Letters from Fred Leslie Biddle to his Mother, 1916-1917, Part 23 of 24

23.7.17
Dear Mother, 
I haven't had time to  
write for the last two weeks we've been  
so busy. In fact we still are but I've  
managed to make a little time today so  
here goes. 
Well the first thing of course is  
that I hear Hollis's ship was sunk off  
Bombay & that he landed safely.  
I had a letter from him from Port  
Said & thought all risk was past, but 
in the last letter I had from Lottie she  
told me the firm had advised her that  
the ship was sunk & Hollis had got  
safely ashore.  
I'm jolly glad of that as you can  
imagine, but what rotten luck.  
I suppose he's lost all his clothes  
& papers to say nothing of my D.S.O.  
parchment, minature D.S.O. & the photos 

2
I sent out by him, also some little  
presents. 
I'm just waiting to get a letter  
from him telling me what has gone  
& if necessary I'll get another lot of  
photos taken & have them sent out to  
you. 
I'm afraid I won't be able to get  
another parchment though. I don't think  
the King goes in for signing duplicates,  
but I'll have a good try. 
Poor Hollis's luck as a traveller 
by sea is right out & I suppose he's  
also lost presents for Jean. 
Still the great thing is that he did  
get ashore safely & that's the main thing  
isn't it? So I hope you haven't been  
worrying. 
I haven't had letters from  
you for a very long time. I suppose they've  
been sunk but we do hear rumours of  
a big mail coming in today. 

(3)
Naturally I'm hoping to get a big  
budget from you. 
Things are very lively nowadays  
& we're having a warm time, but  
don't worry the Hun is having a  
warmer one. 
McMullen was slightly wounded  
2 days ago & Dodd got some small  
wounds from flying pieces yesterday.  
The worst wound is one in the  
instep, but it really is not much & after  
the small piece of metal is taken out he  
should have no trouble. If you see  
Mrs Dodd tell her I was on the spot  
& that he was quite O.K. & cheery &  
there isn't the slightest need to worry.  
In fact from the mother's point of  
view she may be glad, because he's  
safely out of the show for a while.  
Unfortunately our Doc & one of  
Dodd's subs were both killed by the same  
shell whilst another one of his subs 

(4)
got a small wound on the wrist  
but the last is remaining on duty.  
Well it's all in the game, but  
Tommy Dodd was the life and soul  
of the brigade & we'll miss him  
badly whilst he's away. 
I was terribly sorry to lose  
McMullin. He's one of the best, but 
fortunately he got off pretty cheap.  
A flying bit hit him in the side of  
the head in line with the eyebrow & just 
behind it cutting a vein. He bled like  
a pig & the cut looked ugly at first  
but we found there was no depth in it  
and he'll have no trouble at all.  
He was standing just outside  
the dug-out lathering for a shave & talking  
to me _^inside when he was hit. I got the iodine  
& first dressing on at once, so there should  
be no sepsis.  
He'll have a nice holiday in Blighty  
like I did last year.

5.
I haven't heard of Bruce at all.  
His divn has done very well in their  
first show. I hope he got through all  
right. 
Has Joel left for England yet?  
There's some wonderful fast machines  
waiting for him now & they beat the best  
Hun planes out of sight.  
I'll never forget the first time I  
saw our new machines.  
Our steady slow observation planes  
had been having an awful time from  
the fast Hun planes which simply flew  
rings around them & crashed them one  
after the other.  
One day as usual 4 Hun strafers  
made a dash for one poor old bus  
of ours when suddenly from 15000  
ft 5 of our new one nose-dived with  
engines going full straight at the Huns.  
They came down like bullets at terrific  
speed, certainly over 150 miles an hour & got

(6)
right in among the Huns who bolted  
for their lives. 
We didn't see a Hun plane for 4  
days after that. They're most awful  
curs in the air against a machine as  
fast or faster than their own. 
At one of the aerodromes we heard  
a jolly good story of a dare-devil  
of ours. 
He pretended to run away, slowed  
his engine a bit, & got the Hun dead  
behind him chasing him. 
Suddenly when the Hun was close  
up he nose-dived, looped the loop &  
came out on top of the Hun & promptly  
downed him 
Don't forget the Hun machine gun  
was going strong all the while he was  
chasing our man & he was pretty close up. 
When our own pilot landed the back of his  
seat was like a colander, but his luck had  
held & he wasn't touched.

7
Some of our new machines do the  
most wonderful stunts & climb into  
the air practically perpendicularly &  
the speed is terrific. 
Well all this success in the air  
is very cheering & I really believe that  
but for the silly Russian business  
this year would end the war. 
I hope you are keeping well & that  
the maid is still a treasure. That's the  
surest medicine for you I find. 
Is Father still with the M.S.C. I  
hope so & that he also keeps well. 
I'm sure Isabel is O.K. & going strong.  
Is she getting any good engagements lately.  
How is Uncle Walter? 
Best love to all at home, to Uncle Job,  
Aunt Fanny & all at Berrington & to all  
relations. 
Best wishes to all friends especially  
Arthur & Becky.
Your affcte Son
Fred