World War II Letters Home October 16, 1938-Estelles Wickenkamp

                                                                                                     No. 2 Flying Training School
                                                                                                     Royal Air Force
                                                                                                     Brize Norton, Oxford
                                                                                                     Sunday, October 16, 1938

Dear Folks:

I received your letters, all 3 of them, yesterday.  I wondered why I hadn't heard from you, I thought probably you letter had been lost.  It was raining this morning but the sun is shining now and it is quite nice outside.

Yesterday afternoon Doug and I borrowed our Batmen's push-bikes and rode up to Tissington, another R.A.F. station where some of our friends are.  We stayed there for tea and came back home for supper.  I must be getting the cycling habit.

That Dundas boy in the picture is from Pelly - he is in Egypt now.  I didn't get much flying last week, only on Monday and Friday.  On Friday I went (solo) on a cross-country trip of about 300 miles.  I left there at 2:15 p.m. for an aerodrome near Portsmouth on the south coast.  About half way I "shot up"  Basingstoke, meaning I was doing some "reco" (reconnaissance work), drawing a map of the town, etc., counting trains, trucks. After I got to Tantmere I went along the coast eastwards, (on my own),  then I altered my course (compass) in aline for  Bristol on the Severn River.  About half way there I was supposed to land at Boscome-down.  Well, I stayed there for about 10 minutes and realized I would be overdue if I didn't make up for lost time, so from there to Bristol and back here I opened 'er up to about 190 m.p.h. (ordinary cruising speed speed is about 160 m.p.h.)  so I got back here right on the dot - I was away 2 hours 15 minutes all together.  Anyhow, I passed my test, and that is more than most of them did.

Before we go on a cross-country we go with the Navigation Instruction for a test.  Two of us went with him.  The first fellow piloted the first half of the trip, then I took over and the Navigation Instructor only let me fly for about half an hour (our trip was 2 hours), then I guess he thought I was getting along too well so he told me to get in the back and change with the other chap.  he didn't follow his course so well and didn't pass it, that is why quite a few of the boys didn't get to go on a cross-country solo.  I sure love to do navigation - it's great rambling about the country - reading maps.  On my trip I used a nice sum for me to go joy riding.  It will cost them more than that before i am through with this course.

You asked about a Navigator;s Certificate.  That means besides just being able to fly, that you have qualified in map reading, calculating courses, calculating wind speed and direction, and to pin point your location while flying.  To get this Navigator's Certificate we go to Manston which is on the north-east corner of Kent near Dover.  There we fly with a navigator - that is 2 of us change about piloting and navigating - out over the North Sea. While out there we get instructions by radio that we are to change course and to some other point to intercept a ship.  After we get more instruction by W/T (wireless telephone) and in that manner they send us all over.  That is navigation - not map reading, the water has no land marks.

We have had several machine-gun practices on the range.  We get belts of cartridges with bent and dud rounds in them so that we learn how to clear stoppages, and what causes them.

I can receive about 10 to 12 words a minuted in Morse Code.  A 'word' is 5 letters. We don't use telegraph clicker keys - we use a buzzer with a key - that is so we can send and receive while in the air.  Our planes are equipped with radio.

Some of the boys got a little dual night flying on Saturday.  I was supposed to go up at 11:30 but it got too foggy.

We had what they cal a "Guest Night" last Tuesday.  There weren't any outsiders, just all of us Officers.  The Junior Term had to provide some entertainment for the Senior Term; if it wasn't satisfactory you had to go in the pen ( a corner of the room).  After the entertainment was all over they made those in the pen run the gauntlet, which meant crawling under 2 tables and run between two lines of Seniors armed with knotted towels and newspapers rolled up.  As they were getting ready for for this, everyone, and I mean everyone, stripped  of their jackets, shirts, right to the waist, loosening the straps under wellingtons so our trousers were loose, then went through the works.  As we went under the tables we had soda water and beer squirted at us, what a turmoil - then -the fight (which everyone was anticipating) started - Juniors vs. Seniors.  You couldn't imagine such a transformation - with in 10 seconds there were about a hundred of us scrapping on the floor and all over the lounge room.  Of course it was all in fun.  Some of the boys thought they could leave their shirts on, well, they have to buy new ones now!  After we were too tired to go any more we sang a few group songs and went to bed.  Everyone was so tired they could hardly walk.  That's what they call "Guest Night".  The whole thing was really silly but I guess it is the only chance we let loose all our pent-up emotions and energy.  Oh yes, the Seniors threw one of our chaps in the bathtub before we got through we had 3 of them in the water, clothes and all.

