W I N T E R 1 9 4 0
A McGill Airman's Letters to His Parents
Arrangements had been completed for the publication of excerpts from the letters and cables of Flying Officer William P. Sprenger, RCAF, BA'31, BCL'34, to his parents in Montreal, when word was received of his death on active service. With permission, the letters were published as originally planned.
A U G U S T 2 4
"...Writing of this letter was interrupted by a call to go out to intercept an enemy air raid over the Channel...The attack was one of the largest ever attempted by the enemy but was adequately repulsed by our British and Canadian fighters. It was our first big engagement with the enemy and would take some writing to relate properly...
When we reached the scene of the attack we were simply amazed at the number of aircraft in the sky -- we recognized at once that there were many friendly aircraft right in the thick of things and hundreds of Nazis..."
S E P T E M B E R 5
"Received very slight injuries baling out Saturday. Feeling fine."
S E P T E M B E R 2 6
"Our Squadron has been very busy recently and has acquitted itself remarkably well. Our score of enemy planes is mounting regularly as the weeks go by.
Butter rationing here is being brought down to 2 ounces a week, so if you can arrange to send more butter from time to time it would be appreciated.
The sinking of the ship carrying child evacuees to Canada has raised a terrific cry of indignation here. We pilots would like nothing better than an opportunity to machine gun the decks of a U-boat lying on the surface of the water with the crew on deck."
O C T O B E R 3
"Absolutely false that I was shot parachuting. Feeling fine."
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