Weymede, Byfleet
7/11/16.

Dear Ones All:-

Father’s letter of the 17th Oct. is the last word I have had from home, but probably some Canadian mail will arrive to-morrow. There is bound to be a day-or-two’s delay now-a-days as your letters have to be forwarded from Adastral House.

I have been here eight days now and am enjoying it all tremendously. The only thing that keeps me from feeling just like a young fellow again is the fact that I was innoculated a few days ago. It is quite a rotten business getting innoculated.

They have put me in here at the “permanent staff" quarters. The C.O. the E.O. and the instructors are here but all the "Huns” excepting another captain and myself are billetted elsewhere. "Weymede" is the country house of somebody or other and it has been taken over by the R.F.C. A lot of the Huns are at Wey Manor Golf Club which has also been taken over by the R.F.C. Perhaps you will wonder why it is always spoken of as Brooklands. Well you know how it is in England- one little- village often is within touching distance almost of another. The Aerodrome here is the oldest in England (with the possible exception of Hendon) and is built in the middle of the famous Brooklands Motor Speed Track- in the bottom of the saucer, as it were. There are two villages close by though, Byfleet and Weybridge , the latter being the nearest railway station. I have had 1½ hours flying since coming here which is not bad considering that it has rained either all day or part of every day for the past week. There has been no flying at all to-day as it has poured rain all day. It has been very windy ’most every day too, and only at daybreak and at sunset have we been able to get up even if it were fine.

Millman has been ordered overseas as a test pilot at an aeroplane repair depot "somewhere in France" and leaves here to-morrow. He is so delighted over the prospect of going that I am selfish to be sorry, but he is an awfully good friend and I hate to be separated from him; and more than that I know he would spend a lot more time on me as a pupil than his successor will. However, I think I can make the grade somehow.

About six months ago they started R.F.C. schools of instruction at Reading and Oxford where officers are sent for a two months course in theory, and rigging and engines and wireless telegraphy, and machine gun instruction and all that sort of thing. At the completion of the course they have to pass an examination before starting in to learn to fly. I have been allowed to cut the course of instruction but before I can get my wings I'll have to pass the exam, which means a lot of "plugging" for me.

Molly and Miss Neblett are both anxious to come over here to nurse. I wish I knew how to get them here in a hurry. I am writing to Emma Grainger who is nursing at Ramsgate and possibly she may be able to help. Wouldn’t it be fine for me if Molly would only come!

England is a very small country and I could see a good deal of her no matter where she might be situated.

Must close now and get back to my investigations on the subject of the "Monosoupape Gnome petrol engine" Great sport!

Lovingly yours,
Eric.

P.S. They haven't taken away my third star yet.  E.