‘A Short Life in the Sky’: the story of a WWI pilot
Action in Turkey, February to March 1915 
(NRS reference: GD486/102 page 1)

Transcript:

Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’ 
9 March 1915

Dear Mother

I haven’t written you for some time: but have 
plenty of spare time now as I am machineless. I came 
up to the front from Basra on the 25th [Feb] in 4hrs 10mins 
flying against a strong head wind: not counting a 
stop of 1½ h[ou]rs half way for lunch. I reached 9,500 ft on 
the way up – I had to get over a sandstorm. I had 
to come down immediately afterwards to let a certain 
place know that I had passed & came down too quickly, 
result – air sickness. I was violently ill over the side & came down in 
the desert about 20 miles behind the lines in order to 
have a rest. I didn't know then of the pleasant practices
of wandering Arabs, or I shouldn't have done so. However 
'where ignorance is bliss etc'. The next day - 26th, I went
to bomb the Turkish aerodrome a little journey of 
30 or 40 miles into the enemy’s country! Setting my 
bombsight at 4000 over our aerodrome, I went over the 
lines at 8000 but on throttling down my engine to descend 
to 4000 again, the throttle froze shut!!! I made for Kut [Kut al Amara] 
for all I was worth & passed over the besieging force at 2000 ft 
getting 3 bullet holes. One bullet passed just between the 
detonators of two bombs & strafed part of the bomb frame. 
Just then my throttle unfroze & I climbed back to 4000 & 
dropped 4 bombs on the enemy’s aerodrome. The first 
strafed a tent & the other 3 made a little circle round one 
machine but I’m afraid didn’t do much damage. 
The next 4 days I spent in bed with bad diarrhoea.