No 163

Major GS Andrews, RCE

Survey, HQ First Cdn Army O/S

9 May 43

Dear Jean:

One airgraph this week, yours of the 25 Apr, Easter Sunday. There is nothing also I'd rather have had. Evidently Easter was a big treat for Mary, was good of Caroline to remember her. Mary's Ma has some wonderful friends as well as her Pa. Do you really think our little girl gets all her temper from her old man? I thought about you on Easter Sunday, and were I home, I should have been taking you both to church, complete with new Easter bonnets. As it was, I didn't get around to going to church here. When you mention fuel for next winter, I just wish I could be home to cut up a lot of wood, and every chunk I have cut at Morris's, I think to myself, wish I could [?] this one to Jean. I was supposed to take this Sunday off duty, but the weather had been vile, cold, colder than in winter, wet and gales. So there wasn't much attraction out of doors, and besides I have a nasty little boil, right in a tender place, which cramps my style just a bit. Borrowed some catiphlagistene from Morris's today, and have just applied a good hot poultice of it, so maby it will be better soon. Anyway it isn't as painful as it was yesterday. I am still afflicted with chronic skin eruptions, especially on the back of my neck, which you will remember looks like a battlefield of craters from many ancient eruptions. There must be something wrong with my metabolism, and yet in all other respects I am as healthy as a tick. Last week Ecila entertained Bert Hammond and me at the theatre. Saw "The Happy Breed" by Noel Coward at the Haymarket. Ecila sold some diamonds or something recently, and insisted it be her treat. It was a fine play, with Coward acting the leading part. It was a rather sequel to "Coralander", bringing the story up to just before the urgent war, although not the same family, or quite the same socalled [?] as in Coralande. It was the first play we've seen for a long time, and it was a nice change. There is a Victory loan campaign going on in our army here and it is broadly hinted that the Cdn Army overseas is on the spot, not having done so well in the last Loan as compared with the Army in Canada. There is also a thinly veiled hint that if we overseas don't make a heavy subscription, there may be reprisals in the form of imposing income tax on us, to which we have so far been exempt. In other words there is just a distinct but [?] flavour of threat in the way it is being put up to the boys. I realize that the army over here hasn't got much to show in the way of helping with the war in the three years, but the blame for that situation certainly cant be laid on the individual soldier, or officer. In my opinion, the policy and matter of handling pay and allowances in the Cdn army is the worst of all the influences which aggravate morale. Well dear, things progress slowly but steadily. The African news is good!

LOVE----

GER