[23rd page – November 1942, September1943, April 1944, in ink]
Feb: 13th Friday Time flies & when I get home there always seems so many things to do this book is forgotten. Enemy action over England has been very slight. however since the last entry here Japan has start & Singapore has been invaded we lost 3 big Ship the Repulse Prince George & the Ark Royal. on the Ark Royal was a complement of 16 or 18000 men. & only 2 were lost & they need not have been I’ve met a man from that ship & he said one lost his head & jump to a destroyer & lost his life the other an old pensioner was asleep & refuse to move. on Nov 26th Lionel was married. Father & I went u
Nov 12th 42
We have scored a success at last & got Jerry on the run. Stalingrad still stands & Rommels army is out of Egypt. Derwent is there & we’re waiting news Joan has her baby Richard Brian Douglas
23rd October 1942. weight 7lb 8 oz fair & blue eyes. No raid over this country lately if any first simple craft drop & run Jerry to busy in other parts. on Sunday the Prime Minister has granted that all Church Bell all over the country can be rung a sort of thanksgiving for our success in Egypt the first time he bells have been rung since the commencement of the war they were only to be rung in case of invasion what a reverse. had 3 bananas sent by Daphne Pegram Raffled one for Red X fund Raised 33/6.
Sept 1943
Since writing lots has happened but today Sept 8th is a day to celebrate Italy has surrendered unconditionally. Derwent has been through Sicily & is now in Italy. the Germans are still there and are fighting the Italians & English & Americans & are bombing Rome. a place that they have squealed over us bombing but we did sonly the point’s where Germany was use’ing as a Transport base. like Germany though they said we were bombing the Churches but they forgot how they bombed our churches & Cathedrals. lets hope it will all be over soon Portsmouth has felt the war very much. Russians are doing great things these days so we should soon meet them in Berlin itself.
April 17th 44
A pity to have missed such a period Russia is still ploughing on she is into Rumania & the Crimea our Troops & the Yanks are still Stuck outside Rome & straight accross Italy. but we are now waiting hourly for the invasion of Europe night after night day after day for week have our Bombers been going over for weeks Berlin must be flatened Derwent is still in Italy & is mentioned in Despatches. dont know what for
Peter Robert Turnill, third and youngest son of Joan, b 1/5/1947, m 19/10/1971
Little more than a shed! The picture shows it in 1982 shortly before we demolished it. The house to the left was built by Joan and occupies half the plot they bought in 1952. They had about 2/3 of an acre of ground.
Margaret Ianthe ? ? Hanson, first child of Derwent & Margaret, b ??/??/1942, m ????? d ??/??/2008? Ellen holds Ianthe – taken 1/3/43
Richard Brian Turnill, first child of Joan & Victor, b 23/10/1942, d 12/1/1961. Douglas must have got lost somewhere.
They certainly did …
Derwent George Cooper Hanson was their 3rd child, born 8/9/1918, and thus just 21 at the start of the war. Died ??/??/??
Margaret Williams, born ??????,
