Wren Chapel Emmanuel College before and after restoration

Emmanuel College, Cambridge

History of Emmanuel College Cambridge

General information about Emmanuel College can be found on Wikipedia.

The Wren Chapel at Emmanuel College was restored by Rattee and Kett circa 1980.

1861

William Castleham, 42, Fellow, b Cumberland

+ 2 fellows & approx 50 students

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1860s

Part of Emmanuel College was a brewhouse completed in 1667 in the eastern corner of the college grounds. The north part of this became known as Emmanuel House and had been rented to outside tenants as it was considered unsuitable for the college. The building was demolished in 1893 and a new Emmanuel House built in 1894.

A Mrs Harris occupied Emmanuel house from 1867 until about 1875. On frequent occasions she heard loud unexplained noises in the the passage outside the drawing-room. A friend, Mrs Dunn, heard loud footsteps; these were recorded in a letter to the Society for Psychical Research’s investigator, Mrs Eleanor Sidgwick of Newnham College, in 1885. Mrs Harris’s daughter in law Emily also made a report to Mrs Sidgwick of an apparition. Others reported ghostly figures. After this there were other reports. They were not published in the Journal of Psychical Research as they were largely secondhand; however the reports were not the result of preconceived ideas but seemed to have been unexpected experiences. (Cambridge College Ghosts, Geoff Yeats)

24 February 1930
The successful crews in the Lent bumping races celebrated in traditional manner. Hundreds of excited undergraduates in ‘bump supper’ costume filled the streets till midnight and over it all flickered the light and smoke of bonfires. Boats were burned amid shouting and bacchanalian merriment at St Catharine’s, Selwyn and Emmanuel who for the first time in history had finished head of the river. An ‘eight’ was sacrificed in the paddock of the college upon a huge pyre. The manoeuvre of getting the boat into the college proved by no means an easy one and traffic was held up as the unwieldy craft, borne on the shoulders of the crews, was shunted into Downing Street before being passed through the narrow gate. At St Catharine’s the boat was escorted to the burning by a procession headed by a band of unemployed ex-Servicemen who had been playing on the towing path.
Credit: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge DOWNING STREET & PEMBROKE STREET Scrapbook, reference 30 02 24a.

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1939

Thomas Anthony Banner (b 8.6.1921) came up to Emmanuel College in 1940 from Kings Lynn. In December 1939 he is at the college taking his entrance examination. Family notes say he was awarded a place to read medicine. He writes to Christine (?his sister) in Leyton in London. He urges her to try to get a transfer to Kings Lynn. He suggests a career as a teacher and points out that there will be a demand for women teachers during the war.

Envelope

Miss C. Bonner,
c/o 302, Markhouse Road,
LEYTON,
LONDON E.17.

Letter

Emmanuel College,
Cambridge.
8th Dec. 1939

Dear Christine,

I am writing this letter in the private rooms of Dr. Garland & Mr. Hopkinson in which I am spending today & tomorrow. The rooms are in the College and at the moment of writing I am looking out on to a very wet Hills Road. I take my Latin exam. tomorrow (Saturday) so please pray for me.

Mum has told me all about your wanting to come home. I quite understand it (I see the people opposite — the room is on the 1st. floor — are blacking out so if you’ll excuse me a moment I’ll do the same!) and if I were you I should try very hard to get a transfer to Lynn, providing this would not prejudice your chances of getting promotion to a more interesting job.

If you still want teaching, on the other hand, why don’t you wait till next year when you will be 17 and then come to Lynn as a student teacher in one of the elementary schools. You would then probably get a grant to a Training Coll. or even the Froebel Coll., especially as during the war there will be more woman teachers required. By the way, I should if I were you, find out as much about the Froebel Coll. or Institute and the Certificate as you can. Whatever you do you will soon have to make up your mind. In the extreme case of your not being able to transfer to Lynn or not wanting to teach I suppose Mum will move to London.

I am glad you’ve seen Mother Prioress and Dema — I hope they helped you and cheered you up.

Everything is proceeding normally at Lynn. You ought to see Miss King’s — Eileen’s — new cloak — it’s pretty hot.

