Somewhere in England

Sept 19/42.

Dear Bill:

Received your letter this P.M. and decided to answer it right away. I’m always glad to hear from you cause your letters seem to bring home right to me and they’ve never failed yet to relieve my boredom so keep up the good work.

I had a letter from Murray about a week or so ago and have answered it already. Sorry to hear that his chum got it. That’s the trouble with this war there are too many people getting it when they shouldn’t and a lot that could stand it will never get it. I hope also that it won’t have any effect on Murray but somehow I don’t think it will. I don’t envy him his trip either specially with someone whom he knew so darn well.

I often wonder what you think of the raid at Dieppe. I have plenty of views on it myself but can’t express them in this particular letter. I think we’ll be getting going one of these days soon now and it can’t come soon enough for me either. It’ll be a tough job but I have a lot of faith in these guys here and I know they will be just as tough as any squarehead if they get half a decent sort of break.

We had a couple of sneak raiders the other day. They dropped a bomb on the station which, believe it or not, ricocheted when it lit and went through to the center of the station where it exploded killing five firemen and injured fourteen more people. Afterwards they went up and down the streets machine gunning until one of them was brought down by a Seaforth. That’s the third plane he’s brought down in just over two weeks which is darn good considering all he used was a Bren gun. I saw in orders where they had decided to give him the M.M. I saw the plane and it was one of Germany’s latest the Foche Wolfe 190 which is supposed to be the best plane he has at the moment. I saw a Whirlwind today and boy can they ever travel. I think they have a Spit beat every way.

The snaps you sent were really good and Betty sure has caught on to the developing. Gram seems by her picture to have aged 20 years since I left so she must have been terribly ill. I got a hell of a shock when I seen her I could barely believe my eyes.

Well Bill I’ve given you most of the news for the moment so will call it quits for this time. I’ve got a good idea where Doug is now and am going for a look see as soon as I can get some time off and I hope I find him. So long for now and give my regards to the rest of the family.

Kindest regards

Jim.