FRED CAROE'S LETTER PART 2
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From 2734823 SAC Caroe C.F.
RAF Hospital Staff,
Steamer Point,
Aden
11.30 pm Nov 13th 1955
Dear Dad,
Well this is my last night duty in this hospital it's also my last duty here. Next Thursday I'm leaving to go to the A.P.L. Hospital 7 miles down the road. APL stands for Aden Protectorate Levies. In all probability I shall be working in the Medical Inspection Room there, a far better job than running round these wards!
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The APL are the Arab army of Aden. They help guard the border against Yemen. I will be attached to the Levies but doubt if I will be sent up country. RAF Officers command them.
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Instead of my RAF cap badge I shall wear the APL badge which is two crossed Arabian swords on a green background, and on my epaulettes some more brass the letters "APL".
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I will let you know my new address as soon as possible but you can write to me here in the meantime as I shall be up here 2 or 3 times a week to go swimming, collect mail and see my friends etc.
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Four nights ago the P&O liner "Orontes" approx 20,000 tons ran aground in the harbour. It took 10 ten tugs pushing and pulling 4 1/2 hours to get her off. It was a slack tide.
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It is beastly chilly at night now, down to 74F, I am wearing a khaki shirt my green pullover and white gown on duty tonight. I hear from the news you are having a very warm November.
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Just had my midnight meal !
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Night sister and I have played a prank on the orderly M.O. We have taken his sheets and mattress off his bed and hidden them, any minute now an irate M.O. will appear on the scene, it ought to be quite amusing !
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The 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders are leaving Aden tonight on the "Dilwara" for Gibraltar, The Yorks Fusiliers Light Infantry have taken their place. The Seaforths looked terrific in their kilts.
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Jane's parcel still hasn't arrived, sea mail is due today. John Gilmore who works here hasn't received a parcel sent in June. The locals here seem to have started a pilfering campaign, lots of money, watches and other valuables have been stolen as well as bedding. I had a blanket stolen from the Night Staff Billet, another had 2 sheets taken and another a sheet and a blanket.
I am playing a lot of hockey, yesterday I played for RAF Steamer Point v Little Aden, we lost 4 -3, not bad considering during most of the first half we had only 10 men -- one got a nasty cut over his eye which needed two stiches. It was 2 - 2 at halftime. I scored our first goal, I play right wing now. For most of the second half we only had 9 men, another was hit on the shin and a vein burst, first aid was applied by me !!! He needed 4 stitches.
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They scored the winning goal 3 minutes from the end. I play again on Wednesday. Despite night duty I feel immensely fit -- 4 games of hockey and 2 of tennis since Nov 2nd and on nights! I am playing tennis tomorrow.
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Must close now and do a ward round.
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Love to you all, Fred
From 2734823 SAC Caroe C.F.
RAF Hospital Staff
Steamer Point
Aden
Thursday 7.30 pm 21st Nov 1955
Dear Dad,
Thank you very much for your letter and Colin Heppard's received yesterday.
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Despite the address I have moved to APL Singapore Lines but as usual the RAF have boobed, there is no room in the APL quarters so for tonight I am sleeping in an RAF Regiment Billet and tomorrow morning I hope to be allocate a bed in an APL Billet. I leave it to W/O Rowe the Camp Commandant to work it out !!
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It is no good giving an address yet without a Billet number. Singapore Lines are on the isthmus between Crater and the airport, the runway is very close to the APL hospital, We are at most only 5 feet above high tide mark. It is nice and cool as the wind blows straight off the sea.
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On Tuesday John Gilmore and I climbed Sham Sham, we walked about 4 miles round the coast and went straight up from sea level, phew did we sweat, it was cloudy all morning so not as bad as it might have been. We left the RAF Hospital at 8.00 am and reached the top by 10.30 am, we stayed up there 2 1/2 hours, it was quite cool, the sun came out at 12.30 and we soon got burnt as we walked down to Crater, from there we got a taxi back to Steamer Point.
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I have sent by registered sea mail two parcels for Christmas, one for Jane and one with yours and Clarissa's presents in. I am certain there will be no duty on Jane's, and with a little luck none on yours. However if there is, let me know and I will refund it. You'll see from the customs declaration what they are but it is no excuse to open them before Christmas !!!!
It is now Saturday 5.20 pm.
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I can now let you have my new address, it is Billet 8, APL, Singapore Lines, Aden.
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I am actually writing this while visiting my "old" Hospital.
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My new job is far less strenuous physically, no running around wards and if I go anywhere I either get the ambulance or a very posh Land Rover. So I get driven around in state by APL Arab drivers !!
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I work in the M.I. Room, there is just a Corporal Foster -- his name is Fred as well - and myself. The M.O. comes for Sick Parade at 8.00am but soon disappears afterwards. Fred (Foster) is a very nice chap, he is going on leave on Monday so I shall be i/c the M.I. Room. There is a lot of paper work to learn and masses of forms. It is really quite interesting though it does not sound so !