I’ve been fooling around doing Latin with Mr. Leatham & little else.

Just as I was coming from the station today I saw Cairn [name uncertain] — by accident — and I might go round there after dinner in Hall to-night, although I’m loth to leave my fire and easy chairs. The rooms I’ve got are huge — one bigger than the lounge another which I think Dr. Garlands wants tonight — as big as Auntie Emma’s room, and a bedroom the same size.

I’ve got to go and see Mr. A. Wood who will be my tutor if I get through all right, at 6.0 tonight.

It’s rather funny but there are some super German books all around me — I can’t read a word now.

Well, with that confession of my sins — I can’t say I know very much Latin — I’ll say good-bye,

Your loving brother,

Tom

Give my love to Auntie Jenny
and all at 302.

---

1940

In January Thomas writes to Christine and his mother just a week after arriving in Cambridge.

Envelope

Miss C. Bonner,
302, Markhouse Road,
LEYTON,
London, E.17.

Letter

13, Warkworth St.,
Cambridge.
18th January 1940.

Dear Christine,

It is now a quarter before eight o’ the clock and I have dined well and am contented. It is now approaching a week since I arrived at this centre of learning and apart from the fact that it was not before today that my trunk arrived I have in sooth enjoyed myself.

My lodgings which are administered by one Mrs. Dawkin — there’s actually about 1½ — and are no more than ten minutes walk from either the Church or the College. The Church I shall go to in future is the St. John Fisher Chapel which is just for University Students. Father Gilbey, the University Catholic Chaplain is a very nice man indeed, and a day or two ago I went to have tea with him. About 8 other chaps rolled in too — and jolly decent fellows too. Father Gilbey’s room is either Tudor or Jacobean, I cannot distinguish — and he looks like a Spanish Jesuit & fits in perfectly — Are you envious?

I only began lectures today so there is very little to say about that side. Poor things, they are so terribly interesting except for one at which I was so bored I walked out half-way through. You’ve no idea of the number of people who go to lectures like Physiology — there must be at least 200 people, men & women & there is absolute quiet.

The Chaps in the same house as I am are both quite nice — one Stott from Blackheath the other Hirst from Halifax but Sedbergh School. I hope to join the Catholic Soc. as they are as I’ve said jolly good fellows.

Don’t grin but I don’t really know what I’m doing — not until Saturday, when if I am blessed by God, you may get a surprise.

I am now going to remind you of a promise. I am sending a design for a scarf I hope you will knit me. I shall send my tie home to guide you with the colours. If you do it, I’ll love you when you’re old etc.

Your loving brother,
Tom.

Thanks so much for picture.
It’s delightful.

A day later [?} his letter to his mother is from the Royal Military College in Camberley.

A Sqn. R.A.C. Wing,
R.M.C.,
Camberley,
Surrey.
19th Jan. [Jun?] 1940

Dear Mother,

Thanks for your two letters and the parcel. Yes! I would like some cakes — as soon as you like. I’m writing this to you to an accompaniment of snow encouraged by more these last seven days, and with the air raid warning bells which they have throughout the building tingling in my ears. It isn’t very nice out to-night. I’m surrounded by books, note books, pamphlets and Heaven knows what, all about cars and tanks, and my brain is full of wheels and pistons and things all going round at top speed. We’ve now been two weeks on “driving and maintenance”, or D & M as we call it, and what I don’t know about the inside of a car is all I want to know to pass the exam next Saturday.

This week we are on driving and it doesn’t look too pleasant for it, but I guess the tanks can take it, ice and all. On Friday we each gave a 6-minute lecturette on a subject we picked from the hat, and it was very amusing to see how we each got tied up. I might tell you we are working very hard in my troop, and the next youngest too. A week ago they R.T.U.’ed (returned to unit) 6 of our chaps, including my room mate. (I’m alone now.) They gave the most outlandish reasons, and it was a big shock for everyone, because we had all been told, and it was quite true, that R.T.U. was a rarity and not many troops had one let alone six.

I believe it’s the new Squadron Commander we have, Captain Eyre. The next troop, No. 39, have had 5 R.T.U.’s & 3 put back three troops. So far I’m all right but like everybody else, I feel I never know when the blow is to fall! Anyhow it’s woken me up and I’m working hard.

