Hastings
Sept. 14th
Dear Folks:
Well for the third time in my military career I'm a budding Cadet in an O.T.C. Wonder if I'll stick it out this time long enough to get a pip or two up!
As to be expected I have a wonderful time on leave. I think I've told you agout most of it. I went down to Bramshott first for four days and saw the fellows & then Burnie & I went up to Norwich. I intended going to either Glasgow or Inverness but Burnie wouldn't go that far on his warrent. We had a jake time there for two days and then returned to London to see the shows. That's about the only drawing card to London but its quite a bit too. After Burnie went back I met two of the fellows that came over with me & we lived the simple life for the rest of our leave. We stayed at the Beaver Hutt - the new Canadian Y.M.C.A. and the best club in London by far. As a rule we had breakfast about 10 and then took a bus ride or tube ride to some part of the village we hadn't been in and come back to the Club for dinner (or luncheon I should say). Thats another point of advantage about the Beaver Hut - they put up the best meals in town and almost give them away. Last month the fed over 60 000 men, so you see its popular enough. We generally went to a vaudavelle in the P.M.'s or else the Navy Exhib or British Museum or something of the sort. Then in the evening we always went to a Theatre and beleive me I surely enjoyed them. During my leave and the few days I had in London afterwards I went to seventeen different Theatres. I didn't save all the programmes but I'll send a few I happened to keep. One afternoon we went to a real live ball game between the U.S. Army and Navy. It was really good - the Army won 2-1. Pemrock of the Boston Red Sox pitched for the Navy too. Our leave was up last Tuesday and we reported back to Hampstead - a part of London - and were given billets in private houses. We were there until this morning (Saturday) so it was almost as good as more leave. You see the money you sent L20 18D and 9d simply put me in flowers for I didn't have to worry about money. I don't know what I would have done without it. We were all getting low the last week so had to be satisfied with the gods at the theatres but we say the shows anyway. We went up for medical examination last Thursday and all got by O.K. It was the stiffest exam I ever had too. We each went thru' seven different doctors who tested you for different things. I never got even questioned about anything so I guess the war hasn't taken so much out of m after all. I was all in after it for it took almost all one day to go thru' The next day we were issued with clothes and before I got thru' the quarter stores I had enough clothes to start up a gent's furnighings. Then this morning at 6 AM we left Victoria station for here. It has rained all day so I haven't had a look at the burg yet but I guess its a pretty nice little town. It's on the coast and we're billeted in houses on the sea front so we aught to be healthy enough, We have a bath parade every morning at 5:30 to the beach. That will be kind of chilly for awhile I think. We wear the usual white band around our caps & special badges etc. I'll tell you more about the work when I write again.
My address now is
911289 Cadet W.J.M
No. 5 Squadron
8th R.A.F. Wing
Hastings Eng.
We'll probably be forming fours etc. here for six weeks or two months.
This is all I think for now. Send me my assigned pas as soon as it comes will you for we're going to sort of up against it here. The R.A.F. won't pay us because we're Canadians and there isn't a Can Pay Office here
Love to Everybody Bill
