Tom Critchley to his sister Mary Platt 7th March 1941

7.3.41

My dear Mary,

I have just had the bill for your capsules or whatever they are 8/9 so there is quite a respectable saving – 7.6 + 1/3 tax. If you want any more, give me plenty of time because we only order periodically & sometimes it takes some days before we get the goods. We get most things like that at discount rates, for instance we get Bovril for 5/6 a 1lb bottle.

Last Sunday Annie and I took advantage of a fine day & went for a trip round London. It's far worse than I imagined & gave me quite a shock.

Tottenham Court Rd is not so bad except where it meets Oxford Street, there there is quite a bit of damage,  Charing Cross Rd, opposite is shut to traffic.

Hoborn shows quite a lot of damage, but doesn't look too bad now it has been cleared up and patched. We couldn't go along Newgate St, so had to go round Smithfield into Aldersgate St. That end of Aldersgate is a mess with half-demolished buildings & twisted girders on both sides. Then we made for St Pauls. What a mess! Paternoster Row is – in fact it's gone with all its book shops, so you won't be able to take Mollie there to gaze longingly at the books. Cheapside is bad – I should say over half the buildings are in ruins, but the north side of Cheapside is awful. Viewed from Moorgate Street from either London Wall or Fore Street one gazes across a wide expense of waste with not even a wall standing up. Perhaps it looked worse to me as I used to know this district so well with it's narrow streets of the days of old London & congested area. Gazing down London wall is like looking at a picture of ruined Ypres.

We went to have a look at Johnson's place in Paul St. By some strange chance it escaped the worst & stands up like a lighthouse amongst a sea of ruins. It has been chipped and seared but other places are flat or burned out.

That busy crossing ar the Bank, where stand the mansion House & Exchange is one huge crater with temporary wood bridges across. A big bomb dropped there and tore through the subways.

I should say that the real bad destruction is well nigh a mile square, really bad that is, not just a house or building here & there, flat.

The one bright spot in it all, is that the damage is not the kind that hampers the war effort. It's a good job the Germans are Hunnish minded & try to frighten folks instead of concentrating on works that matter.

I sent you a book early in the week. "Jonathan North", as you will see it is second hand but well worth, reading, at least we think so. I sent a copy to our Jim at Christmas & Phoebe and Jim M, I hear both think it not nice in parts. It didn't strike us so, we thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you both do too.I don't want it back as I have a copy at home.

Goodness knows what we are doing at Easter. I would like very much to go to St Helens and may manage it, but it is early days to make arrangements at present.

Last week when I was writing to you I think I mentioned doors & windows rattling. It wasn't guns only that caused it, it was bomb s between us & Potter's Bar. You never can tell one from t'other properly, so the only sensible thing to do, is to pretend it's always guns. Annie said she looked at me & as I took no notice she thought it was all right. We have had comparative little raiding this year & what there has been has been mild & nothing to trouble about. February was the slackest month since August, it has been as good a s holiday & judging by the present weather, with its pouring rain the aerodromes will be waterlogged for some days yet.

Love to you three from us both

Tom

Letter from Tom Critchley to Mary Platt 26.2.41

26.2.41

My dear Mary,

I think you asked about what arrangements we make for fire watching. We do 2 – 2 hour spells every 3 days. Thus I am on Monday & Thursday this week, next week I am Tuesday & Friday.

The time of duty goes in rotation, in 4 successive turns we each do one of the periods 10 – 12. 12 – 2. 2 – 4. 4 – 5. Three come together & if there is no warning out, only one of the three is up & dressed, if the warning does go then he knocks up the other two.

Last Thursday night I had 4 – 6 but the bloke next door had to be up & about: the dirty dog came & knocked me up just after 4 & my, wasn't it cold. I got up looked at the gun fire, then put the kettle on for a new hot water bottle, had a cup of hot milk & crouched over the electric fire until I heard one plane near, when I shooed him away, I came in again. And so it went on till 6 am when I went to bed though there were still planes about.

