No 3 Wing
Feb 22nd 17

My Dear Ann

Yours of the 23rd rec'd OK. We will very likely go up the Somme for six weeks at least that is the talk If so, little sop & I will change surroundings for a short time. Loose luggage & outfits etc. once again the mail will be lost. As we will fly & the rest of the stuff comes in the course of by train and motor, it does make you mad. If I get through this I want to go where you can't see, hear & smell petrol. I sure am fed up with this ___ place.

The president was here today with the usual formality, trailed by admirals, Generals etc. quite a small man as you may know. Very spry & very French. A few decorations were given, Croix de Guerre etc.

We were to give him an exhibition of squadron formation but the usual weather that follows him was here & the rain came down in torrents. We watched proceedings from a hanger but the men paraded in the rain much to their disgust. It was a good thing there was rain as Mr. Hun might have come over to see what was going on & it would not have been very pleasant for the Pres.

I rec'd your first Colliers yesterday of Feb. 3rd. I had a letter from Jess. She had quite a lot of news this time. Eloise writes regularly such nice homelike letters about Avro.

Still waiting for the U.S. to step into the war, but its not very good outlook just now. Poor old France has no more reserve to call, every Tom Dick & Harry is in the field. Nancy was shelled the other day again. God they're a low lot the Huns, hit a school house, direct hit, nothing left.

Lots of love, Pete