July 5, 1943

Dear Dad:

Thank you very much for the money order but it never has got to me yet. It has just occurred to me that it might be at the post office since all ordinary mail is brought up to the mess for us and put in cubicles. They might have overlooked sending up a chit from the post office saying it is there so I will find out tomorrow before I seal this letter. Your letter got here July 2 a.m. and Mothers July 5 p.m. both posted June 29 3:30 p.m.

Our ground school is not mostly navigation although that is a big subject. We have to study a lot about the navy and how it works, also coding, astro, reconnaissance etc. Actually we are not supposed to talk much about what the course does consist of and that is why the public knows so little about it and why even us, at S.F.T.S., had only a faint idea of what we were coming to.

Our navigation trips usually take about 3½ hours. The next one I do is strictly dead reckoning turning on three imaginary seas positions, something like this. [sketch] Dead reckoning here means that if I do get close enough to land at any time (which is doubtful) to get a bearing I mustn’t use it. I will have to navigate simply by watching my drift and finding out what the wind is about seven times. As long as there are any white caps however small this isn’t too bad and even if it appears to be flat calm there are ways of getting the drift by dropping sea markers. In fact if you can see the sea at all you are not lost.

We had our intermediate navigation exam in ground school last week and with 86% I just led the class. There were several others in the 80’s. This week we have a final in photography. One thing about this course is they don’t save up all exams until the end.

I have just got back from a 48 spent in Charlottetown. It is the only one                                                                                                                 during the course so it is a pity it had to come so soon for everyone gets fed up with the course toward the end. We have only 5 days off in the next 6 weeks.

In Charlottetown I managed to get a fairly good brand of scotch for only 7.00 for 26 oz. This didn’t go very far with five of us so we got some rum for 15.00. Rather weak rum at that. However before we tackled it we met two naval officers who had lots to drink. H.B.C. scotch costs them 70¢ for 26 and the same in rum about 1.30. Amazing, isn’t it?

The weather there was grand but just as soon as we got back the rains started again.

This afternoon we met some of the personnel of a New York show which is touring the R.A.F. stations putting on entertainments. One of the girls was from Vancouver and new the same set of people that I do and has been to many a party at our West End boarding house although shortly before my time. Small world, what.

I have at last seen Red Pettigrew here. He finishes up this week (and we finished I.T.S. at the same time).

July 6 I have partially solved the mystery of the missing mail. There was another P/O R. A. Stubbs on the station who has subsequently been posted to Lachine Quebec. I am not sure whether he took my mail before he left or whether it was forwarded to him but in any case the post office is going to look into the matter so you won’t have to do anything yet.

I have already made reservations on the T.C.A. for when we finish on Aug 13 and so far they can only promise me as far as Toronto.

With love from
Tony.

[Note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]