The Brigadier or someone has suddenly developed a terrific urge for lectures, and we’ve been having officers from outside near every two or three evenings. Some are very interesting, like the last which was by a Brigadier from the Tanks who told us about the German armoured or Panzer divisions. One was very funny. An old general came to talk to us about his travels in Chinese Turkestan or some such outlandish spot, and kept telling us about how he had hunted some peculiar animal called [“Nurra Polgi”?] (I wonder if it’s spelt like that). He had lots of lantern slides but he didn’t show us one of this thing, so it became a terrific joke. He was quite a decent old boy though because when he came home from this place he saw Kipling in the Athenaeum (a very fusty intellectual club, the club in fact) and told him about. Apparently Kipling had written a poem about this animal.

Another funny thing, in this place the Aga Khan was looked up to as a Moslem Saint!

This morning we were inspected on Church Parade by Gen. Martel, Commanding the Royal Armoured Corps. They made a terrific fuss. We had to wear [“putto”?, unclear] in our coats and powder brass studs. (You ought to see the good old taking stitches in my slacks!) When he came, it was only to be pursued by a little shrimp of a man who apparently took no notice of us at all.

We have three Free Belgian Cadets in the Infantry Wing and they all Catholics and were at Church at 10 o’clock today.

We go on bikes and going down one hill I just freewheeled and prayed I shouldn’t skid — it was just one continuous sheet of frozen snow — all bumpy. I could feel my back sliding all over the place.

I think I’ve told you everything, by the way thanks for the scarf, I smelled the lavender — or is it French Fern. I hope the weather at home isn’t too [unclear] and that Tony will soon be fit again. I don’t suppose you’ll be wanting any snow with all those boots and shoes tramping about, especially in the Lounge!

I must sign off now. You must pray now not only that I do well but that they let me stop here to do well! Also pray for me when I’m driving a Motor bike next week. I don’t want to worry you but I probably shall be [remainder unclear].

Give my love to Connie, (tell her to write) and Christine (I must write to her) and Aunty & the Boys, — have you heard from Alfred

Your loving son,

Tom

From 1940 we have his receipt from Bodger and Co of 47/48 Sidney Street for a gown and cap, 19s 6d and 5s 9d. He gets a discount of 1s 3d.

Then in Lent Term 1940 there is a receipt for books from Heffer’s bookshop, £4 13s 1d of which the most expensive item is Gray’s Anatomy at £2 5s. Ahomas Banner is boarding at the time at 13 Warkworth Street.

Envelope

Mrs. W. Banner,
Arcade House,
High Street,
King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.

Letter

13, Warkworth St.,
Cambridge.
28th April 1940.

Dear Mother,

Where is the letter you promised to write; is it resting still in your mind, or have you yet transferred your most lovely thoughts to base writing in ink on paper, or is it resting still at a sorting office, among so many common ordinary letters? I did think of waiting for your letter till I replied. As however the former event is uncertain, and might not occur before the rise in postage charges I thought I would save a penny & write to-night.

I hope you keeping well, and are not doing too much work. I haven’t heard from Kitchener or anybody else yet, so I still don’t know my financial position. I have however paid last term’s bill, so that’s all right. I’m also O.K. this term.

During this last week I have been rowing every day, & I expect the same this week. I have to go down 3 days for organised practice, & am supposed to go the other three voluntarily for sculling etc. By the way the latter is very good fun, especially now I have had some practice “tubbing.” I hope to be out in an “eight” in a week or so, and you’ll have to come & see me row in the May races.

I don’t know yet if I shall be coming home at Whitsun, as it may mean keeping three extra days at the end of term, which would hardly be worth it, especially as I have a lot of work ahead.

In a few weeks time I am taking the Mays (The proper name is Preliminary Examination in Natural Sciences) in Physiology, Physics, Chemistry, & Zoology &—a curse!—I am also taking Biology of H.Y.B. [initials uncertain] again.—Worse luck. Still if I get through O.K. I shall be able to start my dissections during the Long Vac.

