{"id":242,"date":"2026-08-29T17:58:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T17:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/?page_id=242"},"modified":"2026-09-05T18:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T18:50:15","slug":"letters-from-ac2-malcolm-davey-royal-air-force-to-his-parents-herbert-and-lillian-in-sutton-surrey-1945-1948","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/letters-from-ac2-malcolm-davey-royal-air-force-to-his-parents-herbert-and-lillian-in-sutton-surrey-1945-1948\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters From AC2 Malcolm Davey Royal Air Force To His Parents Herbert And Lillian In Sutton Surrey 1945-1948"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Letters From AC2 Malcolm Davey Royal Air Force To His Parents Herbert And Lillian In Sutton Surrey 1945-1948<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Letter Dated 30th December 1945 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

AT 123 3039129 AC2 Davey M W.\u00a0 No 1 Wing, 5 PDC, RAF Blackpool, Lancs. 30\/12\/45.<\/p>\n

Dear Mum and Dad,
\nOnce again here, I am fit and well, hope you are both the same. Blackpool is a smashing place, infact I’ve decided to come up here after I’m demobbed on a holiday. And now I will try and describe to you what it is like, the front is about three miles long, sand all the way on which there is three piers, north, south and central, pleasure gardens, amusement parks, swimming pools, pleasure beach,\u00a0also theatres, cinemas, and odd places including pubs which all go to make Blackpool. Then of course there is the Tower we’ve heard a lot about\u00a0it on the radio but believe me it’s even better to go there, infact this afternoon I’m going there to see Reginald Dixon- afternoon passed – I’ve now seen\u00a0Reggie and believe \u00a0me, you would have liked to have been there , it was wizard, a whole afternoon musical programme for 9d not bad aye.\u00a0Besides a super ballroom there is a zoo, aquarium and roof gardens, amusement parks, cafe, circus, boxing and wrestling and the arts. Yesterday afternoon (Saturday) for the first half the organ was played for dancing then after an interval The Tower dance band took over and baby they certainly know how to play. red hot and otherwise.<\/p>\n

So much for pleasure, now for duties. We’ve spent about two\u00a0hrs since we’ve been here, thats counting every parade, so you can see we have a lot of time to ourselves. Last night I was on guard but all we did was sleep so that was OK. The weather here has been OK, sun shining every day, except late this afternoon when a mist came down making it very cold. Our billet is very nice and they look after us very well and we are quite comfortable so don’t worry. Now as everything in the garden is blooming and I’ve put your mind at rest I’ll close with wishing you all the best and may God bless you both. S.D.S.
\nLove and Kisses
\nMalcolm
\nP.S. Have I\u00a0left my scissors at home?<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 31st\u00a0December 1945 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

AT 123. 3039129 AC2 Davey M.W. No 1 Wing, 5 PDC, RAF Blackpool, Lancs. 31\/12\/45<\/p>\n

Dear Mum and Dad,
\nHere we are again happy as can be, all good friends and jolly good company. How is Sutton getting on without me, not so good I expect and especially when all you good people are making New Year resolutions, what’s Dads going to be, never another pint, only quarts. Have\u00a0you seen anymore of Derrick? He goes on the 3rd. And what about young Mance, he’ll soon be in bell bottoms. After I posted my last letter to you I once went again to the Tower to hear Reginald Dixon. He played another popular selection of dance tunes so I was in my glory.
\nSo today is New Year’s Day, well well, and do you know how Bill and I welcomed it, \u00a0no! Well it was like this, first of all we went to\u00a0the cinema, after which we had supper in a cafe then for a pint of beer in a very crowded pub, as all the pubs were, and then a walk at at 10.30 p.m. along the north prom (three miles there and back) past the Tower along the south prom (one mile) to the bottom of our road. As we were walking along the north prom, the sea was up to the wall making a terrific din as it hit the wall and as it rushed back\u00a0to do the same performance over and over again, out at sea there was a mist which clung to the water and an erie blackness beyond. We stood and watched all this amidst the quietness of the old year and the sprey came up and hit us in the face. On arriving at the bottom of our road the time was 11.50 p.m. so down to the sands we went. All the lights had gone out along the south prom, the trams had stopped running, sorry they call them street cars as there of American patten. We walked to the waters edge and as we did the bells of the churchs stopped, we were alone, quiet and everything was still, we heard the water running up the sands, we could see the erie white horses and the mist and darkness beyond. We lighted a cigarette, it was two minutes to twelve, we gazed out to sea expecting to see something but nothing appeared. Then as if controlled by one hand all the church bells peeled out and so the New Year came in and the old went out. We walked up the beach onto the prom and there back to our billet. It was the first of the first, nineteen forty six.
\nToday we have been on parade twenty five minutes, ten in the morning and fifteen in the afternoon so this morning after parade we went back to bed until after dinner time, this life is making me lazy. Tonight we are going the Tower to hear some more music so that should be OK. I’m going to pay accounts tomorrow to see if I can that business settled. I’m sending home to Dad two seaside postcards which I hope he will add to his collection. I don’t think there is any more to say except to wish you both once again a happy and prosperous new year. May God bless you both.
\nLove & Kisses\u00a0S.D.S.
\nMalcolm<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 21st January 1946 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 Davey M.W. Draft 1550 RAF S.E.A.C. Cairo West Monday 21st Jan 1946.<\/p>\n

