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Year by Year › 1937

1937

A fighter pilot with 41 Squadron

Training gives way to the front line. In September 1937 Bill is posted to No. 41 (Fighter) Squadron at Catterick in Yorkshire, where he flies Hawker biplane fighters.

83 letters · 1 book

Bill’s first log book was lost when Indomitable was bombed in August 1942, so the flights before July 1941 are not known. This year is told through his letters and the papers.

January

Places named

Grantham Cranwell

Wrote

3 January 1937To Mother 8 January 1937To Mother 10 January 1937To Mother 13 January 1937To Dad 13 January 1937To Bob 16 January 1937To Jean 17 January 1937To Bob 23 January 1937To Mother 25 January 1937To Dad

March

Wrote

8 March 1937To Bob 21 March 1937To Jean 24 March 1937To Bob

April

Places named

Wittering Montrose

Wrote

5 April 1937To Mother 8 April 1937To Mother

May

Places named

Wrote

14 May 1937To Mother 19 May 1937To Dad 27 May 1937To Mr. and Mrs. Martyn 28 May 1937To Jean 28 May 1937To Mother 28 May 1937To Dad UndatedTo Mother

July

Places named

Sutton Bridge Cranwell

Wrote

2 July 1937To Mother 5 July 1937To Mother 17 July 1937To Dad 20 July 1937To Mother 23 July 1937To Dad 26 July 1937To Mother 27 July 1937To Dad

August

Places named

Netheravon Sutton Bridge Wittering Brisbane

Wrote

2 August 1937To Mother and Dad 7 August 1937To Mother and Dad 8 August 1937To Mother 10 August 1937To Dad 15 August 1937To Mother 18 August 1937To Mother 24 August 1937To Mother

September

Places named

Sutton Bridge Catterick Wittering Aden (Khormaksar)Reading

Wrote

1 September 1937To Dad 7 September 1937To Mother 8 September 1937To Mother 8 September 1937To Jean 10 September 1937To Dad 13 September 1937To Mother 18 September 1937To Mother 22 September 1937To Mother 26 September 1937To Jean UndatedTo Dad 28 September 1937To Mother

October

Places named

Wrote

1 October 1937To Mother 5 October 1937To Mother 7 October 1937No salutation 7 October 1937To Dad 9 October 1937To Jean 14 October 1937To Mother 14 October 1937To Dad 18 October 1937To Mother 22 October 1937To Mother 27 October 1937To Dad 27 October 1937To Mother 27 October 1937To Dad 28 October 1937No salutation

November

Places named

Wittering Church Fenton Catterick Aldergrove

Wrote

2 November 1937To Mother 11 November 1937To Mother 13 November 1937To Dad 22 November 1937To Mother 25 November 1937To Dad

December

Places named

Aldergrove Dishforth Aden (Khormaksar)

Wrote

2 December 1937To Dad 8 December 1937To Mother 13 December 1937To Mother 17 December 1937To Mother 20 December 1937To Dad 20 December 1937To Jean 23 December 1937To Mother

In the books

Canadians in the Royal Air Force Les Allison, 1978

All the years The letters of 1937 All the books

← 1936: To England and the Royal Air Force1938: From the RAF to the Fleet Air Arm →