Picture from Bartie's Postcards
In this entry in my father's wartime journal dad remembers the start of his working day and some of the personnel at J. Samuel White & Co, shipbuilders on the Isle of Wight.
Entry 9 - February 9th
Today we have been flying. As I pulled on my flying boots and Mae West through my mind flew retrospective thoughts of home. I imagined myself back at work. Nine o'clock a busier hum would settle over the office. The late arrivals, drawing off their coats, would break into spasmodic chatter with their bench mates, leavened with chaff. Then Mr Parker arrives, briskly throwing out 'good mornings' on either side. Les and I would break up our huddle and with a sigh return to the common basis of work. Others, watching the censorious glance of Mr Parker, would carefully fold their 'Telegraphs' or 'Mirrors', according to age or taste, and emerge from their day dreams, dropping their castellated visions to grapple once more with reality. By the time Mr Brading arrives another day has begun.
Douglas George Banks 1920 – 1989 written in 1941
Index to the journal:
- January 7th 1941 - World War Two aircrew training day one
- January 8th 1941 - World War Two aircrew training day two
- January 9th 1941 - Isle of Wight - seeking sanctuary World War Two
- January 10th 1941 - Aircrew training 10th Jan 1941 - Books
- January 12th 1941 - ww2 training 1941 - what is the meaning of life?
- January 13th 1941 - World War Two aircrew training day six
- January 20th 1941 - ww2 Aircrew training - the eternal questions
- February 2nd 1941 - World War 2 aircrew training - ideas and ideals
- October 10th 1941 - Wellington Bomber raid October 1941
- November 11th 1941 - Armistice Day reflection - to end all wars