Dear Mum And Dad,<\/p>\n

Well this time I am really shaking the sand out of my shoes, it’s the desert, miles and miles of sand. On arrival at Castel Benito yesterday we had a very nice hot meal, followed by a wash and brush up. The air was lovely with a warm\u00a0breeze coming in from the sea. Afterwards we went to the NAAFI and had a jar of\u00a0tea on the verander just as dusk was falling. It was there that I posted my last letter to you but I omitted to put “In Transit” on the back so wether they will accept it remains to be seen. If however you don’t get it let me know and I’ll try and send a duplicate copy, it’s about my last hours in England and my first over the continent.<\/p>\n

We took off from Castel Benito at 18.33 hrs B.S.T. -19.30 hrs N. Africa time and we flew through the darkness, there wasn’t much to see, only a few twinkling lights, signals etc. The best sight of the journey was the airfield here light up with the flare path right down the centre. We arrived here at 01.40 hrs Castel Benito time 02.40 hrs Cairo. We’ve lost so far two hours which when you get into bed at 03.55 hrs is and can be taken as a dim view. We leave her ( take off) at 17.00 hrs Cairo time 15.00 hrs B.S.T. The camp in which we are insituated (tents) is 30 miles from the airfield,\u00a0so we had a lovely open air truck journey through the desert at 02.00 hrs, with the moon shining. From this camp we can see the Pyramids, not bad, there about a mile away from here. The only “B” is that we have had our money changed into Egyption currency, my God what a job though. I can now understand the rate of exchange. I’ve attached a list of rate of exchange so you can see what is! The only other point is that on reaching barracks it will be changed again.<\/p>\n

We have just had dinner, it consisted of salmon, peas and cheese, jam tart and custard, one orange and that reminds me that in the NAAFI this morning I had a tomato roll, two jaffa oranges and two bananas, gosh they were certainly good. Out here the It….. do all the dirty work, such as keep the camp clean, clean, ablutions, latrines, cook houses etc. Along the road the wogs try to sell you all the things under the sun. Well I must close now as I want to post this letter off to you so for now all the best and God Bless.<\/p>\n

All The Best,<\/p>\n

Malcolm.<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 1st February 1946 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 Davey M.W. “P” Staff H.Q. Base Air Forces RAF India 1\/2\/46<\/p>\n

Dear Mum and Dad,
\nSo today starts a new month, last new months day (New Years Day) we were at Blackpool , my my time flies. I expect your\u00a0surprised at getting two letters bang on top of one another but as I have nothing to do I thought that my time could be better employed by writing home. So Dads still on the settey, gosh does he live there. I didn’t mention in my last letter that I was enclosing three paper cuttings about the R.A.F. strikes which appeared in the local Delhi paper “The Statesmen”, what I want you\u00a0to do is to read them, also the two which I’m sending today and let me have the hubbies opinion also any newspaper cuttings on the subject and also when you have read them would you please return same. Out here the weather is very fine, sunshine and blue sky, like an old English summer, it’s a bit cold first thing and last thing at night but at midday it’s boiling. Will endevour to write to “Hinton” as soon as I can but out here one cannot keep writing, besides we do it each day. By slow degrees we are picking up the lingo and most of it English slang which originated from India and was brought back by troops to the UK.
\nI’m sending home my surplus UK stamps. I have just shown them to our Cpl who replied, “Coo foreign stamps, is this the country that is out of bounds to BORs.” BORs stands officially for British Other Ranks, thats from Warrant Officers downwards but we call it\u00a0 “Browned Of Romeos”. You see this Cpl has been out here three and a half years and he comes from Edgware, we’ve taken to him a lot. If by chance you come accross and good pictures or photographs of “Joan Leslie” please send them out – thank you.
\nSo Doris has been making enquiries, well, well, I hope you play your cards right because I’m the bloke who will suffer if anything\u00a0goes wrong. How are the neighbours, please remember me to them and so forth, also tell them that they may moan and groan about the UK but theres no place like the UK even when your leading a life of luxury out here, never the less I’m happy and I’m pleased to have\u00a0the chance to see the world, and \u00a0I’ve travelled a few odd miles and seen a number of places, and it also broadens ones outlook on life, also when you get back to the UK you know what the other half of the worlds doing, what say you Dad?
\nWell time flies and its about time I had a cup of char, there you see the word char, how many people in the UK use it, millions and how many know that it’s the Indian way of saying tea. Every day and all day and night come to that a Char Wolla – Tea Boy comes round and at any time you can get a mug of tea, sweet Indian tea, I’ve drunk more char since I’ve been out here than I\u00a0did in the UK so don’t be frightenend to mention tea. How is the food situation at home? and how is the new business down the street\u00a0progressing. I’m sorry to hear that Mr & Mrs A had flu, I hope they are better now. I read in the paper where the UK\u00a0had a 75 MPH gales, did you cop it. So once again the page of scrapbook turns and with it my very best wishes to you both and don’t do anything that I wouldn’t.
\nLove & Kisses (S.D.S)
\nMalcolm
\nP.S.There’s a shortage of decent girls out here so please send some out.
\nP.P.S. Ive just written six pages of foolscap paper to the office , that should please them.<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 3rd February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 Davey M.W. “P” Staff H.Q. Base Air Forces RAF India 3.2.46<\/p>\n

