Letters of Gerard Henderson Cowan, 1918-1919 - Part 3

[*P.S. The King &

Queen visit us here

on Thursday*]

4 wt 13

Ypres Flight

R.A.F. Armament School

Uxbridge

30/4/18
Dear Dad,
As you will see by the above
address I passed my exams at Oxford
and am now at Uxbridge where we
will be a month. We have one weeks
instruction in bombs etc and the
remaining three we have instruction
on machine guns.
We are not as comfortable here as we
were in Oxford and the food is not
so good still it is nothing to
growel about. We were rather spoilt
at Oxford in the food line as it was
exceptionally good & beautifully cooked.
We Please excuse the ink but it
is the only kind I can get hold
of at Present.
We are kept fairly busy here

(2)
We turn out at 6.15 a.m. Breakfast
at 7.20 a.m. Fall in and start work
at 8.15, and work, with one break
of 15 minutes at 11 oclock, till
12 30 p.m. We then have dinner
at and start work again at 1,45 pm
working till 4 oclock when we
stop for tea. Then Dinner is at
7.20 p.m. Every second day we
have phisic physical training
from 4.45. to 5.45. pm and then
a lecture from 6 pm to 7 pm
So you see it is only every
second afternoon that we have
any time to ourselves.
I have been into the town of
Uxbridge a couple of times, It
is only & small town and not
very interesting, you can walk all
round it in an hour or so.
After finishing our course at
Oxford we were granted leave from 

Tuesday morning till Friday at
noon. I went to London got my
pay book altered and sent a telegram
to Gracie to say I would be down
next morning. I looked up Friel
and w stayed the night at the
place where he is boarding at
Maida Vale.
Having some time to spare during
the afternoon I thought I would
go and call on Mrs Doherty.
I had some trouble in finding the
place as I had the wrong address
but I eventually found it
They are at 5A Bickenfield Mansions
Baker Street just near the tube station
They have a most luxurious place
a flat I suppose it is.
They were awfully nice to me
and Mr Doherty recognized me as
a Cowan immediatly. 

They want me to go to in to Dinner
one Sunday evening and as we get
one London pass from here I intend
going in. They were going to give
me the address of some people
here at Uxbridge, but I came
away without getting it I am
very sorry as it would make a
great difference having a place to
go to. Mrs Doherty to goes to School
at Oxford. They gave me here her
address and told me to go and
see her, but as we left Oxford the
morning after we arrived back
from leave I had no time.
They asked after you all and wanted
to know how you all were.
On T Wednesday morning I caught the
9.10. am train from Victoria Stn and
arrived at Tunbridge Wells at 10 30
or there abouts. Its an awful bore
the way the porters rush & want

to carry your suit case. Its all very
nice having it carried, but you know
you will have to give them 6 or 1/-
at least for just looking after your
case and putting it in a carriage
for you.
I walked up to 14 Calverley Crescent
And as they were out made myself
at home, The ma Selena was out
at a Canteen she runs for the
soldiers and Gracie also helps at
a Canteen or Soldiers Club.
The Servant brought me some
coffee and bread & butter which
I enjoyed as it was a long while
since I had had breakfast.
I had a thoroughly enjoyable two
days a Gracies it is very much
like a home to me as there is no
ceremony and I can just walk
in and out as I like and Gracie
is like a second mother to me.

While at Tunbridge Wells I walked
out to a place called High Rocks
about two miles away. They are
very large rocks on top of a hill
and the scenery is rather fine.
I got some post cards of it but left
them a Tunbridge Wells. I stayed
there till Friday morning and left 
by the 6.15. train getting back

to Vic Stn London at 8.32 a.m.
Caught the tube and got to
Paddington in time to catch the
9.50. a.m. for Oxford where I
arrived at 11.30. On arrival
we found we were leaving for
Uxbridge next morning so had to
set to work straight away and pack
up. Also I found a bundle of Australian
letters waiting for me. The latest
were dated the 5^th of Feb. I am
glad you received those photos safely

I thought they were not bad myself.
Thanks very much for the 10/ shillings
which Helen sent in her letter it arrived
safely, but I don't wan't you to send
any money as I am quite all right
and I guess you all need it more
than me, why on looking in my
pay book this evening I find I have
at present a credit of ₤4.10.
I have bought some postcards of Oxford
and a book of views I will post the
latter shortly. It is chiefly photos of
the Colleges.
Well I must say Aurevior
Heaps of love to all
Gerard

Dear Old Frank,
I am just off into Uxbridge
so am going to post this letter and as
it is your turn for one I am sending
it to you.
I have written the other two pages
up as a diary as I manage to get more
news in that way
Love to all
Gerard 

(1)

(No 2) Letter

Saturday
 11/5/18
Well I have decided to write my letters in
the form of a diary, adding a little each
day and will post it to each of you
in turn every three or four days. In
this way perhaps I will be able to
get a little more news which otherwise
I would probably miss.
Today is Saturday & a half holiday.
I have just been down to Uxbridge
to buy a writing pad and I also posted
a book of views of Oxford and half a doz
post cards of Uxbridge to you, and as
I am going to spend the afternoon with
the Doherty's tomorrow I rang up to let
them know I was coming
This morning we were on the range at
practice with the Vicker's Gun. We have
another two or three days on the Vickers
Gun and then we start on the Lewes Gun.
It came out in orders this morning that we are
all posted as Flight Cadets, that of course means
^that after we finish here we have only to do so many hours flying
(40 I think it is) and then we receive our
commissions.   
I wrote to Elton asking if it would be
convenient if I paid them a visit on Tuesday
week, but have not had a reply yet.

Hendon is not a great distance from here & I can

get over there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

(2)
I had a letter from Miss Wilson this morning She wasn't quite

sure whether I was a Cadet or still a private & wanted
to know what she was to write. Well I am going to
have a bath so must ring off for the present.
Rather smart work done by the my Navy
in bottling up Zeebrugge & Ostend wasnt
it.
I saw a Handley Page Aeroplane the other
day for the first time they are absolutely
pe huge. Their wing span is 97 feet.
I fancy there is a Squadron of them at
Hendon so intend to have a good look at
them when I go there. Of course they
are bombing machines, they are too
big for fighting and cannot stunt
enough like the scouts
We drew our Flying Gloves today as
we have to use them on the range
They are huge Gloves made of soft leather
or Bearskin or something and coverd
with short glossy hair on the outside
it is too hard to call fur.
Well I think this is all fore today
I shall continue on tomorrow
when I come back from my visit
to the Doherty's