Crashes and Castles: William McRae’s WWI Letters (1917)

These letters from William McRae, a Royal Flying Corps pilot from Agassiz, British Columbia, offer a glimpse into his daily life during wartime training. Writing to his mother, he shares moments that are both routine and show the uncertainty of miliary life.

They are part of the William McRae Letter Collection (WWI Series)
Read the previous letters in the series here: William McRae Main Page
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About William McRae

William Gordon McRae was born in 1897 in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. He was the oldest of 10 children to Ambie, a founding member of the local chapter of the Women’s Institute, and John the reeve (think mayor) of the community where they lived and farmed.

William was eager to learn how to fly and built his own airplane including propeller. He left home to train under Billy Bishop in the Royal Flying Corps before heading overseas to fight in World War One.

Royal Flying Corps Flight Log

As a Royal Flying Corps cadet, William was required to keep a detailed flight log documenting every hour he spent in the air. These records tracked his training, the aircraft he flew, and the tests he completed as he prepared for active service. Below are the pages of his logbook.

William McRae’s Photographs 1915-1917

William was an avid flyer and a photographer who combined his two passions Here are some of his photographs taken during his flight training in British Columbia as well as England.

William’s Letter to Mother – June 24, 1917

No. 39. R. Squadron,
Royal Flying Corps,
Montrose,

June 24/17

Kindly excuse scribbling as the ink supply in my pen is low.

Dear Mother.

It is a week to day since I received your last letter and as the mail has not yet arrived! I expect something in the mail when it does arrive.

I finished my course here last Sunday. But as I am waiting for Bob to finish his solos. I have not yet handed in my examination sheet. So if Bob does’nt finish soon I shall have to go away & leave him.

To spend my time I go down to the range practicing shooting clay pigeons with a shot gun and also shooting with the machine guns.

I forgot to send you the snap shot album last week so will do so to day.

I go to the picture show quite often. Sometimes they are real good but half the films they show I have seen before in Vancouver.

The English mail just came in a minute ago and I had a card from G. Chester on which it said he was writing later. I also have a letter from the Can Pay Office in reference to my Can pay. Say it certainly takes a long time to get anything out of the govt. I haven’t received my traveling expenses yet for the trip across here. But I suppose it will come in time.

Oh. Say. I received your parcel yesterday talk about a mash. I honestly couldn’t use it. The candy if what seen it was ha!ha! Through the cake and as the cover was smashed open half of it lost. Some mess. But thanks ever so much. It looked good If it didn’t taste right ha! ha!

I have cut down eating considerable since last Sunday. I get up @ 12 o’clock have a little pudding for lunch have afternoon tea & a bit for supper.

Gen French is out on the —addressing the — so I guess I will go out & see how he is getting along for the present. How is pea- soup? Also Mutt. Dad. Yourself & the bunch

Your loving son.W.G.M.

William’s Letter to Mother – July 3, 1917

18^th Training Squad.
Royal Flying Corps,
Montrose.

July 3/17

The epistle according to Paul!
St. William Same!

Dear Mother.

I received your letter dated May 29/17 and was please to hear you are all well.

Having passed through the 39^th R.S. I was posted to this squadron for an advanced course in Aviation. I am now flying a —-which travel at a speed of only seventy miles. But hope to be flying B.E. in a few days which have a speed of over ninety miles. They say a pilot is not an “aviator” until he has had a crash well! “I am an aviator” Ha.Ha.

Having obtained the above title by a forced landing caused by a dead rotary engine. The experience was certainly a —-. I was —— from over five thousand feet in an —-. I tried to start the engine in the air but with no results. As an inner valve was gone. Well I was over the city at about eight hundred feet so I had to think quick. So passing over a factory chimney I saw a small 2 x 4 field surrounded by trees well to get into this field I passed over 1 telephone wire system & side slipped under another telephone wire which passed through the centre of the field. I landed @ about fifty miles per hr. Could not find space to navigate the old cow so had to await results which caused in a crash against a tree. The wings folded around the tree and in a loveable manner & I laughingly jumped out only to find that the machine was absolutely demolished. A M.D. who arrived in the field in a — felt my pulse & he was quite surprised to find it normal. Since this I have had two forced landings but as I keep near the aerodrome it is quite O.K.

Bob Main who finished at the 39^th was sent to Stirling so when I get on the B.E’s I intend visiting him.

News here is so very scarce that I thought I should send the above flying news. It is just a slight incident so think nothing of it.

With kind regards to all the Agassiz folk.

Your loving son.
Lieut. William McRae

How are the Fooks?

Dad Mutt, Tog & the bunch.

Tell Tog his letter was fine.

William’s Letter to Mother – July 8, 1917

18^th Training Squad
Royal Flying Corp,
Montrose.

