Diary of 2^nd Lieutenant Bernard James Glynn

Friday, December 1, 1916 - Rose 6:30 Mass & Holy Communion. Have fresh cold. AM. LeRhone engine PM. Bombs. Received a note from Mr. Leo Ward, who, I don't know asking me to have breakfast with him Sunday after Mass. He says were both friends of Father Plater. I cou'd remember name. Ans it accepting invitation. Stayed in & studied. Retired 12:00 pm

Saturday, December 2, 1916 - Rose 6:35 Mass & Holy Communion AM. Sending & Artillery Observations. Our whole squad (15) was given a talking to by Asst O/C Capt. Smith. PM. John Fry, Burt Doran, Russ Moore & I went on Thames for a row. 3:45 went to Randolf had bath. Had tea. Bought tickets for show. J. Fry & I went to show "Alaska" Fair - Met two friends 10:55 Just going to bed bon soir

Sunday, December 3, 1916 - Went to 8 o'clock mass met Mr. Ward after & had breakfast with him & an Anglican minister in R.F.C. Very enjoyable. Rc'd letter from mother. Enjoyed it greatly. Ans it. Wrote letters rest of morning. John Fry & I went walking in afternoon out in country. Had tea. Retired 9:00 pm

Monday, December 4, 1916 - Rose 6:30 am went to 7:15 Mass & Communion. AM. Instruments. PM. Clerget. Rc'd letter from Helen Sullivan ans it. Wrote to Mrs. McIntyre. Bought two RFC pins & am sending to mother & Mary. A little study. Head aching. Going to retire early.

Tuesday, December 5, 1916 - Rose 6:30 Went to Mass & Holy Communion AM. Lewis gun PM. Lubrication went back from Museum 4:30 Had tea with John Fry No Mail. Studied. Retired 10:00 P.M.

Wednesday, December 6, 1916 - Rose 6:30 Went to Mass & Holy Commumion AM. Artillery Observation Buzzing did very well at eights and took 9 ½ good. Lecture on Cross Country Flying. Poor lecture. Letter from Mary & Mrs. McIntyre. Ans Marys letter. Went to theatre in evening Burt Doran, M. La Voie, --- de Rochie & I had tea with Pére Martindale 12:10 going to bed.

Thursday, December 7, 1916 - Head aching. Rose 7:45 am. could not study well AM. Rolls Royce PM. Rigging wrote some letters Retired 9:00 pm

Friday, December 8, 1916 - Rose 6:00 Went to mass but had to leave as foot was paining. Was in misery for hour. Rec a letter from Ethel in NY was very glad to hear from her. AM. LeRhone (poor instructor) PM. Rigging N Keith & I went to Port Meadow Flying School. One machine made, bad forced landing Studied all night 11:15 just going to bed Rec'd invitation from Pére Martindale to have tea Monday afternoon.

Saturday, December 9, 1916 - Rose 6:45 Head aching went to Mass but had to come home. AM. Aerial Obs & photography. Lecture on magnetos was punk. In afternoon John Fry & I went to movie. No mail. Went out with young lady to theatre with N. Keith. Forgot their names. Got date for tomorrow night. Retired 11:30

Sunday, December 10, 1916 - Rose 7:20 went to 8:00 am mass and Holy Communion. Saw Leo Ward. John Fry & I went out and had some snaps. Went up to Hospital to see Russ Moore & Jap" Hyde Pearson. Met Miss Pearl actress in London, Russ's friend. No mail. Did not keep date. Wrote letters to mother & Father send papers home. Wrote letter to Mr. Moore & Mary. Going to retire soon.

Monday, December 11, 1916 - Rose 6:15 went to mass & Holy Communion AM. studied Rino engine thoroughly. Selected to go to Reading to try exam M. course. Left Oxford 4:15. Put up at Willison Hotel, Reading. Studied very hard Don't know what papers they will give us tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 12, 1916 - Rose 7:00 am AM. Buzzing Receiving Passed the Rotary engines, specialized in Mons. PM. Stationary engines Specialized in Rino. Think I passed them OK Studied very hard for exam tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 13, 1916 - Rose 7:00 am. AM> General Flying Rigging PM. Bombs, Aerial obs, Astrology. Meteorology, instrument, Cross-country flying etc. Think I passed OK. Went to show with Mack Fielding & another Canadian from Toronto. Retired 11:30pm

Thursday, December 14, 1916 - Rose 8:00 Had breakfast 9:00 Sent buzzing 'sending" exam. Passed OK. Walked around with Capt. O/C Fortain. Left 2:40 for Oxford Received word that I passed 10:00 pm Hurrah! Some joy. About 8 or 10 letters waiting for me when I got back none from Mary. Rc'd news of Ed Henning's death (R.I.P.)

Friday, December 15, 1916 - Rose 7:45 Parade up to rigging shed. Came home. PM. Went to movie Head aching. No mail

Saturday, December 16, 1916 - Rose 7:45 Had breakfast 8:20 Paraded 9:15 Signed up for Egyst & Gosport. Had exam in machine gun. Think I passed OK. No mail. Wrote letter to Yale went to movie in afternoon with Marks & Crompton. 10:00 pm Going to bed. Shaved off my mustache.

