Letters Thomas Charles Richmond Baker 1918 - Part 2

2.  

me to congrat. Ma

on her splendid bargain.

I'm sure I like the

new house Ma.

Told you in my 

last that I spent a 

quiet 21st fuffday,

but I want to thank

you all again for

your jolly good wishes,

& for the threats re

parcels which I bet I 

am going to enjoy

when they do turn

up.
Jeff, old boy, the

photographs of the boat 

are A.1. but then I 

cannot criticise it too

5^th Training Sqn.

Australian Flying Corps.

Chalford.

Gloucestershire

England.

30^th Apr '18.

Dearest All,

Yesterday & the 

day before I received

several letters from you

dear peoples. Can tell 

you, I have been rather 

curious to know all

about the new house

& how you like it. Am

glad you find it so 

comfortable & allow

3

well as it is rather

a small photograph.

I have rather an

unsightly crop of pimples 

& another boil now.

I really don't know 

what the cause of these

is, but I am taking a 

blood mixture to try 

& settle 'em. Otherwise

I am in quite good 

health & spirits.

Think I had better

tell you of some of 

the little trips I have

been having lately in

a Sopwith 'Pup' scout

machine.

About five or
4.

six days ago two of 

us got our machines 

out & as it was

rather misty we

started off for the 

Bristol Channel per

compass, 'I led the way'.

Found the Channel 

all right, also came 

across a Fitz internment

camp on an island

so we went down

low & started diving 

at the Huns. Jolly

good fun, you should

have seen them scatter.

After that we "beetled

about" about 6 feet off

the water & made for

6.

Saturday afternoon I 

visited the golf links

in my 'Pup' & gave

the golfers particular

blazes, but they seemed

to enjoy themselves as 

much as I did so I 

did some 'stunts' for 

'em.

Next day Walker

& myself decided to

clear off to Oxford to 

see Lord Harcourt & 

family, friends of his.

Didn't even trouble to 

shave, & if you could 

only see the clothes

we fly in you would

have laughed. Covered
5.

the opposite bank. On

the way back we

came accross an

Auction Sale or some

such thing out in 

the open, so we

amused ourselves by

dispersing the afore

mentioned auction sale.

Several other wanderers 

outside shared the 

same fate, but they

all seemed more or less

amused excepting the 

Huns who were the

only ones who didn't

wave to us.

Next day being 

7.

with Castor oil from

head to foot, & I had

my knee out of my 

breeches. However I 

found the way to 

Oxford alright, about 50

miles & then Walker 

found the House. We

were flying in a rain 

storm most of the way

& were wet through

when we got there.

However after landing

we found them all

at home being Sunday

& after a wash &

some refreshments we

8

didn't care a hang what 
we looked like. We

were invited to lunch

etc. etc. but couldn't

accept for various

reasons. A jolly nice 

family they seemed too.

When we left there 

was great excitement.

We were treated like

a pair of tin gods, every

body seemed half crazy

over two "intrepids" as

we are called in the 

picture papers.

By way of thanking

them for their kindness

I did some 'stunts' for 

their amusement, & for 

our own we had the 

10

received letters as follows.

Ma. Feby. 22nd.

Nen. Mar 8^th. (Conserves)

   "     Feby. 22^nd.  

Rho.     "       "

Auntie. Mar 7^th

Glad all the 

peoples like the new

Rector. Guess old

Unc. would do me

though.

The fields over

this way are all covered

with those little English

daisies now, & dandelions.

Still I think I 

want to pick the

Aussie wild flowers &
9

satisfaction of making 

them lie down on

their own house top

with perfect 'wind up'

when we dived at

them. Jove we had 

a good time that day.

I received a 

letter from Bert Norton

t'other day. He is at

Heytesbury on an Arty.

School, so I am going 

to fly over to see him

one of these days. The

last two days have

been much too windy

for a cross country in

a 'pup'.
Let me see. I have

11.

go orchid hunting.

Later particulars

of Jack Needham's crash

say that he got into

a spinning nose dive

dive with the engine 

full out. The machine

wouldn't stand the 

strain & it twisted

one of the aileron control

surfaces off the wing 

tip & of course that

put the machine entirely

out of control & he

spun into the ground.

Rotton stiff luck, &

naturally we all felt 

rather cut up about
12.

it here.

Did I tell you 

that I met Jack Sands

here. He is in the A.F.C.

Motor Transport here

& has had a letter

from Cousin Lily.

Well now I think

my supply of news is

exhausted. Please 'scuse

the scribble, I'm not in 

too comfortable a posse.

Will be looking forward

to your parcels.

Much love & many xes

to all of you & kind

regards to sundry.

[[Rich?]]

x x x x x x

2

meaning machine guns,

on the ground. Now 

we have commenced

flying again & every

time we go up we

have to do sham

fights, stunting, shooting

etc. So you can

gather that the

education in aerial

warfare is very

complete. This is a 

finishing school before

going to France.

We are billeted

in a hotel belonging 

to the Glasgow & Nth.

[*Have managed 

to lose my fountain

pen again*]

Turnberry 

Scotland

1st June '18

Dearest All, 

Just note 

the address. This is 

a school of Aerial 

Gunnery & Fighting &

a jolly good time I am

having here too.

We, that is to

say three of us, came

up here from Chalford

last Tuesday week.

Until yesterday we have

been doing gunnery,

3.

British railway Co. It

is considered the most

up to date 'pub' in Scotland

& it really is glorious & 

luxurious. The mess

bill is rather stiff, but

it is well worth it as

I'm sure a few weeks

here will make

anyone feel fit. It

is situated on the W

Coast not far from Ayr

if you want to find

it on the map, & is 
a favourite pleasure

resort. The Hotel 

faces the sea & is
4.

about 300 yds. from it.

The view is magnificent 

Away to the left are

cliffs & to the right

and in front a 

beautiful beach, whilst

out to sea is a huge

mountain sticking out

of the water like a 

knob. It is the well

known Ayile-sa-craig or 

some such name.

Twelve miles across & 

to the right is a larger

rugged island & past that

the mainland again.

The sunsets are

6.

ships escorted by destroyers

etc. & 'Blimps' or in other

words dirigible balloons, 

pass out to sea most 

probably from Glasgow.

There are here

the best golf links in 

England, & excellent 

lawn courts for tennis,

bowling greens, croquet

etc. I spend most of 

my time off playing 

tennis & it is jolly good

after not having a

game for such a

long time. 

We have from

5.

magnificent although

not so gaudy as in 

Aussie. 

The weather is 

quite warm, & although

the temp. is not very

high it is moist & I 

can't help feeling warm.

Plenty of sea bathing

though makes it A.1.

& as for flying the

weather is perfect.

The Scotch mists

are very funny & out

to sea you can hear

the foghorns. It is 

a common sight to see

a convoy of merchant

7.

Friday midday to Sat. noon 

off. I went to 

Glasgow for one &

had a very nice

time. It is rather 

a decent place, Glasgow.

This time I 

stayed right here &

played tennis all the 

time.

We, two of us,

have hired a boat

for this evening & are

going out to fish.

Going to take some

grub with us so it
8.

ought to be rather

a jolly outing.

Received quite an 

amusing letter today

from a V.A.D. I 

met at Oxford. For three consecutive

days before coming 

up here I flew to 

Oxford, in my 'Camel

Scout' & did some ^vertical dives

& climbing turns, cart 

wheels etc. just over

where she lives, with 

the result that I 

am forwarded a 

cutting from the

Oxford times, which