5 April 1937

Dear Mother:

Sunday afternoon and I have just returned from a walk dressed in tweed coat flannels and a pipe plus a good long English scarf - Up England!

I covered about eight miles along the marvellous countryside. It is very warm here and a coat is no longer necessary.

I am going up to York - about 125 miles - to see Mrs. Bamborough, if I am not on duty next weekend.

Tomorrow I crack off on a long cross country trip.

Friday night a pilot on senior course misjudged his distance and height from flares on ground landed outside aerodrome shot through two hedges and over a road and finished upside down, wrecking completely a good Hawker Hart, but he didn't get hurt in the least. God rides with our squadron.

It's much more pleasant to fly now and instead of dark, raw, cold mist and cloud we get a stab at some warm, woolly cumulous except when it rains. It's rather misty out now, but I hope we have a fine morning tomorrow.

Spent all Saturday morning polishing metal cowlings and washing mud and dirt from our machines - got thoroughly browned off, but was well satisfied to see the row of smart, shining service aircraft at noon.

Usually we drag a lot of mud into the cockpits and it dries, and then when we slow roll or are upside down, muck and everything gets in your mouth and all over your face from the bottom of the cockpit. There is no such thing as a barrel roll here - it's either a slow roll or a flick roll.

Every day we fire off over a hundred rounds apiece on the Vickers machine gun. We are son to get the Browning - it's about time. The Vickers is identical with the one used in war. We still occasionally put bullets in our airscrews, believe it or not. Some bullets lag, which causes trouble. Jams and stoppages are quite frequent, but Browning (American) is supposed to be pretty hot.

I am still changing my mind about what type of aircraft I will apply for - huge night bombers, day bombers, twins or singles, or fast fighters. Of course twin engines for good commercial experience. There're so many pros and cons and all very attractive. One of the senior course has been allowed to go into Flying Boats.

The Air Ministry sends a list out, e.g. we want six heavy bomber pilots, six medium, six light bomber, six fighter, three flying boat, etc. for eleven F.T.S., and you try for what you want.

There is a great argument going on over here whether they should allow an American strip-tease girl to perform. She has been putting on her act before learnèd judges, but they haven't arrived at their decision. They probably just want another exhibition.

I shall be quite pleased to look up Mrs. Culbertson and Bunty when they come over. It's too bad Jean can't win a scholarship and have you take her over to the Coronation.

We Canadians are seriously studying the idea of getting baseball started here - English cricket is no thrill. I'd be hamstrung if any of our budding young Englishmen heard me say this.

What I will here in Duty Pilots but tomorrow usual luck (by radio).

Air Ministry Weather Report - Wittering - low cloud, 1,000 feet, nine-tenths - visibility 1440 yards, wind 23o - three miles per hour. (So what!)

Love Bill