Dear Mum and Dad,<\/p>\n

Well, today has been a day of surprises, yes it has, it all started at breakfast. I sat down at a table and started to eat my breakfast, I was half way through my meal when somebody sat down at the other end of the table on the opposite side, quite naturally. I just glanced to see who it was and then looked back to my meal then in a flash I looked at him, he looked at me, we looked at one another in surprise for two seconds then our grin broadened and ho do you think it was, none other than Johnny Mustard, well you can imagine how surprised we were. So e sat breakfast out together, with him was a Corporal who I thought was his pal. Conversation followed and I asked him what he was doing here, he replied \u201cI’m in detention\u201d \u201cDetention\u201d I said \u201cWhat the hell for\u201d He replied \u201cGoing AWOL.\u201d and the corporal with him was his S.P. Bodyguard.<\/p>\n

Well it appears that he was posted from Delhi to a station out North, previously he had asked for leave to go to Calcutta to see his Uncle who was going back to the UK. He as refused so on route to this station he went to C. for seven days and from there to this station. He had altered his movement order to read the date that would arrive up North. On arrival there he was immediately put under close arrest, brought back to Delhi, put on a charge and there he was, his detention ends tomorrow. Well he asked if I would go down to the Guard Room and see him that morning, the corporal had said it would be OK, so about eleven after a shower and a change, down I went and visited him until twelve, well we had a lot to talk about as you can guess, all about the old days etc, so along came Tiffin time (lunch) and the cpl S.P. Told me if I liked I could take him to the mess and look after him. Tiffin over we went back to the guard room where the NCO in charge told me that if I liked I could take him out this afternoon and once again look after him, well this I did, poor old John didn’t want to stay in a place like that he had been there long enough, so I signed the book and he was then under my wing. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the races and we also spent a little time at the billet, again chin wagin about blighty etc, after dinner we went back to the Guard room where I signed him in etc. I’m going to see him again one day next week as he is stationed in Delhi doing signal work. His camp is about a half a mile away from mine so we are going to make good use of the future and I’ve told him to stay out of trouble, to which he replied \u201cYou bet I am, I’ve had enough of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now a word of warning , if you see Mrs Affs please tell her that I’ve met John out here and give her all the gen that I’ve told you because if it wasn’t for him getting detention I might never have met him, Delhi’s a big place, tell her and this applies to you also, not to mention the fact to his mother about his detention as he hasn’t told her yet but by all means say that we have met and that we are going to have some fun. John thought he was going to get away with it, his luck ran out on him.<\/p>\n

