Royal Naval Air Station,
Eastleigh,
Southampton

December 19, 1939

Dear Mother:

More opportunity to write letters, so here goes.

I had written twice to Overall in 41 and received no answer. Today I read his name in last month's casualty list - F/O H.E.H. Overall killed on active service. His home was in Niagara Falls, and he was my best pal in '41. His death is a great shock to me.

I wish I could tell you what he has done and the pure guts shown by those chaps day and night who unceasingly patrol in all weather.

If the new chaps coming along are half as good, they will be all right.

The news that the first contingent of Canadians have arrived today is welcomed.

The Fleet Air Arm played a large part in ensuring their safe arrival -constant patrols and no submarine or aircraft attempted anything.

Winston Churchill can well shake the ash off his cigar after our victory in the South Atlantic.

This station is known to the Admiralty as HMS Raven, so if you hear that the HMS Raven has been sunk by the Germans, you can be assured we are only water-logged.

I wish you all lived here for a few days so I could see the family - but of course you are much safer where you are.

We have quite a famous screen star serving here as a pilot in the R.N.V.R. Very modest and quiet - quite unusual behaviour for a star I believe.

I hope you will forgive me for the great gaps in my letter writing -especially the first few months of the war when things were so uncertain - and still are!

I have completely shaken off that cold that I told you about.

Be careful and don't let Ronny read in bed. We must preserve his eyes for the future. You can thank Dad for me. He used to jump on me for reading his western stories in bed.

Perhaps I shall teach Jean how to fly some day.

Love

Bill