Friday, July 25, 1941

Dearest Mum -

Golly is this ever a hectic business and no mistake! I seem to have been rushing around here these last few days like a madman.

As far as I can see this is what is happening:

In a matter of two or three days I will be leaving for England aboard a bomber with myself as Navigator, the Pilot & a Wireless Operator and I certainly am looking forward to the trip - it should be a wonderful experience.

I think we go to some place in the North of Scotland where we train some more at an Operational Training Unit.

PAY

My pay as a Pilot Officer is something like $187 a month -- $87 of this I am required to leave in Canada. Naturally, $7.00 of this goes for my insurance and the other $80.00 I have assigned to you Mum and the first payment will be for August - though just when you will get it I am not sure.

All we will be actually paid before going over is our $5.00 a day living allowance - which will no more than comfortably cover just that. So Mum the only money I will be able to send you will be the $80.00 and it may be a little later than you expected - I was thinking of the ring.

The $80.00 of course Mum you can use as you need. I am also required to start a bank account which I am going to do today so any amount over you can deposit in it - I'll give you the details later Mum.

All this of course is very sudden and rather haphazard but it will have to do.

Really I would have liked some time in Montreal and if possible I wanted to have Fran come down here and we could have been married - it would give us both so much more to hang on to and providing we had a little to start out on - as I would have had after a few weeks here - well I just can't see why not.

However, it is just not to be it seems and from here on - we are in the laps of the Gods.

My uniform will be ready to-morrow morning and with the $150 I have just been able to get what I need right now including shirts etc.

We were scheduled to fly last night on a sort of test flight and though the arrangements fell through somehow, at least I don't have to report until this afternoon.

It's simply unbearably hot here in Montreal, we just swelter all day.

Olaf was to have left this morning but his flight was postponed.

How is Jep Mum - have you heard any news from him?