30 Cdn Air Survey Liaison Sec, RCE

Cdn Army England. 8 Aug 44.

Dear Jean:

Your letter of the 1st made another fast journey, arriving here yesterday noon. It is nice to get them in time to answer Sunday evening, Would have tried to get this away last night, but no mail goes out through our normal channels till Monday morning. I feel sorry for you having to face the dentist so much these days, but it's the best thing to get em out if they are bothering you. Hope I can keep mine a bit longer. They aren't bad, and get them gone over by the army dentists once a year at least. Note that you are following up the eye operation with restorative treatments, and you seem confident and happy about it, however, I gather that the eye is still quite weak, and must be quite a handicap to you in the normal round of life. Hope it clears all up soon, I suppose you cant go to a movie or do much reading either. You will be glad to know that my boil is practically better now. Rode the bike over to Tyrellswood today and it didn't make any protest at all. It has been a long time going through its phases, but it was a very deep one, and fortunately seems to have healed up right from the bottom, so am not anticipating any more trouble from that quarter.

You will be glad to know that my long heralded report is at last completed. Am now busy getting a few [?] copies bound and fixed up for a very limited distribution, but to most of the people who are really interested. It came to a climax yesterday, I had been asked to try to get one ready for a certain Professor, who is Chief scientific adviser to a large HQ, so that he could take it on a jaunt. Instead of sending it in by a special messenger, finally got it ready in time to take the next train after the one I should have caught, and went right in with it myself, thinking that altho it was to be handed over to his assistant, that it might be just possible that the Professor himself might be in the office unexpectedly. Found his ass't, alright, but to learn that the learned gentleman had just gone, and that the report would have to be sent on after hoping it would catch up at his destination. Stayed to have some tea, and just as I was leaving, in walked the Professor, he grabbed my precious effort, popped it into his brief case, and off he went. What a bit of luck. He'll probably be bored sufficiently on the trip to glance through my stuff, out of shear desperation. Just as I left he asked me a rather encouraging question, to which I answered in the affirmative. Well, it's a long shot, but it was worth the effort. It will keep me busy for a few days getting the balance of the copies bound, we have to do all that here. However, the big rush is over, and it is a novel but delicious feeling that I can relax just for a short time, It has been quite a grind. You can imagine last week was a busy one. Am of course keeping a personal copy of my report, which you will be able to see someday, not as a source of entertainment, but as an exhibit.

It was a good thing I got over to Morris's this afternoon. Ecila being away, the old lady is having a lot of worry and trouble with the chickens, what a lot of bother the pesky things are. Anyway by good luck I managed to get things straightened around for her, and she was relieved, happy, and of course very grateful. I don't think you need every worry that your husband will want to keep chickens. I didn't get away from here till 4, but the old lady kept tea for me, and stayed for an early supper but came home right after. It is the first good exercise I've had for over a week, and needed the outing. Will jump into a hot bath now in a little while, and get into bed.

Had a few people converge on my place for a meeting and a lunch which they all seemed to enjoy. Mr Bourne, my professor friend ex-Oxford was included, in fact the meeting was arranged to permit the other people to meet him, and get his advice on some imminent matters. It took almost a whole bottle of whiskey to give them all an aperitif, which being very scarce, was quite an effort. However, a good lunch preceded by a nip of Scotch often accomplished more than slugging away at an involved technical treatise. The main thing is to be able to do both, in moderation. Your husband is sufficiently moderate as far as the whiskey is concerned, but not too moderate on the other sort of business.

Bert Hayward phoned during the week, and said he had received John Rodd's letter, and wondered when Bill or I or both could come down for a week end again. Well I've hardly had time to think about Mill Bay, except when in bed. However will thin it all out, and any way will have a chat with Bert about your reactions to his place. It isn't necessary to make any definite stand on the question yet, and he seems interested in what I think of it. I have met few men as fine as Bert. Tell Micky Trew that I was glad to get his letter written enroute down from Bella Coola, and that I envied him his trip. This look like the bottom edge once more.

All my love to you both,

.........GER