Letters of Gerard Henderson Cowan, 1918-1919 - Part 4

(3)
Monday 13
Arrived home so late last night that I was unable to write
any thing up.
Yesterday we were firing on the range until 1 p.m. and it
was quite late when I got away from camp. I caught the
2.48 Met Train for London. (Met being the Metropoliton
Electric Railway) By the time I had arrived at
Baker St station and walked to Bickenhall Mansions
it was 4 P.M. On arrival I found that they
had waited till 3pm for me & then gone off
to a place in S. W. London. However 
Mr Doherty had left written instructions as to where
they were & how to get there In case I turned
up, So following pr his instructions I caught No 3
bus from Portland Rd Station. This took me right
down through the centre of London, through
Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Hay market
Trafalgar Square, Westminster, across the
Thames by Parliament Houses and then
travelled for about another 20 minutes until
we were right on the outskirts of London at
a place called Brixton ^where I alighted. The place I had to
go to was 107 Tulse Hill. I found it with very
little trouble. I was met at the door by a very
small man who ther gave me a very
warm welcome and took me
through to the garden where Mr Doherty
 

(4)
was and then of course introductions followed,
The I was introduced to the small man & his
wife, who were Dr & Mrs Eyre, & to Miss Doherty
The other Miss Doherty & Mrs Doherty having gone
to Oxford they were not included in the party.
Doctor Eyre Mr Doherty told me afterwards is one
of the greatest Bacterea authorities on Bacterea that
there is in England.
I spent a very pleasant afternoon there and evening too
as we stayed to tea and it was about 9 p.m. when
we left. We returned to Baker Street by the bus
and arrived there just about 10 minutes before
the last train left for Uxbridge, so I had to
say good bye. Mr Doherty has very kindly told
me to go in & see them any time I am in
London & not to bother about ringing them
up first.
There was an awfull crush on the train coming
back, being the last it was crammed full. I arrived
back in camp somewhere in the vicinity of
midnight.
Today we have finished our range practices
for the Vickers Gun and tomorrow we
have to tests on the range and an oral
examination. After that we start on the
Lewis Gr Gun. Wh We have nearly another

two weeks here yet
 

3DRL 3660 (1)

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL
 

(4^TH) Letter
Dear Dad,
They doo It does not seem enough like
a letter home just writting up a sort of diary
and then adding a short note like I have
done with the last two so I am just writting
a letter and adding to it each day
Tuesday 21^st May
We were on the range this morning firing
practices with the Lewes gun. My shooting was not
at all good but it was as good as most.
This afternoon I walked down to Uxbridge and
while there posted a letter to Helen in which
I mentioned that I was getting some snaps developed
Well I am sorry to say they are practically
failures, Those of Windsor Castle can be
recognised but they are very small. I was
using an Ensignette film at the time & it
did not fit my camera.
Well I must write up a few notes before lights out
so will continue this later
 

Thursday 23/5/18
Had a thunderstorm yesterday & it has rained a
good deal today, the climatic changes in
this country are remarkable quick.
We finished our test on the range with the Lewes gun
today and this afternoon had our oral exam
Don't know the results yet. We leave here on
Saturday and it is rumoured we go straight
to Tetbury (near Bristol) It is more probably however
that we will go to Wendover. We may get a few days
leave and if so I think I will go to the Isle of Wight
if they will have me
Tuesday 28/5/18
As you will see by the dates it is nearly a
week has elapsed since I wrote any thing up
and a good deal has happened in that time.
To begin with we finished up our course at
Uxbridge on Friday and my scores are as
follows. bombs 85%, bomb Carriers 85% bomb sights 
100% Vickers Gun 97% Lewis Gun ^100% so I came off
fairly well. On Saturday morning
 

