[addressed to:] Miss Jill Leir.
Box 1172,
Penticton B.C.,
Canada.

[from:] Sgt. Pilot H.D. Beames,
R101215,
R.C.A.F.,
Overseas.
7/10/42

My darling;

Buckets of joy! I received a letter from you about five minutes ago my love and they do mean so much to me. I have a whole book of them now, so when I get browned of I can sit down and get in touch with every thing I’m fighting for and drown the present in the beautifull dream world you bring back to me. Home seems very far away sometimes sweetheart, but the knowledge that it’s there waiting for us to clean up this mess is a great inspiration, so duty first, then my love we shall begin living again.

Could I use that bottle of rye over here!! I’ve actually stopped drinking, the beer being to utterly hopeless and the liquor just about as bad. I’ll never forget those perfect days we spent together before I left home, an even better thought my beloved is the moment when I can come home again, then we can get married and lick the world together. Sitting here looking at you I can see all our dreams maturing, and they will – pray God it may be soon.

I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for the lovely enlargement darling, but I do love it.

I see word has sneaked out that I crashed on the way back from Bremen. Your Dad has sent a very nice cable, recommending Ditcheat for convalescence, but I only suffered a cut eye, so after a weeks leave I’m now doing a conversion course on a new station prior to posting out East. I’ll tell you about the raids in a letter – all ready half written – which I’ll mail in a day or two.

I do wish you could be with me to see Ditcheat darling – I know you’d love the dear old place, with its beautifull rural setting, however I hope to go down there again in a few weeks and I’ll try and get some pictures and tell you all about it.

Now my wife – requisits. I’m just about out of R.C.A.F. envelopes and paper and I still cant get size 116 film for my camera, so see if you can pry some of my bank roll out of Mum and shoot me the goods with some pipe tobacco.

I’ll send airgraphs regularly now dearest, so expect to here from me more often. I nearly forgot to say thanks a million for the delicious birthday parcel – most of it was eaten on our Duseldorf party.

Take care of yourself my love,
All my love,
Den.