30 Cdn Air Survey Liaison Sec, RCE

Cdn Army England.

24 Sept 44

Dear Jean:

Your last letter, of the 17th broke all records, and was here for lunch yesterday. Less than a week, it seems incredible. To know what you were doing and thinking less than a week before is a wonderful thrill, it seemed to bring you very close. I am delighted with your paragraph about Mary, You give me such wonderful accounts of her, and you put so much of your own love into them, really, Mary and I are very lucky to have you for our momma and wife. This war cant end too soon for me, I've missed too much already. Mary must be priceless these days, and I'd love to hear her adaptations of the Lord s prayer to various mundane incidents of her daily life. When I was Marys age, and especially when I started to read books first, I lived in a world of my own imaginings, and indeed, there was never a dull moment. I hope her cold is cleared up, and that she will be able to get to St Margarets without undue trouble for her Ma. Thank her for the PS at the end of your letter, and the horse and kisses. Not sure what the square thing is.

Glad Mily arrived, you probably meant to mention that it came, but it is easy to overlook things. I often do, as you may realize, Was especially annoyed that I forgot to prepare you for the Basso visit. Glad you are getting to know Mrs B, she is certainly of a different world than we are, but she is a sincere and affectionate girl for all of that. I guess it is the fundamentals that count, and not the veneer that different environments coat people with. You don't need to take Harold too seriously, as you have probably sized him up already. Evidently he had been maneuvering to get Bill Hall back to Canada, but Bill definitely doesn't want to return just now. He feels he can do a more useful job over here, and he wants to see a bit of Europe too, so I agree that he is wiser to resist the temptation to come home, and find there is nothing to keep him interested. He comes back from leave tomorrow, Bill is very restless, and had to keep on the go all the time, it is his nature anyway, but it is worse now possibly a temporary reaction to what has happened to him during the last few years, and especially the long confinement of hospital. He is as healthy as a tick, so tell Mary Rodd not to worry about him.

Margaret Trorey's visit seems to have been enjoyed by all of you. She is a most interesting and likeable woman, and I'm glad that you like her too. She liked you the first minute she saw you, I remember in the old days, she used to speculate on what kind of a girl I should marry. I'll have to admit that you were, and are still a bit of a surprise to me, but a most delightful and gratifying one.

My boil is improving gradually, but is still at the inconvenient stage where I have to spend a bit of time each day cleaning and dressing it, however, Bert Haywards hot castor oil treatment is just the thing, apparently, as it has been draining nicely, and shrinking in size, and less painful, each day. The worst of it is that just now I am still plugging away on my report, and that means I have to sit on my bottom long hours of the day, and evenings. It would be better if I could take a temporary job as a floor walker till it is healed. Have been taking yeast tablets too, with the hope that maybe that will improve my blood, and reduce my age old tendency to skin eruptions. I'm really very healthy, and in excellent physical shape, except that my blood seems to have to eliminate poisons through the skin. The boil is complicated one, with about 2 centres of disturbance.

It was Harry's week end off so I stayed home and worked on my report. It is a nice change to be able to answer your letter this evening, The report has been a terrific amount of work, but even if nobody reads it, it will have been worth while because it has made me really study the ins and outs of the technique, and I understand it far better now than I did even when we were doing the urgent operational work before the invasion. Needless to say, I have since learned, as a result, that we could have turned out better stuff, had I known that I know now, however, it is to be hoped that there may yet be a chance for me to apply the knowledge.

It was an easy week end to stay in and work, because the weather has been foul. Feel it is unwise, as well as uncomfortable to ride my bike while the boil is still active, so in is not an unmixed blessing, by encouraging work. I do miss the exercise of the bike though. Not quite so pleasant now, as the nights are dark, and if I stay at Morris's for supper, it means a long ride home in the dark with the light burning. I know the road so well, tho, that I could almost make it blindfolded. Have been wearing my cowichan sweater all day, and it is a comfort, we have no fires yet. Ecila washed and mended it for me, it looks and feels fine. Have been anxious about our troops in Holland, hope it will be OK. As usual, the weater fails us just when we need it most.

LOVE TO YOU BOTH...

GER

Do you think you could get me a subscription to the weekly magazine "Time" - air edition? It is the best magazine for a busy man.