Completed my 10 hours blind flying and worn out a few instructors in the process I think. I have an hour to go to complete 65 hours of Intermediate Training Squadron, and next week we have our exams in ground work. Shades of Sandhurst again. Finjan turning out to be a polo pony, I have a couple of turns on him at the game, but am not very good at it; rather like my hockey, the ball goes under the bat too often. I go shooting with my Winchester for jackal, who live out on the plateau, but they see me first and disappear into small holes (caves almost).
Letter from Ma and Peggy and Hugh posted as killed. All my damned fault for tempting fortune by what I said to Bill in a letter. Uncles Bill said he “saw” he would get through all right, so trusting to Tiree second sight I never even bothered to scan the casualty reports.
Was shown slow rolls, rolls off the top and flick rolls, but have had no solo in which to practice them.
The incessant cooing of turtle doves here recalls Assam all the time, and there is also a variety of paddy birds, locally called storks, and in arabic XXXX, which is exactly the noise they make, like death rattling his dice. Then there’s the sergeant / pilot bird which, at dawn and dusk, goes cookadoo, cookadoo-la.
Ian had a letter from Fairweather in Karachi and they are not coming here after all. The AOC happened to inspect Karachi Aero Club and happened to catch Jhadu or someone lecturing on ground subjects. So Bill Jones got his head chewed off and no wonder!! Mess bills about ID 10 (Iraqi dinars).
Instructors “B” Flight 4 IFTS (Intermediate Flying Training School)
C.F.I. W/C “Larry” Ling (gentleman but talks like Aunt Vivien)
F/Lt D.A. Cremin “Dan” (never sober)
F/O D.A. Garner “Stooge” (ex-policeman)
F/O H. Broadhurst (ex club instructor)
F/O J. Broughton (21 and a gentleman)
Sgt “Joey” Baker (definitely no gentleman)
A Story of War 
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