14 May 1937

Dear Mother:

No letters from you for over two weeks except a very sketchy one from Bob. If you start delegating authority, I shall turn and bite. You probably get so many letters from me that you forget to write any. Remember, it means more to me to receive one than for you to get mine.

Today I got the final marks for ground exams which included Law and Discipline, Practical and Theoretical Armament, Signalling (lamp and Morse key), airmanship, Rigging and Engines, Drilling and Squad, War and Tactics, Theory of Flight, and Administration. My percentage was 81 percent. Still, I am 17th on a list of 34, so you can see the high average of my fellows. The highest was 91 percent. There were six with 81.1 percent, 81.2 percent, etc. in my category at 81 percent, so my standing slips. This only for first term - if we get over 80 percent on total at F.T.S. we are exempt from Flying Officers' promotion exams, which come about eighteen months after going to a squadron.

About six APO's failed in signalling, drilling, etc. I saw one last night learning the vocabulary in signalling - he is the dud of the lot - cannot concentrate. Imagine after three months getting down to learn W = .--

I fin signals very interesting and can follow codes on the wireless (radio to you Americans). Back home I used to hear a signal dit dah dah dit. Translate it into .--., think, and then put down P. But here we learn by sound, not dot dash dash dot, but dit dah dah dit - you write the letter down without having to think it out - how very interesting sez you!

This weekend is Witsun or something (pardon the spelling) so we get a long weekend holiday. I don't know what it is for, but I don't mind. The senior course returned today from Armament Camp. Eight single-seater Furies dived on the tarmac in formation, engines roaring full out, then up they went, splaying out in a Prince of Wales feather - very exuberant - they have just finished training and don't care what the Chief Flying Instructor, you, or I care about it.

When the A.O.C. (Air Officer Commanding) 23 Group inspects us next week, I shall be presented with wings. Pardon me for mentioning this, but it is a rather pinkish letter day in my career. The residue of our former course (us) have been eligible for wings for the last three weeks, but good old army red tape has to do everything very slowly and dignified.

From the 8th of June we become the big shots here and the new junior term the "Mud" - thank God!

In time-honoured style the senior term started out to scrag us when we first arrived, but we had too many Australians and Canadians (slightly tougher than the senior course) so we have had rather a smooth time. I wonder if the new course will be tougher than we are.

You know in the Mess Room, etc. the seniors have one side and juniors the other - and woe to you if you transgress their territory. All this dates back to antiquity, even if it is the youngest service. Seniors, of course, have many more privileges than juniors. For example, we must always march to Flights, etc. It's all a wonderful experience - Yes Sir!

Did you know it is against principle to show sympathy in the R.A.F.? If, for instance, you stay out after 11:30, even on a Coronation night, without previous permission, you'll get confined to camp just as sure as night follows day - it's laid down in the good old "King's Regulations and Air Council Instructions" (Our Bible). In civil life such a case would be overlooked, but not here. There's no argument. You expect none (sympathy) and get none.

The C.G.I. (Chief Ground Instructor) told us a good one yesterday about a complaint on low flying. The farmer said he didn't notice the registration letters on the aeroplane but read "Lift here" letters probably 1 1/2" high. After being perfect models for the last three months, our Flying Instructors now tell us many stories of how naughty they really are. Our Flight Lieutenant Pearce saw a farmer standing on top of a hay stack and couldn't resist last week, so he promptly made him lie down. The secret is to disappear quick - don't return or he'll take your number. The first time he is too disorganized to notice anything.

Love Bill