July 17, 1944

                                                            July 17
Dear Folks:
            Today is fairly warm for a change. We just got back this noon from another pass. Watkinson and I got the Proctor[*] and flew over to the base where his friend from his home town is stationed. Watt’s friend is a technical sergeant. They are from Lexington, Nebraska. Sgt. Neff was a lawyer in civilian life and had an office in Lexington, Nebr. He helped with some of the legal matters when the R.E.A. was put in there. Ray Reed did the surveying there too so he knew a few of the men I worked with that summer while working for R.E.A. He heard that Morrey White had been killed in an accident. Clarence Veach is a prisoner of war in Germany. He was a Fortress pilot. Ray Reed got a commission in the navy. Neff also knew Jean Hanna while she was teaching in highschool. We picked Neff up and flew over to London. Took a subway from the airport and was in a hotel in 45 min. Surely beats fighting for standing room on the train. We stayed in London overnite and came back this morning, dropping Neff off on the way. I bought some more socks and shorts and a pair of pinks. Having the Proctor on a pass was too good to last, I’m afraid, so some big shot will probably step in and get it next time. Your Jul 1 letter came in 10 days and June 28, 27, 26 came afterwards in that order. Hope you got harvest done O.K. Took some pictures. If you have any more 620 film send it along.
                                    Yours truly, John

[*a Percival Proctor: a British single-engine, low-wing monoplane]