30 June 1939

Dear Mother:

Received a letter from you today as well as one from Overall at Catterick.

The weather conditions in England are shocking - low cloud fog and practically continuous rain.

He narrowly escaped with his life in a spitfire fast fighter the other day in a ceiling of 100 feet of cloud and fog. They are doing a tremendous amount of night flying and are ready for anything standing by night and day continuously.

They can get only 48 hours leave at any time. Thielmann and Barton were able to go to Paris but only on the condition that they flew there and back.

June has been a record month for me in flying time. I was rarely on terra firm.

Yesterday four of us, the C.O., Marmont, Nicolls, and myself flew a patrol along the whole coast of Egypt to Mersa Matruh on the border of Italian Libya.

They have a perfectly modern hotel at Mersa Matruh. So it wasn't too bad. We flew at 15,000 feet and the new enclosed cockpits were very good as they kept out the cold. There wasn't a single tree sighted on the whole trip and nothing but sand anywhere. All Egypt is just one giant sand pile. I have now landed at the following aerodromes here - Aboukir, Ismalia, Heliopolis, Amrya, Abu Aaeir and Mersa Matruh.

The heat continues unabated, but I feel very fit, but how long for I don't know.

I am sorry Jean lost so much school. It certainly must be lovely for you with Jean away at school and Bob working.

Your letters are very interesting, and I certainly appreciate your letters from home. I come back from flying, open a bottle of cold beer, get the old pipe going, and sit down to a good read.

Well I am going out to swim now, so goodbye.

With lots of love

Bill
P.S. I have enclosed a recent letter from Overall.