Canada House
London.
April 3. [annotaion, origin unknown: “/1942”]

Dear Mother and Dad,

I was reading a magazine today and I came across this from the twenty seventh psalm:  It is quoted in an article: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” This seems to bear so much on our present troubles that it struck me and comforted me and I felt I must tell you about it. I am so glad that we have something to fall back on. So many boys are being lost these days, many, many families besides ours are filled with sorrow, but so many of them have nothing to relieve that sorrow and consequently either become nervous wrecks or else become bitter. It relieves me to know that although you are sad and lonely that at least you both have your faith still. If I had to sit over here six thousand miles and think about you sitting there and letting misery and self-pity eat you  I don’t know quite what I should do. As it is, although I worry about you and wonder about you and wish so much that I could help you by being there and talking yet I know that even if I were there I couldn’t give you anything of the help and peace that you are both getting constantly from our Father who is at times like this, so real to us.

Jack was a grand boy and I am sure you are both proud of having brought up a son like him. I was proud of him and Phyllis was proud of him and he had many friends both there, and I know here that liked knowing him and were better for knowing him. I only wish there were more Jacks. I don’t think he was fed up or tired, Mother. He always seemed happy when I saw him. He was just like the rest of the Canadians over here. They all want to get the war over as quickly as possible and get home. That is how he felt. He still had his old spirit. Last time I went to see him I called up his mess and asked for Sergeant Gray. Jack came to the phone and said “Oh, hello Hammie, Hey! its Flight Sergeant not sergeant, be careful or they will lose  their respect for me.”

As you say I did feel badly that I couldn’t be at the funeral but please don’t blame yourselves for it. It was a slip on the part of Canada House and partly my fault for not arranging with Jack to have me notified if anything happened. However I told you about all that in my last letter. If you don’t get the one about my visit to Doncaster please tell me and I will write it again as there is a lot in it I know you will be glad to hear about.

Besides your letters I have received several and I suppose there are more coming. Alison sent me a grand letter. So thank her for me and tell her there is a letter on the way to her. She thinks you are wonderful, both of you, and she says that in the absence of Phyllis she is trying to help a little bit. I am sure you will appreciate her. Pauline, too, sent me a nice letter. She seems to be better but says Aunt Grace is not too well. I also heard from Mrs. Potts who was very kind and sympathetic although I am afraid I have been rather neglectful of her. She said you had sent her a paper, Dad. Is it the Nelson News. If it is do you think I could have a copy or have you already sent one. I wrote to both her and Mrs. Sheldon today. I was thinking today that maybe she hadn’t heard about it and I am sure she will want to know.

All the chaps that remember and met Jack are most sympathetic. Eddison, who is I think about fourth from the left in the top row of that old St.Vincent picture has been very kind. He met Jack at Luton and [?] recognized him in “Target for Tonight.” Johnson, “the little chap,” Mother is also very sympathetic. He was the one having tea with Jack when I went rushing down to see him at Luton. You remember that story. Johnson is here now, mother, but has not had his Operational course yet. He is waiting for it.

I have been Air-Watch officer today. That means I have had to sit in this little room about 8 feet square and keep a report of everything that goes on. I have to sign strange aircraft in and out and see that everybody is doing the right thing. It is rather a dull job and I unfortunately have to stay here until eight tomorrow morning. However I guess I can take it.

Air-mail seems to be very good. Your letters are only taking about two to three weeks to get here. So I am going to send them that way for a while. Tell me how long they take. I got the parcel with the cake and hair-brush.

All my love from your son
Hampton.