I was told I had to do a R.A.F. Friday today, but I’m
rather busy packing suitcases ready for tomorrow (always seem to be packing and unpacking the ruddy things) so, yet again, it’s another flying visit form me! Oh and before anyone asks, I’m not going on
me hols ((boo hoo)), I’m just showing off me wares again!
I have no idea what the picture is all about (perhaps I do, but my
muddled head is stopping me from decoding it at the moment!!!), but I had to
buy it because I thought it was rather fun and a bit odd- oh how very me!
“Middle East Madness”
Teehee, find me another picture with a camel, a nuddie woman
and a Wellington in it… I bet you
can’t!!! :)
Anyway, if you know anything about it (?), then please do enlighten me. ;)
Today's RAF Friday is
going to be a short 'un. I'm feeling rather grotty and have a sore throat- pah!
All I want to do is curl up, listen to Desmond Carrington and perhaps do a bit
of knitting :(
Anyway, here are two
little crackers that I adopted a while ago.
Again, like most of
my snaps I don't know who they are or the year they were taken.
I thought
they were rather fun and who can resist a snap featuring an aircraft, a camel and
some airmen, eh? I certainly can't!!
I'm actually quite envious of the chap on the right... not only is he clinging on to a rather lovely, snazzy shades wearing chap but he also has wonderfully shapely legs (ok 'leg' , but I'm guessing the other one is the same!).
Interesting are they not?!
I would also like to dedicate today's blog to Cyril, a chap who only had one wreath by his name. at the crem. I found yesterday even more upsetting when I went to look at all the beautiful flowers that were there for my great uncle and then to look down and see a lone RAF wreath from the Royal British Legion besides Cyril's name. All I can say is thank goodness for the RBL, otherwise there would have been nothing for Cyril. Just shows how important they are, and how they can help and be there for those who are not so fortunate to have what we sometimes take for granted.... A close and caring ring of family and friends.
Welcome one and all to a very special edition of R.A.F Friday. Ok, so the only reason it's special is because it's the last one before Christmas and I have raided my room to dig out all the Christmassy related items especially!
I must confess that I wasn't planning to show what is about to be shown- I was adamant that the thing I was going to show was connected to a particular RAF chappy, but my brain played a cruel trick on me and I got all mixed up with a similar thing that was sent to a chappy in the RAF, and needless to say, I didn't buy the latter (was expensive!). However, I shall try and upload the thing I wanted to share nearer Chrimbo, because it is rather interesting RAF related or not!
So to me stuff....
First up, a couple of Christmas cards...
I bought these back in the summer (along with the bundle below)
And the Transport Command CC is dated 1945 inside.
***
The Next is a small bundle of photo's with a Christmas Greetings card. They are all related to a one,
LAC W. M. MacGillivray.
" from 1362225 LAC. MacGillivray
Royal Air Force.
To My Darling sweetheart Margaretta with all my love & sweetest kisses
your very own sweetheart
xxxxxxxxx Willie xxxxxxxxxx
My Good wishes for a very merry xmas & a happy New Year!
***
-Faith-
God grant you faith
when storms arise
To see the light
In troubled skies.
God lead the way
And calm your fears
His love your sunshine
through the years,
Willie xxxxxxxxxx"
Willie is bottom left. 1941
(this one has some writing on the back but I have no idea what it says!
I'm not sure if this is Willie, (sort of looks like him) but he came with the rest and I would hate for him to go unnoticed!
***
Another item I have been keeping back ready for this merry month is this wartime booklet of Carols
(Nice to see a WAAF for a change!)
One of my favourites is "Good King Wenceslas"
(use to love to sing it at school when I was diddy dot!).
***
And my final offering
is my latest purchase....
I bought this chappy
in London (fancy). I've had to crop
him a bit as it's a fairly large portrait- not huge, huge just too large for
the scanner! I don't know about anyone else, but I adore tinted photos, and I
think the seller could tell that I had fallen in love with him when I enquired
after the price! I don't know what I would have done if she hadasked for more than
I could have given her- well, one thing I do know, I would have been very
miserable if he was to be too much dosh for little Cinders here!
Anyway, he resides
with me now, and I have named him Bert as I think it suits his kind face. : P
(what a nutcase eh!)
Well, that's all I
could muster for this edition, as I can't think of anything else Christmas
related... s'pose the last one isn't at all related to Christmas, but hey, I
couldn't wait another week without showing him off!
This wasn't the planned RAF Friday,
but I'm feeling rather 'meh' today, so I have dug out a couple of pictures
instead (yeah I know it's not much!).
And for once (Note that I'm merrily jigging away in a happy fashion here)
the lovely original owner annotated her darling snaps. "I like you lady very much indeedy".
I don't even need to consult people in the know for possible dates, as she
noted that too...All this information is nearly too much for me to handle.
Well, perhaps that's a little over the top, but nonetheless it's nice for once
to at least know their names. Mind you, it still leaves me wondering what
became of them all.
"Group on the steps at Mrs Pickup's.
Back- Dorothy and Bill.
Centre- Jack, Mona, Myself and Leslie.
Front- Roy, Bertha, Douglas, Basil and Alan.
July 1941"
(just look at all those glorious names!)
"Leslie Shuttleworth and myself taken on the steps of mrs Pickup's.
July 1941"
(I'm guessing she liked Leslie!)
They look such a contented bunch in these snaps- happily sitting on each
others laps, and with the girlywigs trying on their uniforms.
I presume these lads were billeted with the rather amusingly named 'Mrs
Pickup'- that or the girls were.
And it is here, on Mrs Pickup's steps, that these little treasured moments
were recorded on film.
***
And one last photo....