I played hockey yesterday for Steamer Point v H.M.S. Flamingo - a frigate in dock here. We won 4-0. The weather is unchanged, warm by day with a cool wind and cool by night.
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No sign of Jane's parcel yet, I fear we will never see it.
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My parcels to you went on the "Chusan".
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Love to you all
Fred
Peter, Just like to say how well I think you present my letters; the pictures bring them alive. The picture of the Dilwara brings back memories, she was a pretty rattly old tub from what I remember -- just very glad I never had to travel on a troopship !! Cheers, Fred
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From 2734823 SAC Caroe C.F.
Billet 8
RAF/APL
Aden
Thursday Dec 1st 1955
Dear Dad,
Thank you very much for your letter received today despite the address!
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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 !
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 !
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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
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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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
** Shortly after I wrote this letter I became a newsreader and disc jockey on AFBA.
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From SAC Caroe CF
APL
Aden
Dec 30th 1955 5.45 pm
Dear Dad,
Thank you very much for your last letter - postmarked 7pm 28th Dec: - that is very quick, less than 2 days !
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Christmas having passed life is almost back to normal but unfortunately we have another outbreak of polio in A.P.L. too. and the two who have it are good friends of mine, they live in the next billet. On this camp there are 22 in isolation and they have a medical every day. Technically I should be isolated but if it were to be there would be an acute lack of medics, there are only 2 of us for 200, and the other one is married and lives out, the others who duty medic are not proper medics !!
You must have misread my letter, you sent me my driving licence last May what I want now is an application form to renew it, could you please send me the form and I will fill it in and send it +licence back for renewal.
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It is an old custom to have something wrong at Christmas - mostly "loose" tummies the remedy here is Mist Kaolin et Morph, take 1/2 a fluid ounce -- 4 teaspoons- 3 times a day, it seizes one up, and for ordinary tummy pains just get Mist Mag:Trisil: and take the same dose.
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I played 4 sets of tennis today, it was quite cool (83° F).
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I take your point about not driving if I have had too much to drink - I never drive under the influence ! I use my Aden licence when I can find it, about 30% of the people on the roads here have NO licence at all.
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Well we are nearly in '56 my year of demob.
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Did you see the article in the Sunday Express about Bethlehem? I have got photos of the same place mentioned from my visit in September. Must close now, roll on demob
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Love to everyone, Fred
From 2734823 SAC Caroe C.F.
Billet 8
RAF/APL
Aden
Monday afternoon 9th Jan 1956
Dear Dad,
Thank you for your letters of the 3rd and 5th Jan + enclosures received today. No mail had arrived here for 5 days due to fog in the UK.I heard on the news last night it was cold to say the least with gales and a bit of snow in the east - its 85F here!!
The other day a large scale burglary took place during the night, 7 of us including me lost our wallets, my lock was picked and it was taken from my drawer, not one of us in the billet heard the thief. My Driving Licence, £3.10.0, photos and numerous odds and ends including my RAF Identity card were in the wallet.-- I enclose my completed Driving Licence form with attached note to say how the previous licence was lost.
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As a result of the increased pilfering 10 searchlights have been set up round the camp and the four on guard every day (& night) now have the new Belgian Rifle with permission to shoot. Last night we were all woken by the clatter of automatic rifle fire but no one was hit.
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The polio has just about finished and no new cases have occurred. New trouble and shooting has begun up country, one Government guard was shot in the head and died and two were shot in the leg and one in the hand, all are in the APL Hospital.
The weather is better now after some very heavy rain, we had 1.72 inches in the first three days of Jan, more than the average annual total !! It is fine and windy now with a max of 85°Fand a min of about 70°F. The other night I wore a tweed coat, pullover, shirt tie and long trousers at the cinema!
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I have reached the semi finals of the men's singles, I won my last match 6-0, 6-2, I meet Karl Levy in the next round, he is the strong favourite. We had a "48" last weekend, I spent it playing tennis and sun bathing (both in moderation).
All the hills around Aden have quite a greenish tint because of all the rain--just like home. The large flat expanse of sand we sit on is still bare, rather more muddy perhaps.
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I have had a very good suggestion put to me about my leave. I have 28 days left before coming home and considering all Ethiopia is apparently a good bet. It is about 500 miles from Aden to Addis, I believe not forbiddingly expensive. It is a very interesting country, I shall try to find out more about it. Ethiopian Airlines operate frequently from Aden to Addis.
The idea of a sea trip rather fell out as an order was issued that not more than one weeks leave was allowed to be taken due to trouble up country, it has since been withdrawn. The advantage of Ethiopia is that Mr Debbas has contacts there, however I will probe the cost.
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Love to you all, Fred
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