Aldwinckle, Eric, Letter, 2 October 1943

Letter, Eric Aldwinckle.
Description: 
Letter to Harry Somers

Tabs

Case Study: 
Creative Dialogue Across the Ocean: Eric Aldwinckle’s Letters to Harry Somers
Creator: 
Aldwinckle, Eric
Source: 
letter
Date: 
2 October 1943
Place: RCAF Headquarters, London
Collection/Fonds: 
Contributer: 
McMaster University Libraries
Rights: 
Copyright, public domain: McMaster University owns the rights to the archival copy of the digital image in TIFF format. Reproduced with the kind permission of Margaret Bridgman.

Identifier: 
00001590-4
Language: 
eng
Type: 
image
Format: 
jpg
Transcript: 

which they would scatter over the field or throw on top of the Wing Commander's tent. I'm nuts -- I used to like it.
Well I can't describe the many things I saw in my daily work or what I chose to paint so I must confine myself to a sort of personality mange[?] if you can stand it.
Well there was the Padre - padre's always strain themselves being 'one of the boys' and never seem to realise either how smart or good the boys are. When will they learn these fellows are not 1918 soldiers. Discussing the news one morn he said lustily, "Well I say, give 'em hell and let's get back home" and once while watching out-going bombers "Boy look at that -- Don't it make ya feel good" -- I raised both eyebrows at once. In contrast was the pilot who used to come to my tent once in a while and we would sit and shiver till wee hours while he talked about powers of the mind, souls, philosophy, religion, art, and his old uncle, water and mineral diviner on a Western Ranch, and I couldn't help thinking how perfect he would look on a horse in a swash hat and lamb wool leggings with big spurs and a lasso. Then there was the one who confessed to unspoken mysteries and poetry revealed in the silent roar of flying above clouds and painting seemed to him very much like flying when we were through and we were both delighted.