France
12/5/17.

Dearest:

Well our night-flying didn’t last long- only a week- and now we are back on day jobs again. However, we had a mighty easy time of it for a week during which time I was only once over the lines. Yesterday we started back on day work and I had the pleasure(?) of leading a formation on a “defensive patrol" in the morning. It lasted from 7.0 a.m. till 10.45 a.m. the longest time that I have ever been in the air at one time. It was just four hours from the time I got into my machine until I put foot on the ground again and I was feeling pretty tired by that time as you may imagine. It was an easy job though, no Huns to speak of and they were all at a distance, so all we had to worry us was “Archie" who kept peppering away at us pretty continuously This afternoon I am on a photographic show, which may or may not come off, the clouds being pretty thick just now.

Bishop is on leave now. He collected 19 Huns altogether before he went. Our squadron got four military crosses yesterday. Capt. Graham (O.C. "B" Flight) Capt. Le Royer (the French Canadian that I told you about) Lt. Parker (who was at Hounslow with me) and 2/Lt. Kennedy (one of the pilots in "A" Flight. They put up their ribbons at once of course and then when they go on leave they are formally invested by the King, so to-day the squadron looks very gay with all the white and blue ribbons floating around. Thanks ever so much Molly Bawn for sending me the pictures. It is just what we want and I know we can use them when they arrive. Perhaps they’ll come this afternoon. Yes indeed don’t I just wish you could be here to help decorate our hut. You would make a better job of it than Duncan or I could, I guess. Still it doesn’t look so bad. All in blue and white and it is quite comfortable to.

This afternoon if we have time we are going to build a covered porch outside to hang our clothes in- but I told you about that I think.

Leave is getting closer and closer all the time, Dear, and I can’t keep the thought out of my mind, though I try to for it makes the time pass more quickly if you just pretend that you are not really waiting for anything to happen. But it is only a few weeks off now and I can’t help thinking and dreaming about it- and you, and all the things we are going to do when I get back to Blighty.
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Always your devoted husband
Eric.