The next night, explosions and very viscous gun fire woke us up, but we soon went to sleep again & didn't know till next day they dropped about 400 yards away. Tom heard them coming down but we were well away in slumberland. Somebody is having a fair-sized raid tonight by the sound of things – probably Birmingham or Liverpool as the planes are passing fairly regularly overhead & the guns are trying in vain to knock the stuffing out of Jerry. It doesn't sound like a real proper raid, only a sort of flying visit.

Annie & I went to see the Great Dictator yesterday. It's worth worth seeing but isn't nearly as funny as Chaplin usually is.

Like you, we are having very cold frosty weather, but dry – try getting up at 4 am if you want to know how cold it really is.

Can you hear the guns now – course you can, the doors & windows are rattling!

The primula we brought from St Helens had a most unfortunate end. When the men were building our shelter (4 of them) there was a very thrilling matinee one day & our garden provided front seats. A tremendous air battle was fought overhead. German bombers & fighters & our fighters. Four Huns were shot down in the near vicinity & these chaps got so excited rushing about the garden to try & get better views they tramped on some of the plants. The primula was one. I know where I can buy another, but have never seen the darker shade, so if you think one would carry I will be very glad to have it. It's a pity you aren't here, I have just been to see what all the row is about, opened the front door, then called Annie to come & look. It was worth seeing. Jerry put down two big flares & our blokes sent up hundreds of tracer shells to try & put them out – the flares not Jerry. The sky to the East seemed full of red balls rushing towards the two white lights.

An expensive sort of fireworks display & as there was no heating in our part of open air stand, it was too cold to stop there for long.

It looked to be over Brimsdown or Waltham direction – near the latter place they put some heavy stuff down last night , but then there was no warning.

I have found a few more stamps kicking about. I hear Biddy has become a collector so I am sending her an album for her Birthday, also what few stamps I can lay my hands on  not many I fear – the better ones I found, I enclose for Molly as at this stage I don't suppose Biddy has the least idea of their merits.

She is unfortunate isn't she? It looks as if her first term is going to be an absolute waste & I am sure Seth would prefer her to be at home while unwell.

Thursday

Apparently we only saw part of the show last night, we had a view from the popular side only, those in the stands saw all sorts of colour tracers & a lot more flares than we did. Shame!

Anyhow we had one good big walloper when something big bent the Potters Bar district, so perhaps that makes things all square.

It's pelting with rain today & Jerry is taking advantage of it.

love to all of you from us both

Tom

Will you come in for tea today? We are having potato cakes? (potato cakes are a delicious Critchley speciality)

Tom Critchley to his sister Mary Platt 12th February 1941

12.2.41

37 Lonsdale Drive

My dear Mary,

Perhaps you know, or perhaps you don't know that we can get lots of things in the chemical line at discount prices. Whether "Supervitts" is amongst them I don't know, but I have put an order through for a 5/7(+ha'penny)

I know I forgot to send the Adexoline last week so I am sending them now – if I don't forget again.

At last we have got letters from Ronald. The latest are dated December 29th and Jan 3rd, which came together yesterday.

He tells us about going to a party, which was rather flat until he started to wake them up. They had rather tame forfeits, so he introduced them to "making ones will to the company." You know, the one where everybody claims their own peice of the poor blighter who's made his will! Then, next, he got the gentlemen to try threading a needle with one eye closed – the old stunt of having a sooty hand and clapping it over the bloke's eye to make sure he keep one eye shut. He says that he & his pal Cyril then took charge & things went in a grand style. It all hardly seems in keeping with the dignity of the Critchley family. I don't know where he can get his low tastes from, unless its from his mother.

Now he & his pal are going to throw a party at their flat. I'll bet it's some party.

They had a good Christmas from what he says, with good things of all kinds.