July 8/17

Dear Mother-
I received your welcomed letter nearly a week ago together with Helen’s & Tog’s. Agassiz seems a quite bit livelier than when I left? I am orderly-officer again today. So it keeps me quite busy attending parades etc. but never less as it keeps me out of mischief, I am quite content.

Scarcely anything of duly importance has happened since last week. Of course there are always exceptions. This one being as follows. “I was up in a RF2E last night trying to do a few stunts such as stalls, dives, vertical banks & “Immelmann turns etc. While indulged in the above work I noticed a “rumpty” from the 39^th with its nose dug into the sea about 30 yards or so from the shore & swooping down I saw something like a crawfish scrambling in the water. It being of course ar solo in the same squadron. It was very comical to see him pass the aerodrome after I passed landed.

It seems the above stunts didn’t seem to take to me last night as I feel a slight degree of sea-sickness at present. Although nothing to speak off.

I forgot to tell you I had a letter from Doreen yesterday she wanted to know why Isabel hadn’t written to her lately.

So Gladys is going to teach Clarence soon. Clarence shame on you! Letting a little girl hear you!! Hello Tog that letter was Jolly fine. Have you any more of them?

Love to all your loving son.

William as Willie

Has Nickie arrived in Agassiz yet with his hair salon yet?

William’s Letter to Mother – July 15, 1917

18^th Training Squad.
Royal Flying Corps,
Montrose.

This is a piece of a letter that I forgot to send you some time ago. Willie.

Dear Mother.

I received your welcomed letters this last week. Also Vernice, Tog’s & Bell’s letter. Which were very comical, especially Vernice’s when she described their school affairs. Hush! Ha! Ha!

Oh! Yes! You spoke about my pay etc. Well! I pay over £1.8 for my mess per mo (ie $45.00) Which leaves me less than two pounds for several expenses such as clothing etc. So you see it takes a clever man to graph in the Imperial Army. Of course when I reach France the mess will be much lower.

I was up for a considerable length of time this morning in a BE2E (140 H.P. which makes a spud of over ninety miles) doing several of my wireless test. I also made a little trip to Dundee @ eight thousand feet which took about half an hour.

I have only completed about nine hours solo flying so far. So by the time I finish my sixty hours eight weeks will ….

William’s Letter to Mother – July 20, 1917

18^th Training Squad
Royal Flying Corps,
Montrose.

July 20/17

I can not send the first part of my letter in this envelope. So will enclose in another.

Dear Mother.-

I meant to send this letter Tuesday morning, but as I have been stranded in the country since then, I have been unable to do so.

Well. So begin the little story. Three of us boys. Frith. Bond. & Myself who are going to scout squadrons were sent on our cross country flight Tuesday morning @ 5 a.m. We were headed for Perth. But as fate discerned it we only got about eighteen miles on this side of Perth, when Frith’s machine came partially to quiet. One of his landing wires broke. This of course caused him to have a forced landing so after looking for a nice big mansion he landed in a big field next to a castle.

Of course Bond & myself came down also so after finding the trouble I returned to Montrose for both a wire & machine, when I returned to Frith; Bond was gone so the lady of the castle came out to the field & invited us to breakfast @ 8.30 am which I am glad to say we neglected not! Where we met both the old folks this am & daughter. So after breakfast we returned to the field. We could not get Frith’s engine started. After the mechanic (who was my first passenger) had fixed the wire. So therefore were stayed for lunch.

After several more futile attempts after lunch to start the machine I started back to Montrose ^ in my machine (for more tools) in a terrible rainstorm. I got about fifty miles away, but nearly lost my way as the clouds were only fifty feet from the ground & very dense. So I returned the second time to our memorial field, this time were covered the machines up & went in to dinner, after spending the most pleasantest time imaginable, we retired after bidding Mrs & Mr Weddenspoon & family a “bon s—” Say talk about a sleep. I possibly can’t describe it anyway our accommodations & meals, wine, cigars, were absolutely 3 times better than the Vancouver Hotels.

The next morning after breakfast we tried the engine again! But no! It would not start, so we were invited again for lunch. After lunch Mr. Bond came from Montrose to ask me to take myself & my machine back to Montrose which I did although not before we had dinner which was absolutely grand. So after we bid there most hospitable  people good evening we started for Montrose & landed @ 10.30.P.M.

Mr Frith is still there but will return as soon as his machine is fixed. I was ask back for a few days for shooting which I intend to do in a few days because their home is absolutely wonderful not to say any thing about themselves. It seems this gentleman owns large establishments in Canada & also ones over half of the next county.

After I reached the Aerodrome last night I was booked for night for night landings which I did quite successfully although one of the fellows had a crash.

This morning I went up & looped (10/ten) times, the first time I looped three times in sucession the second time I looped seven times in sucession. To tell the truth there isn’t any thing in it.

Well! As news is scarce for the time being I must abdicate.

Love to all.
Your loving son,

William.

With kind remembrances to the Fooks.