August 44 France
Dear Folks:
I received your letter today and it sure was heartening to me to know that some of the crew [of missing brother Jim's plane] are alive. It does give us renewed hope and I felt [more] happiness after that than I had for weeks. I won't let myself get to sanguine. Naturally our thoughts turn towards home and letters provide the picture of things for us to dream about. I get mail regularly from Barbara, and she keeps me pretty well informed. I do like to get news from the home folks though.
You must thank Aunt Kate and Tot for sending me the Harriston Review. It is good to read the local news. Very thoughtful of them to remember us. It is a swell gift. Those socks they knit for me were the best socks I have ever worn over here. They never shrunk under the most terrible conditions of washing. They are worn out now. I have lots of socks but about next Xmas maybe they will knit me another pair of those kind that always remain soft.
Aunt Kate & Tot, knitters of swell socks
I saw Bun [brother-in-law] the other day. I was going away just as he came along and I was only able to say a few words before I had to go as I was in charge of Div. convoy that day and had to go. I was sorry as twice he has called and it has been the same way. Stewart Boyd is quite a man now. He is a bombardier and seems as happy as can be. I have seen him several times as he is in field artillery and we sometimes are close together. I have not seen Cecil Ell's boy yet but he is with Bun's outfit. Bun's outfit is as good as any in the business and I like it when they are working with us.
Well we have been making great strides and it has been hard pushing at times. Especially when we have night moves. So far we have not yet lost but it is an awful strain without lights of any kind. However we get nearer to Berlin every day. There is an orders group coming up so I am going to cut this short and leave it at that for now. Everything is O.K. so far and we have earned a good reputation which we will try to hold.
Love
Elmer D.
