31/7/43.

Dearest Jill;

At long last I’m back at my proper work, after all these months of ground duties and general inactivity. I started on this third and last O.T.U. a few days ago and will be flying in a few days now. I haven’t been so completely happy about anything for ages and it is nearly time I got cracking. It seems funny to be sitting in ground school with a bunch of sprogs, but I do need to brush up a lot and I’ve been working like mad day and night lately – in fact the last couple of weeks have been pretty much a mad house, with the medicals, tests and hurried, short passes. I’ve given up the middle east idea and asked to be put through on this station, as it will get me into opp’s quicker. This I didn’t really want to do, but I thought it best and the request was granted. I am also going to apply for a commission now, since I figure I’ve earned one and believe that I can live up to it, for I’m certainly set on getting on with the opp’s now to the exclusion of any other interests. So I’m a pilot again.

With real pleasure, I found a letter from Frank [Haes?] awaiting me the other day, – the first in about eight months. It seems that my last couple of letters took a few months to find him, but he sounds very well and says he’s quite happy doing coastal command opp’s, from S. Wales. It is good to know he’s O.K.

I’m afraid this has been held up darling and it is two whole days since I had to put aside, but it will catch the morning mail and ask forgiveness because I’ve been so darn busy. The work goes well, despite the fact that it is pretty tiring going to school from eight in the morning till five thirty or six at night then, after tea and an hour or so off, more studying of navigation, special signals gen’ and the inevitable cockpit drill till bed time. I got some link flying in today and it was a real thrill to get back into the old trainer again and go nearly bugs looking at the instrument panel. It feels inordinately good to be back at work with the boys and it has made my daily life a hundred percent happier, by dispelling that dragging feeling of not belonging, which has been depressing me for so long.

We have had glorious weather over the week end, so I took time off last Sat. to hike up to that lovely little Cotswold village “Chipping Campden,” where I spent the evening swimming. They have quite a desent pool, and of course I felt proud as punch of the new Jantzen, which mother had just sent me, and it must have looked O.K. among all the semi-cotton suits, so I enjoyed it all. There is a good canteen there and several excellent pubs, so I had a good feed and a couple of beers and trotted back here in a very happy state. It is nearly impossible to get these forms on the drome these days – why I don’t know – so I may have to go back to airgraphs, so you’ll know the reason if I do. Also please forgive the brevity of future notes, as I’ll be pretty busy. All my love darling – God bless and keep you till I come home.

Your
Den.