Series 01 Part 02: Hughes family correspondence, 3 April 1917-22 September 1918 - Page 101
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[Page 101]
8.
I just took it over. Yesterday there was quite a typical example of their keeness. I came into the hangar & found three of them working away at our oldest machine which was beginning to look rather delapidated. They had cleaned it all over & painted it up & now it is looking like a new pin. A few months ago they would'nt do anything unless they were watched the whole time & now I just find all sorts of things done before I have to speak about them at all. Of course I dont forget to let them know how pleased I am about it all.
At first of course I had a lot of trouble to break them of their old ways, and I am sure they used to hate me. It was quite a joke in the squadron to chaff me about my "strafes". However I am glad to say that I have brought the change about and have only run one man before the C.O. throughout the process, which I fancy showed the men that my bark is worse than my bite though I could bite when I was forced to do so. Anyway they are a very happy crowd of men now and work wonderfully well. So altogether things are going very very well. Of course I can't help longing at times to be back in France at the real thing, especially when I hear of some of the chaps I taught who are doing so well. For your dear sakes I do hope that they will keep me on here and not send me out again. I know what anxiety it would mean for you and I would do anything to save you that. I don't think they are very likely to send me out but one can never tell as two other flight commanders from here have been sent over and Winkley who left No 10 before I did has gone back. I have been back