Leave arrangements were again altered and the station will now close down every Sunday completely; every 2nd Saturday in the month 63 Squadron had an extra day off making a long weekend and every 4th Saturday 52 Squadron did the same.

January 29th 1940

Awoke to find with great relief that it had snowed overnight 1 ½ " - 2" which just made the roads possible in the Ford 8. Had another letter from Towning Trotter - lucky dog at Pembroke Dock on Sunderlands, he had been up to Scotland for a week and had seen two E.A while on patrol but could not get to grips.

January 27th 1940

Started to freeze up again with snow and sleet. The following day we had an extraordinary example of "super cooled rain drops" It had been snowing and must have been freezing on the surface when towards the end of the day it started to rain slightly - immediately everything was covered in a thick sheet of ice, hard and firm. We could have skated on the lawn at Bucklands late that night. The car was covered about ¼ " thick with ice, the roads were pure sheet ice, I have never seen anything so phenomenal happen so quickly.

January 24th 1940

24th & 25th - Two good days flying - got in five hours flying. Sgt/Pilot R.J.Barr was posted to "A" Flight from "C" Flight as the latter now started training pilots and observers on exactly thte same lines as "A" & "B".

January 19th 1940

Three days leave started. Jana and I stayed at Bucklands Hotel. Went out to dinner with the C.O. and then to a dance at Abingdon Mess. Not a very bright show ( Got a little tiddled and apparently told the C.O. what I thought of him, according to Jana. I don't remember this!) F/O Amie Philipsen, wife and child arrived to stay at the Bucklands. The Thames was frozen over completely in places and we actually walked right across on the ice. Still freezing, snowing and generally pretty cold.

January 17th 1940

A Tiger Moth landed in a field by Huntercombe Golf Club late in the afternoon. We were duty flight and so had to guard it. I got the C.O.'s permission to try and fly it out and Henderson and I went up there, boiled the car first time and returned to fill up and have another try. We spent about half an hour trying to start it when the Station Commander arrived and strongly suggested we should push off home! Not suprising as it was dark but there was a good moon and I had a flare path teed up at Benson.

January 16th 1940

After further tests with an aircraft empty of petrol save for 30 gallons the C.O. was out and flew the aircraft out of the field successfully.

January 14th 1940

Drove out with C.O. in his car to the forced landed aircraft. Little damage done, the field was 400 paces long and the lowest hedge 15ft at the end. The C.O. could not make up his mind whether to fly it out or not. In the end we decided to have it dismantled and taken away. Directly we got back to camp we took a Battle out and while he took off I watched at 400 of his paces up wind - he did the same for me. Both of us got it about 10ft off the ground only at 400 paces - almost yards.

January 13th 1940

P/O Danson, pupil pilot forced landed near Great Missendon in the Chiltern Hills owing to oncoming darkness - we had already got a flare path laid. Max and Lorraine came over to supper. P/O Watts looked in during the day from Cottesmore flying Hampden.

January 8th 1940

Flew out and reconnoitered the aircraft near Thame. Went out by lorry with maintenance personnel, arrived there at 11am. Weather was very poor then, so we started up, moved it, and ran the engine up and then returned to Thame for lunch. Took off at 13.30 and just got out of the field without using the cut-out. Rationing of butter, sugar and fats, ham and bacon started - caused amusement in the hotel where we each had a bowl with a label on it.

January 7th 1940

Weather became bad during the afternoon and P/O Gavin (pupil) forced landed successfully near Thame. I went out to try and locate him late in the afternoon but was unable to get as far as Thame.

January 6th 1940

Late in the evening P/O Foster with a pupil in a dual Battle flew round and round with undercarriage up. Most of the squadron had a front seat to watch the landing and we got the fire tender and "blood wagon" limbered up ready for the happy event. In the end they got down all right on the undercarriage - the intercommunication (Gosport tube) had broken down midway between the two of them.

January 1st 1940

Sgt.Jernits, pupil pilot, took away the chimney of village policeman's house in Benson and landed all right with a damaged tail plane.
On January 1st we were Dick Wharbinton's guests to dinner and then on to a dance at Shillingford Bridge, most of the fellows were there and we had an excellent party.
The following notes were found to the side of the postcard:
Christmas Card sent by their Majesties to all on active service. All screened personnel at Benson received one.
The back of the card reads:
With our best wishes for Christmas 1939. May God bless you and protect you Elizabeth R George R.I.
The following names were found below the photograph:
Back row from left to right
AC.Bruckshaw. AC.Paeece. AC.Caddon. AC.Mathias. AC.Brewster. LAC.Norledge. SGT.Fletcher. AC.Dunham. AC.Samways.
Middle row from left to right
SGT.Oliver. SGT.Barr. P/O McKenzie. P/O Foster. P/O.Coventry. P/O Henderson. SGT.Nancarrow. CPL.Medway.SGT.Burden. SGT.Walters.
Front row from left to right
P/O.Lawson. P/O.Broadsmith.F/Lt.Rogers. F/Lt.James. W/C.King. F/Lt.Corbishley. F/O.Swain. P/O Herd. P/O.Martin