Yesterday I went to tea with a very decent chap from Trinity Hall & I’m having him back to some of your cakes & Connie’s jam this week. I went to the “Scotch House” for tea today, as a change.—Very nice, although more Cambridge than Scotch. I met a very nice chap from Clare at the Fisher this p.m. called Brentini & I spent so long talking to him that I am writing this after, instead of before dinner as I try to do.

I hope Aunty Emma had a nice birthday—tell me if there’re any more coming off. Don’t overwork or worry, and do write to me.

Give my love to Christine, Connie & everybody,

Your loving son,
Tom.

P.S. Please do send my collars, socks, handkerchiefs, & also my dress shoes this week, please.

 

On December 15th 1940 he writes from the Royal Military College in Camberley. It is not known whether he is still attached to Emmanuel College at this stage.

38 Troop, A Squadron,
R.A.C. Wing,
Royal Military College,
Camberley,
Surrey.

15th Dec. 1940

Dear Christine,

I’m frightfully sorry about that letter to the N.C.C. I didn’t know it concerned you, and I was so fed up with their wretched forms and things that I put it in my pocket and forgot all about it. I thought I had left it at home, but when I took your letter out of my pocket to see what address you had used, lo and behold I dragged out the tattered remnants of the form.

So I’ve hastily filled it in, enclosing a letter of apology, & am posting it with your letter to-day.

We have just been told the glorious news that we’re to have 7 days leave at Christmas beginning next Saturday, the 21st. So will you tell Mum that she needn’t send my change of clothes or my papers, as first I haven’t got one thing to last me this week, & second I can arrange my affairs when I arrive.

We are having a terrific amount of work to do; at least we are getting shoals of lectures which I shall have to do something about soon. They have started taking us on map-reading expeditions and “Piste’s” [word uncertain] out in the country around here, and they are very jolly good fun. We go out in a bus for a dozen or so miles and then hop out on the top of the hill — if the bus can get up it, and then push out and generally admire the countryside with the temp. at freezing point.

The P.T. is excellent — all the instructors are sergeant-majors and rather funnily we have a damned good time — with a cold shower after.

Sport is very important here and I think it counts in the report they give you at the end quite a lot. I was playing Rugger yesterday afternoon in the pouring rain in the O.C.T.U. 3rd XV, and I hope to get games on Wednesdays and Saturdays at least.

The man in my room, who by the way is tubby, was in his younger days a first class rugger player and boxer — he’s got a small moustache and wears glasses now. He hurt his knee, and after that he refereed for County matches. We have a good time together as he is about as silly an ass as I am.

Somebody moved out of next door, so yesterday we moved in so it was a better room. I should think everyone thought us nutty, shifting from one room to the next, but it is a bit warmer for some unknown reason — there’s one less window to keep open.

As this is the last piece of the paper I bunged from our ante room I must stop. Give my love to Mother and everybody.

Your loving brother,
Tom

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1941

Envelope
Miss C. Banner,
Arcade House,
High Street,
King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.

Postmark: Camberley, Surrey, 5 February 1941, 9 a.m.

Pencil notes on reverse:
“hydrophobia”
“[unclear]”
“naphtha”
[Other handwriting trials and initials.]

Page 1
38 Troop B Sqn.,
R.A.C. Wing
O.C.T.U.
Sandhurst.
Tuesday 4th. 1941

Dear Christine,

Thank you for the letter and particularly for the gloves which are very smart. As for socks you’d better be optimistic and make them khaki! Ask Mother to make sure that I haven’t left any at home too, please.

I am afraid that nothing very exciting happens here. If nothing else you seem to have a number of romances darting around the place at home. This place is a sort of rest home before we take

Page 2
flight for the most important part of our journey in the war. We have pistol practice, gunnery with a very humorous old Welsh sergeant as our instructor. It’s a very practical subject and I get more spare time than I can cope with: so I subscribe to the fiction part of the R.M.C. Library and have a very good detective novel at the moment by Ngaio Marsh. The Library was built by the 1000 in the reign of Edward VIII and it is surprising how often one sees his monogram here, on plates and things.

The weather is improving here a lot and this is reflected in the increasing number of visitors including some very nice girls at Church Parade on Sunday. This is a regular occasion and during the summer I

Page 3
believe the opposite sex comes down here in swarms to see it and us.

