30 Cdn Air Survey Liaison Sec, RCE

Cdn Army Overseas.

14 Nov 44

Dear Jean:

Tuesday night, and your letter still on the way, hope it will come along tomorrow, but will get this ready now, and perhaps add a note. Quite often your letters have arrived on Saturday, only 6 days after you had written them. They are rarely latter than Tuesday.

Still busy, in fact quite submerged, still studying the data I gathered over in Normandy. However, the end of that is in sight, and then I can get caught up with other things. Last summer I had the cupidity to hope that we might be away on a real trip by this time, however, things move so slow. One thing, there is plenty to occupy us here, but I am gradually but definitely getting weary of being in this part of the world, and yearn for a complete change of scene, and especially climate. I guess most of us are beginning to feel that the war is lasting a long time, especially those of us who have been away from our families since the early 40's. I am more than ever glad that we were given that brief but golden interlude together last year. It has helped so much. It revitalized my joy in knowing I have you, just the same as when we first joined hands and hearts. It also gave me more than an imaginary picture of Mary, and a better understanding of what you tell me about her/your problems, and happiness in her. She is growing too fast tho, and I must get home to you both soon.

Nothing very exciting since my last, have stuck right here and concentrated on the main business in hand, it is the only way to really produce the right answers, and in that way add something definite to the vast structure of our technique for winning the war as soon as possible. Bill enticed me off to a movie Sat evening, turned out to be one I had seen before, but I enjoyed it, even tho it wasn't at all highbrow. I was on duty over the week end, so couldn't plan any overnight outing. It was horrible weather so it was a good time to get ahead with some of the work, and take advantage of few interruptions. Sunday afternoon, I grimly dressed up for cycling over to Morris's in a cold rain, that felt it might turn to snow, however, after the first few miles it or rather I got up my circulation, and really enjoyed the freshness, and decided to take my time, and enjoy the outing. I stayed for tea and early supper, and got home here before 10 pm. They were both very bright, and protested that I had been neglecting them, hadn't been over for about 10 days. I borrowed their November "Geographic", and am very struck with one of the colored photos in it, it is the semi-nude of a Salvador lass, Plate No XI. it is a masterpiece of its kind, both for color, arrangement, form and subject, and is worth framing. Would you put that number of the geographic away after you've finished, and when I come home, we can mount and frame it suitably. If you don't like it for the living room, I shall be glad to have it down in my den. You can call it my "pin-up girl" It is the first of my collection of that type. is it the first symptom of senile decay? Or is it proof that I still have an eye for feminine beauty?

A letter from Margaret Trorey, quite a long time coming, having been incorrectly addressed. It was mostly a eulogy of my "Jean", and as she expressed it, "little Gerry in feminine form" meaning Mary. She had just returned from her Victoria visit, and fell for you and Mary. Margaret is very full in her likes and really means what she says. Also had a birthday letter from Olive Andrews, it always touches me when anybody remembers my birthday, and it was kind of her. It came in good time, she seems to be happy in her environment of 30 years ago, and it must recall to her the happier time of her life, when she and Dad first met, and where she was so energetic and enthusiastic in her mission work. I remember her as an attractive good looking, rather prim and pious Methodist deaconess there. As young children we were not happy at the prospect of even a good looking young woman invading the precincts of our home, all the more jealous of it by mother's death, and the natural way in which we regarded her empty place as totally sacred. Occasionally the "family" were rounded up, and hereded down to the Stella Ave Mission, to gratify my Father's pride, but we were allowed to regularly keep on at our own neighbourhood church, which gave play to our loyalty to our own Mother sorely missed. Since, I have of course learned to appreciate poor Dad's problem, and more and more admire Olive's fine qualities, and for old times sake have a real affection for her. Still our childhood in the middle stages suffered considerable grief. No doubt it left its scar on our personality and character, but to balance, it intensified our loyalties to each other, and later to those whom we accepted as friends, and surely most of all to the ones whom god gave us to wed. Forgive me for turning over this old sod, but Olives letter opened up a flood of old memories - and dear ones.

Your letter not yet shown up so will get this off -

LOVE TO YOU BOTH

GER.