Fred Caroe part 8

From 2734823 SAC Caroe S.M.O.'s Dept

RAF Hospital Steamer Point

Aden

Sunday 22nd April 1956

Dear Dad,

Thank you very much for your letter received 8 days ago. I hope you got the telegram I sent you last Tuesday. I couldn't reply to your letter sooner as it would not have reached you before you left.

I haven't a clue when you will get this, I reckon it's a fairly safe bet sending it to Minneapolis.

As you can see from my new address I have been posted back to the RAF Hospitals, not as an orderly thank goodness but as the Hygienist's Assistant. I have even less work to do here than I did at APL. My chief jobs now appear to be to run the Hockey and Cricket Teams and collect requests from hospital patients for the request programmes on Monday and Thursday evening. I do the Monday broadcast myself normally but last Monday I couldn't do it because all the taxi and bus drivers went on strike and I could not get to the studio at Khormaksar.

I am starting negotiations with the RAF to see if I can be released a couple of weeks early, others seem to have met with a degree of success, of course nothing may come of it.

I received a long letter from Andrew 9 days ago, sounds cheerful and not finding the RAF too bad, I see he has the new National Service No: starting 500.....,They must have run out of 270........ It seems likely that in a few years N.S. will no longer be done. However I have no regrets at having done mine, it's a great experience and I have really enjoyed it. I have met and heard the points of view of dozens of people whom I would never have met otherwise. I've had the experience of a tropical climate, the desert, the "Barren Rocks of Aden" and of course that wonderful trip to Jerusalem.

I have played one game of cricket since leaving APL- a 20overs match v HQBF. They made 73-9, and we made 76-1 in 14 overs. Dick Merrick and I opened, Dick was out 3rd ball them Sgt Dyson and finished it off, he got 11 not out and I got 59 not out, including 3 sixes and 5 fours, the bowling was pretty awful. My highest score so far is 107 not out when playing for APL. The weather is at last beginning to show signs of changing, during the cool season as you know the wind blows from the NE day and night. Now it only blows gently by night from about 10pm to 8.0am, shortly after that a SE or SW sets in fairly strongly.

As regards a 21st birthday present I just do not know how much you are prepared to spend, some get a car others a pair of bedroom slippers!!!!!!Could you please give me an idea?

Well, I hope you have a very successful trip in the U.S.A. and Canada and get lots of business. I expect you too will have to put up with temps as high if not higher than here, on the other hand a blast of Alaskan air might hit you.

Must close now. I'll write to the Hotel Westbury in New York between 8/15 May when you are there for the second time.

Less than 5 months to go, poor Andrew -22 months !

Much Love

Fred

Letter to Fred's stepmother:

From SAC Caroe C.F. S.M.O.s Department RAF Hospital Aden Monday 30th April 1956

 

My Dear Jane,

Thank you very much for your long letter, it is grand to hear all that is going on in the domestic world at home, one tends to lose touch out here !

Seeing as the general line of goods out here are not suitable as a present for Clarissa, I've enclosed a £1 with which I hope you can buy her something she will like.

I am sorry to hear she has had whooping cough especially so near to her birthday, however it is one of those childish infections which she will not get again, it is far better to have when young. I had it in May '47 over my birthday too! I expect next year she will be eligible to go to a nursery. I shall have to brace myself for the shock I may get when I see how much she has grown up in the 18 months I shall have been away.

Time seems to be flying by - the work is interesting and playing lots of cricket.

Have not heard from Andrew recently but it is not surprising as he will be doing lots of "bull" at Wilmslow and I expect he is fond of "charping" (sleeping) on his "pit"(bed) - if he gets a chance.

It is unseasonably cool here apart from 3 days of really sticky warm weather when it reached 93F it's just forgotten it is the hot season.

In my billet I have the distinction of having done the longest time in Aden, consequently everyone thinks I am quite mad because I still have a blanket on the bed at night! Most of the others don't even have a top sheet.