I’m once again enclosing some newspaper cuttings, yours and the British publics views on the situation would be greatly appreciated. Nothing fresh has happened to me since my last letter but for one thing. It appears that every Saturday morning before work we have a parade, well we knew about the blasted parade but nobody had told us what time to parade, where to parade, how to parade and at what time to parade, sorry I’ve said that before haven’t I, never the less as you know we walk to work and it generally takes us twenty to twenty five minutes so we left R.C. Camp just after half seven and arrived outside K Block about eight, K Block is where we work and that is where the parade was as we were to learn sooner than we thought . On arrival at X all we saw was four airmen standing against a wall and a group of officers so we ambled across to the opening in the wall and there low and behold on the other side was the parade all fallen in, had been since quarter to eight, then we saw our Waterloo, who should it be coming across to us but the Senior\u00a0Warrant Officer, a short and rather tubby gent, who was in no means in a humourous mood, now for the fireworks, his first words to us were \u201cWhat bloody time do you call this to come on parade aye.\u201d I replied we had walked from the RC camp. \u201cThat makes no difference\u201d he barked back, oh how I wished then that he was an AC2 and I a W\/O, in a few seconds I sized him up, we had previously met this character on arrival here who gave us a pep talk saying \u201cThis is India\u201d as if we didn’t know, he continued \u201cOut here you walk about properly dressed, none of the business with your caps off, if I catch you you’ll be on the books, and I don’t like doing that.\u201d much thought I and he continues with showing us the places out of bounds in Old Delhi on a map, that was when we saw him last and during that lecture he had been looking at old Bill all the time and Bill in his normal way has a sarcastic look about him so I don’t expect that pleased the old boy, Mr five by five, I don’t think he’s ever seen his feet since he was born, his mother must have been frightened with a bicycle pump at his birth, and no as I said I was sizing him up, he could never have had a father, he’s the kind of bloke who if in charge of a pay parade and a bod happened to come in late would say \u201cWots yer name\u201d \u201cPhillips Sir\u201d \u201cRight git down wiv the Fs\u201d Finely educated in the RAF style of regular W\/Os . Mind you this flashes across my mind in a matter of seconds because no sooner had he ended his last remark \u201cThat makes no difference\u201d he was booming across to another W\/O who took our names and told us to fall in at the double. So off we doubled in view of the whole parade, I didn’t care that’s the mood I was in. I felt like telling the station commanding officer that he ought to have his parades at civilised times. Well the parade came and went and all was quiet until we were told by a Cpl that we were to report to a W\/O in room 78 at 8.30 Monday (tomorrow) no it wasn’t the SWO, another of his cronies who we had met unfortunately before, but fortunately we had met \u201cTiny\u201d a Flt Sgt air gunner who we made very good friends with on our arrival and who was always dropping in on us for a jaw. Well Tiny worked in this so and so room and he didn’t give two\u00a0hoots for this other W\/O and it was our luck to bump into him when Howard and myself were coming back from having a cup of char. With a broad grin about his face he said \u201cWhy weren’t you two bods on parade this morning\u201d we replied we were and told him the story, so he said \u201cCome into the office and I will tell you what flight you are in, you’ve been marked absent\u201d so in we went and he began to rub out the crosses against our names and put fat ticks. I stopped him and said \u201cNo can do, we’ve got to report here on Monday\u201d \u201cOh\u201d he said \u201cthen I can’t square it for you, anyway I’ll talk to the W\/O about it.\u201d Well I hadn’t finished offering round the fags when who should walk in but the W\/O himself so I promptly stubbed mine out. He muttered something under his breath about a rabble so I let it pass. Then Tiny starts shooting a line about and all the gen that we have told him and suggests to the W\/O that it wasn’t our fault etc and all that should happen was that we should be warned. \u201cThey will not be warned\u201d replied the W\/O and then he and Tiny have a natter. Then the W\/O looks at me and said \u201cWhen did you arrive here\u201d \u201cThursday Sir\u201d I replied. \u201cDid you read orders\u201d \u201cNo sir\u201d I replied and no blinking W\/O has to tell me that it is the duty of every airman to read Station Standing Orders, I wasn’t a drill instructor and NCO for nothing, I might be able to tell him a thing or two, I said might, and to see the tripe that’s pinned up on there notice boards would turn even the stoutest heart away and all stuff on there is out of date. As a matter of fact I did look for them. \u201cWell \u201c he said \u201c In future you will read orders, understand, you may go.\u201d Out we went Tiny behind us. When we were away from that place we thanked him \u201cOh that’s nothing\u201d he replied \u201cI’m cheesed of with this place and I owed him one.\u201d So we got away with it but believe me in future we will be on parade at 7.45 hrs and also show this S.W.O. and all concerned that the R.A.F. in the UK with R.A.F. Regiment training under Cpl Board will knock, vulgarly speaking, knock shit out of them and show them up. Before they start showing us the way they want to learn how to take charge of a parade, I only wish they would give me the chance. So ends our little story and all that it contains.<\/p>\n

How is Doris, give her my love and I hope to write to her soon. Also in this issue I’m sending home these surplus stamps you can use them and make some good of same. Well I’ll close now but before I do have you heard the story of the chap who swallowed a wrist watch no! Well he took Epsom Salts to pass the time away. Goodnight to you both and may God Bless you sweethearts, tomorrow’s another day.<\/p>\n

Love and Kisses (S.D.S.)<\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/p>\n

Poem to remember (Found on Lav wall at N. Weald)<\/p>\n

When you are sad and deeply thinking<\/p>\n

Of loved ones far away<\/p>\n

Remember the sunset slowly sinking<\/p>\n

There’ll come another day<\/p>\n

PS I have written to Walton the letter should arrive the same time as this.<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 8th\u00a0February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 DAVEY. M. “P” STAFF HQ BASE AIR FORCES. RAF. INDIA. 8.2.46<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad,<\/p>\n

