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Letter

R97725 AC.1. Humphrey. J.F.,
404 Squad R.C.A.F.,
R.C.A.F. Overseas.

Dear Mom & Pop:

This is the first real opportunity Ive had to write you since I got back from leave because- well- er- ah! its like this I was walking down the street in London with Kerr & Galloway, when all of a sudden two R.C.A.F. sevice police hollered- "hey airman" so we stopped and they asked us where our gas masks were, and we told that they were at our billets so they took our names & numbers so a few days later the same Sp's caught us again without resperators and again took our names & numbers and when we got back to camp- what do you know? they had us on charge, well that sure shook me- and we had only been caught twice in three days. So then we were taken before acting Squadron leader McHardy "DFC" and he explained that he had to punish us so we got seven days drill & confined to barracks. This consists of reporting every hr. with complete kit and every half hr. at night until 10 o'clock up until this time you sweep polish & scrub floors along with our ordinary work.

I think maybe ought to start wearing my resperator if this happens again

I got ten day leave in all but got a bad start & lost one day because of train conections so that left 9 days. I stayed in London with Kerr's relatives and had a swell time. Kerrs uncle owns a big butcher shop & every night when we came in he had a big steak about an inch thick in the ice box for us.

While I was in London I went to the Beaver club and got a bus ticket there to see London, I saw the tower bridge the tower, the castle St. Pauls cathedral & the parliament buildings after I was there three days I went up to Kilmarnock to see Mrs. McKenna and did they ever make me welcome I got breakfast in bed and I wasn't in the house an hr. until the had me dressed up in one of "Willies" suits (incidentally Willies a little smaller than I am) and then I went to visit Mrs. Gemmel formerlly Mary Fulton [?] Mrs. Mckenna's daughter Mary and I went to church with them. I saw Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay, Mrs Lindsays a fulton, and Robert Fulton.

Most of them remembered you and they showed me your old house & your grandfathers old house. I'll get a picture of the old place the next time I'm there, which should be in Jun 23rd.

I noticed that all the Fultons seemed to resemble you and I got around to see most of them but I still have a lot to visit.

When I went visiting one night they sat around the piano & sang hymns I guess I wasn't doing so good because they asked me if I didn't know the hymns they were singing but I said I knew the hymns alright but I just wasn't a singer.

I think Mrs. McKenna was kinda proud of me because she was showing me off to all the neighbours, they couldn't get over how tall & well built I was (I told you I wasn't getting thin around the [?]) insedenlty I'm weighing over 160 lbs they also expected me to be a little stuck up they said but they were surprised to see that I was free & easy to please. They couldn't seem to do enough for me & had ham and eggs for breakfast and they gave me such be dinners that I dowted but what Earle or Stew could have eaten them.

Beleive me I was sure sorry to leave and they made me promise that I would spend my next leave with them and beleive me I will. I was sorry I didn't get to see Willie or Aunt Jane but I'll see Aunt Jane in June on my way back to Kilmarnock.

That parcel you sent me with the jacket & [?] in it sure went over big and Mrs. McKenna said she would sure like one of those little flashlights so if you would send me one like the one McCready gave me I would appreciate it.

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