22 September 1937

Dear Mother:

Hope you had a real good holiday in Banff. How did Ronny enjoy it?

This is Wednesday afternoon - the afternoon which is set aside for organized games in the R.A.F. I play rugger here and enjoy it, although my back feels nearly broken.

As one gets older, I think there comes a natural disinclination to play games. I guess its because we have settled down too much. Anyway, I know that when I get firmly settled in an arm chair with a good book and my pipe going, it takes a lot to budge me.

As I told you before, we are spending this week getting our machines overhauled and are therefore ineffective. I am filling in spare time memorizing from my maps the whole sector which we must patrol and know backwards and of course forwards.

Today we have lots of fog and even the birds walk around and look browned off! This morning we heard an aeroplane circling over head and rockets were fired upward, but he soon went of in a southerly direction. Hope he is all right. This afternoon Nanking was severely bombed from the air by the Japanese. It must have been nasty for the British nationals there.

Jean had her birthday this month. Give her my congrats. How old is she now? I have lost count. I hope she likes high school. Tell her to start memorizing her literature passages. I believe she has to learn ten of them.

Some of my last class have left for the Mediterranean in General Recco Squadrons - the lucky dogs. (I mean men). Did I tell you that Squadron Leader Adams is my C.O. and Flying Officer Wallace is my Flight Commander (B Flight). We have in a Squadron eighteen machines - two flights of nine each. I hope to get pictures of my Squadron flying in formation next year or so - then I can keep a permanent record of 41.

Thanks again for the Calgary Herald. I certainly appreciated it. Would you like to have my commission? I could send it home. Write often and keep this boy informed. I certainly appreciate a good letter any time.

Give Ronny my regards.

Love Bill