Hello “Punk”

I don’t know why I waste good time, ink, paper, and energy writing to you but I shall write just the same. By the way your writing hasn’t improved any since I left. I did make out some of the things you had to say. Thanks for writing, I am glad to hear from home; it’s the nearest thing I can get to being home for a while.

You must know that I am serving overseas by now, I have been over here twice now, and I will be staying until things reach a deciding point. You don’t understand what I mean probably, but you will in time. I may be able to get home and have a fight with you before next Christmas or even in the summer. I hope it will be in the summer.

Every now and then I think about what it is like at home. Here it is March and the fields are all green, the trees all have leaves on them and flowers, like lillies (daffodils) grow everywhere. It isn’t like Canada though. There don’t seem to be any birds at all. I don’t remember seeing any at all, only sea gulls. I don’t like sea gulls at all, I hate them even worse than crows.

I don’t think you’d like it in England. There is only room here to exist – no room to live. Every time I can get ashore, I go out into the country, just so I can stretch my arms and legs without feeling all cooped up.

My writing is grim because they are just dropping the anchor and the cable shakes the whole ship when it is running out. They have finished now so I can write a little better. I don’t write often so you shouldn’t mind taking a little time to make out the writing.

Well I must close now as I still have about a dozen letters to write. Be a good girl (if thats possible for you) Tell Mamma I will write to her again as soon as I can.

Bye now,
Love
John

[Editor’s note: The letter was dated from the envelope’s censor stamp date of “30-3-44”.]