Hotel Burlington, Dover. 12th August, 1915.
Have just arrived here from Eastchurch, having been suddenly recalled, and am now told to be ready to cross to Dunkirk in half an hour--no gear, dirty linen, "pas de leave"--what a life!
Shall try hard to get some leave in a week or so's time. Anyhow I must get my khaki outfit.
No. 1 Wing, R.N.A.S., B.E.F. 13th August, 1915.
Got aboard and were off by 8.0 p.m. last night--our ship a comic old tramp with absolutely no accommodation. It took us 6 hours to make Dunkirk and we were not allowed off until 8.0 a.m. this morning. Spent the night walking about or trying to get a little sleep on deck--thank God! it was not rough. We are all "fed to the teeth!" In all probability we shall remain out here another six months now.
The Zepp that was bombed from here had actually been towed right into Ostend harbour. Everyone that went had his machine hit, and one man is missing. This place was bombarded again the other day with the big gun. Expect we are in for a merry time.
No. 1 Wing R.N.A.S., B.E.F. 26th August, 1915.
I am being kept very busy out here. Last night there was a comic raid on the Forest of Houthulst. It is six or seven miles behind the lines near Dixmude, and the Huns use it as a rest camp--beaucoup de stores and ammunition there too. The French idea was to set it on fire with incendiary bombs. Over forty machines took part, including self--perfect weather conditions--no clouds but very hazy, so when one got high up one was almost invisible. I got just over 11,000 feet, but even then had one or two shots near me. Below me the air was simply a mass of bursting shrapnel. French artillery also opened fire on the place. There must have been beaucoup de noise in the forest. Most amusing--a really soft job as some one remarked.
_The French official account of the raid described in the foregoing letter was as follows_:--
"A remarkable series of air raids against German positions or works of military value are reported in yesterday's Paris _communiqués_. In two of them the air squadrons were larger than any previously reported since the beginning of the war.
The other great raid was undertaken by airmen of the British, French, and Belgian armies, and the British and French navies, to the number of 60. Acting in concert, they attacked the Forest of Houthulst, in Belgium, north-east of Ypres. Several fires broke out. All the aeroplanes returned safely.... Previously the largest squadron of attacking aeroplanes was one of 48 machines--of which 40 were British--which attacked the Belgian coast on February 16th last."