I am broadcasting tonight as usual. A new programme was instituted last week and I was the first to broadcast it --LOCAL NEWS- it made me feel like Stuart Hibberd- someone had the audacity to say I even sounded like him !

The cost of living is going up in Aden day by day, shoes, socks, shirts, shorts and all food items have risen by about 10% since Christmas, although I get £4 a week it vanishes in no time.

I am hoping to hold a small party at The Crescent Hotel for my 21st birthday, but cash is a little short so I was hoping you or Dad could lend me £5. I would be much obliged if you could send me the money in Postal Order form. No need to register it.

I have had a couple of mishaps playing games -- I took all the skin off my knee playing tennis when I slipped and whilst playing Cricket for Steamer Point v Khormaksar I got rapped on the third finger by the fastest bowler in Aden and despite wearing gloves an X Ray showed it was cracked-- The M.O. said no more cricket for a week - a lot of molly twoddle, I shall pad it up well and play on Wednesday as we have a Command League game I mustn't miss.

So far this has been a successful season I have scored 538 runs for an average of 53.8.

I hope the decorators, painters and steeple jacks leave something left of the house.

I hope my room looks good when it is finished. I no longer like that light brown skirting board or the light brown chest of drawers, any chance of a more adult piece of furniture please?

You ask about my love life !!! Angela writes to me, she is going to Miss Foulkes Secretarial College in Liverpool in the autumn. The fair sex are scarce out here -- about 50 of them only, but at least most of them work in the Hospital or HQ building down the road.

Quite a few get sent home for one reason or another !

Please give my love to Clarissa

Lots of Love, Fred

From 2734823 SAC Caroe CF. S.M.O.'s Dept: RAF Hospital Steamer Point Aden May 3rd 1956

Dear Dad,

Thank you for your letter from the R.M.S. Ivernia which I received today via APL. It only took a week to arrive here. I am glad you have had a pleasant sea voyage and congratulations on your literary successes-- why not try writing a book ? I had a letter from Jane telling me about Clarissa's whooping cough, she doesn't sound too bad.

I have a thought for my 21st. It is the sort of present which the experience of I am unlikely to forget. John Gadd, the hospital Pharmacist, has asked me if I would like to accompany him on a holiday to Nairobi and district then onto Mombasa and Zanzibar. At the moment we have high hopes of getting a lift by RAF Hastings to RAF Eastleigh which would save about £30. We would like to go from the beginning of July for 3-4 weeks, arriving back in Aden during the first week of August so that I will have plenty of time before coming home. I could raise just about £20. This is composed of my 9/- a day food allowance and my pay of £8 a fortnight. I should need extra money for train fares Nairobi-Mombasa return, other travel expenses, and some warmer clothes- its approaching winter in Nairobi. We reckon for food bed etc we could live on 20/- to 25/- a day, then of course we will want to go on trips to places such as the game reserves, the Rift Valley and round Mt Kenya (I assure you we will keep well out of the Mau Mau areas). All the bans on servicemen leaving Aden have been finally lifted. I hope you will agree to the idea. It sounds an awful lot of money but if you could send between £40-£50 I shall be quite OK. Please could you let me have your reply as quickly as possible as these things have to be planned well in advance. John has already written to Nairobi to enquire about accommodation there.

Except for my course to Jerusalem it will be my first leave since March 1955. I have 28 days leave to take before coming home. Today was a great day - my name was put on the trooping list - the first tentative steps to demob! It will not affect me directly for another month when I have my release medical, then I have a kit inspection to see if I have got all I should have--hm hm hm !! The trick is to borrow someone else's for the inspection and no one is any the wiser !!

Cricket is still flourishing though last Sunday I broke the end of my third finger when hit by a fast bowler. We were playing against Khormaksar. I made 16 -- second top score, but we won. I played again yesterday with my finger strapped up but found it difficult to hold the bat and got caught at mid-on off a slow full toss! It is getting better and I am playing for the Command on Sunday.