Here we are once again writing letters during office hours, bad show what. I’ve just finished writing a long letter to Bob though I still haven’t heard from him and I’m hoping that there will be some mail for me this afternoon from home, you never can tell. Now how have you two love ones been behaving yourselves during my absence, no crafty leaves from India you know, all above board here.\u00a0Next Tuesday I will have been in India three whole weeks, my, my
\ntime flies doesn’t it, only hope it continues so until I’m demobbed. Howard is fast asleep in the chair, he doesn’t care two hoots and Bill is still in Dock, he’s been having chicken every day, he says he’s sick of it, I’d like the chance, wouldn’t you.
\nHow are the people at No 5 getting on, give them my kind regards, please, thank you, and the same applies to Doris only the word love can replace the word regards. So far we have managed to keep\u00a0 out of trouble, we won’t have if we’re late on parade tomorrow. My chances with this Netherlands WAAF seem to brighten every day, you should have seen the look she gave me yesterday, it made my heart come up into my mouth and I couldn’t work for half an hour afterwards, she’s dynamite. Work is progressing in the usual direction in other ways. Well if I’m to catch the post with this letter I’d better close now so once again the very best of everything.<\/p>\n

love & kisses.
\nMalcolm (S.D.S.)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 8th February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2. DAVEY M.W. “P” STAFF, HQ BASE AIR FORCES RAF, INDIA COMMAND. 8.2.46.<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad,
\nOnce again it’s me, writing to you from Delhi, hope you are both in the very best of health. Yesterday I saw the Victory Parade, it lasted two hrs and contained
\n10,000 troops and Armoured and Mechanised transport. I’m sending home the program so that you can see what and who took part in it, also I would like you to save same. No doubt you have heard of the trouble here but don’t worry about it, we shall show there b___s what is right and what is wrong by the end, the wrong end of a fire arm. It all started after the parade and was sponsored by Indian Students, its bloke’s like these who should be under Military Law. Old Delhi is out of bounds and tonight Delhi Police and British M.P. are patrolling the streets, everywhere is a deathly quiet, maybe the lull before the storm, we shall see.
\nToday I received a letter from Walton to which I have replied too. I must confess I haven’t had any mail from home for over a week now, though I know it’s not your fault. Places like the Viceroys House, the Secretariat Buildings, Congress, and India’s War Memorial are floodlit and last night there was a display of
\nfireworks, Tomorrow is the first Display which is being held at the airfield next to the camp so we should get a good view. I don’t know if I have told you but
\nI go swimming everyday for about twenty to thirty minutes also I get plenty of exercise so by the time I come home I should be pretty near fit all around. Well I’ll close once more with best wishes to you both.<\/p>\n

Love & kisses.
\nMalcolm. (S.D.S.)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 10th\u00a0February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3029129 AC2 DAVEY M W, “P” STAFF., HQ. BASE AIR FORCES, RAF INDIA 10.2.45<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad (You lucky people).<\/p>\n

Though I don’t think you are so lucky after what I’ve read in the Sunday Statesmen this morning, gales of 75 mph over South East England, floods, danger to the crops etc, you seem to be in a lovely state there. This morning which is just my luck, I’m “Duty Clerk,” it’s the first time I’ve worked on a Sunday for a very long time, I have to see that everything is ok before I leave as the keen bods, most of them like working on a Sunday and as another friend of mine would say “Allah won’t like that”.<\/p>\n

Yesterday I went for the first time into Delhi and I spent a very enjoyable afternoon there with a good friend of mine. I’m getting to know these blokes with stripes aren’t I, however we did a little shopping and I noticed the lie of the land and what the shop had to offer because when I get a surplus of money I’m going to buy some presents and gifts etc and send them home. I saw a pair of R.A.F wings yesterday made out of bone (bone white) and said to myself when I’m shopping again I’ll buy a pair of those for dear old Mum. I managed to buy a couple of handkerchiefs, three coat hangers, \u00bc lb of tobacco (pipe) and five photographs of Delhi which I’m sending home with this letter, I’ve marked on the back what they are etc and I want you to keep them as I shall send some home as time goes by. After we had finished marching about we went into a Chinese cafe and we had a snack,\u00a0and I’m not pulling your leg, a leg of chicken, green peas, chef potatoes and fried onions, boy, that certainly went down the right way. Plus bread and butter and soft drinks, the whole cost me two Rupees, which considering is very cheap and you wouldn’t get a meal like it in London today for that price.<\/p>\n