I hope you enjoy the dances if you go. We are having one on the 22nd. Our troop is moving to Blackdown O.C.T.U. for a week to finish off our gunnery there. It’s the counterpart of our R.A.C. O.C.T.U. (looks like Chinese doesn’t it?) but it’s an awful place—you have to polish floors and do all your all your own cleaning! No. 40 troop are lucky—they’re going up to Lanark to finish theirs—three weeks amidst Scottish Heather.

You seem to be getting into your stride with your teaching—it must be good fun having a class on your own. I am looking forward to when I shall have a

Page 4
troop of men and to [unclear: possibly “tell how you are …”] your troop—train them! Although I hope I shan’t need ever be bored as with teaching a little kid of 6 to write legibly!

With having to arrange and do my share of P.A.D. (Air raid precautions—you’d [benefit?] his official manner) as troop sergeant last week I didn’t get too much sleep and I’m going to bed early tonight.

Tell Mother I’ll be writing to her tonight or to-morrow.

Your loving brother,

Tom.

Words in square brackets are uncertain. The repeated “all your” appears in the original.

O.C.T.U. Blackdown,
Surrey.
11th February 1941.

Dear Christine,

Many Happy Returns of the day.

I am sending (enclosed) a small present which may arrive early but I thought that this was better than after the 14th.

This place is a great contrast to Sandhurst. We do all our own cleaning, floors & equipment. We have tables of twelve at meals and the food for twelve is dished out in tins and one of us has to share it out—not so easy!

Why we moved here is a mystery. The gunnery school here is not as good as Sandhurst and to complete the farce we are going back to our own ranges at the R.M.C. to fire to-morrow.

We manage to get over it all however even if only by laughing at it. The roughness of the life here is I believe for the benefit of men from University O.T.C.’s who have not served in the ranks of the Army proper.

There is one great benefit, apart from not having to pay servants (!) and that is we have real, honest to goodness coal fires.

I hope Mother has thanked you for the mittens you sent me—they are very nice. I use the gloves on smart occasions & mittens at other times. Actually however cold it is you cannot do arms drill in gloves.

I hope you get plenty of cards & presents & have a good time. Give my love to Mother.

Your loving brother,
Tom.

Envelope

Mrs. W. Banner,
Arcade House,
High Street,
King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.

Letter

[Printed heading: Royal Military College, Camberley, Surrey.]

2/Lt. T. Banner,
13/18th Hussars,
c/o G.P.O.,
Towcester,
Northants.
10/[3?]/41

Dear Mother,

Sorry I didn’t write last night but I hadn’t time. I arrived safely and all is well. Everybody is frightfully nice and I think I’m going to enjoy myself immensely. My billet is excellent.

I’ve had a wizard day but frightfully busy. I’ve got a troop.

I must finish now to catch the post.

Your loving son,
Tom.

[The month in the date has been overwritten and is uncertain.]

 

Envelope

Miss C. Banner,
Arcade House,
High Street,
King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.

Letter

‘C’ Squadron,
13th/18th Royal Hussars, Q.M.O.
c/o G.P.O.,
Towcester,
Northants.
20/5/40

Dear Christine,

I believe I owe you a letter. I’m afraid it’s so long ago since I received it that I cannot quite remember. I have had plenty to do recently, although we are having a quiet time again now.

The scheme in East Anglia was very interesting, although I don’t suppose you would think so. Umpiring in the South was great fun and I saw quite a few of the “sights”: Salisbury Cathedral, Oxford, Stonehenge, Southampton Docks, and so on. There are some really nice places to eat in Salisbury, as well as to drink. As I told Mum I went to a Southern Command Dance, and I haven’t seen such a hopeless collection of women for a long while.

They have some quite passable dances in Northampton to which I have been once or twice. I am going to what should be a good dance this Friday—an invitation dance of another regiment near here. We are having a dance of our own next week, which I am at the moment trying to organize.

Summer is here now making a really good attempt to appear here. We have one or two glorious days and then a rainy one with perhaps another two or three fine days. We have the use of a very good tennis court at the Vicarage and should have some good evenings.

