Weymede, Byfleet,
Surrey
2I/11/16.

Dear Little Mother,

Your dear letter of the 2nd inst. arrived to-day. It was only the second letter from home that has reached me since I came to Brooklands, three weeks ago, Father’s letter of Oct. 26th being the other. But I know you won’t forget me, and I always know that there is some good reason when the letters don’t come.

Your letter was a great relief to me as I was worrying lest you should be worrying about me.  I am glad you understand how I feel about coming back into active service again and that you are satisfied that I am right.

Good news reached me to-day. They are going to leave me graded as a 1st class Equipment Officer (and of course a captain) until they find out whether or not I am going to make good at the flying game. In other words I’ll keep my "three stars" up until one of them is exchanged for a "pair of wings" In case I don’t make good I won’t lose my rank at all. Incidentally it means that I retain the high rate of pay (about 30 s. per day) during all my period of instruction in aviation. Now, isn’t that fine! I don’t know whom I am indebted to for arranging it, but certainly some kind unknown friend at Adastral House made considerable efforts and managed to "wangle" it somehow. I have never heard of such a thing being done before. On the other hand it probably means that they feel quite certain up there at E.Q that I won’t make good here and they don’t want to go to the trouble of changing me twice. I'll fool them though!

Pat Shaw wired me from London last Friday asking if I could meet him there, so I went in to town and spent the evening with him. He had had a week's leave together with most of the other officers of the 160th as you have probably heard. I also met Harold Harcourt and a Major Chadwick who was a stranger to me. It is seven years since I last saw Pat so of course I noticed quite a change in him. He has got so much whiter and it makes him look older. He looks ever so much better than he did in the old Mount Forest days though. In every other way he was the same dear old Pat and we had a great talk. It would have been better if we could have got off alone somewhere. I don't like to meet my relations along with a bunch of strangers, do you?

I am so sorry, Little Mother, that you have been without a maid for so long for I know how much it takes out of you when you have no help.

Oh, to be home this Xmas with the lucky ones who are already planning to be there. Now I am wondering what I can choose in the way of Xmas gifts that can be sent safely across the ocean. Must get a day off and go into town and see about it.

With very best love to each one of the family but more especially to your dear self, Little Mother, believe me,

Always your loving son,
Eric