15 Albemarle St. W.
London, 21/4/16.

Dear Ones All,

Birthday letters from nearly everybody have reached me, all of which were mighty cheering. The parcel containing my evening clothes and the tobacco pouch came through without mishap, Father. Thanks ever so much for both. The pouch is a beauty and I prize it very much. May’s parcel with three pairs of socks and a battery for my electric torch also arrived in good shape. One of the pairs of socks I see was from Marion and contained a little birthday note. I’ll write to her and thank her myself.

Poor Cousin Belle, I am so sorry to hear about all her trouble. Will they operate again or just leave it for awhile and see if she will get stronger?

Isn’t it fine that Ruth is able to take this trip down to New Orleans! It will be such a relaxation for her, even though it is partly a business trip.

Margaret McGregor wrote me such a nice letter the other day. This is the second time she has written me and her letters are always so bright, and well written, and interesting. There is one thing I want to know, and that is did you ever get a letter that 1 sent addressed to Father, from Norwich about the 1st of March. It contained 6 or 8 snapshots and I should feel so badly if you never received it. I feel certain that one of the home letters to me has gone astray for there never was any comment from Father or Mother on my letter of Feby. l9th (or 20th) telling about my being taken off flying, and  surely you wrote me about that didn’t you? But please tell me whether or not you received all those snapshots.

This is Good. Friday and everything is very quiet in England. There are hardly any busses running and the "shops" (!) are all closed. Needless to say there is no holiday for me, nor any chance of one on Easter Sunday either, but things are a little bit quieter than usual in the office to-day and I have managed to steal enough time to write one or two letters.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet Commander Samson (You have heard of him, I dare say for he was in charge of the R.N.A.S. operations at the Dardanelles, and his work was much spoken of at that time- you remember how the British aeroplanes used to make short work of the Turkish transport ships out there?) He was most interesting and I was lucky enough to have him all to myself for about half an hour. As a very humble onlooker I have an opportunity of seeing at close quarters, and sometimes of meeting, some of the very biggest men in the whole show and it surely is a privilege. That is just about the only feature in this whole job that really is to my 1iking.- oh yes, there is one other thing:- there is always an assortment of touring cars and landaulets, big comfortable fellows, standing outside the door and it is only a case of choosing which one to take when I have anywhere to go. It is a great relief to be able to curl up in one of those fine cars when the day’s work is over and be whirled away home. I do wish I could get another star or an increase in pay though. Those things come pretty slowly though, I believe. In the meantime, it is hard work getting along on my pay. Great training for me though.

How father would enjoy seeing old London town again! You would notice a good many changes I think, Pater. Now-a-days there is scarcely a horse to be seen anywhere on the streets. The four-wheeler and the hansom cab are a thing of the past. There are thousands of taxicabs and everybody else travels by tube or bus. Come on over Father and we’ll have a "time" see all the shows and eat at all the swell restaurants. Wouldn’t we do it up brown!

There is some talk of our being moved to a place (at present at a hotel) over near the end of Thames Embankment. They want to get the 6th Brigade under one roof with the section of the War Office which deals with aeronautics and our present building is not large enough. I’ll let you know when we move.

Must close now, Dear People. Thank you May Dear for your several letters and your birthday present and you Will for sending me all those unearned congratulations. Please don’t talk about my appointment to people for honestly it isn’t very much and as far as promotion is concerned so far there is nothing doing whatever.

With heaps of love to you all, not even forgetting my little wart-nosed brother Fred!

Yours affectionately,
Eric.