Stationed in
England

I am finally over here in jolly old England! This is a very beautiful country just like I have read and heard it was. It looked especially good after we had been flying a long time and wondered how soon we would see land. The countryside is divided up into small fields irregularly shaped and they are divided by what appears to be hedges or shrubbery, but when you examine them closer they are made of stones and are covered by a thick jumble of vines, etc.

It is very easy to understand and talk to the people although they talk a little different and use some different words, etc. But I notice they are just as amused at the way we talk. This pound, shilling, pence, etc. seems strange but we are getting used to it already. I have been to town the last two nights and it is an interesting experience, the shops, cinemas, etc. We drop in once in a while and have our spot of tea or fish and chips which is quite a dish here.

I still haven't gotten to town yet but hope to soon. I will have plenty money saved up by then. We couldn't get a pass til we had a mission to our credit and we have gone over on one now so I hope we get a pass soon. I hope we get the other 24 over with soon so I can come back home.

I didn't have such a bad Christmas after all. We didn't have to do anything which made things nice. All we did is take life easy and also eat a turkey dinner, no pie though. We spent most of the day playing cards, etc. I also got to hear some Christmas music on the radio today which was the first I have heard this year and it sure sounded good.

I am just taking life easy today. I went to bed last night at nine o'clock because we had gotten up at 5 in the morning to go on a mission and I was really worn out. I got to see a little of German fighter planes and they really aren't much to be afraid of. They don't like to expose themselves to our fire long enough to get in a good shot.

We got a 24 hour pass the other day and went to town for all night. It was a fairly big town and there are a lot of interesting things. The trains sure seem funny. Passenger coaches are divided into compartments and the freight cars are little 4 wheel rigs about 12 or 14 feet long.

I have never seen such a smoking people as they are here. You can see small kids about 12 years old smoking in front of their folks, and about every woman I have seen smokes. They sure go for french fried potatoes. They call them chips. They have different names than we do for many things. A barber is a hairdresser, a hardware dealer is an iron monger, a drugstore is the chemists.

I've got 3 missions in now and I hope the other 22 go by in a hurry. I was on one which according to the paper here was one of the deepest into Germany by the Americans.

We went on a 48 hour pass Sunday morning. In town I ran onto a model airplane shop so I bought a couple glider kits. In one place one of the characters in the picture said, "I am going to Norwich tomorrow", and that interested me, because that happened to be the town I was seeing the show in and I didn't realize that it was such an old town.

I got on a scale in town and when the arrow stopped I looked to see what I weighed and I was surprised and puzzled when I read 12 stones. I had never heard of such a thing. An English man there told me that a stone was 14 pounds so I figured it out that I weighed 168 lbs. with my clothes on.

Well, I've only got 21 more missions to go. I am gradually whittling it down.

I have really been quite busy. I was so tired last night that I stayed in bed til 9:30 this morning--13 hours. I went on 2 missions in a row and it really played me out. I wouldn't mind about 5 or so like that in a row because they would go by that much quicker.

I am now sporting an Air Medal. They really aren't much. You get one when you have made five missions, then for each five thereafter you get an oak-leaf cluster, so you don't get them because you're a hero or something. You don't actually get a medal here but a ribbon to wear on the blouse. I guess they give the medal later on in the states.

I finally bought a bicycle. I looked all over town for 2 days and finally had to buy a girls bike, that's all they had anywhere. It cost 11 pounds, 2 shillings and 6 pence, really high priced. It sure saves a lot of walking.

I have enough missions now to add an oak leaf cluster to my Air Medal.

I really think our B-24's are wonderful ships but the 17's are also doing a good job and I sure don't think they will become extinct for a long time. The only thing that makes us mad is that the Forts get all the publicity in the news.

I had a 48 hour pass a few days ago and stayed in town. We managed to find a little bit of gin and scotch and are also getting used to English beer. I've got thirteen missions in now so I hope it won't be long.

I had an interesting day today. We were awarded our air medals (the ribbon). It was quite an affair. We were all lined up and when our name was called we walked up to the Colonel and saluted him then he pinned them on and shook our hand and we saluted again and walked away. We all laughed (quietly) at the guy's nervousness as they marched up to the Col. but when I heard them call Technical Sgt. Richard F. Hanson I was as scared and shaky as anyone else was.

I spent the whole week at Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a very interesting place too. I liked it much better than London. I looked the town over quite well and went through the old castle. I saw several men wearing kilts. It looks quite funny to see their bare knees hanging out of their over coat. There were a couple old fellows walking around the streets playing bagpipes too.

Many rulers lived in the castle, Queen Mary, etc. It is supposed to date back to 626 and is a wonderful building. The roof structure of the old banquet hall is of oak and not a nail in it. There are a bunch of old cannon around the wall. I don't see how they could turn out such work in those times. The people up there sure talk with a scotch accent. I enjoyed listening to them.

Letter to Grandpa Fries:

It's been a long time since I wrote you so I am going to get busy. It's a beautiful day today, just like a sunny spring day at home. I think I will go for a bicycle ride after while and get a little of the sunshine.

I had a week furlough a couple weeks ago and spent it in Edinburgh, Scotland, that is some pretty country, it is quite hilly and green. I went through an old castle there which dates back around 626, which the rulers used to live in, Queen Mary, etc. The Scots don't seem to like the English so well and always point out to us the fact that they treat us better in regard to prices etc.

I have seventeen missions in now but I think we have to do 30 now instead of 25 so I will be a little longer getting through. I was lucky enough to get to see the enemy capital one day.

They have a matinee movie in the afternoons, today we saw "Casablanca". It had an added interest to me for I was in that neck of the woods back in the old days. It showed the natives selling stuff. They started with a price about 10 times too high and let you talk them down to a few francs and still made money.

We are sitting around talking about what we are going to do when we get to the states--that's a favorite topic.

I've got nineteen missions over with now. Maybe I'll get to see the states in the summer yet.