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Letter 4 - The mystery of the missing photos and cross country flying

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A note from the Editors:

The first letter from Oliver while training at Ternhill, Shopshire. We are unsure what '34 RS' is. Some sort of school or squadron? We can also sympathise with Oliver on the loss of his photographs... What we'd give to see a few snapshots of his life in the RFC!

Franked 3 JY 17
Mrs Chas E Pearson
5 Madeira park
Tonbridge Wells
Kent

34 RS RFC
Ternhill
Nr Market Drayton (‘Royal Flying Corps, Market Drayton‘ headed paper)

Dear Mother.

I am sorry to have been so long in writing to assure you I arrived safely, I have done so, but I have been very upset indeed. I went into the Mess on arriving to get my mail & found among others a bill from Kodaks for 10/6 for my last four films. I expected them to arrive next morning but was opening my other letters when one of my friends came up & said “Lets look at your photos” & I told him they hadn’t arrived & he said of course they have they arrived two days ago.

It seems that they had been taken by someone between 5 oclock that day and 10 when I came for them. Since I have posted notices enquired everywhere & raised cain generally to no effect & so I have lost about 40 prints & 18 films of no value to anyone but myself you would think. I have flown over to the aerodrome to which one of the squadrons here moved & made all enquiries with still no luck exept to find that 3 fellows there had seen them in our letter rack. I am very wild about it as it is a loss of money as well as good work.

On Sunday I did the longest cross country flight I have ever done as I flew about 90 miles to Harlaxton & back in all about 180 miles taking 3 hours 15 minutes to cover the journey. I twice passed over home but did not stay to show them how I could fly as I only had a bare margin of a few pints of petrol to see me through the journey & there was none of you to see. Home looks very cosy from the air with all the trees growing up and nestling around. I never missed my way at all although I was over the edge of my map after Long Eaton.

With love from Oliver.
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Anonymous said…
R S is " Reserve Squadron".
4 May 2014 at 10:09
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