Feb 8th 1942

Halifax

Dear. Mom:

How’s tricks? I nearly got down to see you for a day but no such luck, the guy I had to see must have been on a bender the night before, because he was terrible cranky when I went to see him. however such is life, you have undoutedly seen too much of me anyhow.

Things are pretty quite on board now since the majority of the boys have been evacuated to camps ashore, in fact there are only five sergeants in the lounge in it now, which is a rare thing, I had nothing else to do so I decided to drop you a line and see how much I can get past the censors. (the rats)

I was out to visit the girls last night and I have an invitation to come out to supper to-day but I’m wondering if it is going to stop [?] raining enough to get to the bus stop, Ada and I took in a show last night, it wasn’t bad, when we came out people were lined up for a whole block. the name of the picture was “The Shadow of the Thin Man” over with Myrna Loy and William Powell (oh! myrna!)

Boy oh! boy is it ever wet this morning, I have half a notion to go to church but that aint enough of a notion for me, as soon as the canteen opens Ill get a package of blades and go and have a good shave and then hope and then pray it slows up by this afternoon.

We have shifted from the old mess the ones formerly used by the officers, some [word obscured] kid some clors, about ten pieces of silver and water in little goblets, linen napkins and even [word obscured] on the table, I bet it’s costing the government a prty penny.

This morning we shifted out bunks to a warmer cabin, our cold one being too near the gang plank hatch which is always open when were ashore like this; but a Dam little cockney steward has been crabbing about the extra work etc. and we may have to return to our old haunts.

Ada gave me Ten dollars that she swears came from you, if that’s so thanks a million if it isn’t let me know and I’ll get enough to pay her back, because I know how hard it is for her to get money like that. she and Irene have been trying to make me take their money ever since I came up here, I think its pretty swell of them but I can always get enough /over to eat and a place to sleep so I wouldn’t take their hard earned wages. unless I was absolutely stuck so if it is from you thanks a billion and Ill be able to use it all right because I’m all out of blades and shaving soap, face soap, stamp money and heaven only knows what else, and then again window shopping gets pretty monotonous.

Well I hope Margaret, Mildred, Evelyn, Lennie, Verna, Mary and Tom, Dad, yourself and of course that Brat Grand Son of yours are all well and hopping. Ill bet you cant sit at your table and write a letter and just shout “one Ginger Ale Steward” and then in a few moments zingo! There he is right at your elbow with a great big bottle of Ginger Ale on a tray and a glass with an Ice cube in it. Some fun eh?!

That Dam rain is still coming down in great big drops that would only take about four for fill a cup. As it’s still hardly likely that I’ll get ashore to-day, you see we have to walk about ten minutes now to get even as far as the station, and then its another ten minutes to the bus stop as by that time, I’d be asked to the skim.

Well we may be out of here by this time next week that is according to rumors but you (over) know what rumors are they start gently and end violently.

A lot of our most desirable nurses have gone ashore but there are still some left one being about fourty or so, I guess she’s the one for me. ha! ha! You know that’s one thing about Halifax you hardly ever see a really nice looker but dont you let this get any further because if you do I’ll be shot for sure. They get pretty sore here when any [censored] expresses a true opinion or pultutute [?] in the City, so be quiet.

This letter is getting full of crapp and B.S. and the longer I keep writing the worse it will get. So I think I’ll just naturally shut my mouth. So this will be so long for the time being or until I see you in the Cinema.

Bill

me