Letters of James Stuart Leslie Ross, 1918-1919 - Part 1

43rd Squadron,
Royal Flying Corps
Market Drayton
4 .1 .18   
Dear Mum,
Hope you've all
had a good Xmas & New Year.
We had plenty of work but
knocked out a good time.
on Xmas Eve afternoon we
had a sham raid on Shawbury
(the neighbouring 'drome). It was
a rotten day & there wasn't
a machine up there I was
one of 4 picked to head the
mob. We 4 went in close formation
about 200 feet up & the whole
Station (3 Squadrons) followed
behind & did stunts.

illustration - see original document
Flight Commander
me
2
This was the formation (a diamond)
We did pretty well - stuck right up
together. On Xmas morning the
Shawbury people sent a reprisal
raid across.
I went over there the same
morning & landed. Herb is there
you know, so I took him
up for a joy ride.
On Boxing Day the Major
gave me a machine to fly
to Castle Bromwich. I
got there O.K. but when
returning got mixed up in
a fog - the worst I've
struck yet - I could barely
see the ground from 100 feet.
It was too dangerous to
carry on as I was almost

3
colliding with trees & chimney stacks
etc. so I decided to land
I got on to the ground on
Wolverhampton Racecourse but
unfortunately ran into a
ditch & smashed her up
a bit. As usual I came off
unscathed & had a good time
there with some well off people
who took me in. The following
day the men came out and
we dragged the remains home.
a fortnight ago I finished
by time on D.H. 5's & have since
st been putting in time
on anything I can get.
This morning I got word that
I'm to go to Turnberry on the 

4
10^th inst. for a week's course in
Aerial Gunnery on the Completion
of which I go to Ayr for a
fortnight's course in aerial
Fighting & Stunts.
I was rather disappointed to
see that the Ref. was defeated
in Australia Things seem
to be in a bit of a mess
out there at present.
However I fancy the war
will fizzle out this year.
all hands are getting pretty
full up, I imagine.
Am Knocking out a good
time here. Have met some
decent families & always have 

5
somewhere to go, although its a
ony quiet countrified district.
Am going to an evening
tonight.
My chum at present is a
by Canadian boy. He was
fomerly in the Canadian
mounted police. He's almost
as tall as I & as strong
as a lion - great horseman &
in all the sort of chap
you read about in Western
stories. He's a good pilot too.
By the way our (Austn) Sqdn
are doing pretty well in France
6 Military Crosses were dished
out to our DH5 Sqdn in the 

6
Cambrai Stunt. Capn Storrer
who I came over in charge of us
has been accidentally killed
Herb has just rung me up
& informed me that Dick has
got married. We're both fairly
staggered. Dick, you know, came
over for a Commission & has
just left for the Front again
Must be away now & get
cleaned up for this evening
Much love to all from
Les. 

School of
Aerial Fighting,
CARLETON HOUSE,
AYR.
Sunday 3rd, Feby., 1918
Dear Mum,
Sent three
of my photographs under
Reg post to you a couple
of days ago. I would like
you to send one to Jean
& one to Mrs. F. Stuart.
They're turned out pretty
well. In my last
letter I enclosed the
wings off the tunic that
I'm wearing in the photo.

2
Have been up here almost
a fortnight now but have
only had 3 days of flying
weather. But I've struck
an aeroplane - I haven't
been so enthusiastic of
over anything since I
joined the Flying Corps
refer to the S.E. 5a - a
beautiful single seater with
a 200 horsepower engine
& does over 130 miles an
howe flying level as fast
as you like in a dive.
All the men that have
made a name for themselves
in France have been 

3
on this type - Hall, Bishop etc &
others with 30 Huns or so, to their
credit. Some of our Instructors
here were in Bishop's Sqdn which
has accounted for over 200 Huns
I did my first flight in an S. E
Yesterday morning & altho' I say
it "meself" did pretty well. The
clouds were low- couldn't get
above 1000 feet but I looped, &
rolled, half rolled etc dozens of
times (a roll is a comparatively
new Stunt - when flying along straight
you "roll" over completely sideways.
come out in the same direction. a
half roll - turn on your back,
dive & came out in appropriate
direction) I also amused myself
greatly by diving almost to the
ground at about 160 mile an hr then
suddenly "zooming" up again. When I 
came down the Flight Commr said
"Damned good Show old man".
I also got the possible marks 

4
for Formation Flying so
you will understand that
I'm quite jubilant
It certainly is a glorious
'bus & I wont go to France
on anything else.
I'd like to knock a
Hun or two over & then
go back to Australia
instructing - That listens
pretty well, doesn't it?