Description
Object description
c.850 ms letters, mostly to his girlfriend, later wife, Ruth Horner, starting March 1940 when he was a 21 year old Corporal in the maintenance section of 'A' Flight, 254 Squadron, Royal Air Force, with Blenheim bombers, based at RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk, moving to Royal Navy Air Station Hatston, Kirkwall, in the Orkeneys (April 1940), moving to RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands (May 1940), posting to 'B' Flight, No 5 Operational Training Unit (OTU), (renamed 55 OTU in November) RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire (June 1940 – January 1941), posting to Section 2, Maintenance Wing, RAF Church Fenton, Near Tadcaster, Yorkshire (January 1941), starting in a hut but soon billetted in a cottage in Tadcaster, his promotion to Sergeant and applying for a commission (April 1941), being sent on a course to Bristol, being billetted with a civilian family, he and Ruth getting engaged, posting to RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire (June 1941), working in the Engine Inspection Department, 13 Maintenance Unit, dealing with engines, avoiding posting abroad due to a hernia, getting married (16 August 1941), getting a motorbike (September 1941), applying again for a commission (October 1941), Ruth renting a house in Cambridge and working as a typist with the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) (November 1941), domestic talk, mentions of bombing in Cambridge, food, weather, accomodation, an operation for a hernia (September 1942), posting to 'F' Squadron, No 19 Course, and No 37 OEC, No 1 Officer's School, RAF Cosford, Staffordshire (December 1942 – March 1943), passing as a probationary Pilot Officer, between March and June he was posted to 54 Maintenance Unit, Marshalls, Cambridge so no letters as he was staying with his wife, the letters resume on his posting to 71 Maintenance Unit sub-station, Slough (June 1943) billetted with a family in Langley, renting then buying a bungalow in Sawston (October 1943), hopes that Ruth is pregnant being dashed, plans for the house, posting to No 32 MU, RAF St Athan, near Barry, Glamorgan (October 1943), posting to 410 Repair and Salvage Unit (RSU) in RAF Detling, near Maidstone, Kent (November 1943), promotion to Flying Officer, 410 RSU moving to RAF Biggin Hill, Kent (January 1944), posting to No 409 RSU, RAF Croydon, Surrey (February 1944), living under canvas at Odiham, confined to camp (June 1944), crossing to France (1 July 1944), the voyage and seeing the hundreds of ships, living under canvas in France, casualties, conditions, rations, seeing the raid on Caen, first time he'd seen 'the other side' of bombers, his unit playing with a captured German remote control 'beetle tank' (Goliath), trips to Paris and Belgium (September 1944), French more friendly in North than Normandy, spending October in Holland, cold and wet weather, 409 RSU being based in a hotel in Diest, Belgium (November 1944), big Christmas celebrations (December 1944), but having to go out to a crash as Duty Officer, moving between Belgium, Holland, Germany (March – April 1945), a trip to Denmark (May 1945), then settling with BAOR in Germany, moving to Schleswig to repair German aircraft to be flown to Farnborough, he and a friend capsizing a sailing boat and having to be rescued (the closest he came to death during the war he claimed), periods of home leave, increasing worry about why Ruth is not yet pregnant, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands visiting his unit, 409 SRU disbanding (November 1945), promotion to Acting Flight Lieutenant, posting to 417 RSU at Epinoy, near Cambrai, as Chief Technical Officer and Second-in-Command, little talk of his work but mentions of sport, life in his unit, his CO, Squdron Leader Joe Hudson, dances, films, home leave in January and June, and August, 417 RSU moving to RAF Wahn, Cologne (April 1946), complaining about the move and the snags involved, his life becoming more structured and peacetime RAF, thoughts about life outside the RAF, or staying with a permanent commission, Ruth hating her job and wanting to leave, then falling pregnant and giving up work anyway, (June 1946), problems with telephones, ejecting civilians from houses in Troisdorf to make way for RAF married quarters, Ruth joining him out in Brussels for a week's holiday in August 1946, his last letter from Germany being in September 1946, and based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk (January 1947). Also included are letters from a two week fire fighting course at RAF Fire and Rescue Centre at Sutton-on-Hull, burning an old spitfire to practice use of foam (June 1950), he was posted to MEAF, RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt