1st February 1941– a flying-boat service to neutral Portugal was established from Poole Harbour. Lisbon was the only safe staging post in Europe and became vital in supplying air support to Africa as well as Egypt and the Middle and far East via the Free French colonies in West Africa – the famous ‘Horseshoe Route’. This was a vital artery for the Western Desert campaigns.
The BOAC flying-boats had been moved to Poole from Hythe, near Southampton, in August 1939. Water runways known as ‘the Trots’ were marked out in the Main and Wareham Channels and operated from Salterns Pier (Poole Harbour Yacht Club, now Salterns Marina Hotel). Poole Harbour became the main UK civil airport during the WW2.
(From ‘Poole and World War II’ written by Derek Beamish, Harold Bennett and John Hillier and published by Poole Historical Trust in 1980 and ‘Dorset’s War Diary - Battle of Britain to D Day’ by Rodney Legg, Dorset Publishing Company 2004 Tel. 01963 32583).
Rye Cottage, Marine Parade W
Lee-on-Solent, Hants.
Darling Chotie,
Thanks for the letter. As I'm on Guard again I thought I'd write. It's about the only time I get. I'm on the Beach Hut Guard with no stove and only a candle for light and heat, and is it cold!
It's now just eight o'clock Saturday evening, and I'm faced with the pleasant prospect of staying in this wretched hut, awake, ‘till ten o'clock tomorrow morning. It's so damn cold now that I can hardly write - heaven knows what it will be like by about midnight.
There was an inspection of these guards by a General a few days ago. From what I can gather from various sources, he condemned the conditions and I believe there is the chance of moving again. I don't know where it will be, of course.
Everyone's fed up with this place as, apart from the food, there's nothing to be said for it. It's one long Guard - up to our necks in mud and only one wretched cinema, when we get any time off.
Anyhow, Darling, I still love you so much that even Guards become a pleasure when I think, of the glorious time we're going to have when I get back. And I don't mean maybe...
About every ten minutes someone, some clumsy ---, knocks over my candle, and if it were not for my lighter, Darling, I don't know what I'd do. I'd certainly have used a good few matches tonight.
I'm afraid as usual there's very little news - if any. Nothing of any real interest ever seems to happen.
I hope to meet Eric again soon. He's at Gosport (about 5 miles from here) and I'm trying to arrange a reunion. The snag is that it's difficult for us to both get the same night off duty. I expect we'll manage it soon - Eric's a born wangler.
Sunday Evening
I came off Guard and after a bath and some din-din, felt a lot better.
I'm afraid I can't write any more, Darling as it's just on Supper Time, and I must post this in the NAAFI as it's the only chance I’ll get.
Bye, bye Darling,
All my love
Dicker
© Chotie Darling
Dick appears to have been stationed at Southbourne (in Bournemouth)
for the rest of February and into early March.
There are no letters between 2nd February and 12th March 1941
so he presumably met up regularly with Chotie.
9th February 1941 – Churchill’s broadcast to the nation ended:
“We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”
The Churchill Centre and Museum
11th February 1941 – German forces arrived in Africa for ‘Operation Sunflower’, reinforcing the remaining Italian forces in Libya after the destruction of the Italian Tenth Army in the Allies' 'Operation Compass'.
Dick was promoted to full Corporal again
on 20th February 1941.
He also appears to have been moved to ‘D’ company of the 70th Dorsets
Copy of Record
Statement of Service Army No. 5731671 Richard Kelner WILLIAMS
THE DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT
Order 55/41 70th Y.S. Bn Appointed Paid Army Rank A/Cpl 20-2-41
25th February 1941 – British forces captured Mogadishu, the capital of Italian Somaliland.
26th February 1941 - following Hitler’s appeal for Spain to enter the war General Franco declares “I stand today already at your side, entirely and decidedly at your disposal”, but Spain remains neutral.
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