RCAF Overseas
July 23 1943

Dear Mother and Dad,

I haven't received any letters from home now for about two weeks so I imagine they will all come at once. However, I was so darn far behind in my letter writing it kind of gave me a breathing spell to catch up on them all.

I'm having a great time on this station as I go into town nearly every night, but then you would hardly blame me if you saw how pretty this town is.

During the summer months there is what is known as a Shakespeare Festival, and I saw one of his plays this week. It was called Winter's Tale and was very good, indeed. I intend to see a few more of the plays before the summer is over. My crew and I went the other night. The bomb aimer comes from Toronto and even went to Northern Vocational School. His name is Jim Pappas; however, I didn't know him back home. The navigator-Ken Hoe (we just call him Red)-comes from London, Ontario, and the wireless operator comes from Birmingham. They certainly are a great bunch of fellows and we really get along swell together. I'm sending a ticket that I bought for the theatre as a souvenir.

My navigator and I met two nice girls last week that had escaped from Vienna, Austria just after the beginning of the war. They are very interesting to talk to and are trying to teach me how to speak German. My lessons, however, will probably be cut short as they are only here on holidays. I got quite a laugh when they told me they had tags on them when they arrived over here as they were unable to speak English at the time.

I suppose by the time you get this letter the summer season will be almost over at home. Did you manage to get up to the cottage very much this year? It's too bad the gas rationing became so strict this year, but over here a civilian can't get any gas at all for pleasure use.

Before I forget, would you try and send me some hair oil-olive oil would be fine-in your next parcel. Also, I would appreciate very much if you could try and arrange to send me cigarettes over here through the tobacco company. Let me know if you can and thanks a lot. I haven't received your last parcel yet, but I'll let you know when I get it, which I expect should be next week. I received a card from Ruby today. She and her husband were away on a week's holiday.

Well, I seem to have completely exhausted all my news, so goodbye for now.

Your loving son,
Arthur