Letters to Northern Ireland from Brother in RAF

The contributor shared that his grandmother, Winifred Nesbitt (née McComb), was married in September 1940 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, to the farmer William Nesbitt. Winifred lived from 1917 to 2006. Her younger brother Bill Nesbitt's dates of birth and death are uncertain, although he was known to be in his 20s during the Second World War. Bill served in the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC) with the Royal Air Force in the 39 Squadron during the war and later served in 248 Wing. He was based in the Middle East and frequently wrote home to his sister.

Winifred and Bill came from a Protestant family, so service in the UK forces was not contentious. The letters came into the family's possession after Winifred's death and were found when clearing her house. Bill survived the war and settled in Lincolnshire, England, where he married a woman named Ruby, who was mentioned in his letters to Winifred. Bill was based for a time at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The letters and telegrams the contributor shared for digitisation are dated between July 1942 and September 1943. Some of Winifred's letters discuss the domestic difficulties of farming in Northern Ireland under wartime conditions.