We are having our big dance her on the 28th.  I don't know ow sophisticated it is going to be.  I'll leave that until I find out.

I wrote a letter to Vernon.  I got a letter from him and I guess he sure has his noes to the grindstone.  He says Lyons is real good to him and helps him all he can.

I think am just about out of news, so I think I'll start a letter to Esther.  She said in her last letter she has only received 2 letters from me and she should have about 10 by now,  so apparently some of them have been lost.  You seem to get all of mine.  I am glad you got plenty fair crop this year.

I suppose you were all quite worried over the prospects of war - well, I couldn't see how there could be a war - although everyone was or acted awfully scared.  Nearly everyone in England has had gas masks issued to them and the parks in London and all over are dug full of trenches and gas-proof chambers.  About half the school children were sent out to the country, and a lot of people moved out.  During the scare none of us could get week-end leave,  and those on holidays were all recalled to their units.  Well,  it's all over with so there's nothing to worry about.

Take good care of yourselves and don't work too hard.  I suppose you will soon be having snow and frosts.

Will write again next Sunday.

                                                                                              With Love,

                                                                                               Estelles

P.S. Thanks for the letter, Dad and Harold.  Keep on writing. E.

The Book of Me, Written By You - Prompt 6: Journals and Diaries

Do you keep a journal or diary?
How far back to they go? What do you record?
Where do you keep them?
Do you always buy the same one, or vary them?
Have you inherited any?
Do you intend to pass along your journals or destroy them?
Pictures - do you have a favourite?
What do you use to write with - biro, pencil, ink or fountain pen?


I am not a journal or diary writer. However, I did write in a journal my first year of college from September 11, 1979 to September 11, 1980.  I also did a little writing from September 22, 1980 to February 17, 1981.

In 1970, I acquired the "Daily Diary" on the left. It is the standard diary most girls of my age probably had with the little key to lock it up. I didn't write anything in it then. I went to Shasta College (Redding, CA) in the fall of 1979, the first time I was away from home, so I decided to write my experiences. They were not to exciting. I was homesick a lot. So in the Spring of 1980, I enrolled in a school closer to home, Santa Rosa Jr College. In the journal on the right is my first year of college. 

I didn't use any special implement to write with. I used a standard ink (Bic pen) or pencil.

My mom was the journal writer in the family. I knew she wrote done all of our travels we took as a family in our Cessna airplane, and my parents travels to Hawaii and to Europe. 

As you can see she just used an assortment of books. She also just wrote with the standard ink (Bic) pen. 

The most treasured journals my mom wrote were these.......

The journal on the right starts June 23, 1963 when the cornerstone of our cabin in Idaho was laid. Every time we went to the cabin, my mom wrote what we did and the progress on building the cabin. The journal ends March 26, 1967. We sold the cabin and moved to California.

The journal on the left starts June 1967 after we moved to California and goes to June 8, 1984. This journal chronicles all the friends and family that came to visit us and what we did. 

 These journals are precious to me. I keep these journals in a small suit case the belonged to my grandmother. I intend to transcribe them to share with family. I have a big job ahead of me, but it should be fun going down memory lane.

World War II Letters Home October 10, 1938-Estelles Wickenkamp

OCTOBER 10TH

I didn't finish my letter the other day so I'll see what I can tell you now.

Today Corporal Linthune and I went on cross-country flight flight with our instructor. L.A.C - Leading - Aircraftman, Corporal, Sergeant and Flight-Sergeant are below us in rank - they are non-commissioned Officers and are Airmen. Anyhow, I piloted the first half of the journey down as far as Bristol - on the Severn River, then the Corporal piloted the last half.  The instructor sits beside the pilot - so when I wasn't piloting I sat in the Navigator's seat about half way back in the plane and facing backwards - it sure seemed funny.  We cruised at 160 m.p.h and weer up for 1 hour, 50 minutes so you figure out ow many miles we went.

Yesterday Doug Morris, another Canuck and I borrowed some push-bikes and rode up to Little Rissington - 13 miles, and saw some of the other Canadian Boys that we came over with.  Little Riss is another F.T.S.

