Monday Night
Halifax
Mar 1942

Hello Mum and the folks:

Well the first leg of the trip is over. There was very little to it. If the remainder is as boring as that was it will be very dull. Got in here at seven this evening. We stopped over in Montreal from 7 till 3:15 so I phoned up Meryl & got her out of bed but Staff Hill & I went up and we took a trip up to the mountain and looked over the city from above. Then went back and Meryl had dinner ready and after the dinner June & her girlfriend went down to the station with us. Came by St. John & Moncton etc. We came through both Debert & Sussex and they are quite big camps. This place is much like any other Air Force Camp with exception that there seems to be no aircraft around here. We saw plenty loaded on ships on the way in though.

I don't know if our mail is censored from here or not, but if it is that last sentence will be cut out. Couling got in behind us as his ticket called for a little boat ride across the Bay of Fundy to Digby & then by train to here. The first part of the journey he was with us. He stopped in at Montreal to see his uncle and he took him all over the city and saw all the sights. Well, the French can have N.B. & N.S. for what I have seen of it. It is all swamp & hills. It is just like the back 50 at Aunt Kate's place. We sure can be thankful we got a few "square" fields anyway even though they are rough.

I think we are miles from down town. It seemed a long ride from the station if it's down town. The routine here reads just like Manning Depot. We will likely get a brushing up on our discipline. The mattresses & pillows look like the streets—dirty. I guess if they send over the goods we can put up with the dirt.

There really is nothing to say about what happens here or what I did. Sat. Betty & I took in a show & Friday nite I went over to Couling's place. His wife is quite nice and seems to be reconciled to the facts O.K. Met a chap from the 47th who went to Claresholm. He says Bob & Parker are still "B's" and are not well liked because they scrounged all the rides at the first. Another chap said Bob could fly though. I was sorry to hear that because I figured Bob & Parker for advancement ahead of me.

I know I can't fill another page so will close—will write when I know more about Halifax.

Am in best of spirits as are the rest—

Bill