The weather is moody, yesterday it reached 98F with 90% Humidity, today it is 92F with humidity of 74%, much more pleasant. Must close now. Look forward to your next letter.

Love Fred

From 2734823 SAC Caroe CF S.M.O.'s Dept RAF Hospital Steamer Point Aden Tuesday May 22nd 1956 Dear Dad, By now I expect you have reached home again and expect you are very glad to be back. I received both your letters from the States, the last one arrived on Saturday.

Thank you very much for them both and also for the telegram which I got at 8.30am on my birthday, it gave me a great start to a very enjoyable day which included a game of cricket, a party at the Crescent Hotel and then another one at the Dispensary in the Hospital !! I am terrifically pleased you agree to my proposed trip to East Africa. John and I are starting the string pulling and have so far got permission from Wing/Cmdr Bruce who is i/c the Casualty Evacuation Airlift to go on one of the planes in July from Aden to Eastleigh (Nairobi).

I received quite a fair sized mail on my birthday from all and sundry, only a few didn't write but they probably forgot!

The weather now is very warm now, the strong SW monsoon still hasn't arrived in strength, it is very humid though and on 8 of the last 10 days the temp: has been up to or over 100F. It reached exactly 100F on my birthday, today it is 103F with 92% humidity. When the SW monsoon really arrives the temp: will drop a bit I hope!

The cricket is going great guns, I have got 777 runs so far for an average of 51.8. I made 81 not out for the Hospital Staff v Flying Wing. I got 2 wickets in the first over I bowled -- slow off breaks ! We won the match by 64 runs.

On Sunday I played for the Aden Combined Services X1 v The Civilians. I was given out LBW for 5, the ball would have cleared the stumps by a foot !! Anyway we beat them by 57 runs. My worst trouble has been to find a suitable bat, the RAF provide them but we never get the same one. I went and bought one for £3, it should have cost 12/- more but the owner of the shop is the Captain of one of the local Indian teams and we know each other quite well through playing against one another, so he sold it to me cheaply.

I am afraid I have had to revert to glasses again for reading. The optician (civilian trained and a friend of mine - he is a Nat. Service Corporal) says I have astigmatism, he has given me a temporary pair and showed me various eye exercises to do. I had found I could not read for more than half an hour without my eyes aching and the print "wandering".

I will let you know in due course how I would like the money, there is no immediate hurry. By the way could you please dig out my passport and send it to me as I'll need if we go to Zanzibar. It doesn't expire until May '57.

Not long now 3 months and 29 days to go then back to good old civvy street Please give my love to Jane and Clarissa,

Love Fred

From 2734823 SAC Caroe CF S.M.O.'s Department RAF Hospital Aden Sat 2nd June 1956

Dear Dad

Thank you very much for your last letter of the 28th, received yesterday. Before I forget here are the dates of my promotions which you wanted - for some reason!

2.6.55 promoted to LAC 1/- a day extra

9.9.55 promoted to SAC 6d a day extra

22.9.55 completed 1 years service 6d a day extra

22.3.56 completed 18 months service 2/6d a day extra

11.4.56 Day allowance increased by 6d

I now draw 11/6d a day plus 2/- overseas allowance, so fortnightly I get 166/-, but my word how it vanishes!!

Bearer 5/- Dhobi 4/-, Mess Bill 2/-, 10/- worth of clothes

Postage 2/- at least Taxis to and from AFBA ( Radio Station) Fruit ie apples and bananas 5/-

Bottles of orange squash 4/-, Concerts etc at Crescent Hotel 20/- Library subscription 2/-, NAAFI 30/- ( buns and cups of tea at the lido) Sometimes a meal to supplement RAF food as tea is the last meal we have and that is at 4.30pm.

Cigarettes 10/- for 200, I do not smoke them all I give away about half and collect about 3/-!!!!

Cinema 10/- a fortnight.

