Tom Critchley to Molly Platt 21.4.41

37 Lonsdale Drive,

Enfield,

Mddx

21.4.41

My dear Molly,

The enclosure is not a packet of fags (I beg your pedantic parden – cigarettes) but the long promised piece of aeroplane. As you can see the piece shows bullet marks which helped to disintegrate the machine.

I am wondering if our local rates include entertainment tax during air raids, for if they do I want a rebate on mine, as we missed two really good do's while we were away. On the Wednesday night they only dropped common high explosives & smashed a few houses. Some folks had a lucky escape by doing our stunt of hiding under the table. The real bad do here was on Saturday when two land mines dropped at the back. The next door people were under the stairs with the wind up after the Wednesday raid. They say the house shook to the foundations. The people 2 or 3 doors away have a married son whose place was smashed up & the son & wife carted off the hospital. There were so many taken to this hospital they had to wait 4 hours before they could be treated.

When we got home on Sunday afternoon we found our back door & cupboards wide open; the fire places were full of soot so Jerry has really done us a good turn in sweeping the chimneys for us. We left windows open & chinks of soot seem to have drifted in, even the bath had soot in it.

As we as were coming home we saw the first signs at Potters Bar & then the shops near us – three were all minus windows so we began to wonder if we should see our house fit for heroes to live in & were quite relieved to find no damage.

Now to much more serious matters. In your youthful ignorance & partly-educated conceit you had the audacity to challenge, nay more, to laugh at, in scorn & derision, the use of the verb "want". The cake wants eating! Well for your education (no charge for private tuition) the Oxford dictionary shows that not only are you mistaken but also that a Scotch education has warped your concept of the English language.

To want may mean to require – as used by L Carroll "your hair wants cutting said the Hatter". The cakes wants eating " said the Critchleys! Please, oh please, don't reply to this until you have read all about in in that standard English work the "Oxford dictionary. What they say in Scotland is no argument, it's the noble English language we are dealing with & not the mongrel stuff debased by our northern neighbours.

On the other hand, but no effort of imagination, can one find the least excuse for using the word "sort" as used in Scotland. There one has a word missed by the uneducated & for which there is no justification. It isn't English & it isn't Gaelic, it's just bad slang & that's that!

What sort of a journey did you have? When we set out in sunshine on Sunday morning we were congratulating ourselves on waiting until the Sunday, but by the time we got to Rugby, we weren't so pleased. We ran into rain, then thunder which sounded just like a Blitz, then it turned to hail, very heavy indeed, which stuck on the windscreen. The sides of the roads became "burns" & for about 80 minutes things were very unpleasant.

The storm seemed to travel with us, but by doing 60 for a while we won during the last lap and arrived home just ahead of it. The tail end broke just as we got here.

Tom had to work yesterday, so we rang  the Robinsons to see if he & they were all right & then I rang up the works.

They had two landmines near but no damage. One of the landmines is still suspended on some railings, so somebody has a nice job to get it down.

Tom says he has been about London after every Blitz, but never but had never seen the damage there was after Wednesday night's attempt.

I wish you had come back with us. You could have cut the grass for us – it wants cutting – & I want an assistant so that I can stand by & criticise.

Give our love to your mother and father & keep a bit back for yourself.

Uncle Tom

Tom Critchley's holiday from letter writing

It looks as if Tom and Annie Critchley, met up with Mary, Harry and Molly Platt at St Helen's, Lancashire, where Tom and Mary were born and brought up. So there is a slight gap in the letters. BC

Tom Critchley to his niece Molly Platt March 27th 1941

37 Lonsdale Drive,

27.3.41

My dear Molly,

We wish you many happy returns of your Birthday & by the time the next one comes round we hope Hitler & his gang will have ceased to trouble you. Perhaps by that time he will be disputing supremacey in his natural home, with the present ruler – old nick.

Isn't it nice to have a few peaceful nights after violently disturbed ones?

You have a funny cousin in Tom, he is at present trying to get in the Air Force as a fighter pilot, he thinks it a good thing to shoot down German bombers – so do I.

