F.A.A. Section
RAF Station
Evanton Ross-shire

March 1, 1940

Dear Dad:

Well we have been at war now for six months, and although I have been first line for the whole period, I haven't bloodied myself yet, mainly due to lack of opportunity. (One must be at the right place at the right time, so to speak).

Still, we fly many hours and we gain more valuable experience all the time.

Did I tell you about another chap who was at Uxbridge with me Christmas '36 - F/O Jeff from Singapore. He has been decorated with the Croix de Guerre by the French. He is a fighter pilot and was lucky enough to meet two German bombers at 27,000 feet. He shot down one and stopped one engine of the other, which just managed to creep home.

I called on our squadron CO with Strange last night. His country house has thirty bedrooms and masses of oil paintings, and the grounds run for miles everywhere. Incidentally, he only rents it, and that for a song, from Lord X, who can't afford to run it in wartime.

Excellent shooting abounds and fishing. He also has a good billiard table, which comes in handy.

Ronny Thomson writes to tell me all his woe. Although he has spent countless hours on patrol, he has met nothing, and he is a real crack shot with the front gun. (s) In fact it is lucky for some German mother he hasn't met anything. This native son of New Zealand tells me that his younger brother has just joined up for training as a pilot at home.
I am still just as keen today as ever on flying and in fact have a slight reputation as an air hob. When little Willy hears of an aircraft leaving the ground, he jumps up like a bad penny!

How are Jean, Ronny and Mother these days? All behaving themselves I hope.

Any training schools opened for flying in Calgary yet?

Lots of love, or as R. Thomson says Good hunting -

Bill