I admit that as pay has increased I have lived a more expensive social life, need to keep sane sometimes !!!

Then of course there are sudden bursts of expenses, like a cricket bat, shoes and an alarm clock !

I had a letter yesterday from Aunt Astrid, she tells me Clarissa is enjoying herself at Daylesford. She was expecting Andrew for a night but apparently he wanted to repack his kit before going south.

Please do not forget my passport it's only six weeks before we go. About the money, The G.P.O. which is manned by Adenis have not got a clue what to suggest, they do not seem to know what a postal order is !

My friend Kalman Levy suggests you open a bank account for me at home with the Midland then I can draw it out here at the Bank of India who are Midland Agents. I think it is too risky to send it by post. I would like it in three weeks so that I can buy some warmer clothes and do some bookings.

The weather is hot again, over 100F all this week, and an awful lot of dust everywhere and very high humidity.

We haven't played cricket this week - quite a welcome rest. I made 19 not out last Sunday when in the Bhicajee Cowasjee Shield we beat the RAF Regiment in what was meant to be an all day match. They made 41 and we made 42 for 1 and it was all over by 12.30 pm !!! Dick Merrick the other opener made 20 before being caught attempting a 6 which would have won the game. Dick who opens the battings with me for the Hospital and RAF Command as well as for Steamer Point Area is a N.S. man due for demob on June 23rd and he's off home next Tuesday the 5th - 18 days before his time!-- hope for me yet.

Must close now I'm off to Warrant Officer Wiggall's house with Dick and John as a farewell party to Dick. W/O Wiggall lives in Birkenhead !

What are the chances of joining Neston C.C. next season. Maybe if you see Ken Cranston you would mention that I would like to.*

Much love to you all Fred

* Ken Cranston played for England shortly after WW2 and was Captain for a few games, against South Africa in one Test Match he took 4 wickets in one over. After he gave up first class cricket (he played for Lancashire) he had a dental practice and played cricket for Neston C.C in the Liverpool Competition League -- when I got home I did not join Neston but stayed with Oxton C.C where I played Cricket and Hockey.

Ken Cranston died towards the end of 2006. He was an amateur player all his cricketing career.

From 2734823 SAC Caroe CF S.M.O's Dept: RAF Hospital Steamer Point Aden June 13th 1956

Dear Dad,

Everything just jogging along quietly cricket is going well except that we (Steamer Point Area) got knocked out of the Bhicajee Cowasjee Shield in the semi-final on Sunday by Tech: Wing Khormaksar. They made 183 we made 117, I went in no:3 with the score at 3 for 1 Sq/Leader Masters and I took it to 54 for 2 when I was out for 25, Masters made 31, after that we collapsed!

The weather is very up and down, the monsoon came several days ago but two days ago the wind "forgot" to blow, it was hell, the humidity was 95%, sand hung in the air, the sun did not shine at all and the temp was 102F.

Since then it has blown hard again, the sea is covered in white horses, it's less humid and a bit cooler (97F).

I am really looking forward to some leave now, it's beginning to tell on me this place, although I am kept occupied most of the time the monotony and climate are gradually wearing me down. I look forward to some rain and coolness and a complete change of scenery in Kenya. It's rather like living on a desert island this place now. One's health and resistance to local skin diseases gradually lessens as the time goes on, whereas last year I had hardly any prickly heat or tinea, this hot season I've got large areas of prickly heat plus some tinea. Last year I never felt like sleeping in the afternoons if I was not playing cricket I went swimming, this hot season I flop on my bed after lunch and sleep till 4.30pm !

I heard nearly all the Test Match commentaries, perfect reception. Pity the weather cut out so much play, I gather it has been very "unsummery" in U.K. I hope you have a heatwave when I come home !!

David Whitely - Angela's brother was demobbed last Thursday -- I have 100 days to do!

Could you please send me Andrew's address, where is he now - Compton Bassett?

