7-1-44

Dear Bill:

Hi Willie just short note I expect to get leave on the eighteenth as per schedule. The nav officer says he'll see I get it. Most of the boys are on leave now for moon period and Jack Parker will be back in a week or a bit more to fly so I'll be a spare then and there are two more spares here to fly if needed. Got a Berlin & Stettin this week long, stooges but fairly

We were last off and first

on Berlin. Meaden is a good guy, likes to pour the coal to her when we get coming home and losing height. And he has about the best petrol consumption of the Squadron. Coming home from Stettin when all the boys had all the long North Sea stooge to do the other night they had to have everything back and some gas; but not us, we still had lots and came at 220. We landed in daylight, too a long a stooge for humans, eight and half hours and using oxygen most of the time.

nice easy through no flak, very few fighters. We almost

A F.W. 190 in the cockpit

He was so close we heard his engine but he was going head on and it was over before we knew just what happened. I had a real good look at a target for the first time at Stettin, it was pretty boy the fireworks get better and better.

Well you figure out a good place for leave, and I'll run into you there.

So long
Jim