LETTER 1 August 24, 2008

( I have copied my Fathers letters with spelling & punctuation etc. as they were written)

1521794 A.C.2. BYRNE. P.J.J.

 FLIGHT 10, 54 INTAKE, B Squadron

AVENUE CLOSE

LONDON N.W.8.

6-7.42.

My Darling Wife.

 

Just a line to let you know I arrive OK at 4 O’clock on Monday morning.  The two other fellows & myself wandered around London trying to get something to eat until 7 O’clock then we gave up, and arrived hear at 8 O’clock.  Since then we have not had a minute to spare until 7 O’clock pm, and having had any sleep during the night you can tell I am just about to go to bed at 8 O’clock to try & get some strenght back.

 

We have been isssued with all our kit including the white flash for our caps.  The tailor came this afternoon & took our uniforms etc to make them fit properley.

 

I was a bit upset on Sunday night & I hope you are not feeling so bad now, one day has gone already before I come home for 7 days, they wont allow us out yet here, when they will I dont know.  Anyway we have the best corporal we could possibly have.

They have told me you will have your pay book through in about 10 days.

I wont say anymore now until later in the week except I love you very very much.

With all my love & kisses

Pat

P.S. It will be OK for you to write here as we will be here for 3 weeks my love. X

All my love & kisses & a big kiss for Jud August 24, 2008

The hopes and dreams of too many young men ended abruptly during the course of World War Two.  A great many families were to lose the love of someone they held dear, a love that could never be replaced.

I have compiled these letters for my sons Alasdair, Ian and Michael (Foxx) so that they can learn a little about the Grandfather they never knew.

The memory of his hope and his courage deserves to be kept alive for the grandchildren he would have loved had he been given the chance to know them.

Catch me a moment

Wrap it around my mind

Catch me a moment

But not one too unkind.

Catch me a moment

The nicest you can find,

Catch me a moment

Don’t leave it behind.

 

Trap it in my memory

So it won’t come undone,

Trap it in my memory

To shine like the sun.

Trap it in my memory

So we become as one,

Trap it in my memory

Until my day is done.

Jo Halleron 1992

CONFUSION August 17, 2008

“it gets worse every day”.

What does?

“What does what”?

What gets worse every day?

“Who said that”?

You said it.

“What did I say”?

That it gets worse every day.

“Oh, does it”?

Now listen, you said

“It gets worse every day”.

I said what does,

You said “What does what”?

I said what gets worse,

“You said “Who said that”?

I said you said it,

You said “What did I say”?

I said that you said it

gets worse every day,

You said “Oh does it”?

So come on, what gets

worse every day?

“My memory, I think”!

BRAIN July 23, 2008

One thing I do know,

don’t try and learn something new when you are suffering from a headcold, the brain stops working!  Mind you, some people do tell me my brain never works anyway.  The swines!   Speaking of not working, why do lightbulbs go pop on a rotational basis?  You know which one is going to go bang and which is next in lline to do similar, which brings me to this.

 FILAMENT

Filament is a lovely word,

but out of context it is quite absurd.

There you are, one of my poetic gems for you, whether you wanted it or not. Probably not, but so what, you got it ANYWAY