in October 1950 but his first letter is from December 1950, Ruth and his baby sons, David and Stephen, joining him in RAF Ismailia, although they were evacuated after trouble with the Egyptians, letters restarting in November 1951, sending the family's possessions back to the UK, his frustration at not being home to help as the tenants had left their house in a mess, having to live back in camp because of civil unrest, mentioning shooting into the camp, his servant, starting to attend church regularly, sport, swimming, ENSA shows, domestic situation at home, money issues, returning to the UK (February 1953), and discussions of where to live when he is back in the UK. Throughout he talks mostly of their love, plans, houses, wedding, marriage, starting a family, travel, rationing, asking her to send him things, his jeep, little talk of war, and the situation in Germany and Egypt in the post-war period. Together with: a biography of William Hurst and commentary on his letters by Hurst's son (10pp and 12pp); an original map of Caen-Falaise, with ms annotations by Hurst showing the locations of the airstrips he worked at around Bayeaux and Caen (1944); a photocopy of a 409 RSU history, (September 1943 – August 1944), with ts transcription, including a narrative of the events of 409 Emergency Landing Strip (ELS) Echelon's experiences on D-Day to D+8 (6pp), 409 RSU Mobile Repair Section organisation and personnel (3pp), a narrative relating to the deaths of men with 409 RSU lost when salvaging a Typhoon (27 July 1944) (4pp); a Map of Brussels-Liege; two maps showing Security-Released Airfields in the United Kingdom (North and South) as of 31 December 1944; a menu for Farewell Dinner of F/Lt D R Stephens, 409 RSU (27 September 1944, Belgium), signed by 17 men; a picture postcard of Hotel-Restaurant du Coq, Diest, used as Officers' Mess 409 SRU; a 2nd Tactical Air Force RAF Christmas Card (1944); a menu for Casino, Diest (27 December 1944) signed by 18 men; an Issue of 'Prang!' the newsheet of 409 Repair and Salvage Unit (issue 3), with an article about Hurst and others capsizing a boat and losing their belongings (July 1945); an Appendix of Inspection and Repair Instructions, 410 Repair and Salvage Unit (RSU) (8pp); ms nominal rolls for Mobile Repair Section, the 7 work parties, names, ranks, professions, and trucks used.
Content description
c.850 ms letters, mostly to his girlfriend, later wife, Ruth Horner, starting March 1940 when he was a 21 year old Corporal in the maintenance section of 'A' Flight, 254 Squadron, Royal Air Force, with Blenheim bombers, based at RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk, moving to Royal Navy Air Station Hatston, Kirkwall, in the Orkeneys (April 1940), moving to RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands (May 1940), posting to 'B' Flight, No 5 Operational Training Unit (OTU), (renamed 55 OTU in November) RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire (June 1940 – January 1941), posting to Section 2, Maintenance Wing, RAF Church Fenton, Near Tadcaster, Yorkshire (January 1941), starting in a hut but soon billetted in a cottage in Tadcaster, his promotion to Sergeant and applying for a commission (April 1941), being sent on a course to Bristol, being billetted with a civilian family, he and Ruth getting engaged, posting to RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire (June 1941), working in the Engine Inspection Department, 13 Maintenance Unit, dealing with engines, avoiding posting abroad due to a hernia, getting married (16 August 1941), getting a motorbike (September 1941), applying again for a commission (October 1941), Ruth renting a house in Cambridge and working as a typist with the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) (November 1941), domestic talk, mentions of bombing in Cambridge, food, weather, accomodation, an operation for a hernia (September 1942), posting to 'F' Squadron, No 19 Course, and No 37 OEC, No 1 Officer's School, RAF Cosford, Staffordshire (December 1942 – March 1943), passing as a probationary Pilot Officer, between March and June he was posted to 54 Maintenance Unit, Marshalls, Cambridge so no letters as he was staying with his wife, the letters resume on his posting to 71 Maintenance Unit sub-station, Slough (June 1943) billetted with a family in Langley, renting then buying a bungalow in Sawston (October 1943), hopes that Ruth is pregnant being dashed, plans for the house, posting to No 32 MU, RAF St Athan, near Barry, Glamorgan (October 1943), posting to 410 Repair and Salvage Unit (RSU) in RAF Detling, near Maidstone, Kent (November 1943), promotion to Flying Officer, 410 RSU moving to RAF Biggin Hill, Kent (January 1944), posting to No 409 