26 April 1941
To Dad · Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, Somerset
YEOVILTON, SOMERSET.
Dear Dad:
Have been back here a couple of weeks now, having finished the course. Had a wonderful time with R.A.F. and enjoyed it a lot.
Received picture of Jean, and she has certainly turned out to be a very pretty girl.
I am doing bags of flying - chocked in seven hours yesterday, so you see I'm nearly sprouting wings - but Boy! we have to keep pushing the young ideas out as quickly as possible!
No cigarettes have arrived yet, but I'm still hoping.
Must get home some time and have three really square meals a day. Haven't seen a steak for months, but actually we don't do too badly. Still plenty of beer!
Would like to fly those American machines across the Atlantic. They pay $500 bonus each for a trip across - work two a month and one could retire early in life.
Flew a Gladiator to C.F.S. the other day and exchanged it with Chief Flying Instructor for a twin-engined bomber to fly around. Anything for a change. Fist full of throttles, etc. - never quite sure whether you're flying those big jobs or the aircraft is flying you! Good exercise for the muscles anyway.
Have flown Gruman and Brewster fighters quite a lot. One doesn't have to have the American intrepid pilot (Hollywood) look to fly one either! Every time I see wavy-haired Robert Taylor getting into one in the movies I could weep!
Love Bill