Camp Petawawa
Oct. 13, 1941

Dear Folks:

This is just a line to advise that I am now firmly ensconced in Petawawa. It isn't a bad place as camps go. It overlooks the Ottawa river, which is about two miles wide here, and faces some young mountains across the river. The scenery looking that way is rather swell just now although you don't get the deep colouring of the maples up here. They are an absent quantity. Looking west we have sand and scrub conifers. This place is 25 miles square and one can hardly realize the size of the establishment as it has buildings honey combed over an area about 1 1/4 miles square.

We have been here a week. Had a leave last weekend and as there are four of us up here went back to Wingham [where he lives with his wife Barbara]. As our time was short—(we had 400 miles to go each way) we didn't get around much in particular. I didn't get home for Thanksgiving which I haven't missed for many years. We have been working fairly steadily and as this place is 12 miles from town (I didn't bring my car) we don't be out much. Evenings are fairly profitably spent doing homework anyhow. Our meals are good here and we sleep in small rooms partitioned out of frame huts housing about 20 per hut. So far they have been quite warm and comfortable. Our weather to date has been extraordinary.

We spent today mastering motorcycles for half a day, the other half was spent on protection against lectures [humour or word missing?]. The course is rather interesting alternating between practical and theoretical work. It isn't just as smooth as sitting with the feet on the desk, but a lot better than most soldiers have to endure. We do not know how long we will be here. Twenty-five of our sergeants arrived from Megantic today. They haven't had a leave in a month, and are getting rather anxious about it as they may be won't get any here for a month according to our rules. They are on a course also but they are about a mile further in the bush than we are. That is about all the news for the present. I will write you after I have been here longer and tell you more of my impressions.

Sincerely
Elmer D.
R.C.A. T.C.
A-1
Petawawa