‘A Short Life in the Sky’: the story of a WWI pilot
Douglas’s last letter home, 8 December 1916 
(NRS reference: GD486/133)

Transcript:

R. N. Seaplane Base
Westgate-on-Sea
Kent
8th Dec[ember] 1916

Dear Mother

Please find enclosed cheque for £3 towards 
Sale of Work. Hope you got on well. We had a 
very successful sale. £178-17-0 so far and a few 
pounds to come in yet. The Doll’s House (for which I 
had 12 tickets) brought us in about £45 & went to a 
little girl from Margate who was almost small enough 
to get inside. I won the prize for Gentleman's shooting 
competition which was pretty good considering that [I] 
was up against Army & Navy Instructors.
I had six bulls out of six shots at 25 y[ar]ds. All inside a 
1 in[ch] circle & so had the Army Instructor Sergeant-Major 
but I made mine on my first target & he had 
to take two targets to make his.

Glad to hear of Reggie's appointment.

Much love

Douglas