Letters of Gerard Henderson Cowan, 1918-1919 - Part 6

children are charming.
Her address is-

Mrs P. Hodgson

Saltwood

Bath Road

Cheltenham

I am glad you have

good news of them all

at home. Please give them

my love when you write.

With our best wishes to you

your affecte cousin

Helen M Heneage.

 

No 6 Training Squadron
AUSTRALIAN FLYING CORPS

MINCHINHAMPTON,

GLOS.
25/6/18
Dear Dad,
Nothing very much doing since I last wrote
on the 22/6/18. My number of hours flying has
increased to 9½. I have not gone solo yet
but hope to soon if only the weather
will get a bit better. I probably would have
done so before but for the bad weather
and this morning our instructor is
Iaid up with this flu that has been
going around so don't suppose I will
do much flying for a day or so until
he is well again.
Before we graduate or receive our commission
we have to do 25 hours flying and then
fly a Pup, (a small scout machine). And
then have to do so many more hours about
12 I think) before we are entitled to wear
wings.
Yesterday (Wednesday) was our day off so I went
up to Gloucester and stayed a few
hours there, just to see what sort
of place it was. Well it is scarcely

 

AUSTRALIAN FLYING CORPS

MINCHINHAMPTON

GLOS
worth a visit except it has rather a fine
old Cathedral there, which dates back to the
Norman times and one or two places of
historical interest. I had dinner there
and then went on to Cheltenham to visit
the du Boulays. Col George was the only
one in when I arrived. He was very nice and
wanted to know all about you in Australia
and all about Australia. I spent quite a pleasant
time talking to him. Later on Mrs Col George
arrived and we had afternoon tea.
I also met one of the boy I forget his name
but they call him tke Tubby. He is still
at school at Cheltenham but is shortly
joining the Sappers. Kitty du Boulay
one of the daughters was supposed to
have come there that afternoon but she
did not turn up. One of the other
daughters, a Mrs Hodgson is also in Cheltenham
and Helen Heneage told me to be
sure and go and see her so I am
going to when I have the opportunity.
I hear that there is another
 

Australian mail in, so am looking forward
to it as they ought it to be answers to
my letters written from Oxford.
Let me know how every thing is going and
how the crops are this year. I was
glad to hear about the wool & the lambs
it makes such a difference having those
sheep all paid off too.
Heaps of love to you all
Gerard
 

No 6 Training Squadron

AUSTRALIAN FLYING CORPS,

MINCHINHAMPTON,

GLOS.
12/7/18
Dear Frank,
For some reason or other I dont feel
at all like letter writing. I have just written
to Uncle Ernest & I think I must have been
nearly 20 minutes over it.
The weather has been wet and the wind very
gusty during the last two days so no flying
has been done, but have hopes of getting some
in tomorrow as the weather appears to be
clearing. If so we will have to rise at 4 oclock
in the morning as that is the time early
flying starts now when the weather is good.
It is generally rather cold, but otherwise is very
nice as it is so calm & still no bumps etc.
Last Wednesday I went up to Cheltenham. Had a light 

lunch and then went round to see if I could
find John Woodthorpe's place. I did not have
much difficulty in finding it and on asking
the woman who came to the door whether
I would be able to see him she said yes
 

and then said, you are not Mr Cowan are you.
I expect Gran had kept them well posted up, as
to my appearance etc and that was why she
guessed who it was
John Woodthorpe has been much better lately
and has been walking about and able to go out.
I stayed and talked with him for quite a time.
He was very interesting and told me any
amount of interesting things. He was very interested
in hearing about aeroplanes, for he has never
seen them as he has been blind for 41 years.
I did not hear from Later in the afternoon I
took the train to Prestbury and went and
had afternoon tea will Helen Heneage at
Prestbury House.
I did not go to Warminster last Wednesday as I intended  
as I did not hear from Clement so concluded
he must have gone back to France
Heaps of love to you all
Gerard.
P.S. I posted a packet of post cards, of various places,

home on Wednesday. G.H.C.
 3 DRL 3660 (1)

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
 

No 6 Training Squadron
AUSTRALIAN FLYING CORPS,

MINCHINHAMPTON,

GLOS.
14/7/18
Dear Aunt Lucie,
I received your post card dated 1^st April
a few day ago & this evening received the socks
which you posted to me on March the 10^th.
Thank you very much for them, they are a
very nice pair and are just what I need. I have
found that socks are the only th woollen
things needed here, I have never worn scarfs
or Balaclava caps even in the coldest weather.
Of course mittens or gloves have to be worn
in winter but they don't wear so quickly
as socks.
As I expect you have heard some time ago
I am now with the Australian Flying Corps
I got my transfer at the end of February
and after going through a school of
aeronautics at Oxford and a bombing
& machine gun school at Uxbridge I
came to this Squadron.
I have been here about six weeks now
and am gradually making progress

but owing to bad weather it has been
rather slow. However I am flying the
machines myself now.
This part of England is very pretty at this
time of the year but I guess it must be
very cold and bleak in winter time It
is right on top of the Cotswold Hills.
Cheltenham is not far from here & I have
been there several time to see relations.
There is a Colonel George du Boulay there,
a cousin of Grandpa's. Also Mrs Heneage- who was
Helen du Boulay. They have all been very
nice to me & I enjoy going there
Well I must close now. With love from

from
your effecate nephew
Gerard H Cowan

DONATED RECORDS LIST
3660 (1)

3rd Series

No 6 Training Squadron
AUSTRALIAN FLYING CORPS,
MINCHINHAMPTON,
GLOS.
20/7/18
Dear Dad
I saw a letter from Fremantle,
yesterday, dated the 18^TH May so that means
that there is another mail in from
the West so am looking forward to
mine they ought to be answers to my
letters written saying that I had got my
transfer to the Flying Corps or to
my first letters written from Oxford.
Also I want to see how you are all getting
along & how the farm is going.
I went over to Cheltenham last Wednesday
It was not our day off but Mrs Col George
wrote asking me to go there for lunch
& tea and to see some more of my
cousins. I wrote and told her it was
not my day off but I would do my
best to get the afternoon off, but
even if I did would be unable to

get over in time for lunch.
I asked my instructor for the afternoon
off. He said, 'yes' Where do you want to
go. I said Cheltenham, and he offered to fly
me over if the weather was suitable.
He did and we arrived there in 15 minutes
instead of taking an hour & a half as it
would have done going by train.
We landed in a field & you should have seen
the crowd spring up from nowhere.
One of the cousins I met was Mrs Hodgson
She is very nice indeed. I have a standing
invitation to go there whenever I have
the opportunity. The other cousin they
called Gus, She is also married and
has sere her home in Sussex. I also
have an invite to go there any time
I am down that way. Unfortunately
I don't get leave often enough to go
to all these places, However I can't
growel. We get our day off once a fortnight
and can get a warrant entiling us to
travel at reduced rates, and can go
any where that time will allow us