84 Squadron R.F.C.

BEF. France.

April 2nd 1918

My dearest Beryl

This is to wish you many happy returns of the day and I hope it will arrive in good time: I haven’t had a chance to write a single letter since this Boche offensive started and so I feel much behindhand in the way of letter writing: We’ve been simply worked to death, flying almost all day long chiefly shooting Boche on the ground with our machine guns: I myself have fired on an average about 1000 rounds per day at the beggars besides dropping numerous 20lbs high explosive bombs amongst them: We go over very low down and shoot up all their transports on the roads and in fact anything Boche at all: there have been very anxious times during this show and in some places we’ve had our work cut out to keep him from coming right through, but I think things are much more settled now and we have Fritz well in hand.

We’ve moved our aerodrome further back three separate times and we are now in a large field- rather rough for an aerodrome, but we all manage to land somehow- Im billeted in a French farm house with 4 others: there was one feather-bed in the room which of course I managed to bag! We are moving into tents though in a day or two, which will be much nicer- I can’t stand the smell of the average French villa!

I must close now as I’ve got to fly in a few minutes. All my love to Col & Mrs. Dobbie,

Much love to yourself

Ever your loving brother

Lance