Tonight I’m going to see the film “This Happy Breed”, if you can remember the last time I saw that film was one Thursday afternoon when I had gone up to the London Hospital Whitechapel, it was a fine afternoon or going there but when I came out it was pouring down with rain and when I got to Sutton I popped into the “Country” and saw it. While I was in there, doodle bags were coming over and one fell into the allotments in Garden Green lane. Remember? And I got my sports jacket damp which put it out of shape for the duration. Bill is still in dock and I believe he’s enjoying it. The old beggar. So far I haven’t had any mail from home except the two that I mentioned previously so I’m looking forward to some news from “England.” Have the Walltonians received my letter yet. and how are they all getting on. The Cpl’s just seen this letter and he’s\u00a0asked me if I’m writing a history book, I wonder what he means?<\/p>\n

Besides the “Netherlands WAAF” that we have here (there’s a peach) we also have some from, Brazil, Hong Kong, & Jamaica, so with a little agreement we\u00a0could have our own U.N.O. meeting, which might prove very useful, to me I mean.\u00a0How\u00a0is\u00a0the focal ATC Sqdn\u00a0progressing with band etc, do they still parade at the school and make a hell of a din. There’s one thing that when I leave the service when all my evenings will be free and I will be able to do just what I like won’t I.<\/p>\n

Apart from asking you both of your health I think there is nothing more which I can write about so by saying good morning to you as in the U.K. it’s 05.45 hrs. B.S.T. I’ll close now wishing you both everything that life can bring.<\/p>\n

love & Kisses
\nMalcolm. (S.D.S.)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 14th\u00a0February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 Davey M “P” Staff H Q Base Air Forces R.A.F. India Command 14.2.46<\/u><\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad.
\nWell here I am holding my head in shame for blowing you up as yesterday afternoon after I had posted my last letter to you I received yours of the 8th and this morning I received two, one of the 1st and one of the 4th, This mail is a problem isn’t it however thanks very much. and am I forgiven? I’ve already answered some of your questions in previous letters, no there are no snakes in Delhi we haven’t a radio in our billet but we have a gramophone. No I shan’t throw the lock of hair away though you can inform Mr. C. that it might make a paint brush later on and that I intend to write to him in the near future. As I mentioned
\nbefore we expect to do about 15 months out here then we will come home and be demobbed hooray, “Good Old England ”<\/p>\n

Yes time certainly flies, three weeks gone already. As you say I’ll be the one to tell bed time stories and what some bed time stories they will be. So Nigel has won nearly \u00a31500 – he can send some down here if he likes. though I\u2019ve found lately that I\u2019ve acquired a sense of reasoning, you can\u2019t receive all, all the time and he may not pay that back, in money either, it might be the hard way, never be envious. Well I\u2019ll close now, lots of everything and am I forgiven.
\nLove & Kisses, Malcolm (S.D.S)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 21st\u00a0February 1946 To Mr &\u00a0 Mrs Davey 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129. AC2 DAVEY M.W. “P” STAFF. H.Q. BASE AIR FORCES RAF INDIA COMMAND. 21.2.46.<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad,
\nWell now I will get down to answering your letters, since my last scanty letter I have received yet another, yours of the 15th so I shall go to work, starting at the beginning. In the first I am not a private, I am an Ex.Flt\/Sgt\u00a0and now an AC2\u00a0much to my annoyance in the RAF.<\/p>\n

The answer to the question “Is the War really over?” has yet to be proved. No “local” Rags have arrived yet, and it is a pleasure to send you the Stamps. Your remarks about the W\/O\u00a0who told us to keep our hats on knew what he was talking about is dim because his view was for his benefit and not ours, he is supposed to be able to maintain discipline throughout the RAF, but what I have seen of him he ought to go on one of our ATC NCO courses.<\/p>\n

Don’t worry, I shan’t\u00a0\u00a0be late on parade again, but I’m not a genius\u00a0who can see\u00a0things before they are there,\u00a0you see we didn’t know any official gen\u00a0about any parade, and none of our famous NCO’s told us about it which as\u00a0NCO’s, they should have done.<\/p>\n

So Mr Morris and Mr Pearson have both gone as you say it was sudden, very sudden,<\/p>\n

To be precise we are five and a half (5\u00bd) hours ahead of you. G.M.T, 4\u00bd\u00a0B.S.T.<\/p>\n

As you know the vaccination I had at Mauritius didn’t take, the one I had here\u00a0did but I\u00a0have not witnessed any swelling or\u00a0stiffness, in fact I can’t see the mark now, ten days after.<\/p>\n

Please don’t worry about the paying of Duty on parcels, as I’ve\u00a0said before we can send stuff. “Duty Free”.<\/p>\n

I quite agree there are no girls like English girls, even Netherlands. So don’t worry, and if I talk of\u00a0Doris, I talk of her only\u00a0and please\u00a0answer any questions about her.\u00a0Last Sunday I wrote to her.<\/p>\n

The answer to your important question regarding shaving is “whenever I have to” and what is more, I now have two razors. Please don’t forget “Ever Ready” Razor Blades as I’m using up my old ones which won’t last long.<\/p>\n

