Letters of James Stuart Leslie Ross, 1916-1917 - Part 5

4.
before me in all his glory,                                   
Ye olde Lionel of the "Times"
He too got a big shock at
seeing me there & with a l cry
of "Well I'm damned" unbent
from his most High position
to shake hands with a humble
Cadet. He was very pleased
to see me & told me to come
to his office whenever I'm
in London. He also stated
that he would write to Dad
by next mail so you'll
probably get his with mine.
Well on Monday afternoon
we left for Oxford & on
arrival here were installed
at the Queen's College.
We are to receive an elementary
 

5
training here - theory of flight, engines,
bomb dropping, wireless etc. The ordinary
course is 6 weeks but they're going to try
& cram it into us in 3. Our examination
comes off on 31^st inst. & if successful we
get our Commission from then & go to
a training Squadron to start our actual
flying as officers. We are the first
batch of a Austlns to get our Com. so
soon. I'm still a bit sceptical & wouldn't
be surprised if we're Cadets till we graduate.
i.e. get our "wings" as full fledged pilots.
but at present it looks very healthy.
We are well-treated here - have a good
mess - which is something after what we've been
used to. On the whole we are treated almost
as if we had our star up already.
They asked us to state at which 'Drome
we would like to start our training &
we might possibly get it. I put down
Edinburgh - I'd like very much to
go there.
Please dont expect too many letters
from me for a few weeks as from
tomorrow I expect to have my head
well down to fag.
Best love to you both from
Les.
 

Dick Williams expects to
come to Oxford shortly to
go for an Infantry Com.
Herb is at present a
Clerk in No 29 th Sqdn
A.F.C. He managed to
get transferred after all.
Reg is pretty right again
now, I believe.
I will probably get my
photo taken soon in
the new gear & send it
to you.
 

Queen's College,
Oxford,
24^th July 1917.
Monday
Dear Mum & Dad,
We are now just beginning
the third week of our Course & expect the Exam
early next week. If successful we will go out to
Lower Training Squadrons to start our Flying
Training. There is a little doubt still, as to
when our Commissions will date from. The
R.F.C. idea is to give their Cadets Commissioned
Rank when thro' the course here & then
start training as Flying officers. We may do
that yet, but personally I think we will be
Cadets until we get our "Wings" - in about
3 months. I hope not as a Cadet has to
mix with & dress like officers but he doesn't
get the pay.
Last week end we had Col Reynolds
(the head Serang of the A.F.C.) down here &
he was exceptionally pleased with us. You
see we are the first batch to be trained
as pilots for the A.F.C. It is expected
 

(2)
that the High Commissioner & his Staff will
spend next week end at our College & we are
all to meet him personally etc. It is also
proposed to get a photo. with Andy &
his moustache with all Cadets to be sent to
Austln Papers. I will try & get one
for you. We had one taken a few days
ago, but I won't bother getting a big one of
that. I'll send a P.C. size. There are at
present 6 Austln Squadrons & each have sent
20 men here, so we number 120.
Its the fun of the world isn't it? Lee &
I think its a great joke. A couple of weeks
ago we were poor, dirty air mechanics pushed
from pillar to post now its "Gentlemen will
you do this please" "Very well Sir". It's a most
fearful insult to be termed "Men" on parade.
But, believe me, there's some discipline here.
We dont get much time for anything. I'll give
you the daily routine. Rise at 6. parade
at 6.30 to 7 or 7.15. (we can Swim or any sports)
Breakfast 7.45. Parade at 8.15 March to Museum
where we receive lectures etc. Return College 12.45 & back
to work at 1.45p. Knock off at 5pm. when it is
compulsory to indulge in sport till about 7.30.
Fall in for dinner at 7.50 & have to study
 

(3)
after that. Some of the subjects we take are:-
Engines, Rigging Wireless, Aerial observations,
Machine Guns, Bombs, Compasses & other Insts,
Photography, Theory of Flight, different things
about Artillery. These are only some of the
subjects, so you can imagine we're kept occupied.
Oxford is situated on the Thames or
Isis as it called just here, so we have good
opportunities for swimming & boating. There
are myriads of punts, Canoes, & rowing boats
etc. to be seen.
Last Wed. we had to go to the Air
Board in London (now in Hotel. Cecil) for
a medical Examination. It was a pretty.
stiff one & a good few of the boys were either
unfit or temporarily unfit. Lee was among
the latter as his heart was a bit fast (they're
very particular about the heart). He will have to
go up again, but I expect he'll get thro' alright.
next time. I got through alright. The nerve test
is rather funny. You hop about on each
leg with eyes shut. Balance a tuning fork
on a board & raise it at arms length & down
again with eyes shut (that's a bit  awkward).
Draw a line across a piece of paper without
elbow resting on it & ^they make a sharp noise right
 

4
in your ear to see if y the line will your hand
jumps & so make a crooked line. A whole heap
of stunts like that.
Today, I posted a rather nice little brootch
(R.F.C.) to Jean's Please apologise to her for my
not having written, but as we're so busy, your's
are the only letters I write. But I suppose
you send the letters on, so it amounts to the
same thing doesn't it?
I have sent two week end cables of late -
hope you got them OK. The first read-
"M Money received, birthday greetings Jean" - that
was a few days before her birthday. a I also sent
another a fortnight ago saying that I was
selected for a pilots course.
Its a long while since we've had
an Australian mail. I expect the Huns have
sent it to the bottom.
Well Ims I'm afraid I'll have to get along
& fag up a bit so Goodbye for present.
With love to you  both, also Jean & Rob,
Les.
Please don't worry about me, as I'm enjoying
myself & will be quite alright
Tell Bob to drop me a line now & again, will
you please ? Jean's a Briton. I always hear
from her.
 

XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXX

~~~~~~~~~`
~~~~~~~

 

School of Military Aeronautics,
(Queen's College),
Oxford,
31^st July 1917.
Dear Mum,
An Australian mail
just in (the first for some time) brought me
your letter of May 20^th. Glad to hear that
you are Keeping well. Dad wasn't too well
at the time of writing but I hope he has
improved since.
We started our Exam today. It is
now evening - we have another day to run.
Today we took Wireless, General Flying,
Photography, Bombs, all Flying instruments,
Compass & Rotary Engines. I have done
pretty well so far, I think. Tomorrow
we do Rigging Theory of Flight, Aerial
Observations & Stationary Aero Engines.
We have already passed out in Machine
Guns.
We leave Oxford on Friday, if
successful & anticipate getting 3 days
leave (probably a bit more) before being
 

2
posted to a Squadron.
Interested to hear that Greig Basclain
is in the Pilot Stunt. He's on a good
stunt being trained in Australia. They get
their Commissions over there & come here
after. An Austln certificate doesn't
stand for much & they generally start all
over again when they reach here. He will
probably do the same course as we've done,
He'll certainly have to pass the Exam we're
just on.
If successful in this, we get what is known
as Certificate A certifying that we've passed
in Elementary Flying.
Last week End Andy Fisher & the
heads turned up & looked on us with
great favour. Andy has had the big
mow shaved off & looks quite young.
We had a big group taken with him
in it. I'll try & get one to send you.
I am enclosing with this the first group
taken. The Capt with "Wings", in centre is
the C.O. of our College.
Yesterday the Old Wireless Section
went to France. So if I wasn't on this
Stunt I'd have gone over with them.