Fred Caroe part 5

There are three of us who are medics in this billet, I am the only one trained by the RAF, one is a male SRN and the other a Bachelor of  Pharmacy- Dispenser. He lives in Didsbury, Manchester and is a very keen tennis player, his name is Levy and knows you by sight !!  Do you remember last year when we were at the Northern Club for the Lancashire Junior finals - well he was there as well and he has a photo of you presenting a prize to someone !

He only came out here at the beginning of September and is a National Serviceman - will not be out until June 1957. His Christian name is Kalman (known as Karl). He is attached to the APL Hospital.

It is hard to believe I've only got 9 months more to do !  I've nearly done half my time away from home. I have heard a rumour I might get my stripes soon, but it is probably a load of rubbish.

Last Tuesday I played for APL Tennis Team (2nd pair) v Steamer Point, we won 6 events to 3. We (the 2nd pair) won all our 3 matches. the 1st pair won 2 and lost 1 and the 3rd pair won 1 and lost 2.

Lord DeLisle and  Dudley is inspecting the APL 10th Armoured Car Division at this camp tomorrow and Lady DeLisle is coming round the APL hospital as I am in charge of the M.I. Room now I shall have to show her round my little department !!-- nervous -- not on your life, after all she is only a nice woman.

The weather is variable, continuous sun with day max varying quite a bit - 92ºF on Sunday and only 82ºF today. Night temp on Sun was 70ºF, the lowest temp for 3 years, but the night temp on Monday was 85ºF the highest for 38 years -so they say.

Yesterday I played for APL hockey 1st X1 v my old unit the RAF Hospital, we won 3-1, I was playing against all my old team mates.

Thank you for letting me know about those parcels you have sent, I shall make quite sure I get them.

I managed to borrow several different cars here by testing them for a friend who, as a mechanic, mends officers cars off duty. He lets me do the testing which usually means I take a trip to Steamer Point (7 miles). I tried an M.G. Magnette saloon the other day, it's a lovely car to drive, I got up to 84 mph along a 600 yard straight, it had plenty more power under the bonnet but the bad road was unsafe for anything faster !

In my last letter to you I put my address as - Billet 8 RAF, APL, Singapore Lines, Aden. Although it is strictly correct would you please leave out "Singapore Lines", as lots of letters have been going to Singapore recently !!

With much love to you all

Fred

"I remember that M.G. Magnette well-- it was a cracker. The roads were pretty awful as no doubt they were in your day Peter-- the only exception was the causeway to Little Aden. I belted a TR2 along that stretch at a fair rate of knots!"   Fred

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From 2734823 SAC Caroe C.F. Billet 8 Royal Air Force Aden Protectorate Levies Aden Boxing Day 1955. Dear Dad and Jane, Thank you ever so much for the two enormous parcels, it was a wonderful surprise and needless to say Christmas has seen quite a lot of the contents being consumed! Really I have eaten far too much but "Christmas comes but once a year".

The weather was just right for us  0 1/2 hours of glorious sun and a temp of 85°F. Today it rained for 10 minutes.

Well this is how I spent Christmas. We finished work on Friday at mid-day and in the evening had an open air dance outside the NAAFI, a highly hilarious hop, there was a lack of females but some of us dressed up as women, what a sight. That party ended at 1.0am on Saturday, we all staggered to bed badly boozed. I was up at 7 am. On the Sat, played tennis all morning then I as President of the football supporters club organised support for the inter-billet 7-a-side match between Billet 8 and Billet 19, it was the semi-final;  we won 2 points to nil (you got 4 points for a goal and one for a corner).

In the evening I went to The RAF Hospital for their Christmas Party it took part in the top billet of the hospital billet, you have never seen such a pile of food and drink.

The party started at 10.0pm. There were about 30 there, including M.O.'s, and Senior NCO's. At 11.45 pm 6 of us went to the midnight communion at the Church (Christ Church). It finished at 1.10 am and we went back to the party which ended at 3.30 am, I found a bed, got up at 7.00 am and got a taxi back here. Had breakfast then got the supporters club organised for the 7 a side finals. We won 12 points to 5.

We then had a comic match between the Officers and the Awkward Squadron (blokes who are always on charges!!). Next came the inspection of the billet bars, each billet having constructed one, ours was called the "Welcome Inn"). I made a little speech asking the O.C. APL Group Capt. Douglas to declare the bar officially open. We then set about consuming some drink as we had all put in 30/-. It sounds as if we are all drunkards - well some are !! I enjoyed the sherry, whisky, gin and rum - but then felt awful. The trouble is the warm climate tends to render one incapable a little sooner than one expects!

At 1.0pm we had the traditional Christmas Dinner, piles of turkey and Christmas pud. All the officers and senior NCO's waited on us - we made them work ! We had a 5-piece very amateurish band playing during the meal.

After that hordes of Officers and NCOs came back to our billet bar, we succeeded in making 5 of them incapable of walking, so they were put in the showers. That all finished at 5.00 pm then I went up to the APL hospital with the other British Staff. We had a tea party, some extraordinary eastern food was provided -- pretty awful plus stacks of Vimto Squash. The Arabs are not allowed alcohol and as Vimto is red they think it is a very daring drink. After that we were invited to the M.O.'s Officers Mess - more drinks.

After that I got a lift to Steamer point and went to church. Afterwards I went to see Mr and Mrs Debbas at Maalla where I had supper, cold chicken, ham and turkey, I finally got back here at 11.45 pm, where a sing song was on -- joined and went to bed at 2.0am. Had to get up early - on duty at M.I.  room at 8.00 am, did some treatments then got hauled in to a game of tennis - which I won. had to do more treatments at 2.00 pm, then had a great game of tennis with Cpl. Bradley, won 6-4, 8-6. At 4.30 pm I was called out. A cook had nearly cut his thumb off - sent him to hospital for stitches.

The evening was spent taking a patient to hospital with dysentery, then went back to billet for beer and darts. Finally collapsed and slept for 9 hours. Later today will go the cinema to see "Body and Soul". I have been asked to take part in a broadcast on A.F.B.A. (Aden Forces Broadcasting Association)-- the programme is called "English Counties"-- Cheshire being the subject I have to help write the script.** I had a letter from Grandad which was very nice, he seems to be doing well. Anyway a very Happy New Year to you all Love Fred

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