Letters of James Stuart Leslie Ross, 1916-1917 - Part 10

5
You about - its my
Insurance. I have an
idea, that my Premium
will need increasing now
that I'm an aviator.
To be on the safe
side, it would be
as well to make
enquiries.
I think I've about told
you all now, Mum.
Will go & have a good
sleep & get ready for
my trip tomorrow.
By the way a lot of
the English Johnnies are
feeling a bit annoyed
that they've picked 3
 

6-

Australians to deliver their buses.
Will be able to beat the motor
Service when we get back. Will
be able to do Moruya to Sydney
in about 2½ hrs or less xxxx with
a Southerly wind.
Much love to you both
from yr loving Son
Les.

In future please address -
Lt J.S.L. Ross
A.F.C,
A.I.F.,
On active Ser. Abd.
 

[*Pls address
now as 2/Lieut*]
 

73^rd Sqdn,
7^th Novr 1917
 

Dear Mum,
Great doings
since last I wrote - 28^th
mth so will start at the
beginning.
On Monday morning 3
of us started off with
3 New Sopwith Scouts to
deliver them to Montrose.
I got there O.K. but the
other two got lost - landed
up near the Moray Firth -
one crashed on landing.
I had a good little
machine - could do about
 

2

95 miles an hr. Took about
35 mins to go up. I returned
by train in the evening which
took about 3½ hrs. So thats
the way to travel.
Unfortunately the machine
didn't have a wind screen
fitted so you can understand
that there'd be some wind
at that speed. My face
by the way, got a trifle
frost - bitten on this
account, but has taken on
normal appearance again
now.
After being successful on
my trip I thought I'd ask
the major for some graduation
leave. We're only supposed
to get 4 days but he gave
me an extra day. I left
here on Tuesday night and
 

3

returned on Monday morning. Went to
Aust Hdqrs London & got my Commission
etc fixed up. While there I sent the
following "EFM" cable - "on leave
Commission and wings love" - hope
you got it OK. I also got my photo
taken at a very good place. They
ought to turn out well - will be sending
some home soon.
I stayed out at the Regent's Palace
Hotel again - its a nice place -
good class & is very popular with
military People. Had a great time
with the Theatres etc. On the
night of my arrival we had an
air raid but I disgusted everyone
by sleeping thro' it - I didn't hear
a sound.
I went out to Chiswick to see
Herb's people & just missed him
by about an hour. He & his
bro (Reg) came to town to enquire
about their younger bro (Eric) who
has been killed in France. It's rotten -
 

4
he came away before he
was 18.
Dick's sister's young man
has also been killed.
Dick, by the way, is a
Cadet 'at Cambridge' - getting
a Commission in the
Inf.
Reg came round to the
Hotel the following
morn & we knocked
round for a bit.
His heart is still bad
& he'll be going back
to ausy before long.
 

5.
at one of the theatres
in town, I met a 2/Lt
Hamilton who was a
Lieut at Kiama when
I was a down trodden
Private there. He was
previously an N.C.O. in
my old Citizen Forces,
but at Kiama turned out
a bit of a snob.
He is over here in the
Aus. Flying Corps & is just
doing "Rumptys" (Maurice
Farmans - which I did at
Waddington) & got some
shock on seeing me
with "Wings" up.
Greg Basclain is doing
 

6
the course with him, so you can see
we're miles ahead of them.
I expect to finish up here in a
few days now & will most likely
be posted to 71 Sqdn near
Birmingham. They'll They're supposed
to go to France shortly, but as
far as I can hear, their pilots
are not nearly ready yet. Only
2 can fly Camels at present & very
few can Stunt. So I've got a
bit of an advantage. I dont
expect we'll get to France before
Xmas. I hope not as we'll have more
experience then. It's suicide going there
on Scouts unless you can handle them
very well. By that time, Ill expect to be
a "part of the machine" almost & will stand
a good chance. Will close now with
best love & best wishes to all for
Xmas & New Year. In the meantime
dont get anxious about Yr Loving Son
Les
 

71^st Sqdn (austn).
Tuesday, 13.11.17.

Dear Mum,
As you'll
notice I've moved again.
I wrote last Wednesday -
after my trip to London.
On Thursday night, word
came through that another
Austln (Woolhouse from
W.A.) and myself had
been posted to 71
above address.
We left Edinburgh on
Friday, took French
leave & went straight
 

2
through to London - our
free warrant carried
us all re alright. We
went to Hdqrs & got
some cash then did
a show or two. Left
London at noon on
Sunday, but when we
arrived at the aerodrome
they discovered that
they had no spare
beds so we were
taken back to Birmingham
(or "Brum") and put
up there. Came out
to the aerodrome again