R.C.A.F Base Post Office Oversees

June 2/43

Dear Mother:

I have received quite a few letters from you in the last weeks but they all took quite a long time coming. I received both of your airgraphs on the same day so one of them came quite fast. I am on course right now but I expect to get leave around the first of August when Melville gets his next leave. We are planning to go to Scotland to-gether and visit those people that he knows up there. I hope we can arrange it because I haven't seen much of Scotland outside of Liverpool and the northern part of England.

I have been swimming in the ocean everyday for the past two weeks so I am getting used to the salt water. We have only had 4 really hot days so far and I really got sunburnt on Wednesday. I must have got a little salt in my skin or something because since then I have been scratching like mad ever since. I never got to sleep until 3 o'clock in the morning I itch so bad. I went to the M.O to see if I had the itch or the hives but all he did was put so soapy stuff on which made me itch worse than ever. I sure hope that you are sending plenty of cigarrets as I can't stand these bloody English ones and anyways they cost you 50 cents for 20 which is kinda of expensive. I haven't even received those cigarrets I sent myself in March so I haven 't
had much to smoke. I hope that you have received some of my letters by now which I imagine you have so you will know what r would like you to send me.

I am eating fairly good where I am now at least you can buy eggs in town which is one good thing. Everything else over here is rationed though and you need clothing coupons to buy anything to wear. Melville has asked me to send him a pair of my oxfords so I will send him my issue oxfords as soon as I can find paper to wrap them in. I received a letter from him yesterday and he said that he liked the new camp better but he has got more work to do now. But then that will be good for him as he is getting fat doing nothing. I don't see how he can put on weight with the kind of food he eats but maybe it is the amount of beer that he drinks.

From what you say in your letters things must be pretty lively around the place what with you painting the kitchen, Cecil being love-sick and Victor saying God but she's dumb. I can just imagine the little drip saying that to. He must be getting quite a line by now with the little girls. It sure is to bad about Allan, but I expect that he will get in yet. Things seem to be pretty lively over here right now so maybe it would be better to wait for awhile before enlisting. I was glad to hear that Lansley had enlisted maybe army life will put a little fat on him which wouldn't hurt. I think that I have put on a little weight since I have been over here as I weigh about 145 now which is more than I weighed when I left. The kids should see some of the swimming pools that they have over here, they are about twice as big as the pool in MooseJaw and really nice inside. Over here they call them swimming baths and they all have salt water in them and it takes quite awhile to get used to it. About every hour or so of course everybody has to stop and have their tea. They must drink a hell of a amount of tea in this country because every hour they stop whatever they are doing to have their tea.

I got a letter from Ken to-day and he is in Northern B.C working on the highway. It isn't quite the job he wanted but it is better pay so I think that will satisfy him. I am glad to hear that you got a desk for the office as that old contraption wasn't very good at all. So the kids bought themselves a car to take out the girls in, well tell them to be good or if they have can't be good be careful. Well I guess that is all for now, say hello to Aunt Grace and Bill for me.

Orval