OK, I’ll lay off speaking about food in future, I only wish you were here to enjoy it with me. Anything about India sounds alright over the Radio or in books or on the films but just come look here, to the East and see the difference. And Please, dont keep bringing up their late on “parade business”. Nobody, not even Ex. Flt\/Sgt. DAVEY, ATC, “DRILL\u00a0INSTRUCTOR” DISCIPLINARIAN, 219 SQDNS\u00a0OUTSTANDING CADET IS INFALLIBLE.<\/p>\n

4,000 miles is quite a distance, but knowledge is a great thing, you see when I come home I can say “I’ve been to India” and then I shall be able to say what the countries like, how the people live, you can’t learn those things in five minutes.<\/p>\n

And\u00a0now for my news\u00a0and questions. News about myself, is rare except that I have got sunburnt badly, all I was wearing was my costume round the essential part, the rest was red\u00a0and golly, was it sore, though only down the front half, I didn’t let it get on my back. Well last Sunday afternoon I went up onto the roof and sun bathed, while I was up there I kept on looking at myself and I still looked the same and decided that I hadn’t caught the sun. When I came down to tea in about five minutes afterwards I was glowing hot from top to toe and before bed time it was bloody sore and I’m not swearing there. I couldn’t bend, as I hadn’t any oil etc, I used hair cream, imagine\u00a0hair cream all over the front of my body, going from then onwards I spent two agonizing nights. I couldn’t walk properly, I couldn’t sit down with care and what was worse my clothes rubbed it. However after treatment given by myself, I’m now OK and I have learnt my lesson. Incidently it is a chargeable offence to report sick with sunburn in the RAF.<\/p>\n

Trouble is really on the way out here now. Delhi is out of bounds, though you can go through to certain parts in parties.\u00a0There has been firing in Calcutta again and also in Karachi, we\u00a0expect it here too. The Indian navy on strike at\u00a0 Bombay it has been rumoured have started to shell Bombay. I and my friends will have much pleasure in giving some of them B\u2014 of a belly full of lead, because on the outbreak of any serious trouble we shall be armed, with a few hand grenades and a\u00a0gun will do\u00a0me and incidentally, I am now carrying my knife with me. “Is the war really over?” You ask –\u00a0wait and see. My letter to Bob I hope will convince him of my views and I hope make a little impression\u00a0on his mind.
\nToday also I had a letter from Mrs Apps, that was very nice of her to write to me, also I told Bob that if he\u00a0did anything to hurt his mother with a certain person, no names mentioned. I would never forgive him. I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s being silly with – no names but you can guess and he will find himself in trouble.\u00a0Dinger, Nana and the boys agree with me because they also know this person.\u00a0This is confidential.<\/u><\/p>\n

Well I think I will close now with best wishes and loads of luck to you sweetie pies & God bless.<\/p>\n

Love & Kisses.
\nMalcolm<\/p>\n

(Sweetheart Dreams Sweet)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 27th Feb 1946 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 DAVEY MW ‘P’ STAFF, HQ BASE AIR FORCE’S R. A. F. INDIA COMMAND. 27.2.45.<\/p>\n

Dear Mun & Dad,<\/p>\n

Once again thanks very much for your letter of the 18th. I’m afraid the newspapers haven’t arrived yet. I suppose one fine day they will show up. Yes if only you are out here out here to eat the food we have at our disposal. No I shan’t send you any white elephants or pearls and I shan’t run myself short of money. Glad you liked the photographs, no matter how nice the buildings look you can’t beat dear old London for charm. But is is a town that has been planned before being built, you can see that, at every road junction you find roundabouts, I call the town of roundabouts. The roads are wide and dead straight, leading up to some object, not like London where you go all round the moon to go from Vic Stn to Kingsway. We have a road out here called Kingsway, one end is a roundabout on which is a statue of GV, a most elaborate piece of work. I hope I can send a picture home of it, thats if I can find it, however this road runs from GV straight up through the “Gateway of India” and then up to the Secretariat building. The road is about a mile long on either side of which is a park with a long oblong waterway either side of the road. As Nelson looks down Whitehall so George looks at Kingsway.<\/p>\n

Yes I received a letter from Auntie Mary as very nice one too so trust reply to same. Keep your eye on Doris and if any interesting move or action takes place send all the gen to HQ. BAFSEP.\u00a0 You must practice drawing “Chads” it will keep you amused, your quite right, “no English, loveless”, remember this is India,
\n4500 miles from civilisation, but just you wait until I come home, then hold your horses, I’m a changed man !!! Well I must dry up now so as usual love’s all
\nthe best, mine a pint!<\/p>\n

