Last night I heard the 6.15pm sports news from London on the radio, heard Everton had lost and Liverpool had drawn. I heard also there was going to be a general election on May 26th. I am being pestered by flies as I write this, I will have to buy some anti-fly stuff.

I believe when I get to Aden I will get a daily allowance of 1/9d, which will be very handy. Aden is a duty free port and everything there is very cheap.

Could you please find out from Cambridge University which books on geography I should read as I shall have to make time to do some swatting up. It will be difficult starting studying again after 2 years away from it.

When I get to Aden and you know my address could you please send me some photos of the family. Before I left I forgot to send a letter to the Tennis Club telling them I would be away for 2 years and could I be excused paying a sub:  could you deal with it please?

I have met quite a few lads from Liverpool, but most of them are going home to be demobbed - lucky chaps. On Friday evening I went with Stuart to the station cinema to see "Kind Hearts and Coronets", it was very funny. The newsreel was of the Boat Race and Grand National, we had a good laugh at all the umbrellas and rain. Yesterday I saw my first camel, you could smell it 300 yards away. This evening I shall go to the 6.30pm service at the C of E church then go to the cinema. The food is terrible, lots of greasy fat with sand added!

On the plane out here (RAF Avro York) we were all given a book to read. I was given "Her Ladyship".  It' all about the life of Lady Godiva, very amusing in parts - but she did not ride through the streets of Coventry, she fell off her horse as soon as she mounted it.

There is a railway line half a mile away, you should see the trains, they look like museum pieces.

I do not think there is any more news.

Has Andrew mended my bike yet and have you sold the Rolls yet [1932 model] Please give my love to all the family and a pat for Nick [the dog].

When sending letters, if you put a 2 ½d stamp on they go by sea to Aden and would take 14 days, if you put 6d on it will go by air.

Love

Fred

Following is Fred's second letter to his father which was written after Fred had arrived in Aden.

R.A.F. Hospital Staff
Steamer Point
ADEN
6pm Friday April 22nd 1955.

Dear Dad,

I arrived at the hospital today just in time for lunch. I flew from Fayid yesterday in an RAF Valetta aircraft. We arrived at Khormaksar Airport (about 10 miles from here) at 5.50 pm local time. We are yet another hour ahead of you here.

Actually last Tuesday I was woken at 3.00 am and told I was going to Aden at 0700 hrs. I got to Fayid Airport at 0500 hrs and at 0620 hrs was told they could not take me as there was too much luggage on board-- typical RAF. I made sure I got the plane on Thursday.

As you can see I will be working at the hospital here.

The principal Medical Officer is a Group Captain and I had an interview with him and he was amazed to know I live in Heswall. He was once the Senior M.O. at West Kirby and used to play golf at Heswall every week [note- West Kirby is 6 miles from Heswall where I lived and I have been a member of Heswall Golf Club since 1963].   The matron was also at West Kirby and the hospital Warrant Officer lives in Birkenhead, W.O. Wiggal².

The hospital is situated ¾ the way up an enormous rock and is reached by an alarmingly twisty road. We have a wonderful view of the harbour and right out to sea.

The heat here is much worse than Egypt, it is far more humid and the sun is nearly vertically above at noon, we are about 12 degrees N of the equator and about 4000 miles from home -ugh.

On May 2nd I will start attending lectures for my SAC exam which is in September. I should be an LAC within 2 months.

Just after I arrived a Pembroke¹ (plane!) crashed into the sea about half a mile from Aden and on the only occasion he Air Sea Rescue Launch was called out its motors failed to start. Fortunately the plane stayed afloat and no one was injured. The plane was towed to a jetty and is now sitting on top of the jetty ready to be carted away.

I must say your letter did not take long to get here. I thought it was only 6d airmail. I suppose parcels take 3-4 weeks. Letters from Aden to UK cost 25 cents = 3d.

They have a sensible monetary system here 100 cents = 1/- 20/- = £1.

All the cinemas here are open air - just as well that rain is rare.

Cigarettes here are very cheap 85 cents for 20 = 10 ½d for 20.

For cricketers like me !!! there seems to be a very good chance that I will get quite a lot of cricket playing for the hospital team.

Here we do no "bull" at all. A local man cleans our shoes, badges and makes our beds, washes our clothes, cleans our knives forks and spoons before each meal and sweeps the billet out. We each pay 5/- a fortnight for the service he renders and 2/- a week to the dhobi wallah. Being in Aden has many advantages over being in the UK for National Service, of course it does have its disadvantages.

The [local] men dress up in quite colourful clothes while the women wear predominately black clothes and their faces are heavily veiled.

I will write to you again shortly. Love to you all

Fred