France, Dec. 7, 1917

My very dear Dad:

I received your letter of Nov. 5th this morning also 28 & 29 from Fern. From what I can make out you were feeling fairly good then and growing a beard. I am getting on fine and there is no need to worry about me as we are moving from here on the 10th, just two days, and the squadron is to have a month of learning to fly our new bus. Even after we begin to fly it we will not be allowed to go over the lines any more as there must be no chance of the Huns capturing one of these new buses.

I am glad to hear that you have got in touch with Dr. & Mrs Wills again. I hope you can arrange something about going south. Remember me to them both.

Fern seems to be having quite a time with the car. I am glad she is able to manage it O.K. It is just as well that you are putting it up for the winter as it would only give a lot of trouble in the cold weather.

I hear than Beatty has a flight of S.E.5's. That is a type of bus. They are expecting to come out her soon I believe.

Wrote a long letter to Fern a couple of days ago telling her that I had received the boxes O.K. I have worn the coat and it is certainly warm. We had quite a cool spell a few days ago but it has got warmer again. A few of our chaps got frost bitten on different parts of their faces last week and so managed to waggle a few days off flying. It looks just like sun-burn and peels and blisters just the same. However there is an order out now that we must all use whale-oil which absolutely prevents frost-bite. You should see us when we perform our whale-oil ablutions before a flip. We look like a lot of greasy Eskimos. I am quite expensively dressed with fur gauntlets, fur collar, fur lined goggles, fur helmet and fur chin masks. Quite a good equipment I think together with the leather vest and my flying coat.

Went into town this afternoon with Fairclough and Puckridge and had a hot bath so I am feeling quite different to-night.

Give my best to Auntie Babs and to George & Jack when you see them. Have a good time at Christmas and don't worry about me. Let me know of any other fellows you know of who have been conscripted. I hope you don't lose Davis or L—drai.

Just got my pass-bank today from the bank and find that I have about two hundred dollars more than I thought I had. I hope you will have drawn out the £15 from the N.T. Co. as I asked you to do. I hope you like the pipe I sent you. I tried to get a big one but that was the biggest bowl I could get in a decent pipe.

Take good care of yourself.
Gord