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A letter sent to Zelia de Freitas - 27th October 1941
Written from Wigtown, Newton Stewart, Scotland
(Wikipedia: A Royal Air Force flying station was constructed on the outskirts of the town and opened in 1941. Under the control of 29 Group RAF, the Station was home to No. 1 Air Observers School, later No. 1 Advanced Flying Unit (Observer), as well as providing a short-term home to several operational RAF squadrons. The Station was closed in 1948. Today it is very occasionally used by light aircraft, sometimes being referred to as Baldoon Airfield.)
Wigtown
24th Oct
Dear Zelia,
I only wish I could write to you more often and longer letters but with so many other letters to answer and more and more of my time being taken up with flying and study I can hardly find the time. I expect that the end of very serious study will end after I have taken my last set of Exams inFeb, but even after this I shall still have to brush up on Meteorology & Astro Navigation. By early Spring I shall be going on Opperations [sic] I expect. Then the real danger and fun begins. Thanks ever so much for your nice letter which I received last week. The snap of John, with Doc & Dad looks very smart. Although I have not seen Arlindo as yet and am not likely to do do for quite some time yet I have heard from him. They all arrived safely in England and apparently had a most enjoyable & pleasant crossing. If it is possible to do so I shall incert [sic] in this letter the letter that Arlindo wrote to me on his Arrival. Please destroy it when you have read it as I suppose it was for me alone. I am only sending it on to your because it helps & saves a lot of time & writing which otherwise I might have had to do in order to tell of his adventures & his trials on arrival in England. I have not heard from him since. I wonder what all the trouble was about. Please excuse some of his spelling and English and mine also. I certainly need all your prayers at home and am very grateful as I am doing so much flying now. I can't write too much on this subject but I have had some very thrilling & exciting experiences. To-day we had two unfortunate accidents. One was a Spitfire & later a Blenheim cracked up.
...ing was one of the coldest morning we have had so far. Even the most hardened veteran of these climes complained. There was a terrific frost & the ground outside was covered in a thin sheet of ice. Most of the fellows already sleeping in their flying suits & I shall have to do the same soon if we are not given more balnkets. On Saturday I was asked out & went driving all day in a car. We 1st went to Newton Stewart then on to Kircowan, Glenluce & to Stranreer. On our way back we went around by Port William, Whithorn etc. Incidentaly we stopped at Whithorn & I saw the oldest church in Scotland etc. Again I ask you to remember me to all those at home.
I Remain
Your loving brother
Celço