June 27th 1944

“A” Company

A/6 C.I.T.C

Currie Bks

Calgary Alta.

Dear Ebby:-

Thanks for your swell letter. Im sorry I’ve taken so long in answering but I just couldn’t help it: I’ll tell you all about it in another chapter. I also received a letter from your lovely companion Agnes which I will answer just as soon as I finish this one to you. Its no chore writing to either of you in fact I like nothing better. The only trouble is that what I write may, in fact I dont doubt-will be, very dull.

You will notice that I am now in “A” company; Theres quite a story to the whole business which I’ll endeavor to relate [?]. first of All “A” Company is the T [?] Soldier company in this Centre, To get to it one must Qualify in a number of thing’s such as; ability with the rifle, machine guns, bombs, bayonets, Grenades, mines and a hundred and one other things. After that they send us out on a mock war in which we use all these weapons and in every way possible go through a realistic battle, so realistic in this occasion that poor Hennie got shot in the bum and had to return to camp to go to the hospital. Fortunately the shot was a blank and instead of a bullet in him all he got was a few powder burns which have pretty nearly healed up now; we call him “hot pants” now instead of the usual shorty or curley. We lived out in the open all the time- no tents just homemade shelters of spruce and moss and a few poles; we were very comfortable even thought it rained almost everyday, and so after a grand finale we came back to currie where we were checked for everything from the proper numbers of nails in each [?] to the proper length of our hair, then they shipped us into the trained soldier regiment from which we will receive our embarkation leave, and from where we will be shipped over-seas.

The Heat I spoke of up here has been replaced by bitter cold and drenching rain, in fact I doubt if we have had a full weeks fine days in the past three and a half. Tell Mrs. Smith next time you see her that Hennie and I often think and speak of her and hew swell Hospitality, remember us to Bing and his dad Mr. Gilbert and Mrs. Smith’s sister: Tell them all Hello and all the best from a couple of very grateful guys.

The folks say they dont hear very often from you now especially Mary better perk up Kid; Marus as good a correspondent as any you could write to; lots of wit. Which is the most desirable quality in any letter. last I heard Dad and Mom were both in Baddeck on a well earned vacation; I guess things must have been plenty buisy around home, what with babies, weddings and birthdays. Poor Mom must have been plenty tired.

Well Ebby I’m going to write to Agnes now and I dont want to rehash any news if I can help it, so I’ll say so long for now, thanks again for a swell letter write again soon and;

Cheerio

Bill