East Sandling
15-11-18

Dear Everybody:

Another note tonight - just to thank you for parcel No 124 - the Cosmo' & Life and Jay's letter received today. The parcel was great - especially the cookies. You know in this country they can't put sugar in any thing they cook & you can imagine what pastry & cakes etc taste like. In the first place they can't cook anyway. I can turn out pumpkin pies that would make ‘em sit up & take notice so you can bet I enjoyed some real cooking.

Things are at a stand-still here just now. We were supposed to go to the school of Aeronautics tomorrow but it has been cancelled indefinitely & all kinds of rumours have been floating around. I'm not worrying a-tall. The only thing I want to do is catch a fast boat at Liverpool bound for Halifax. Some of the fellows have been trying to make me see the wisdom of finishing the course & going back as an officer but I can't see it - I wouldn't stay five minutes overtime if I was going to get Doug Haig's job. Just the same I'm going to sit tight until I see how Fritz acts with the terms. I think its OK but you never can tell.

I'm afraid you people have been worrying about my financial difficulties - well forget it. I won't starve to death thats a cinch & at this stage of the game I can do without any leave. There is talk of us being discharged by the Imperials & in that case we would get 28 days leave & have to take it but I don't think that very probable.

The dollar bill came in handy just the same - I got it cased at the Y - after letting all the natives see what real money looked like.

Got by the final exams OK - pulled down 99% at that & over 1/3 of the squadron failed absolutely. Poor McPhail was one of them & he's a graduate of the Manitoba University - a B.A. HE got nervous & all balled up - the exam was simple enough but he was shell shocked or something. Spriggie managed to squease thru'.

Have been playing quite a bit of rugby this fall. The latest is that I've caught a place on the English Rugby team & I never played it before I cam here. Its not half as good a game as ours but its fun to takle one of ‘em hard and then see how annoyed he looks,. They can't stand anything rough & think that Canadian rugby is a regular suicide.

Well I'll call a halt for tonight. Hope tomorrow's mail brings me some more letters.

Don't worry about me & the money question - if I cable & you haven't got it handy why forget it - remember there's not a war on now & I'll get along O.K. I won't cabel unless its a case of leave & then it will be only on spec' so for the love of Mike don't go bankrupt.

Love to Everybody Bill
P.S. Am sending a photo of one of the fellows in our hut. He plays on the rugby team & is not a bad scout. Happened to get his photo so will send it along sometime soon. His name is Pilkington.

Yours WJM

Card enclosed;

Box 124 Oct. 9 - Nov 15

Mother's best cookies: -- Were great. Didn't lst long tho'.

candy - was fine but you can't kid me you bo't it just because it was in one of Hepburns boxes

Socks: are great - good & thick

Brown sugar. - Just what I want for its one thing thats absent in this country