Please give my love to Jane and Clarissa

Much love Fred

From 2734823 SAC Caroe S.M.O.s Dept RAF Hospital Aden 21/6/56 URGENT

Dear Dad,

Please could you dig out my G.C.E. Certificates and send them straightaway by Registered post, it is most important.

The RAF has made a terrible boob and it is liable to cost me £15 ie the increase in pay (1/- a day from LAC to SAC) The RAF require all education qualifications to be registered with them. I took them to RAF Warton and it has now been discovered they never did a thing about registering them (even though I handed them over and they were returned to me when I left Warton prior to going to Aden) and when I passed my SAC exam last Sept: my education was never checked as it should have been done but I was still made an SAC officially.

Now the boob has been discovered and Queens Regulations say I cannot have the registration backdated, so if you send the Certs: immediately it will save a little money. I am seeing the C.O. in the hope he can make an exception and have it back dated. If I do not succeed I shall be putting in a "Redress of Grievance" which will entail an enquiry and the person or persons responsible will be dealt with. It is touch and go as to whether the RAF will demand this £15 back. I am one of three who may suffer from this inefficiency.

Sorry to bother about it but £15 is quite a lot of money to see disappear.

Love Fred

Peter, fortunately I had a very good C/O who sorted the whole thing out in a week - and I did not have to repay the money !! - nor did the other two.

Peter, Here is the first letter of 4 sent from Kenya when on leave - certainly brings back memories !!!

From Fred Caroe

Y.M.C.A. Hostel

Nairobi

Kenya July 18th 1956

Dear Dad,

I expect you received my post card at Salcombe telling you we had arrived.

Nairobi is a lovely City but blasted expensive, it isn't very big but is compact and well laid out. The streets are very wide.

The Y.M.C.A Hostel is about a mile from the city centre and on a hill, to get to it we walk along the Princess Elizabeth Highway a magnificent dual carriageway with very colourful flowers and shrubs. It is wonderful to walk on grass again, although its not all that green as it is a month since it rained. We have met several people to whom we have had introductions. Just a few minutes ago Aunt Astrid's friend Mrs Bond called here to see when we could come up to their farm which is about 90 miles away near Fort Hall. It is in the Nyeri District -- and Mau Mau to you too!! Apparently they no longer sleep with guns in their beds. We will probably go there at the end of the week. John met the Secretary of the Kenya Pharmaceutical Society and he has extended a couple of invitations. We also had a letter of introduction to the British Red Cross Sister at the British Military Hospital Nairobi and we gave her tea at the New Stanley Hotel and in return she is taking us to the theatre tomorrow night (she's very nice too!!!)We also got an introduction to Mr Thornton the Asst: Station Master at Nairobi, W/O Wiggall gave it me as he knew Thornton in England, guess what - he was stationmaster at Heswall Hills from '51-'54. I'm going to dinner with him to-night, he is also inviting some friends who came from Heswall - off Acre Lane-- small world is it not ?

We have had several offers for visits to the National Game Park so we will be going soon. Tomorrow we are being taken to see the Great Rift Valley which will be interesting having had it drummed into me at School.

The weather here for the most part is cloudy all morning, a few sunny periods in the afternoon then cloudy again. It reaches about 70F in the day and down to about 50F at night. With the cloudy weather we cannot see Mt Kenya or Kilimanjaro from here, but we should see Mt Kenya when we go the Bond's farm. We haven't made up our minds yet about going to Zanzibar, everything including travelling is so expensive. A cup of coffee costs 1/- and a small cake 10d. On Sunday we went on a Y.M.C.A. car rally, we covered 40 miles, we went in the Secretary's car and came 10th due to useless navigating, John and I were only passengers and we could have done better with our eyes shut !!!

If you would like to write, just send your letter to me c/o Post Restante G.P.O. Nairobi, even if I don't get it straight away due to being out of Nairobi, I'll get it sometime.

Love to you all, Fred

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