I don't think they will take him as he has to wear glasses for seeing a distance, but I can quite understand him wanting to have a smack back, since he saw so much of the bombing of London last year. Night after night he was in the thick of it, with bombs dropping all around the hospital in which he was, until finally the hospital was destroyed. One night he counted 40 in an hour.

We haven't had a letter from Ronald for a month, perhaps father neptune is reading them – I hope he enjoys them. We haven't forgotten you like his letters & still intend sending some of them for you to read. We lent them to a friend who in turn passed them on (most foolishly) to a number of other people. After over 6 months we have at last got back most of them & since they are all mixed up, we are sorting them out & copying them. A long job!

I hope you will be able to get something amusing with the enclosed P.O.

Love from Auntie Annie and Uncle Tom.

Letter from Tom Critchley to Mary Platt 23.3.41

37 Lonsdale Drive

23.3.41

My dear Mary,

Mea culpa! If Annie didn't object I would pour ashes over my head. I did receive the P.O. & I did forget to thank you for it & Harry did post it in Dumfries for that was the post mark on the letter. I'll bet he has done things for which he hasn't got the blame so now that's one off the score.

I am glad you didn't get too scared over the Clydeside raids. You, like we, are out of the danger zone, that is real great danger. Where there are lots of open spaces around the danger is not nearly so bad as in enclosed property, especially with fire bombs, as witness those we have had all around us and the little damage done. The worst one near us, when the roof was on fire, the inhabtiants were sat in front of the fireplace & didn't know their house was ablaze until neighbours told them.

We had your lot of raiders over our way on their journey to you & gave them a good pasting, then, when they went to Hull on Tuesday, they came here again & some didn't get to Hull, but left their loads in East Barnet, once again near where we used to live. The next night , Wednesday, was our real turn, & a good & proper old fashioned do it was too, Fortunately they left Enfield alone and concentrated on East London. There was one big fire we could see at Edmonton & at one time I thought Brimsdown was involved, but they didn't get quite as far as that. Tom was out, as usual & rang up to say it was too hot to come home as a piece of shrapnel had already hit his car. We went to bed but only slept by fits and starts. It needs a sound sleeper not to rouse when the house rocks & it feels as if somebody was trying to push you out of bed. Besides we are not as used to it as we were & somehow don't take it as calmly. It now seems astounding how we managed during all those 15 weeks without a night off & averaging 10 – 13 hours a night. It's surprising what you can get used to. I have kept a record of raids, someday I must show you & point out the records 17.5 hours in one day out of 24 & the days the raids started I was coming home from work & the same raid was still on when we had our breakfast next morning.

Tom hasn't had his photo taken in uniform. He isn't at all proud of it, the first thing he does when he gets home is to change into civvies. He is very restless young man & has now come to the conclusion that his work in the Dental Corps is not enough & he thinks he ought to do more. He wondered about volunteering as an ARP worker in the East End, but being in the army I don't see how that could be wangled. Today he has the bright idea of volunteerring for the air force as a fighter pilot. He seems to think it would be humane to shoot bombers down in flames. The only objection is his eyes; he wonders if they take fighter pilots with glasses. He doesn't want a bomber, I think for that one needs to be a bit cold blooded, but I can understand anybody being willing & eager to have a go at Jerry  bombers. They are a lot of dirty tykes.

You are lucky to get 2 glasses of tongue, neither glasses nor tins are available here, but we have quite a nice stock of iron rations for use if an emergency should arise.

We haven't had a letter from Ronald for about a month; I suppose some must be lying at the bottom of the sea, but as Tom had the cable, we know Ronald is all right, so aren't worried. Neverthless letters are always welcome.

We still haven't yet made up our minds about St Helens, it's full moon then & anything might happen; we think they are safer than we, but there is always a sort of feeling that one would rather be bombed in one's own home. Like a place I pass everyday where they sell seats for dug outs, advertise "Be bombed in Comfort"

Now, we both wish you many returns of the 26th may they be much better than this one.

Love from us both Tom

P S Do you fill all your kettles at night? It's a wise precaution twice we have been without water

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