January 5, 1939

H.M.S. ST. ANGELO,
MALTA

Dear Bob:

Thanks for your letter. Re. your remark about speedy types of R.C.A.F. at Calgary - too true. Our slowest types here could do two miles for every one of yours and our fastest four to one.

If your pay was 60 cents an hour on Banff highway - you must have made some money. You say Jasper-Banff. Are they joining the two through the mountains?
You say that the T.C.A. want pilots under 25 and having 2,000 hours. They don't want pilots - they must mean robin red-breasts.

Some Imperial Airways Pilots do 1,--- hours a year.

One of the Airworks pilots at Dekheila does the run Cairo, Port Said and Alexandria and averages 100 hours a months - Of course this is just plain bogging - straight and level. One hour service flying is equal to 50 of straight and level individualism.

Those pictures of mine include about a dozen or so taken with a Contax camera worth about $250, so results should be good.

My camera costs about $10, but takes excellent pictures - e.g. the Imperial Airways machine outside hangar at Dekheila, Egypt and pictures of palm trees, etc.

Tell Ronny to say I am in a ship, not on it. Naval people say "I am in Glorious" not "I am on HMS Glorious."

Questions are - What ship are you in? You see that was the language Nelson used and since his death the Navy has been taking the can for it ever since.
The Naval B.S. and tradition is terrific - in fact we wallow in it.

Good luck in your new job.

Regards

Bill

Write oftener, you lug!