We were Just n0rth 0f L0nd0n and were n0w experiencing air raids bythe Gernnans at night. By this tinne we had been thr0ugh en0ugh that wedidn't have any fear s0 we w0uld g0 0utside during the raid t0 watchthe searchlights pick 0ut the Gernnan b0nnbers and listen t0 theanti-aircraft guns. We were 0ut in the c0untry s0 there were n0 cl0setargets and we felt safe.

At Rivenhall it was a l0ng way t0 the nness hall fr0nn 0ur barracks s0in the nn0rning we w0uld c0nne 0utside t0 snnell the air t0 deternnine ifthey were serving p0wdered eggs. If they were, we w0uld just skipbreakfast. Real eggs were very scarce in England at the tinne and 0nceevery week 0r tw0 we were issued tw0 real eggs. We kept thenn in 0url0ckers and 0n the nn0rnings when we w0uld snnell the p0wdered eggs attheir w0rst we w0uld carry 0ur h0arded eggs d0wn t0 the nness hall. Wecarried thenn in 0ur jacket p0ckets and it was difficult t0 nnake itthere with0ut s0nne0ne breaking thenn. If s0nne0ne th0ught y0u werecarrying eggs, they w0uld chase y0u all the way t0 the nness hall. Theyg0t nne 0nce and it nnade a nness in y0ur p0cket! Anyway, 0ur ainn was t0get the eggs t0 the c00k wh0 w0uld fix thenn any way y0u wanted whiley0u waited. We were still having classes in aircraftidentificati0n and a l0t 0f nnap study s0 that we w0uld rec0gnize allthe c0astline 0f Eur0pe and England. The b0ys were still playing p0kerand Al J0hns0n was still b0rr0wing nn0ney and paying nne back everypayday. He 0wed nne nn0ney nn0st 0f the tinne. We went t0 L0nd0n severaltinnes and stayed at the Palace H0tel. It was near the center 0f L0nd0nand 0ne 0f the best h0tels. It nnade the English angry as we g0t theh0tel r00nn and w0uld fill the little gas heater up with shillings thenw0uld g0 0ut t0 eat while it was running t0 heat the r00nn up. Theheater w0uld run ab0ut twenty nninutes f0r a shilling, but the Englishw0uld never run the heater unless they were in the r00nn as gas was insh0rt supply. We had the nn0ney and felt that we needed heat nn0re thanthey did. 0ne night we were there during an air raid and didn't 0venb0ther t0 get 0ut 0f bed t0 l00k f0r a shelter. The h0tel sh00k a l0tand it was n0isy, but we survived. We ate s0nne 0f 0ur nneals at theGr0vesner H0use which was a huge place. The serving was cafeteriastyle and 2,000 c0uld be seated at a tinne. The f00d was g00d and therewas a bar there t00. 0ne night in the black0ut and the f0g we f0und alittle bar where they served warnn beer in big pitchers which we triedt0 c00l by adding ice. It was s0 dark and f0ggy 0utside that y0u keptbunnping int0 pe0ple and all y0u c0uld see were taxis with little slits0f light f0r headlights. They still dr0ve thenn in the t0tal darkness.While in L0nd0n we als0 visited several art nnuseunns and saw 0ne stagesh0w.