I am now living in the officers’ mess and I wish that you would ask Mum to send me 3 single sheets, and also my old grey flannel trousers.

I hope that you are getting on O.K. and well ahead for College in the “Fall.”

By the way, an R.A.F. Group Captain, D.S.O., gave us his story last night of his escape from German hands in France. It took two months. Another chap took 6

Your loving brother,
Tom.

He write to his mother June 17th.

‘C’ Squadron,
13th/18th Royal Hussars, Q.M.O.

June 17th 1941.

Dear Mother,

This is just a short note to tell you I’m coming home on leave on Wednesday 18th.

We are just having some lovely weather here, and I am at the moment in white shirt and gray flannels.

I have just started tennis.

Only just time to catch post.

Your loving son,

Tom

He writes to his sister Christine 11.9.1941.

[Written in the upper-left corner:]

It doesn’t matter now if people know I am going out East! You can also write now.

At Sea.

No. 180446 [number uncertain], 2/Lt. T. Bonner,
R.A.C.
Draft Serial No. [deleted]
WRFYA
c/o Army Post Office 1000

Sept. 10th 1941

Dear Christine,

I expect this will give you a bit of a shock. Goodness knows why I start writing to you when it’s so hot I enjoy having cold baths. In fact at nights when it gets really stifling with the blackouts up I shouldn’t mind lying permanently in one.

It is wonderful weather and we are having a lovely time — in peace time it must be marvellous.

I expect when you get this you will be at College and I hope you enjoy. Although I am writing this on the day you go to Dorothy’s I hope you had a good week there, & I also hope you enjoyed your first few days at College.

You won’t get there for another week and yet you’ll have probably been there one or two at least. I think G.K.C. would have appreciated that. If you do not, read his “Orthodoxy”.

At the moment of writing I can hear the [word missing or unclear] which has been formed on board playing in the Warrant Officers’ lounge.

The accommodation on board is excellent and we have two beautiful lounges. I think the whole of the peace time 1st. class staff of stewards has been kept back. At any rate there seem a dickens of a lot and there isn’t a single woman on board of any kind or description. This latter is I think all to the good, as there are so many of us on board.

We get drinks and cigarettes at super prices and fruit such as apples and oranges are very plentiful. One sees some of the men with four oranges at a time. The messing is really amazingly good and costs nothing. The only thing we pay is a £ gratuity to the staff.

To show you what the service is like, at meals we have a steward to every eight officers. Apart from our batman there are bedroom stewards who keep us supplied with a clean towel each day apart from bath towels. As far as bed and toilet linen goes there is no trouble at all as the ship takes enough to last the voyage.

I am learning Italian in the large amount of spare time which I get on board. I also run Morse classes for my troops.

The men get Concerts and Boxing and altogether have quite a good time although I expect it gets monotonous for some. In a few days time I am due to give a lecture. In fact the work we do is mainly to keep the troops occupied as much as for instruction for them.

You would glory in the sunsets and moonrises out here where there is no land to be seen all round us. The moonrises especially — they are very sudden and you can see the moon rising above the horizon. Leaning against the rail on the promenade deck before going to bed we often think how wonderful it would be in peace time. Some of us have even the idea that a girl you a really liked wouldn’t spoil things!

Your loving brother,
Tom

Next there is a letter 14.11.1941 from the RAC Base Depot M E F.

Address on letter card

Mrs. A. Bonner,
Arcade House,
High Street,
King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.

Redirected to:
St. Ann’s,
14, Clarence Rd.,
Hunstanton.

Letter

2/Lt. T. Bonner,
R.A.C. Base Depot,
M.E.F.
14/11/41

Dear Mother,

I have received one cable from you and am expecting some letters or airgraphs every day. I hope you are all fit and well, and “happy at your work” at home. I am sorry I have not written to you before, but I have been waiting for some really interesting news.

We have been here now, three weeks, and I think Cairo is the noisiest, the most exasperating & yet most intriguing city I have ever been in. We have been to the Pyramids and I cannot say that I was terribly thrilled although they are pretty marvellous as engineering feats. I rode back from the Pyramids on a camel and Basil Ryle who is now with the 4 R.T.R. took our photo — another chap was on one too. Actually I have had a number of snaps taken but I have none of the prints so I can’t send you any.

