13-10-44

Dear Mom:

Don’t fall over, I haven’t suddenly run out of blue forms. I just wrote you a letter on one of these blue forms and when I came to the end of the form I was in the middle of a sentence. I immediately got mad, tore it up and brought this out. Let me know how fast it gets to you and I might write more of them. I get your big letters faster then the blue ones the odd time. I am enclosing a picture taken outside Buckingham Palace in London. I had it taken on my first leave and still haven’t sent it so I guess you will be about ready to shoot me or something. The fellow with me in it is Bob Linton, who I knew when I first got over here. I don’t know where he is now however. What put me in this letter writing mood you ask? Well I got two of your letters today and trying to answer both of them at once. They were written on the first and fifth, so that is pretty good don’t you think.

So they practically burnt the old bank down eh? I’ll bet that there was some excitement in the old town that night.

Nicky must be having quite a time with the girls around there. Boy oh boy what would it be like to have them running after you like that. I’m glad to see it isn’t changing him. I didn’t think it would.

You probably have got my letters which I wrote in the last week or so. I have really been writing you know. Several to you, one to Norma, Grandma and Edie each and oh yes one to Teeter. We write back and forth quite regularly over here. He is going to come up to see me soon I hope. Got some more cig’s yesterday, at last I’m a couple of packs ahead of the deal, a swell feeling. You said that Teeter writes often, he is homesick, but not too bad, and he’s getting better all the time. Tell his mother that he looks swell, better than I have ever seen him before. I told you that I saw him on leave didn’t I.

Jack Robinson is here, he seems to be following me around, or something. I’m afraid Kelly’s wish about the Commando course changing him didn’t pan out. He is still about the same. So Fraser won’t be able to fly eh. I’ll bet he’s delighted about the whole thing. You mentioned the India business being volunteer, I think it is, according to the papers. I don’t know yet what Joe and the rest want to do, but we will probably hold a vote on it. However that won’t be for a long time yet so don’t worry about it. I don’t know what to think yet, but I’ll try and get some more “gen” on it! Here is where my original letter (which I couldn’t get on a blueform) was supposed to end, however I suppose I’ll have to go on for a while. So the old gals are starting to call Nicky up and invite him out eh. I’m glad to see that he didn’t go with them.

I can understand why Anne is so popular. After all she is his sister, and the best means of approach to him.

Old Hodder must have had quite a scare. I’ll bet he swore off for good when everything started to shake.

Will you tell that sister of mine that I would like to find out if she has learned to write yet. She hasn’t written me for a hell of a long time now.

Larry got his F/O eh? I thought he would. Mine came through about the 15^th Sept. dated Aug 25.

Did I tell you that I have signed on for another bond? A hundred this time. I get five pounds more a month so I guess I can afford it. The other is paid for this month or last month, I forget which.

You are still asking about the last two batches of pictures you sent, I am telling you again for about the fifth time, I got them, I liked them. They were swell.

Seriously please send some more as soon as you take them will you. You are sending me two parcels eh? That’s swell what kind of toilet goods are you sending? I hope you sent some pencils, I haven’t received any yet but I guess I will soon, I hope.

And the other parcel is food. No comment. You know my feelings on that score.

Last night we went into town for a wet dinghy drill. The bus was supposed to come back about 8:15. At About 8:10 we got hungry and told the driver that we would be right back, and bring him some chips. Well we hit one of Englands famous queues. When we arrived back, with enough chips for an army, at 8:30 the bus was gone. There we were, our arms full of chips, and twelve miles from camp. Did we look pretty. So we went to a show. When we came out we managed to find a cab who charged us 27 shillings (about $6) Boy, those were expensive chips. Also we found that the town had one and only one taxi and we had caught him on his way home to bed. I don’t know whether we were lucky or not. 27 bob is a lot of money for chips. Well I had better pack it in now. So long for now.

Your loving Son
Jack