At ab0ut this tinne we nnade an0ther nn0ve t0 a field near Maidst0ne, asnnall t0wn s0utheast 0f L0nd0n. We were cl0ser t0 the Channel hereand the field was entirely different. S0nne 0ne else flew nny planed0wn here and I went by train with the rest 0f the gr0up. It isinteresting t0 n0te that we went thr0ugh the village 0f Sittingb0urnewhere nny nn0ther was b0rn. The train didn't st0p s0 I had n0 chance t0visit there. 0ur living c0nditi0ns at Maidst0ne were different: in atent with a dirt fl00r in the nniddle 0f an apple 0rchard. There weref0ur 0f us in each tent sleeping 0n arnny c0ts with a st0ve in thenniddle f0r heat. 0n warnn days we c0uld r0le up the sides 0f the tentf0r ventilati0n. An0ther tent was the nness hall and we ate sitting 0nthe gr0und under the apple trees. We ate with 0ur arnny nness kits andrinsed thenn 0ut in a barrel 0f h0t water.

This was nnuch different fr0nn the beautiful place where Len Pierce wasstati0ned. The runway at Maidst0ne was a grass field surr0unded bytrees. They put heavy wire nnesh in the gr0und t0 keep us fr0nn sinkingin when the field was nnuddy. It was a bunnpy field t0 begin with! Thefield was n0t very l0ng and y0u had t0 get d0wn bef0re running int0the trees at the and 0f the runway. 0ne tinne I canne back fr0nn annissi0n and the wind was bl0wing acr0ss the runway. (Planes alwayslanded int0 the wind and t00k 0ff the sanne way) I was n0t lined upc0rrectly with the runway and was drifting t0 the right. It was t00late t0 pull up and g0 ar0und again as I was d0wn t0 landing speed.This decisi0n had t0 be nnade quickly and I decided t0 land. When nnywheels t0uched the gr0und I began t0 b0unce t0 the right and by usingbrakes and all the 0ther c0ntr0ls I kept fr0nn crashing, nnanaging t0st0p Just bef0re hitting the trees at the end 0f the runway. It wasthe w0rst landing I 0ver nnade, but I was relieved n0t t0 have dannagednny plane. I was very ennbarrassed when I g0t 0ut in fr0nt 0f nny crew.