Edmonton
14-3-42

Dear Willie:

So they finally decided they wanted one of the Bell boys over there. Well I waited a long time for an overseas draft and didn't get one but I am in a sure thing business now so I'll catch up to you next Christmas sometime. I don't suppose you'll be coming this way unless you came after going to Halifax. But if you do I live in Pembina, Room 7, and its very seldom I am out of it except in the daytime when at lectures. This place is near the South Edmonton station. It is some of the buildings of the University of Alberta. We take our lectures in the Normal School.

I was talking to one of the boys from No. 10 today and he says the place is going to the dogs. There are twenty guys from our hangar on overseas draft so you may run into them somewhere. Another of our gang is supposed to come up here tomorrow they say.

I am really beginning to like this place now. You sort of have to toe the mark and yet it isn't too stiff once you get used to it. There is a far better spirit here. Everyone is working hard and trying to help everybody else along at the same time. If you lose a ruler or anything it always gets back to you. I left my square in a room yesterday and next period the instructor came in with it. It isn't like No. 10 where if you see a screwdriver on the floor it is automatically yours.

We had a talk the other day from an observer who just came back from overseas. He has put in his two hundred hours over Germany and is on a rest cure. He said they did night bombing mostly and it wasn't very dangerous, only they came home one night and after landing found 105 holes in their plane and nobody was hurt. He said after Coventry they picked out a place in Germany the same size and 370 planes went over and dropped 33,000 incendiary bombs the same as the Germans dropped at Coventry only the British bombs are four pounds and German 2 1/2. He really knew what he was talking about. He said he had never been in anything really hot but he had the D.F.C. and the Air Force cross and some other medal, I don't know which. He said if you only see the anti aircraft and can't here it over the roar of engines you are okay, but if you can hear it you don't anyhow so why worry. He was talking about these torpedo bombers. He says they are the most dangerous. He said that he had some friends flying them once.

Well I guess I'll call it off and wait further developments and the best of luck if I don't see you and I'll be along pronto.

Cheerio JBBD

P.S. Quite a build up you gave me eh!