I went into Oxford after tea today with our Ensign (one of the junior pupils with a P.C. - Permanent Commission).  He has a little M.G. (Morris Garage) care.  It is real low and long and we just scooted along these winding highways, corners and all at about 70 m.p.h  It is amazing how these small cares cling to the road.

The classes were started up again so you see a lot of queer looking mugs gadding about the streets there - with their school ties, gaudy scarves, and some with their black gowns.  Some of them have long hair to their shoulders, and other crazy ideas such as carrying two umbrellas, wearing a sort of shepherd's toque and carrying a crook, (just between you and me and the sea, I think they must be afflicted with an epidemic of "nerts".)

I've been trying to find an envelope large enough to send some enlargements to you but they don't seem to exist.  Anyway, I'm sending a few more snaps.  There is a badminton court in Whitney,  a few miles away so I think I'll start playing again.

I got a letter from Esther today, so will have to answer it.  I suppose threshing is all over by now, and the plow is going again.

I'll write again soon.

                                                                                               Love,

                                                                                               Estelles

World War II Letters Home October 7, 1938-Estelles Wickenkamp

                                                                                          No. 2 Flying Training School
                                                                                          Royal Air Force
                                                                                          Brize Norton, Oxford
                                                                                          October 7, 1938

Dear Folks:

This Friday night I am going to start a letter, if I can, and finish it on Sunday.

We have been having oodles of rain here and lately we have some real high winds.  For 6 days i was unlucky enough to be on flights when it had to rain so I didn't get any flying until yesterday.  I went up on a height test solo.  We are only supposed to go up to 15,000 feet and stay there for about 10 minutes.  That didn't seem very high up to me so kept going.  I got up to 18,500 feet and saw that i had to be down in half an hour so i quite there.  It was about 10 degrees or 15 degrees below zero at that altitude.  The sun was shining into the cabin so I was quite warm except my feet and they sure were cold.  I glided down at 90 m.p.h to about 15,000 feet, then I wanted to go faster so I put the noes down and opened the throttles about 1/3.  The motors made a funny whine because they run so fast when you dive.  All the boys in the class heard it.  Anyhow I got it going about 240 m.p.h the I shut the motors down and pulled the nose up again.  Some of the boys suffer from earache and find it hard to breath even at 16,000 feet, but it didn't bother me - only it made me belch a couple of times.

I was doing some forced landing practices and some low flying with my instructor today,  but it was quite windy and so it was really too rough and bumpy to do much low flying, so my instructor got out and I did some circuits and landing practice for 3/4 of an hour.  I haven't taken my camera up with me but will try to remember to sometime next week.  I would like to get some good pictures of the country around here, also of the aerodrome from the air.  There is only one other boy here that I have talked to that has gone up to 14,500 feet. There may be a few more but I don't this there are many.

The storms and lightning put a few planes from other places out of commission this week.  One Harrow Bomber with 5 men in it was struck by lightning about 10 miles out over Channel; the engine stopped and the instruments were haywire but they glided over to land and they all bailed out safely in their parachutes.  This happened at night.

We haven't started our night flying yet, but probably will this coming week.  As I told you before we only get one solo at night this term, until after New Year's.

(To be continued October 10)
                                                                                     

The Book of Me, Written By You - Prompt 5: My Childhood Home

Prompt 5: Your Childhood Home

Your childhood home

When did you leave home?

Where was it? 

Where did you move to?

Was it rented or owned? - parents/Grandparents

Was it inherited?

What was it like - describe it- each room

Were there a favorite room?

Is there anything you particularly remember from the house?

