Here is a commemorative plaque I made to remember my Uncle Sgt Raymond Albert Harris and his comrades who died on a training exercise as noted on the plaque. My plan is to take this to the crash site on 29 August 2016 and dedicate it to the memory of the men who died that night
Here are my grandma, Uncles, Dad and Grandpa posing for a photo while they were still a young family. In 1933 they were living in Coventry, it was three years before Uncle Ray went to Corley Open Air School and seven years before the blitz. They moved to Barnoldswick which Uncle Ray called Barlick
My Grandma was a great collector. She kept Uncle Ray's school reports from Christmas 1932 when Ray was 8 and attended St. Mark's Junior School through 1935 at Wheatley Street Senior Boy's School when Ray was 11 and John Gulson Senior Boy's School from Christmas time 1937 to midsummer 1938 when Uncle Ray was 13, (all the schools were in Coventry.) There are no reports after this. During the year of 1936, when Uncle Ray was attending Corley Open Air School, there are no reports.
All the reports make interesting reading. Uncle Ray was a bright pupil and achieved a lot of good results in his exams and class position. There were times when he was absent from school through illness and it affected his position in the class. The last report in midsummer 1938 showed Uncle Ray to be 1st in his class. During 1938/39 Uncle Ray attended evening classes in a technical couse, an art course and the junior evening institute taking English, Keep Fit, Maths and Drawing. He was awarded a prize for the technical course.
Take a look at the cake on the bottom photo. I remember my Grandma making wonderful cakes.
A young Uncle Ray with his younger brother Theo at the stumps and Olive with the bat.
The address on the top right hand corner of this letter has been torn off at some time in it's history. It means that some of the lines on page two are partially missing. Never the less, it is still understandable and gives some interesting insights into the P.E. regime.
Received three very welcome letters this dinner-time, thanks very much for two of them – yours and Jess. You must have forgotten in your excitement at Jack coming, to let me know how everyone at home is, including yourself. I am in the best if health and spirits despite a day of hard labour – I thought we had finished with fatigues when we came over here but since , I have reconsidered my decision.
Doris Arnolds programme “These you have loved” is on the hut radio so I do not miss my classical music ration. We are treated pretty fairly here with radios in all of the huts, large sheds to drill in when it rains, organised games every week N.A.A.F.I. canteens inall 4 wings complete with reading and writingrooms and easy chairs, so you see, we are not so badly off. Especiallly, a big point, as we have a decent sergeant – one of the best N.C.O.s on the plant. The meals are quite up to the standard to be expected in such a large kitchen, in fact, we get much better cooking than in the Intake Wing, that is the first Iwent to. One good improvement in me already is that I clean my teeth, boots and buttons regularly. Another, I have converted my taste for porridge, more through necessity than choice.
Glad you received my clothes so early, I did not expect them to arrive for some time yet. Did you check them on the list? I hope the hole was not too gaping, in the case, I mean.
I will approach my N.C.O. abouta week-end pass soon but I shall not be able to go out of camp until (as I think I told you before) I have been in the Training Wing for 14 days, i.e. 2 Feb. – 16 Feb, next Tuesday. A week-end pass is not leave, therefore railway fares must be paid at Services prices, (single ticket price for a return ticket) it lasts from Saturday 16.00 hrs until Sunday . So it may not be long before I am home, let me warn you that I shall go to the Majestic for a shuffle, if I am in time.
Why didn’t you take Mr. Walsh “spooning” with you on Saturday to Skipton – did you succeed in getting any? [I think this must mean sugar.}
The rain seems to have gotten you down to the extent of using my phrases. Rain is a common factor in our daily life, although, today we saw the sun for the first time in about a week!
Thank you very much for getting the handle, am expectingto receive the parcel tomorrow so I will then be quite confident about my “confidentials.”
I shall get some more paper soon, at this rate, four pages eh! Then Dad will be satisfied and so will I.
We went outside the camp yesterday, on a route march. What a relief it was to breathe fresh country air! Still, the one I am looking forward to is the 25 mile route march – taken at the end of the eight week course.
Well, must close with the best of luck and fondest love to all.
