October 3, 1942

We moved out of our winter quarters about two weeks ago. Just in the nick of time too as heavy rains have been falling almost daily ever since and you may well imagine how nice that would be under canvas. Our new location is much nearer London, on a good train service, so our stay here shouldn’t be too unpleasant. Our billets are large vacant houses and ours is located on the edge of a large park. As I told you, I am back on the guns again and really quite happy as the “A” troop Sgt. Major is a fine chap and decent as they come. I have just finished a two- week school on gun laying, map reading &c.

At the moment, it doesn’t seem likely that we will see action before the New Year, but one can’t be too sure of anything from day to day. I often wish we could start a real second front this Fall, as I feel sure it would bring our Axis friends to heel before June of 1943 or possibly sooner. Well, so much for chair strategy and so to topics better suited to my abilities.

I had a nice lunch at the canteen and retired early. Oh, by the way, the M.O. gave me a vaccination in the left arm before I could get away, which reminds me of something else. I don’t know if it was the shot in the arm or what I ate but anyway I spent a restless night and had many wild dreams. The best of the lot was when I dreamed I got leave to go home. It was really wonderful and I saw you all just as you were when I left. The thing I remember most plainly was the way Phyl got busy and fried about ten pounds of steak for me, which, by the way, was most heavenly. All good things have a way of coming to an abrupt end with a chum shaking me awake just in time to rush to breakfast, beans and porridge, ugh. Anyway, it was a sweet dream and one that I would give almost anything to make come true.

I see by the morning papers that several Canadians won awards for valour in the Dieppe raid and only wish I could have been there with them. Don’t worry, as I will get you a nice shiny V.C. or I won’t play.