(3)
we were given indefinite leave, and sent off
will all our luggage (This is me [Hand drawn diagram - see original document])
I wired Uncle Ernest immediately to see
if I could go there & received a reply
in London by 3.30. By this time I had booked
 b my kit bag & flying kit at Paddington
Stn & just had my suit case with me.
I went straight off caught a train &
arrived at Belknap at about 7.20 PM
just in nice time for dinner.
On Sunday I had a real good old rest
& read all the interesting books I could
find and I didn't have much trouble in finding
them as Uncle Ernest has any amount.
On Monday morning I went down to
Ryde & hired a by bicycle as I intended
exploring Bembridge in the afternoon.
On arrival back at Belknap. I found

instructions had been telegraphed through that
I was to report to Halton Camp, Wendover
immediately & that a railway warrant had
been posted to me which I must await &
acknowledge. That meant I would not have
to leave till next morning so I was able
t to get down to Bembridge after all.
I rode round by Sea View & St Helens
and then across to Bembridge round
by Bembridge Boat Club. If you look
up that book Uncle Ernest wrote you
will see a photo of the boat club also the
old ruined church at St Helens which is
now used as a land mark. The Island is
awfully pretty now, it is really very hard
to beat, & it was A real joy, riding round.
Well when I got back again of course my
railway warrant had arrived but I wasn't
going to set off that night, so I decided I
 

would catch the 11.10 am boat from Ryde
which caught th a train which landed me in
London at 3.8. p.m. This gave me any amount
of time & I didn't have to rise early & wake
the whole house hold. Well I landed in London
some where about 3.30. p.m. took the tube
to Paddington got my Luggage & with
the help of porters & an electric underground
railway got back Maryleborne where
I caught the 4.54.  train on the,
Great Central, for Wendover.
By that time I felt hungary so I ate
a packet of sandwiches which had been
put up for me. I was jolly thankful
for them too as I had been going all
the time since I left Ryde & had had
no opportunity to get any lunch.
I arrived at Wendover somewhere
after 6 pm. and was lucky enough
to find a flying Corps lorr Motor lorry
there so I had my luggage put on
 

board and got a lift to the camp.
Reported to the orderly room & then
found out where the mess was and
just arrived in time to get some tea.
I was a bit late but the orderlies soon
set to work & got something for me.
There is just a chance of my being
sent off to a Squadron tomorrow
morning as a lot are going away.
In a way I hope not as so far none
of the others that I have been with
all through have arrived yet &
I would sooner we all went together
than have to start with a lot I
don't know.
While at Ryde Uncle Ernest took a
photo of me holding Jean, Hildagarde's kiddy
on my shoulders. He is going to send
me one to send to you. Also I took several
snaps of them all and one of the house
& will send them on later.
love to all Gerard
3DRL 3660

AUSTRALIAN (1)
WAR MEMORIAL 

(6^TH Letter)
No 6 Training Squadron
A.F.C
Minchinhampton
Gloucester
7/6/18
Dear Dad,
I posted a letter to Mother yesterday
and am starting to write this now
but of course will not finish it for a
day or two.
Today is Friday & I was flying this morning
and again this afternoon, practicing turns
& landings before we finished up this evening
We went stunting over ^the town of Stroud, we were
up about 2000 feet when Capt Holden (my
instructor) said, "like to do a loop" I said
right "right oh" so down went our nose
and round we went, Then he did two
half rolls and an Immelman Turn
Hand drawn diagrams - see original document
 

afraid my diagrams are not very clear
but they give you a little bit of an idea
what they are like.
On wend Wednesday evening I walked into
Stroud to do some shopping, as I needed
soap, toothpaste, and an extra pair of pyjamas
etc. Stroud is only a small place & not
much of a place at that but, is in very
pretty surroundings, It is in a valley
and when you look down on it from
the H hills looks very pretty indeed.
I believe John Halifax Gentleman was
written some where in this district or
at least the place the story is written about
is.
By the way Mother says in her last letter
that the last letters you had received from
me were 24 Dec & 19 Jan. Well I wrote
a separate letter to each of you on Xmas
Eve and am certain I wrote two or
more letters to you between then