R.H. Gray, Lt.
Box 517
c/o F.M.O. Kilindini
Aug 14

Dear Phyllis,

I am inclined to put off any letter writing except to Mother and Dad so it is quite remarkable really how quickly your letter of June [24?] is being answered. – I was sorry to hear about your stay in hospital but a letter from Mother received today tells me that you are out and feeling better. I hope you don’t have a lot of trouble with those ears of yours. I remember well when you had to have them looked to periodically. But maybe this stay in hospital will have fixed them for good. I hope, too, that the expenses have not cut out your holiday. Jane would be in terrible shape of course when you got her back. Jane with “her hair hanging down and her drawers droopy” sounds a pretty awful picture to me, but maybe it was not as ba[?] as you suggested. Mother and Dad seem to think as you do that she is the cutest baby of them all. To tell you the truth I think so too and would give any thing to see her. – I was very personally interested in what you told me about Pauline. You are the first person I have told about this so do not tell anyone, please. I would sooner it did not get known in the family. When I was at the coast in Oct. ’41 I asked Pauline to marry me. At the time it just seemed the right thing and I thought that she thought so, too. In fact I think we would have been if I had stayed there longer. But when I got back to Halifax there was a letter for me from Pauline quite sensibly (I suppose) pointing out that considering our families it just could not be. Anyway since then up to about six or eight months ago I wrote regularly to her wondering if she could change her mind. She wrote back regularly, too, but always very pointedly avoiding the subject except in one letter which never reached me. I don’t know whether you will think me foolish or not but I felt very badly when I heard of her engagement. I am not worrying now, its too late, but I do hope that she has not made a mistake she will regret. Shes one of the best and deserves the best. I hope you won’t mind me having told you all this but I felt like confiding in someone and that is the sort of thing that Mother and Dad would not understand. – If it is the Gaunt I know it makes the fourth Canadian F.A.A. pilot out of our little group of about twelve to be killed. That is a rather high percentage. But I have not heard anything except what Mother told me and I can only hope that it is not the one I know. – By the time you get this it will be your third wedding anniversary. My heartiest congratulations to you both and you might congratulate Jane too for having picked such a good couple of parents. She couldn’t have done better. All my love to you, Phyllis and best regards to Ed. Kiss Jane goodnight for me.

Hampton.

[Editor’s note: The envelope’s postmark has been used in dating the letter's year.]