4 November 1938

Dear Mother:

I am Squadron Duty Officer today and so to fill in a little time, here is a letter. While you of course are probably suffering from advancing winter, it is sweltering hot here in Egypt.

We have just flown from Dekheila to Glorious which left harbour to land us on and then returned.

We sail tomorrow for Malta. We are carrying out large scale exercises with the Mediterranean Fleet and will probably arrive Malt Nov. 9.

F/O Smith has just bought six seats for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs so we are all going tonight.

Did I tell you that we were all invited to a dance at 4 F.T.S. Abu Sueir - so all the squadron flew there and we stayed the night - had a wonderful time. F/LT Stainforth was there (Schneider Cup Racer), Group Captain Insall V.C. is the station C.O.

A friend of Smith's drove us into Ismailia over the desert at night for supper at the French Club - beautiful place. Ismailia is really run by the Canal officials and Co. - so there is quite a large European colony and lots of money there.

I also met Devy, my old pal of Reading. (Spanish captured him a beginning of war, remember!)

He has just flown an Anson from England, delivering it to 4 F.T.S. Wonderful meeting him and so we celebrated (not so very wisely).

We nearly broke the Squadron record for flying time last month. We spent the whole time either air firing or flying to different aerodromes learning the country and helping to consume beer wherever we met!

I have lots of pictures, which I will send later. I do hope you will preserve them in some way. They will mean a lot later on.

We will have real flying experience next week - attacking the fleet.

Doing anti-submarine patrols (our submarines try to approach Med. Fleet submerged and we fly along overhead trying to catch sight of them. Very different if water is rough).

Low flying attach on the Fleet is of course our Piéce-de-resistance. What a thrill and what a noise - whole squadron diving from every direction. I don't mind admitting there are some pretty close shaves.

During the last flap our duty was to patrol Alexandria day and night with three machines (standing patrol).

I met a chap out here in Malta who was an excellent friend of Frank Mills at training school in England. Your neighbour next door was asking about him I think. Frank actually was a very good pilot but failed his armament exam at civil school and being generally fed up and not liking the idea of military discipline (who does?) asked to resign and after a time they allowed him so he never really donned the uniform but received 50 hours of excellent flying training for no cost at all - but don't let it be thought he couldn't fly!)

Yes I see Hoar has transferred to Navy. Some more rumours that Glorious stays here to 1940 and we remain in Malta till it returns. Boy! Will I be brown!!

Well - I can't think of anything more to write so best of love

Bill