#28

423 Sqdn. RCAF.
June 23. 1944

Dear Mother:

Two more parcels have arrived recently—the one with the cake and the other with the jam. The jam survived the journey this time and I think I will take it over to the mess and keep it on the sideboard for my tea. We always get a diminutive ration of it. The cigarettes are coming regularly now and you don’t need to bother to send the numbers I think. Glad to hear the bond has arrived. Don’t look for anymore W.S. certificates after April or May as I have cancelled them.

It has been quite pleasant here lately and I have begun to get a bit of a sun tan. One day we had the station band playing in the garden after supper. It reminded me faintly of the Sunday band concerts in Stanley Park. There are a number of sailboats for the use of aircrew so I shall have to try this the next day off. Days off come after every sortie and I usually spend half the day sleeping and then cycle into town for these are the only occasions we are allowed off the station.

Since the nine Couriers together none have arrived and Dick has not sent on the missing one. Incidentally I was fairly close to where Dick used to be stationed one day.

One of my G. R. classmates has recently arrived here. He was posted from Summerside to Newfoundland and must find the comparison very grim after messing at a Canadian operational squadron for six months. I saw Beverly B’s. write up in MacLeans—so now you know how we eat anyway. Just lately we have been able to buy cartons of milk at the bar. When I first came here we used to get a glass a day and about that time they put the messing fees up to cover this cost. A week later they stopped giving us milk but left the fees at the increased rate.

I am sure that anyone on this station would jump at the chance of returning to Canada—although I doubt if I would in Dick’s position either. We finish a tour on time in 18 months and then after six months instruction can return to Canada.

It sounds as if you are all frightfully busy. I suppose the labor situation gets worse every year.

With love from
Tony.

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