One thing makes ones mouth water is when he speaks of squeezing 4 oranges to make one glass of juice for one drink. At present it doesn't pay to pick the oranges from the trees & we pay 9d a lb – he gets about a dozen Jaffas for 2d.

Jerry still leaves us pretty well alone, but that I think, is simply because of the weather; yesterday was thick fog. The breathing space is very welcome & it does give time for our folks to prepare.

We have had your "smelling" game, as a matter of fact there are few games we haven't had at one time or other.

One game we used to play a lot at one time was a writing game in which somebody gave a letter & or a subject – say flowers or towns in England or abroad & you had to write down as many as you could in a given time. a variation of this which is rather entertaining is towns which incorporate in their name:-

a) an animal like Mullion  Ramsgate  etc

or

b) an article used in furnishing a house Dunstable, Rugby, Basinstoke etc

c) Vegetable matter Oakhampton Stockport Elstree etc

d) The Roman castle ending – Chester Lancaster etc

Things in the room which begin with a certain letter. Any number can play.

We have had fire watchers at the works ever since war broke out & now the Home Guard as well. I have been freed from both, but do my turn twice a week at home, to night I am on the 2 am– 4 am shift, unless Tom does it for me.

I am sorry your cold is still troublesome, try these things I am sending, but don't expect wonderful results, stuff of this kind is meant to build up rather than cure,

Love to you al from us both,

Tom

Tom Critchley to his sister Mary Platt 4th February 1941

My Dear Mary,

Your cold seems to be of the same type as mine was, a constantly unwiped & unpleasant nose. I suppose it's a mild type of flu that is knocking about, most folks seem to have it, more or less.

How did the party go off?

We have one of those "Thousands will never die" people at the works here. Once he tried to convert me, but he gave me up as a bad job (is this Tom's name for the sect or was there a sect called "Thousands will never die" does anyone know? BC.

We are in luck's way with meat now Tom is billeted out, his ration is 49 ozs per week!! It's a scandal isn't it?

Our firm like many others is supplying the men with "adexoline" capsules, one per day free. They contain vitamins A & D & are supposed to be wonderful.Our boss bought 100 for his daughter & paid 8/6 for them, whereas the works are buying them for 25/- for a thousand. If you would like some I'll get them for you nice and cheap. I expect they would do both you and Mollie a lot of good, you simply swallow them,  and wash down with a cup of tea.

Thanks for the photos, Ronald's earlier letters are at Birmingham, when I get them back I'll pick out those of interest and send them along.

Jerry has been pretty quiet lately, thank goodness, though he gave us one or two shocks during the day time last week, swooping down out of nowhere when it was snowing or raining. The nearest he got to us was Southgate where he dropped a packet, though he sounded on the roof tops several times.

Everything seems to point to gas in the near future, so I think it's up to everybody to get "gas minded" otherwise there will be a risk of panic. After all gas isn't so bad as his other stuff & I suppose we will soon get used to it, like we have the bombing: though Annie says she wouldn't like another spell like we had before – weeks on end & not a night off.

I kept a record of air raids.

September 113 warnings totaling  301 hours (10 hours a day)

October 144 warnings totaling 387 hours (over 12 hours a day)

November 95 warnings totaling 309 hours (10 hours a day)

Then December fell off to 36 warnings 118 hours

While January was better still with 4 warnings for 90 hours.

Isn't it any wonder that during Sept/Nov folks got to ignore warnings & everything else. The other day when I passed through Enfield a plane was very low & the gunfire particularly heavy & yet I saw no one hurry for shelter. Folks went on with their shopping: & the men at the works now ignore the spotters' whistles.

The snow has come back to us worst luck. & now lies about 6 inches deep. After a heavy fall this morning it's lovely & clear now, so there is no activity in the air – too clear.

What do you think of Biddy's school? Making them take medicines with them & charging £2.12.6 a term for stationery and then the poor kids have to buy their own paper to write home!