Isn't he gorgeous?! Well at any rate, I think he is. Mammy says he's a "really beautiful boy"! But oh so young. (You know, if you disagree I am going to think there is something wrong with you!) Unfortunately I know nothing about him. Cracking teeth too- with teeth that white he would be very handy in the blackout ;)
Haha, that was a bit random after exclaiming to know nothing about him- ah well!
This chap came from the same dealer (one of my favourites). I
can never pass their stand without checking out the photos. I think such an occurrence
has become noted by them because they always say “I’ve topped the photos up…”!
Am I really that predictable… well, obviously, yes!
Well folks, thats all from R.A.F Friday this week....
I will leave you with this little ditty from one of my favourite george Formby films ;)
TaTa all and have a grand weekend wherever you are,
These are my latest photo finds and were found last week.
The lady said they were attracting a lot of attention form the men folk, but
that they were too ‘wedding-y’ for the likes of them….Perhaps too pretty, pretty for
the manly man? Well, it’s their loss I
say! Any roads, they are now safely tucked up in the TBT archives.
How can you resist a wartime wedding and one with dashing
chaps in the RAF at that- (see photo no.4 for said dashing chap- the one on the left
with the moustache...)
Cute, eh!
At a later date, some kind soul (thank you whoever you are!)
had taken the time to write some information about the pictures… my only
complaint is that they didn’t tell us about the bride and the date of the
wedding. It's all very well saying WWII, but the war took up quite a few years!
I’m rather liking the checked coat and the
Bridesmaids dresses with their ‘hey nonny, nonny’ hats!
"My Shack" "Thacker centre taken in India WWII"
I love how the photo on the left was obviously taken outside somewhere, but they still thought is necessary to use a backdrop, and a rather wrinkly backdrop at that.... does make me chuckle!
Also in with the wedding photos were two photos of L.A.C.
Thacker out in India (above),
and this one of his wife and what I presume is their diddy
dot outside the Anderson shelter. I’m
rather pleased with this photo as it’s my first original snap of an Anderson…
simple things. ; )
"Taken Home Harborne"
And here is is one last wedding photo for good measure....
All in all I think this was a rather nice little find, and thank goodness for all those manly men for leaving these little treasures for me to buy instead!
I only ever buy things that really appeal to me, and that is
why I had to have these snaps when I saw them bundled up in a display case.
There was me thinking that they would be horrendously expensive, but thankfully
(praise the RAF Gods) they were not- I think I must have got mates rate...
well, "it’s that girl, you know, the one that bought...."rates anyway!
There are too many to post in one go (I'm now getting a bit fed up with the
sight of the scanner), so here are a few of my favourites (more can be found on
my FB Page).
I can't really tell you anything about them I'm afraid. I don't have a clue
who "myself" is, meaning the "J.E.B" fella, not.. I
don't know who I am!!! All I do know is that he was in the RAF, stationed out
in Alexandria in '46, had some
mates called Nobby, Den, Shorty and Dick, and that he had nice squiffy hair.
(got to love a squiffy hairdo)
Hope you like them....
"Myself" AC J.E.B
Aircraftman J.E.B.
Myself, Nobby, Den and Shorty.
JEB - Shorty - Den JEB - Nobby - Den
How snazzy are Dens Shades... Very!
JEB ---?---?---
"The temperature falls to a mere 75°F!!?? Den and myself outside our tent. May 1946."
"Rhythm Boys".
Den, Nobby, Norman, Shorty and myself in a musical presentation.
:)
Nobby "threatens" me after I had attempted to "throw him into the sea".
Den looks surprised at Shorty's snappy camera work. R.Y. Club Egypt, Alex.
October 1946 7 Aboard the "Clan lamont". Norman, Jack, I and Joe in characteristic position on the deck. Life jackets used as cushions- can just be seen. I had been writing a letter and have also my history book. We were all very content. My boots would pass inspection by the CSM, but their size is disproportioned by the camera.
Well thats all I can be bothered to do for now... I know, I know- Bad attitude. Bad Tupney!
Like I said before, there are more on the TBT Facebook Page, so why not have a gander and feast you eyes upon the lovely Den.... ahem, I mean... oh just go and look! ; )
Being far too sentimental for my own good, this little wonder found its way from an antiques (pronounced Anti- queues of course!) fair to Ticketys trove of many treasures!
Harry- looks a bit of a one if you ask me, but Jim looks a nice lad! Well I think he does...
I don’t have a clue as to who they are, but they seem nice enough chaps, and as I don’t like to see such things unloved and left forgotten, I decided to adopt them. The lady on the stall said it was purchased from an elderly lady and that it was given to the lady by a man- Intriguing or what! I’m a bit miffed that the dealer didn’t enquire more into it at the time, but hey ho what can I do….well if it was me I would have shone a light, whipped out a pad and pencil, quizzed the lady on who, what, why, and when!!! Yes, interrogation may have helped with the history of this piece…it just shows the difference between the collector (or the sentimental/romantic social history nut) and the dealer (in this case anyway!).
Who were they?
What are the relations? Was one of the chaps pictured the sender of this gift? If so, who did he give it to? Did it belong to a mother? Were they brothers of a girl or maybe pics of her brother and sweetheart?...or were they both sweethearts!!! I’m going with the mother theory personally!
Ok, so we all know it’s a sweetheart brooch and dating from the Second World War, but to whom it represents I just don’t know. Shame hey! Anyway, they are now known and Harry and Jim. Harry (the left) being in the Army, and Jimmy or Jim is a RAF chappie.Harry’s picture somewhat distresses me, he looks tired and rather, well, war weary- which brings me to think what did these boys see and do and then to the most sombre of thoughts- did they survive?
On that cheery note
Let us raise our glasses and drink to Harry and Jim!!!
