…... That means you have had a fatal illness from which you probably never recovered. Let me regard further. (Pulling out the Queen of Diamonds.) Ah! I'm glad we have got the Ace of Hearts; that means you will pull through.” And then looking at Jordan’s attenuated figure, he said: “And you look like a ruddy ‘pull-through’ anyway.”
On one occasion I was out with Johns and we passed a French farm.
Cooper was leaning over a fence and feeding a friendly cow with some greenstuff. He did not notice us, as we were some distance away, but was considerably startled when Johns yelled at him, “Put that cow down.” I treasure a photograph of him, monotonously repeating “Regrettez, nong comprong” to the guard of a French train who had forbidden him to stand on the platform outside the compartment. It says something for Johns’ power of humour that the angry official finally had to give in and laugh too.
I was in an unique position in the Squadron, because I was easily the oldest officer there. I was married and had already been some years in business, and I had no executive control over the flying officers: consequently, they felt free to honour me with many of their confidences and difficulties, babes from school that many of them were. I saw a side of their characters which was naturally impossible for anyone else there to do - and it was the pure gold.
I have lately read a string of war books, which appear to deal in little else but blood, mud and filth. They were all there, of course, but I hope some writer will come along and paint a true picture of the other side of it all. All I can say is that in all the terrors and temptations of that life, those boys came through with honour untarnished and steadfast courage undiminished. Everything was there to shake them morally and physically, and it would have been most natural that some of them should have found the conditions stronger than themselves. But they did not do so, and the finest traditions of the race were vindicated and upheld by them all. And I say that, having seen an intimate side of them which only the circumstances could have revealed.
If I could adequately depict the cheerfulness, efficiency, unselfish bravery, and wonderful comradeship of No. 8 Naval there would be nothing else to say on the subject. I had been out to France before, but the atmosphere of that Squadron was something new to me, and as I have not the combined genius of Kipling, L. Stevenson and J. M. Barrie, I cannot begin to do it justice. Perhaps Walworth might have done it if he had lived, but unfortunately he did not. His record with the Squadron was splendid but terribly short.
