Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

My Father Flt Barry Massey was posted to RAF Keevil on 27th July with 299 Squadron, the same day he was admitted to hospital at RAF Hospital Melksham with Tonsillitis and then was re-admitted on 05 Aug with Acute Adenitis returning to his squadron on the 7th of September 1944 after a period of sick leave.

I have just come across a letter dated 5th September 1944 to his then Fiancee which contains the following.

"Hello Darling, sorry to have kept you waiting for such a long time, but I have just returned from spending seven days in France and got back yesterday evening. Brought back a few spoils for you, which I am sending along to you now. We were at Canne and I am afraid that all the natives over there are very hostile towards the RAF for smashing up this beautiful town. The woman think nothing of spitting at us - so we just spit back!"

There is a note on the back of the envelope which says in his fiancees writing "Letter after landing in Canne and sending me French Powder and scent."

Canne was liberated by the allies on 24th August, just a few days before my father's visit.

There is no clue in his log book for around that time, indeed there is no mention of flying near those dates until the 9th September when they commenced glider towing exercises and nor is there any mention in his service record.

What was he doing "landing in Canne" (when on leave)? Who was he with? It sounds like "a bit of a jolly". What do others think?

Hello Guy and good to hear from you, mate.

Could it be that your father was on a 'Cooks' tour' of somewhat?
I was just doing some research on Cooks' tours and found that even WAAF's were flown over to do a tour .......... can you believe it?

Anyway, thanks for the very interesting detail on your father.
Cheers,
John

Hi John, that same thought had occurred to me too, but I had always thought that "Cooks Tours" were wholly airborne! Furthermore it seems too soon for a tour, Canne had only been liberated about four days before his arrival if he had been there for a week! I will say I was a bit shocked by the "spitting back" bit... no way for an officer and a gentleman to behave!!! We always hear that our boys were welcomed with open arms, it is interesting that that was not the case for all! I wish I could ask him about it, maybe a clue is held in some of the hundreds of letters that I am now working through.

GuyMassey wrote:Hi John, that same thought had occurred to me too, but I had always thought that "Cooks Tours" were wholly airborne! Furthermore it seems too soon for a tour, Canne had only been liberated about four days before his arrival if he had been there for a week! I will say I was a bit shocked by the "spitting back" bit... no way for an officer and a gentleman to behave!!! We always hear that our boys were welcomed with open arms, it is interesting that that was not the case for all! I wish I could ask him about it, maybe a clue is held in some of the hundreds of letters that I am now working through.

Guy, it may have been too early to be a 'Cooks tour' and I too am not aware as to the in's and out's of their pattern of operation.
I would certainly like to hear more about this trip and these tours in general.
Regarding the 'spitting' .............. probably fair to say that the French had endured much bombing ( friendly fire ) over a period of time which prompted such an action.

If it was correct that the crew spat back, again, they were probably just keeping a 'stiff upper lip' and working on the theory that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
John