#47

Dec 28. 1944.

Dear Mother:

I hope you had a good Christmas. Did you have a white one? We nearly did and I think I will see some snow before the winter is out if it stays as cold as today. The only thing really spoiling Christmas was—no mail. I got quite a few letters when I arrived here forwarded from the last station but since then (the 15^th) I have not had one. Art Bellis is in the same state so a note to Base P.O. seems indicated.

One person I met here is Dave Bone ex H. M. & Co. I last saw him at G. R. school and from there he had gone to the West Coast. Another is one who wrote the C.A. exams with me and still another Gorse from Salmon Arm, both of them not seen since I.T.S.

Also staying in my hut is an ex-Yellowknife man. We were there in the same years he working on the adjoining Negus property so we have quite a bit to yarn about.

Some time ago I got 900 cigs from H.M. & Co. Fortunately I had remembered to send a card this year. I had to give a way quite a quantity before leaving my last station, otherwise I would have had a whole suitcase full and I gave some to Aunt D. and still have about 1500 on hand.

This course seems to give us a lot of time off and I believe on previous courses some second pilots have disappeared for days at a time. No doubt my own pilot will be strongly tempted with his wife here. I managed to spend a night in Inverness myself.

Most of my spare time is spent playing snooker though. I should think of something more constructive I suppose but this suits me.

When I came back from leave I found a letter from Doug McGrath, my closest airforce friend, and found that he was on leave for awhile, at the same time as I. Worst of all, he was at Stroud which is fairly close to Moreton.

Tomorrow is one of those days I do have to get up so Goodnight.

With love from
Tony.

[Editor’s note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]