That's all this time,

Love to you all from us both,

Tom

We haven't heard from Ronald since he sent the photos. I guess some of his letters are in the sea somewhere.

I am trying to get a copy of Jonathan North, if I can I will send it.

Tom Critchley to his sister Mary Platt January 23rd 1941

23.1.41

My Dear Mary,

Ever since we started fire spotters I have been seedy and Tom has been doing my duty. He is one of the lucky ones & he's never had to turn out. In some mysterious way the all clear goes just before he is due to turn out & the warning doesn't go until his turn is over.

My cold (or flu) is just about better & so is that part of it I passed on to Annie. How are your colds? I can assure you I didn't give you my cold, that I gave to Annie, so you must have pinched yours from some other body.

I doubt if you would have coal fires in every room if you lived here. We can't get the stuff now. We have had it on order for about a month & only had a little to put us on.

We weren't short, but like to keep well supplied these days. What our electricity bill will be like goodness knows as we have had a fire on all night for some time now & Tom has one in his room to warm it up before he goes to bed.

We had some onions once, it was about a fortnight before Christmas when by some strange accident we got a pound. They were used on the chickens, so I am afraid I cannot send any along. As for meat, well that has been scarce too. You should have seen me the other Sunday when Tom was in for dinner, hacking recklessly at a 2/4 (about 12p in today's currency BC) joint.

Now he is billeted out his coupons help as he gets more than we two together.

I wanted to buy a cow when war broke out. My idea was to operate on the beast now & then – a leg one week & cut off the rump later. When she had got used to her wooden leg, then off could come another. (This is Tom's sense of humour BC)

I was overuled. The objection was the shocking state the grass would he in by the time the animal was hobbling about on 4 stumps. In wet weather she'd make holes every time she moved.

I have got L Goldings books out of the local library. They are very interesting but not so good as Morton's. Mollie must try and get his "In the Steps of the Master". The chap who showed him some of the special sights in Jerusalem & later showed the Princess Royal, still later, took Ronald round.

As Mollie evidently enjoyed Ronald's letters I am sending one or two more for her perusal, also some photos, all of which please return.

Your letter came early this week, perhaps because your old man posted it in Edinburgh.

Sunday

This letter never got finished, so I'll have a go now. anyhow you'll know we haven't been bombed because there have been no night raids since last Sunday. What Jerry is preparing for goodness knows: one of two things I think, either an intensive attack on ports & shipping in which case Glasgow will get a dose or a big attack in the South leading to an attempted invasion. If the latter, it wouldn't surprise me if he uses gas. We went to have our gas masks re-fitted today. Gas is no good except in concentrated areas such as city centres & even then, I think it is more of a nuisance than a danger. Harry should know all about that.

The weather has been pretty foul lately, fog snow rain, & Scotch mist, so that may be partly the reason for the quiet nights, but he has been in bad weather lots of times so it's not the sole reason. We don't lie awake wondering &, as we see it, the worst thing will be once more having to get used to being raided. We've had a nice rest thankyou (or Goering) so ought to be ready for the next dose.

Love to you all from us all

Tom

Letter from Tom Critchley to Mary Platt 15.1.1941

 37 Lonsdale Drive, Enfield

15.1.41

My dear Mary and Harry,

Thank you very much for the bottle which has just reached us safe & sound. I expect it will keep us going for the next three years or so.

I have somehow managed to get a lovely cold; folks at the works have all been having one, so I suppose I must have caught it from there. It started on Sunday & I was ass enough to go to work Monday & yesterday & now have nearly lost my voice, so I am having a day off.

It's no wonder you couldn't get through on Saturday night. Until two o'clock things were happening all over the show & the row would have been quite interesting to hear if you had managed to connect before it was all over. There were a few more fires, but nothing like the big ones a fortnight earlier. Either the guns or fighters, the former I think judging by the noise, scattered the Jerries so they dropped a few on the outskirts. You & Mollie saw the new Grammar School at Barnet, didn't you? That night one dropped on the junior school & another in the playing fields. I hear the laboratories & refectory are in a bit of a mess & the new swimming bath damaged.