I have of course been to Shepherds, the Continental, both centres of the Imperial [continuation uncertain] clubs, although these are very poor imitations of those in London. I have also been to the Mousky, the main bazaar. Everything here is dominated by the avarice of the Egyptians. The hundreds of beggars in the streets, and the extortionate prices in the shops & hotels. We live fairly cheaply in the mess and get 3/6d. a day extra here.

I have been posted at last not to the North Somerset Yeomanry but more to my liking up to the Western Desert to join my regiment there, where they are [unclear].

Good-bye for now & God Bless you,

Your loving son,
Tom

---

1942

To

Miss C. Banner
St. Charles College
Cold Ash
Nr. Newbury
Berks.

From
L/Cpl. T. Banner [rank uncertain]
“C” Sqn., [battalion unclear], R.T.R.
25/1/42

Dear Christine,

Thank you very much for your postcard. I should like to know how you are getting on at College. What subjects you are taking and how you like it. Plenty of hard work I suppose. Funnily enough there are quite a few Cambridge and Oxford people here.

[Crossed-out word] I have some jolly times with the other chaps in the Squadron. We all are about the same age and are the youngest squadron in the battalion. Things are a lot different in the R.T.R. from the Cavalry. It is mainly the strictness with regards to the mess [reading uncertain] and that is a thing one soon gets used to. There is tons of work to do – I am a troop leader so I dont get bored.

Your loving brother, Tony

Envelope
Mrs. A. Banner,
St. Annes,
Clarence Road,
Hunstanton,
Norfolk.
ENGLAND.

Letter
2/Lt T. Banner,
‘C’ Squadron, 2nd Bn. R.T.R.,
M.E.F.
25th Jan. 1942.

Dear Mother,

I received a letter from you a few days ago. I haven’t received the parcel you mentioned yet. Keep writing regularly as it makes so much difference when there are letters from you in the mail. I am afraid I haven’t much news for you as we are out in the wilds again. Our camp is very pleasant however except during a sandstorm we had a day or two ago. There is plenty to do however during the day. I’ve a troop, who keep me busy all the time, and during the evening there is the mess which is very cheerful. I am trying to do a bit of Italian, although I haven’t done much recently, as there is usually either books about work or novels to read.

We have football and basket ball matches with other troops in the squadron. We also had an Officers’ match at basket ball with ‘A’ Squadron which nearly killed me. At one stage I had three chaps sitting on me! These are some pretty wild chaps in the Squadron. We are the youngest squadron in the battalion. Our Major is only 23, with the M.C.

I am glad to hear you like your cottage—or should I call it a cottage. Somehow though I always imagine home as a small house in a lovely garden.

I am glad Christine can get down from College. I am writing to her when I have finished this. I got an Air-Mail Card from Christine just recently. I haven’t heard from Connie. I am glad she gets over to see you too. Do tell her to write. You seem quite a centre of activity with all these visitors.

Give my love to everybody at home. Do tell me more about your move.

Your loving son,
Tony

Address

Mrs. W. Banner,
St. Anne,
11a, Clarence Rd.,
Hunstanton,
Norfolk,
ENGLAND.

Letter

2/Lt T. Banner,
‘C’ Sqn. 2/R.T.R.
M.E.F.
1/2/42

Dear Mother,

I am now trying to write regularly once a week whether there is little to say or not. I am well and happy. I hope you are too. I often wonder what our new home is like. I hope it isn’t too much in Hunstanton. Do you still do any C.W.L. work. They have some very good huts out here. I received a card from Christine and have at last written to her. She’s still getting on all right at Coll. I should like to know what life is like there. Does she take any more interest in sport than she did?

As I told you in my last letter I haven’t heard anything from Connie. I wonder how he and Joan get on now. And how is Uncle Jack’s health now. I think I shall write to Beatrice some time and find out how all the Johnson’s are doing. Have you been back to King’s Lynn recently?

Well I hope you all keep happy and well. Give my love to Christine and Connie.

