#26

423 Sqdrn. RCAF.
May 30. 1944.

Dear Dad:

I hope this letter makes another of those fast crossings so that it is in time for your birthday. Many happy returns in any case.

I have to get up at the early hour of 0530 tomorrow. You see I am going on leave again. Perhaps it will turn out to be a rather good leave because I am not in the least excited about it. This is because I won’t be able to go as far as any of the relations or indeed to any place I have any particular desire to see. I have been trying to wangle an engine handling course to occupy part of the leave as this would have enabled me to get where I want but I started to late and necessary authority has not come through.

I really have been having a most extraordinarily slack time lately while the crew has been away. I was acting adjutant one day and that is all the work I have done except for the usual mail censoring. Haven’t even bothered with P. T. Of course when you haven’t anything to do it really is deadly here. One can usually put in many interesting hours in the intelligence library but just at this time it is closed for redecorating so I’d even had that. The last two afternoons I have spent on a blanket in the sun. Such opportunities are rare. Yesterday I bicycled into town for tea and then explored some of the surrounding country. There is a castle I have been to several times before but this time we went past it along its drive from where you can look back at a magnificent view and then we went on through park like country to the main gate. I had not realized before that my other visits had been by the back way. I really must take some pictures some time but believe I am quite hopeless with a camera for my camera is still unused.

With love from
Tony.

[Editor’s note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]