Another lot dropped at the back of our old house in Bosworth Road – 7 people were killed there.

Saturday night Tom's Margaret was here with us & he was just getting back from taking her home, when the phone rang. We were in bed & I heard a bell & suppose, being half asleep. thought for a moment it was Tom on his bicycle & he had forgotten his key. I must have been dopey because I heard the car as well.

It was very nice to hear your voices; on some quiet night I must try again to get through. We look on Sunday night as booked as a general rule – it's Jerry's night – Saturday night he does let us off, now & then, but very rarely on Sunday.

During a raid the exchanges have a skeleton staff only that makes calls rather hard to get, even local ones & Saturday night was quite a nasty bit of work while it lasted. We sat it out round the fire, chatting.

Bye bye. Love to all three of you from us both

Tom

PS Your weather has come south, it's snowing hard today.

Later

As it is snowing hard nobody has been out to post your letter, & as yours has just arrived I can answer it now. The parcel was here the here in the post before the letter.

Ronald said that he had sent a number of cards & letters off: it's just like him to leave them late & for them to arrive after Christmas. He sent us a calendar which arrived last week.

When Ronald went away, he invented a game for his do. To see who was the first male to knit so many stitches, the female first teaching him the art & then:- She had to undo his tie & see who was first to retie it properly.

Another of Ronald's games, but this is a bit messy this time & wants sheets of paper spread over the carpet. A couple hold hands (one hand each) Each couple is given an orange with the 2 free hands here to peel & eat the orange to see who wins. It's a bit difficult with only one hand from each of two, & is usually followed by a run to the bathroom. I suppose Mollie's pals are much too genteel for our games. One thing about our parties, everybody seems to enjoy them & they never seem ready to go home. Some day you'll have to come when R J gets back.

Perhaps the enclosed may be of some use.

Tom

PS I hear that the subway hit was the one between the Bank–Mansion House & Exchange. There was a wonderful underground place there with shops etc, all of which has been smashed up, making a tremendous crater.

Tom Critchley to his sister Mary Platt January 7th 1941

My Dear Mary,

Millom rang us up on Saturday night, so I thought I would have a bob's worth & give you a ring last night. I tried for 3 hours but had no luck, I expect it was because we had a lively, noisy, evening. There certainly was plenty of noise, but around here very little after effects to show for it. Snow doesn't keep Jerry away; it has been snowing today & off & on all day he has been hovering about. It's a strange thing but at night we hear him & the guns bang overhead & we go to bed. In the day time for less we go in shelters, or are supposed to; it was too cold today & one preferred to be bombed in comfort. Some of the planes were very low today, so low the gunners outside the works rigged up a Lewis gun but had no luck.

What a pity you can't get somebody to deliver one of your bottles of whisky to this address. Not that I drink the stuff except as medicine, but I do find that a tot in some hot milk on the first signs of a cold will often do more good than the ordinary remedies. I bought half a bottle just before Christmas as our supply, bought about 18 months ago (a half bottle), had all been boozed. We hadn't a drop of wine in the house, this Christmas save for some Raisin wine left from Tom's 21st Birthday do. As neither of us wanted it, I didn't see the fun of buying it for other folks in these days of economy.

We have just had a letter from Ronald, he has been enjoying a visit to an ancient Samaritan & amongst other interesting things was shown this chief treasure – a roll of scriptures 3.000 years old. It was the Pentateuch, the only part of the Bible they use. There are very few true Samaritans left now.

A week last night Jerry made a mess, but then I remember I told you about that do last week, so I won't inflict it on you again.

Tell Mollie I'll read "The Moses books" & see what they have to say about the places Ronald has been to.

Love to you all from us both,

Tom