Your loving son,
Tony

 

Envelope

BY AIR MAIL

Mrs. W. Banner,
St. Ann,
14, Clarence Road,
Hunstanton,
Norfolk,
Gt. Britain.

[Censor stamp: “Passed by Censor 1991”, signed T. Banner.]

Letter

C Sqn. 2nd Bn. R.T.R.
M.E.F.
20th Feb. 1942.

Dear Mother,

How are you. All is well with me here. Things are wandering along in the same old way. We are having quite a good time. As usual I can’t tell you exactly where we are or what we are doing. We have a lot of fun together. The other officers in the squadron, subalterns at any rate, are much the same age as myself. Our squadron leader, who is a regular major, is only 23. Actually you get nearly as much news as about what’s happening as we get most of ours from the newspapers just as you.

There are two English papers out here, the Egyptian Mail, and the Gazette. The Arabic papers are impossible to read but they have one or two French papers which make an interesting change.

Some of the other officers have very interesting tales to tell of other countries in this part of the world, such as Palestine and India.

I expect you find life passes very slowly at the moment with both Christine and myself away from home, unless of course you have managed to get some war work somewhere. If you have I hope it is not too strenuous and that you are enjoying it.

Christine I suppose finds life even during the vac. very full. I rather envy her all that interesting study she has. I shall be ready after the war to get down to some really hard work in medicine. I quite believed that Timmy Hele was right when he said that after the last war the ex-servicemen really got down to the grind in earnest. I think I’ll write to Timmy one day. It would also be rather a lark to write to Alex. Wood the pacifist, about the joys of life in the Army!

Well I think that’s all I have to write about now. Give my love to Christine, and Connie,

Your loving son,
Tom.

 

Envelope

On Active Service

Mrs. A. Banner,
St. Ann,
14, Clarence Road,
Hunstanton,
Norfolk.
ENGLAND.

Letter

2/Lt. T. Banner,
C Sqn. 2nd R.T.R.
c/o B.P.O.,
Rangoon,
Burma.

5th March 1942
[“Feb” crossed out and replaced with “March”]

Dear Mother,

Yet another country visited! It is very much like England in parts and it is a wonderful change from the desert. Of course there are rubber plantations and bananas and so on and of course the natives who rather spoil the view but it is still a very fine place.

It is now about the hottest part of the year out here as in May the monsoons arrive and the rain cools the summer heat. It is absolutely wizard in the shade and almost like an English wood.

I naturally can’t say much about what is happening but we are certainly having a good time. Absolutely bags of cigarettes, beer and whisky; it would make anyone at home envious.

I hope everything is going well at home and you are happy. Christine and Connie also.

Give my love to Christine and Connie,

Your loving son,

Tom.

Thomas’s next letter in March 1942 is also to his mother.

Envelope

On Active Service

Mrs. A. Bonner,
St. Anne,
14 Clarence Rd.,
Hunstanton,
Norfolk,
England.

Letter

2/Lt. T. Bonner
C Sqn.
2nd R.T.R.
c/o B.P.O.
Burma
10/3/42

Dear Mother,

I hope you are well. I sent a letter a week ago which I hope you received. There is very little news. I am quite well. This is being written in a great hurry and it is nearly dark.

The land of the Burman with the Pagodas of Buddha and the bullock carts and paddy fields is very interesting.

Today I had a Chinese lunch which was very novel and nice.

Give my love to Connie and Christine. I hope you are all happy and getting on fine.

I suppose it is Lent now at home with St. Patrick’s day only a week ahead.

I must close now as it is dark.

All my love.

Tom

Post Office telegram, no. 67
Postmarked Hunstanton, Norfolk, 30 July 1942

Sheet 1

Important Hand Dely Mrs L Banner
St Anne 14 Clarence Rd [Hunstanton]

Deeply regret to inform you Official report
dated [21st] July 1942 received that 2/Lt T
Banner the North Somerset Yeomanry serving
with Royal Tank Regt Royal Armoured Corps
Sheet 2

was killed in action on 11th April
1942 The Army Council desire to
offer you their sincere sympathy

Under Secretary of State for War
The place name in the address appears abbreviated. The day of the July report is faint and appears to read “21st”.

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