20 July 1937

Dear Mother (Mine):

Had my annual medical test yesterday and passed okay, so my life of dissipation hasn't ruined me yet. These medicals give one an anxious moment before they come, but they take you by surprise. I was just about to climb in my Fury when along came an airman and said that Wing Commander Young wants to see me for my medical, so off I went. No chance for any deep breathing exercises or anything. Eyes, ears, nose, throat, balancing on one foot, finger tremble, heart, lungs, passed, "okay, nothing wrong with you," so I stepped out - safe for another year.

I have never seen the sky so beautiful as I did this morning. The towing aircraft was towing drogue at 6,000 feet - clouds were piled up in huge masses of white and there were deep valleys and yawning caverns. We get 1,000 feet above drogue - half roll and dive vertically, onto it - then press Bowden controls and bullets from Twin Vickers should go through sleeve. One soon attains a terrific speed in such a dive - the wires whistle and you usually black out completely or pulling out. Thank God for British workmanship - the wings usually stay with you.

slight stomach massage

I also did a road reconnaissance from Wansford to Leicester - took forty minutes -in which one should state how many lorries (not trucks) and autos - going in what direction and at where - pin points PB644322 and time seen. As a Fury single-seater fighter is not built for recco work, it is doubly hard. You have a knee pad, but you have to hold a map in one hand and pencil in the other. The plane is not very stable, so knees are brought into play, but are not much use at high speeds.

We all have to buy another service jacket for parades and inspections which nears about $45 - not so nice. I will admit it is good material, but out! The cost.

I suppose having Ronny to look after, you couldn't have much of a holiday this year. I hope to have a little time off from work next month. We will not be far from Skegness, a real summer resort with a lovely beach.

One thing I must say, we travel about a great deal, and as soon as armament camp is over, away we go somewhere else.

Tomorrow, Saturday, I am going down to London with Graafstra for a fitting for a new tunic. Last Saturday while we were washing up I took these four pictures of our Fighter boys and one of our Furies. Yesterday I took Graafstra up in a Hart, and we took eight pictures. We'll see how they come out.

I flew up to Cranwell today with Flt. Lieut. Gosnell in formation. We did the whole trip inside the clouds, so we had to formate very close together. One cloud was very thick and rain was terrific and I nearly lost him. We landed together at Cranwell very tightly. (P.S. He wanted to make an impression, as he went up to see a friend).

This wee he led two of us in formation and did four loops together. This is rather too advanced for a flying school, but he's certainly keen.

Our machines are miles ahead of anything I've seen in Canada - the amazing speeds and climbs, the aerobatics which we can do.

I see M.G.M. is about to make an R.A.F. film, so don't miss it when it comes out as the whole resources of R.A.F. are being turned over to them.

Love Bill
Cheers. I have a large envelope, so here are my three big pictures - not bad, eh?