Boat Dock

June 7th/44

My Dear Son

Well since Tuesday when we first heard the news of the invasion our thoughts have been of you & wondering how you are making out. They sure don’t give us much news. Tuesday morning I was home because I was to go to work at night & I usually try to sleep a little longer & mother does not put the radio on but I woke up with the noise of the children & told her to put on the radio for the news at nine, this was about 8:45 a.m. & we heard the tail end of a description of the invasion of France & I was out of bed in a hurry.

I did not get my face washed till after dinner. I got ready to go to St. Thomas church to pray for the safety of our men & success of the landing. We heard first that the Sum was taken by surprise & the causualties ­­­were very light. We were thankful for that. But I heard a description tonight of the trip to the french coast & believe me it sounded like there were a few Hun planes around as the boat this reporter was on brought down one with ack-ack fire. Well we are all worrying about you & praying for you. We know that much thought & planing has been done to save as many lives as is humanly possible & that the wounded will get the best of care & quickest transportation but we still worry. I hope it won’t be long till the Hun throws in the sponge. I hear tonight the boys are 40 mile past Rome. Then I guess the Russians will start a drive & surely he can’t keep it up for long. Well I sent away $2.50 tonight for some Rum & maple cigarettes. They did not advertize the tob. only for pipe. But I’ll send another 1000 in two weeks time. I thought it was very good of Art Moore to send you the five dollars. I called on Him & Mr Wright & Mr Murray & took them to the old boys reunion and I told Art I was going to stop in & send you ten dollars & right away he said send five for me I said all right & when I got out the car he says have you got an extra five and I said yes. but I did not have it with me. but I thought I would send for cigarettes it might be better for you. So when you write him you can thank him for the money & don’t bother to say how much you got. but his five made it possible for me to send you the cig’s a few days before pay day. I did not work last night so Mother & I went to our church & there was a fine attendance & Mr Flook was very good We are to have Mr E.C Wood preach in our church this Sunday as Mr Flook is preaching at St Andrews for Mr Johnstone who is at the General Assembly. He is the principal (or was) of the High school. Its very nice to know that you had a parcel from the legion. I shall let them know that but at some time write a short thank you note saying how you enjoyed it. I think you should have got that parcel at christmas as they cancelled the christmas tree for the kids so they could send the parcels to you. We bought those banana flakes to send you but we opened one packet & the kids did not like it so we thought it just as well if we didn’t send it but we will send a packet to you. I went down town a week ago & morning… to get four Molloy 0 bars but when I was buying a straw hat for gary I left them on the counter & when I went back five minutes later they were gone. Well its two o’clock & we can’t hear any more stations on this radio of tonys. but the news since morning has not changed. The most news is coming out of Germany & Vichy France but it seems as though our boys are boarding[?] all the way from Calia  down to Cherbourg. I guess thats to keep hitler from knowing where we really are going to strike. Well did you like the pictures. We have two films for the big Postcard camera so we ought to get some good pictures with that & we will send them on. Mother was checking Andy for making so much noise when the Baby was sleeping she says Andy don’t make so much noise the Baby is sleeping & Andy says Hell: He’s always sleeping. I was up to Uncle Andys when we came home from St Thomas church & I saw his basement. It has no concret walls just wood but he has half the floor in concrette. He is going to put in a furnace. He wants me to do the wiring for him. So when I get caught up that’s a job for me. Jack McCormick sent a letter dated April 28th By air mail & his mother got it the same day we got your letter dated May 13th. but the Post office date said May 21st but the air graph should be quicker. That air mail takes just as long as an ordinary letter. Helen was going to send your birthday card by air mail but the cost was thirty cents & I thought if it took as long to go as yours did to come why pay thirty cents. We have not been up town lately to get a card but just the same we thought of you regardless of the card. We will try & get a parcel off to you this week end. We had quite a spell of rainy weather & cold too. It is still chilly but for two days we have had no rain. My garden is all dug & all I got to plant is the cabbage & cauliflower my sweet peas are not doing so good. The potatoes Bill & Andy planted are comming through. I have lots of carrots planted so allowing for what the kids pull up I ought to have enough left to see me through the winter. I used fertilizer this year so I might get a little better crop. Well Son I’ll close now. God bless you & look after you so that you will come home to us. Put your trust in God Son & pray to him because you’ll find that there is a supreme being guiding you & looking after you if you go to him in prayer. So Good night Son & look after yourself.

Love & kisses from all of us

Dad xxxxxxxxxxx