the way. /

I am very pleased to say that I had a very successful ending to my training.   I left

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my last unit with the highest assessment ever obtained at that unit – “Exceptional in ability as a navigator.”  It is the first exceptional assessment I have ever seen.  I broke the navigator record three times while I was there – capping it off with a raid deep into France, for which I obtained an individual assessment of “Exceptional”. The rest of the crew passed out individually “above average” and the crew as a whole has been recommended for Path Finder Force, the highest recommendation possible, & something we all had our hearts set on./  Actually I don’t think we will go to P.F.F. until we have had some more operational experience, but it was a thrill to know that we have a good chance.

/Next week we go to a unit to learn to fly Lancasters, about four weeks I think, & then to our squadron for the real thing.  I am thoroughly satisfied with our crew – everyone is keen and knows his job. Sid is a first class pilot – very careful & very capable, & if anything ever happens to us, you can be certain that it was out of his control.  He takes absolutely no risks at all. / Incidentally, if ever anything did happen to us, you might like to go and see his Mother if you were in Adelaide.  She lives at

3.

Cross Roads, Fullarton (Mrs Forrester).  I think the number is 108, but you could check in the phone book.  It is just below Fullarton Road.

/Our first raid was very thrilling, exciting, & entirely successful.  I can’t say what we did or where we went (except that it was in France) but if the rest of my trips are like that I am going to enjoy it.  Incidentally this raid received mention in Bomber Command Bulletin, & it is an honour to get your name in that.

Well I have written so much about myself that you will be sending me a piece of hoop-iron for my hat, but I must admit that I am particularly thrilled with things generally./

To add to a successful week I received three letters from you, three from Yvonne, & one from A. Rose, Mr Brooke (tiser), Mrs Turner (Pt Pirie), and A. May.   Your letters were numbers 69, 70 & 71 (April 4, 11, 18) & were mighty welcome.  Mum said that she sent me one tin of Malted milk & one of pineapple.  If that was the parcel that got here in May 28, it contained two tins of milk, but I take it that this is a different one.

I would like a few minutes with the Adelaide Police – they told me that if my bike turned

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up, they would let Harold have it.  It is a pity a few of them don’t join up instead of hiding behind their polished buttons.  What do they plan doing with it, if they say they won’t hold it.  They also assured me that they wouldn’t be selling any more till after the war.

At present I am listening to a cricket match between the RAF & Civil Defence.  RAF is captained by Flying Officer RES Whyatt, & at present Squadron Ldr Ames is batting.  Hope it won’t be long before we are listening to the Tests again.  That was the last over before lunch, Ames is 9 N.O. & RAF are 1 for 149.

I am spending most of my leave here in Bristol but I hope to go over to Porthcawl in South Wales for two days.  Wednesday and Thursday as far as I know now.  The weather just lately has been very nice – quite warm in fact, so I hope it lasts.

Well, I have just about run out of news again, so will have to halt.  So once again cheerio,

Love from Ewin.

Later Ames made 104. RAF dec. 4-319.