Pictures

The road and area

I was born in Spokane, Washington, where I spent the first 5 1/2 years. In 1967 my family moved to California and bought a house in Novato.  As you can see it is a typical suburban home. It is located at the top of a cul-de-sac.  Come along and I will give you a tour of my house. Walk up the drive way to the front porch, look to the right you will see the bay window my dad put in to expand the living room. Let me open the door, notice the beautiful grandfather clock my dad built from a kit. He built that in the basement of our house in Spokane. Turn to the right into the living room and walk towards the fireplace, which was converted to gas. On holidays dad would put a real log on the fire for a special treat.  In the bay window alcove is the sofa. This sofa we had in Spokane when I was born. It has been recovered a few times but still in good shape. In front of the sofa is large square table and opposite the sofa is the "hi-fi" cabinet that once again my dad built and my sister helped stain it.  Now turn left into the dining room. It is not large, there is a table with six chairs and a hutch for dishes. Look out the window at the view of the hill across the way. We had a lot of special holiday dinners, birthdays and other dinner parties in this room. My mom new how to entertain. Now we will turn left through the pocket door into the kitchen. Once again it is not large but my mom made a lot of wonderful meals in this kitchen. Yes, in the 1970's we had avocado green appliances. Next to the kitchen is the breakfast nook. Step down two steps to the family room. Our first TV was the Muntz that came with us from Spokane. I remember it being painted green. My dad recovered it with faux wood grain contact paper. There was another gas fireplace a sofa and the upright piano. My sister was the piano player in the family. My dad could play by ear, he didn't read music. I still can hear him playing Alley Cat on that piano. Open the door and step into the small laundry room. On the left is the half-bathroom and on the left is the door to the garage. Now let us go upstairs. We need to retrace our steps through the family room, up two steps into the breakfast nook and turn to the right through the foyer towards the front door. The stairs are on the right.  At the top of the stairs is one bedroom, that was my sisters (and later mine when she moved out). Turn right to the bathroom I shared with my sister. Turn left and the next bedroom was mine, AKA the city dump. I was the sloppy one in the family. My room was always messy. My dad found a sign that said city dump and put it on my door. I wish I still had that sign. I am still pretty sloppy. These two bedrooms are on the back of the house. Across from my room was the guest room and at the end of the hall was the master bedroom, my parents room.

I guess you could say my favorite room in the house was my room. It was my sanctuary. It was messy but it was mine.

I moved out in 1988. However, I didn't get very far. I still live in Novato. My parents sold the house in 2005 and move to Medford, Oregon. That was hard on me, because that was my house. When we had to clean out 40 plus years of stuff that was not easy.

Every once in awhile I drive up the street to the end of the cul-de-sac and look at my house and to see if the new owners are taking care of it. I miss the old place. There were a lot of memories there.

World War II Letters Home October 3, 1938-Estelles Wickenkamp

                                                                                            No. 2 Flying Training School
                                                                                            Brize Norton, Oxford
                                                                                             October 3,1938

Dear Folks:

When  I woke up this morning it was pouring rain so I stayed in bed until 10 o'clock.  It has slacked off a little now but is a dreary day.  We are allowed to have fires in our rooms now so I got my batman to light mine this morning.  It is nice and warm now. I have been going to to tell you about the batman we have.  They are are our servants. Each batman has 3 officers and their rooms to take care of.  The first thing in the morning he brings in some hot water, lays out our uniforms and shoes and wakes us up.  When we are out me makes up our beds, puts all of our clothes away and straightens our our rooms.  In the evening he lays out our mess kit or whatever we have to wear for supper.  He keeps our boots cleaned and polished, polishes our buttons, presses our clothes, lights our fires, takes care of our laundry, etc.  He even unpacks your trunks when you come here - anything you want done - the batman does it - even brings you tea in bed on Sunday mornings if you don't get up for breakfast.  So you see we get well cared for - all you have to do is ring the button and he's there with a "Yes Sir?"

Tomorrow I am Orderly Officer under instruction. The O.O. is responsible for the following duties:  supervision of the guard, inspection of ration store on their arrival at the ration store, tour airmen's dining rooms during breakfast an dinner meals to receive any complaints, the maintenance of order and discipline in the institute, attendance at payment of airmen, ensuring of "lights out", attendance at the fires and inspection of fire guard., etc., inspection of detention rooms and visiting of occupants, etc., etc.  So I won't get any flying or studying done tomorrow.

I got the Free Press.  I got a letter from Vernon; it only took 10 days.

The situation with the Czechs looked pretty serious for a while but it seems to be all peacefully settled now.  We were all confined to camp and no one was allowed to leave the camp on week-ends and we couldn't go any farther than 20 miles. Everyone on leave was recalled.  In London they started to dig trenches in all the parks and are still doing it.  Gas masks were issued to everyone in England - all sots of Air Raid Precautions were taken.