Sunday, December 17, 1916 - Rose 7:00 am Went to confession, mass & Holy Communion. Stayed in all morning. Head aching badly. No mail. After luncheon wrote Grace Casey, Yale, Raymond, & home. Wrote letters to mother & father & Mary to be delivered if I'm killed. Sending them to Yale. Retiring early.

Monday, December 18, 1916 - Rose 8:00 am Received notice I was posted to a flying school at Hendon one of the biggest in the world. Said goodbye to boys and settled my debts. I'm the only one to of the 33 who came over together to be posted. Left Oxford 1:50PM Arrived Hendon 5:00 PM. Reported. Have nice room at Hatherley Apartments 11:00 going to bed. Good night.

Tuesday, December 19, 1916 - Rose 7:00 Parade 7:30 Did forty minutes rolling ---- caudron at 40 to 45 M.P.H. on ground. Great fun. I got almost frozen stiff. No mail yet. There are about fifty or sixty machines here. Went to town saw "Chu Chin Chow" at His Majestys. Was very good.

Wednesday, December 20, 1916 - Rose 7:00 Parade 7:30 Did 25 minutes rolling on Caudron 105. Can do it good now. No mail. Went to town in afternoon. Came home early. Retired 10:30PM

Thursday, December 21, 1916 - Rose 7:00 Parade 7:30 Raining very hard. Heavy fog. No flying. Went to London & bought new pair of breeches 2-15 and gauntlets 30 shillings. Went to Mrs, Mellish Had dinner with her. Am going there for Xmas dinner. Her son Rev. Capt. N. Mellish won V.C. for saving 22 lives. No mail retired 12:00 pm

Friday, December 22, 1916 - Rose &:05 Parade 7:30 AM no flying Rc'd note from Bert Watts enclosing strop and letter from RYE saying they had no Arthur Born or some such name for whom I cash a cheque for £2.00. PM put in 10 minutes on Caudron rolling. Capt. Chadwich's & another machine collided. Neither hurt but machines broken badly.

Saturday, December 23, 1916 - Rose 7:00 Parade 7:30 Dismissed 2 PM Went to town. Took my room at Regent Palace spent a very pleasant night. Rec'd nine letters. Did not stay at mess for luncheon. Retired 1 am.

Sunday, December 24, 1916 - Rose 9:00 am went to high mass at Westminster Cathedral. Very large place. I met Mlle Julia Rancuret very charming French girl. She knows enough English & I enough French to understand each other. Retired 2:00am Spent evening with Julia

Xmas Day, Monday, December 25, 1916 - Rose 9:00 This certainly does not seem like Xmas. Rather blue. Went to 12 o'clock mass with Julia. Had luncheon with her. Left her at 3PM went to Mrs, Mellish's for tea & dinner. Very enjoyable evening with Mr. & Mrs. Hudson. Went back to hotel at nine and a bunch of canuck officers at hotel we had a ripping time collected £40 for wounded soldiers retired 1:30 am

Tuesday, December 26, 1916 - Rose 5:30 Had breakfast in room. Got 6:30 tube to Golders Green walked 1 ½ miles & got auto rest of way. Rc'd a letter from Mary & enjoyed it immensely wish I could see her, None from home. No flying. Too foggy. Rc's letter from Frances Depew.

Wednesday, December 27, 1916 - Rose 7:50 No flying & motored to town with commandant. A very dense fog came up & we could hardly see ahead of us. I went to bank to see about bogus cheque could not do anything cashed cheque from lawyer 20/19/8. Went to Regent Palace. Saw Mack Fielding. Saw Julia. Started home by tube in dense fog. Got as far as Golders Green & had to go back to Euston & sleep there.

Thursday, December 28, 1916 - Rose 6:30 Had breakfast at Edwards Hotel Euston. Got tube & bus back to Aerodrome. Letter from Mother & Ethel. Fog still dense AM. 3:05 fog lifted. Did 12 min holling. Retired 9:50 PM

Friday, December 29, 1916 - Rose 8:05 Breakfast. Two letters from Bolis & Harley. Just going to write home & Ethel & finish Mary's letter. PM. Went to movie Returned for dinner Stayed in mess room until 10:20. Reported in & came to billet & retired. (Letters from Mr. J.S. Moore.

Saturday, December 30, 1916 - Rose 8:00 am Letters from Mary, Florence, Yale, Loretto AM no flying

Sunday, December 31, 1916 - Rose 8:00. No flying Went to 11 o'clock mass Doctored me to bed I feel myself growing indifferent to everything & every one. I don't know what has come over me. I guess its lack of companionship. I'm trying to pull together. I got up feeling worse. 7:30 saw Doctor had dinner in mess stayed there 11:30. Got cable from Mother & Father wishing me a happy New Years. Very tickled to get it.