Letters Thomas Charles Richmond Baker 1918 - Part 5

6.

Received a letter

from Auntie last night

Strike me lucky, Um, 

she is a character &

no mistake. Daker TC.R.

has to invent a self

starter for an aeroplane

which is an accomplished

fact years ago. However

I like Auntie for

crediting me with a 

small amount (or larger

ditto) of brains.

She also seems

to imagine that I

had quite a narrow

5.

I don't know if

you can read the first

four pages. Awful

scrawl. But then, always

in a hurry, I don't think.

You know we

have shifted camp

again. Came here

yesterday & rather a

nicer place too. Quite
a larger 'drome to land

on. There were huts

here when we arrived

and a jolly good 

roomy mess & anteroom 

7.

escape from being'

mangled & "knocked

rotten," (excuse all the

slang, but isn't "knocked 

rotten" expressive?) where

that Sap. Pup started

without me at Frome.

Don't think I have

been knocked unless

I write & tell you.

It is getting cold

again over here now.

Yesterday I flew

through a snow storm

at 6000 feet. The snow

8

is up top all right, 

but it does not

reach the lower

altitudes yet, but

lands in the form

of rain. It is quite

a common occurrence

to get a layer after

an inch thick and

the metal work, glass

instruments etc, at

anything over 12000 feet

in the Winter.

I can tell you its

cold. The last letter

which I received from 

10.

Gardner family.

Don't know their 
new address, for

a start.

Bo in her last

(I get one about as often

as I write 'em) wants

to know what's the

use in sending smokes

if I don't get them,

meaning I suppose

that I don't write

to thank her for them.

I'm sorry about that

but believe me I

have always said

9.

you is dated Aug. 2nd.

I think that

yarn about the Scotty

who was taken up

with his wife etc. is

killing: In my last

epistle did I tell

you that I received

a lovely cake from

you in excellent

condition? Didn't the

troops enjoy it!!

Finally must

scribe something to

Bo & some of the other

11.

thank you, for her

parcels by a letter.

So there. Yah! Yah!

Yah! two times!

Still, I am a

shocking correspondent,

but it 'kind o' gets

my goat' to keep

on saying the same

things over & over

again. 

The suit case

I was telling Auntie

about in my letter,

has turned up at

last, so I am in

possession of a good

12.

wardrobe again.

Pleased to

learn the news about

Fred. Lucky beggar.

Isn't the War

news good. Looks very

much as though the

Bulgarians are going

to through in the

sponge & then Turkey

of course will have

to follow suit.
Turkey is about settled

already.

4/10/18

To continue. I

meant to finish this

14

& had the duced of

an exciting 5 minutes

getting back over the

lines again. I also

have had another go

at a balloon but it

was hauled down too 

low & I did not

succeed in sending it

up in flames.

We are very

comfortable in our new

quarters now.  The

mess looks very

très boshter. We

stained the wooden

walls with permanganate

13.

this epistle before, but

have been rather busy.

Would like to tell you 

all about it but - censor.

We have had a change

of movmts.

I succeeded in 

bringing down another

Hun machine yesterday

morning. That makes

six. I also had

a cut at one this

morning & chased it

down to about 10 feet

several miles over.

I killed or severely

wounded the observer 

of potash & water

and it lookes (can't spell 

look) just like oak.

This ends all I 

have to say at present

So methinks, I will

knock off.

Much love &

heaps of xxs, mater

meum, to you & all

at our house.

Your loving 

Utch.

XXxxxxxx 

XMAS

1918
AFC

GREETINGS

FROM 4TH SQUADRON A.F.C.

FRANCE

Dearest Ma & All,

This card 
was designed by a couple

of our mechanics as a

Xmas greeting to the 'mob'.

I hope yours will be

a jolly happy one. I am

sure mine will be

after the great victories

we have had. This is

not a work of art, but

the spirit is right here.

Much love & tons of Xxs

to youe all. 

Rich Xxxxxx

O.A.S.

FRANCE

Might of the roaring engine,

Power of Propeller's thrust,

Planes and straining cables,

Greatly in these we trust,

Back of them sits the airman,

The fighter driving them through,

But back of them all the mechanics

Keeping the whole thing true

A H Lane

To All

From Rich