On the picture I sent you of our Civil School class you will find a boy names James.  Friday afternoon he was up with his instructor and they got caught in the rain.  Instead of climbing up high, they flew low and crashed into a telephone post or pillar of some kind and both of them were killed.  They say that the instructor was a little reckless.  If he had gained altitude he could have got out of the rain because they were just local showers, but no one really knows what he was doing so there isn't much that can be said about it.  They have been very few accidents in the last 3 or 4 months.  No one figures on accidents here any more than you worry about a car accident.when you go to town.  Considering all the men that are flying there is a small percentage of accidents or deaths.  There are about 70 pilots here and about 20 instructors, and we all fly nearly every day., doing on an average of 3 or 4 take-offs and landings.  I figured it up roughly one day and there are about 1,500 or more gallons of petrol used here in one day.

I imagine there are about 50 or 75 training schools in England and about 120 squadrons, so you could probably figure what it must cost the British Government for Air defense alone, and then figure on top of that about 6 times as many airmen as pilots.  It runs into millions of pounds a year.

About the ranks now - well, in another couple of months we get our wings, then after our 6 months here we become Pilot Officers.  After we are in a squadron for 18 months we get promoted to Flying Officer.  If we are fortunate enough before we get out we might get to be a Flight Lieutenant.  That is as far as we can expect to get, unless you get a P.C. (Permanent Commission), then you advance through the various ranks, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, Group Captain, etc.

That is too bad about Wesley Belous but it can't be helped now.  The J.P.'s job seems to be a nice helpful side line on the farm.  Apparently the garden turned out pretty good this year - well I guess you won't starve anyway.  As far as I can remember we never did.  I have 2 more cards to get for my set of aeroplanes, then I will send them to you.

                                                                                                     Love,

                                                                                                     Estelles

World War II Letters Home October 2, 1938-Estelles Wickenkamp

                                                                                                              No. Flying Training School
                                                                                                              Royal Air Force
                                                                                                             Brize Norton, Oxford
                                                                                                             October 2, 1938

Dear Esther:

I have received about 9 letters from you and it is nice to get your letters so try to drop me a few lines about once a week, also how about a picture or so once in a while.  Today has been just another rainy Sunday, in fact the last week has been rotten weather for flying and everything else.

I'll answer a few of your questions first.  I haven't been able to locate D.B. Lindsay yet, but probably will sometime this winter.

At all the inland stations we use land planes but at the coasts we have seaplanes and fling boats - I hope  you know the difference.  I don't know how we get to be Officers so soon, but we are!  All the boys are promoted at practically the same time rat.  In an other couple of months I will have my wings and my appointments signed by the King himself.

You can rent some bicycles (I mean "push-bikes") over here for 2 or 3 bob a week.  A lot of these English cigarettes are blended but I don't like them.  I smoke Players Navy Cut.  They are something like a Turrett. - plain Virginia tobacco.  I think I will quite smoking this week.  If I do I can save about 30 bob a month.

I just finished writing a letter home and i sent a few more snaps.  I have to get all my snaps done 3 or 4 times so I can send them home to you,  and have one for myself.  But I don't mind;  I think it's always nice to be able to see what things look like.  The only trouble is that sometimes I forget what pictures I have sent you and what ones I have sent home, so if I send more than one to you and I haven
t sent one home can you send it. I know Mama, Papa and Richard are always anxious to hear from me.  I suppose you all worry about me - after seeing something in the paper about R.A.F. crash, etc.  Richards wants to know whether he should put in an application.  Well, I really don't know what to tell him.  It is nice and all that but there is a lot of red tape and blooey about it all too.  Anyhow i wrote and told him that maybe he should stick it out in the garage and probably I can help him when I get back.

The clocks in England were all set back an hour this morning,  so it is quite dark at 7:30 when we have our supper.

I am on of the Orderly Officers tomorrow so I won't get any flying or classes.  We have to go around the camp and inspect everything to see that all is in order.

It seems as if the big crisis over the Czechs is over with.  It almost looked as if there would be a war.  In the last few days it has cost England about 50,000.00 for A.R.P. (Air Raid Precautions).  They are still digging trenches in the parks in London and everyone in England has been issued with gas masks.

I don't feel much like writing tonight, as usual but maybe I'll get in the mood again sometime and write a more interesting letter.
                                                                                                     Love,


                                                                                                     Estelles