Best wishes,
\nGod Bless, Love & kisses
\nMalcolm<\/p>\n

Ps. You forgot this on your last letter<\/p>\n

SDS
\n(circled)<\/p>\n

WOT! NO SWEET DREAMS…<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 28th Feb 1946 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 Ac2 DAVEY. M.W “P” STAFF, HQ. BASE AIR FORCES R.A.F. INDIA COMMAND. 28.2.46<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad,
\nI received your letter of the 22nd this morning, Thank you very much. So it was the seventh letter aye, at two a week that should amount to ten, three not yet arrived, well I suppose they will turn up at a later date like the papers. So Paul is in Jerusalem, well well, Bob and Paul there and Johnny & I here, we all ought to meet in Cairo. Yes John is still working near me though I haven’t seen him for a week, he has to work in shifts being on Signals.<\/p>\n

The second Vaccination was participated in because the first one didn’t take, this one has. Thanks for the two cartoons. They’re damn good. I haven’t received a reply to my letter that I wrote to Doris yet so I must send another to ginger her up. How is everyone at No 5 including the mongrel? Give them my kind regards, – thanking you. How is work coming along, fed up yet or are you quite contented? Owing to the fact that I wrote you a letter last night I am now out of news, the only other thing is that after I wrote to you last night and was writing a letter to Mrs Krill in reply to one I had received from her there was a mock air raid in practice over Delhi, bags of search lights, guns, ack ack, red glows on the sky line, Lancasters coming over the town and our camp at zero feet, it seemed quite impressive, but not like the blitzes we had, this was playing. Its all a practice for Delhi’s Victory week (4th-9th March) Gigantic Parades, Air displays and tattoos all to impress the w–s that we mean business. I asked it I could go on there parades. as you know I would have liked to have done so, but they can’t spare me from my work to attend the rehearsals bad show. Well I’ll close now and think of who else I can drop a line to, Walton I think is next – Cheerio.
\nLove & Kisses.<\/p>\n

Malcolm (SDS)<\/p>\n

Letter Dated 10th Mar 1946 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey.<\/u><\/p>\n

3039129 AC2 DAVEY. M.W. “P” STAFF, HQ, BASE AIR FORCES, RAF, INDIA COMMAND. 10.3.46.<\/p>\n

Dear Mum & Dad,
\nOnce this Sunday. again, I am sitting on the Veranda. writing away like stink, and once again the morning is a very beautiful one. I received your letter of the 1st yesterday. Thanks very much, and please don’t keep taking the part of the S.W.O., I loathe him, knows what hes talking about my foot, he wants to get some hours in. So Bob thinks that his Mother and Father ought to get to know J.C. may be they should, anyway I have had a couple of letters from J.C. and she talks of nothing else but Bob he’s in it up to his neck and it will take an Atomic Bomb to move them apart. Snow!! what is that, we never have it here.<\/p>\n

So Johnny Richards is a diver, well, well! I hope he likes it, will he be going overseas? Have you seen or heard anything of Derrick or Nana, I have been wondering how they have been getting on. No I haven’t received any “local rags” yet, they’ll show up some time. Thanks for the seat, so that’s what I looked like in every street, I’ve often wondered. We (Bill & I) have been in touch with the Bod who took the snaps at Meeksian, though the process is slow they will I have no doubt show up sooner or later. For the Youth C.war on the first floor of the Adult School, why? Yesterday I saw the Willington Airport Air display, I have seen more thrills at any other air field on any ordinary day of the week. The best parts of the three hour show was aerobatics in a Harvard, (Yankee training, advanced type aircraft) a Hurricane firing two salvos of Rockets, a dive bombing attack by Thunderbolts without any bombs on the airfield and a flight of Corsairs (Yankee fleet fighter aircraft used by FAA) shooting up the airfield. The rest was dumb except for Parachutists being dropped by Dakotas, and crazy flying episode in a Tiger Moth (RAF’s oldest trainer but still in service). Now for a request, would you please send my Aircraft Rec book out to me, the one with the Air Force Blue cover “8×5” called Basic Aircraft Rec by Gibbs-Smith, its up in the back room, either on the side where my tools are or else in the box, and don’t go racking about too much in the box, thank you. Well I think that ends this letter, I hope it finds you as it leaves me, fit and healthy. What’s\u00a0the reply to the car situation Dad?
\nAdios for the present,<\/p>\n

Love & Kisses.
\n(S.D.S.)
\nMalcolm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Letter Dated 30th December 1945 To Mr & Mrs H W Davey, 3 Brandon Road, Sutton, Surrey. AT 123 3039129 AC2 Davey M W.\u00a0 No 1 Wing, 5 PDC, RAF Blackpool, Lancs. 30\/12\/45. Dear Mum and Dad, Once again here, I am fit and well, hope you are both the same. Blackpool is a smashing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-242","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244,"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/242\/revisions\/244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukphotoarchive.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}