September 23rd 1944


I go into town again last night and take Sergeant Joan out to a few pubs. We are thrown out somewhere at 10pm and she takes me to some dark corner of Chester under a tree and we sit on a raincoat and she kisses me – or I suppose I initiate it. Then a policeman turns us out at 10.40pm or so and we go and sit on some dark steps and carry on. This is too much for me and I try baseball but she won’t play. Eventually, all my own work and no help from her, I score a home base, and cycle home getting to bed at 00.10. I was to take a friend and meet her friend tonight but no one would come, so I ring up and leave a message cancelling it.

Today we go and see tanks and guns at Rhyll, damn boring. No flying due to “clamp” (JDW: ??) and if it keeps up it means no 48  this weekend (JDW: 48 hours leave?) – though what matter, as where the hell have I to go?

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One response to “September 23rd 1944”

  1. Colin Ford - Historian No.268 Squadron RAF 1940-1946. Avatar
    Colin Ford – Historian No.268 Squadron RAF 1940-1946.

    Clamp = “Harry Clampers” RAF slang, with various quoted origins. One version is that “Harry” is derivative of “Hooray!” and “Clampers” is from picketing down of aircraft in bad weather, the aircraft would be “clamped”. So normally very poor weather, usually associated with very thick fog preventing all flying. So taken in context as “the weather is poor, there is no flying, Hooray we’re off to the mess!”
    48 would equate to 48 hour leave pass. If weather during the week was poor, so the course could still finish at its planned end date, then weekend leave (48 hours) would be cancelled so flying could take place if the weather was better.

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