FROM LONDON TO AUSTRALIA BY AEROPLANE 



279 



A LAUGHING BOY OF DELHI 

 'I circled above Delhi to allow the people to see our machine" (see text, page 297), 



as though they had been but recently va- 

 cated. 



Next we passed over tne Medjdel 

 aerodrome, and as I gazed down at the 

 marks where the hangars had stood, 

 many memories of bygone days came 

 pleasantly back to me. Soon after leav- 

 ing Medjdel we ran into dense clouds, 

 and on reaching Ramleh heavy rain be- 

 gan to fall. There was an R. A. F. squad- 

 ron station on the old aerodrome, and I 

 was sorely tempted to land and renew 

 old friendships, for I had been stationed 

 at this aerodrome for five months at 

 the latter end of the war. However, 



this was no joy-ride ; so I reluctantly 

 passed over this haven of refuge, and 

 then once more out into the bleak world 

 of storm and rain ; but I was much 

 cheered by the whole squadron turning 

 out on to their aerodrome and waving up 

 to us. 



the: engines' song 



My past experiences in Palestine rain- 

 storms steeled me for what was to fol- 

 low, and from Ramleh to the Sea of 

 Galilee the weather was despicable and 

 smote us relentlessly. The torrential rain 

 cut our faces and well-nigh blinded us. 