RSU, RAF Croydon, Surrey (February 1944), living under canvas at Odiham, confined to camp (June 1944), crossing to France (1 July 1944), the voyage and seeing the hundreds of ships, living under canvas in France, casualties, conditions, rations, seeing the raid on Caen, first time he'd seen 'the other side' of bombers, his unit playing with a captured German remote control 'beetle tank' (Goliath), trips to Paris and Belgium (September 1944), French more friendly in North than Normandy, spending October in Holland, cold and wet weather, 409 RSU being based in a hotel in Diest, Belgium (November 1944), big Christmas celebrations (December 1944), but having to go out to a crash as Duty Officer, moving between Belgium, Holland, Germany (March – April 1945), a trip to Denmark (May 1945), then settling with BAOR in Germany, moving to Schleswig to repair German aircraft to be flown to Farnborough, he and a friend capsizing a sailing boat and having to be rescued (the closest he came to death during the war he claimed), periods of home leave, increasing worry about why Ruth is not yet pregnant, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands visiting his unit, 409 SRU disbanding (November 1945), promotion to Acting Flight Lieutenant, posting to 417 RSU at Epinoy, near Cambrai, as Chief Technical Officer and Second-in-Command, little talk of his work but mentions of sport, life in his unit, his CO, Squdron Leader Joe Hudson, dances, films, home leave in January and June, and August, 417 RSU moving to RAF Wahn, Cologne (April 1946), complaining about the move and the snags involved, his life becoming more structured and peacetime RAF, thoughts about life outside the RAF, or staying with a permanent commission, Ruth hating her job and wanting to leave, then falling pregnant and giving up work anyway, (June 1946), problems with telephones, ejecting civilians from houses in Troisdorf to make way for RAF married quarters, Ruth joining him out in Brussels for a week's holiday in August 1946, his last letter from Germany being in September 1946, and based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk (January 1947). Also included are letters from a two week fire fighting course at RAF Fire and Rescue Centre at Sutton-on-Hull, burning an old spitfire to practice use of foam (June 1950), he was posted to MEAF, RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt in October 1950 but his first letter is from December 1950, Ruth and his baby sons, David and Stephen, joining him in RAF Ismailia, although they were evacuated after trouble with the Egyptians, letters restarting in November 1951, sending the family's possessions back to the UK, his frustration at not being home to help as the tenants had left their house in a mess, having to live back in camp because of civil unrest, mentioning shooting into the camp, his servant, starting to attend church regularly, sport, swimming, ENSA shows, domestic situation at home, money issues, returning to the UK (February 1953), and discussions of where to live when he is back in the UK. Throughout he talks mostly of their love, plans, houses, wedding, marriage, starting a family, travel, rationing, asking her to send him things, his jeep, little talk of war, and the situation in Germany and Egypt in the post-war period. Together with: a biography of William Hurst and commentary on his letters by Hurst's son (10pp and 12pp); an original map of Caen-Falaise, with ms annotations by Hurst showing the locations of the airstrips he worked at around Bayeaux and Caen (1944); a photocopy of a 409 RSU history, (September 1943 – August 1944), with ts transcription, including a narrative of the events of 409 Emergency Landing Strip (ELS) Echelon's experiences on D-Day to D+8 (6pp), 409 RSU Mobile Repair Section organisation and personnel (3pp), a narrative relating to the deaths of men with 409 RSU lost when salvaging a Typhoon (27 July 1944) (4pp); a Map of Brussels-Liege; two maps showing Security-Released Airfields in the United Kingdom (North and South) as of 31 December 1944; a menu for Farewell Dinner of F/Lt D R Stephens, 409 RSU (27 September 1944, Belgium), signed by 17 men; a picture postcard of Hotel-Restaurant du Coq, Diest, used as Officers' Mess 409 SRU; a 2nd Tactical Air Force RAF Christmas Card (1944); a menu for Casino, Diest (27 December 1944) signed by 18 men; an Issue of 'Prang!' the newsheet of 409 Repair and Salvage Unit (issue 3), with an article about Hurst and others capsizing a boat and losing their belongings (July 1945); an Appendix of Inspection and Repair Instructions, 410 Repair and Salvage Unit (RSU) (8pp); ms nominal rolls for Mobile Repair Section, the 7 work parties, names, ranks, professions, and trucks used.
History note
Cataloguer SJO
