#15 SFTS
Claresholm.

June 20, 1942

Dear Mother:

I am fed up with this place already. Every afternoon we do some sort of fatigue work—mostly spade work to improve this barren landscape—and it all seems such a waste of time. The hour of wireless a day is good and sometimes the one hour lecture that follows is constructive, otherwise we are marking time.

Last week Doug and I (Doug is my chum here) waited three fruitless hours (all of us had the afternoon off because of a rodeo in town) to get a ride in a plane. Several of the P/O’s got rides but we missed out and were plenty mad. So we beetled off to the town pubs and when they closed I went to the dance with Joyce Ford. I hadn’t realised Leicester Collett was still here so the two of us went over to where he was staying. He had left that morning for Vancouver.

This morning Doug. and I got hooked for fatigue work in the morning so we asked and got the afternoon off. One of my jobs had been to see what bunks were empty insix or so of the huts as we were going to move out of our present quarters to make room for some sergeant pilots coming in. So Doug and I new exactly where to go to get the hut location and this we did first thing in the afternoon. Then I got a ride in a Cessna lasting about an hour. It was a very tense trip but at least a change. Doug. missed out again so we head for town again.

Before I left Edmonton I got a copy of the Toronto Star. Did you get the photograph of our flight which I mailed in Edmonton?

It would be funny if Bunny was posted here for his service flying. Let me know when you here of his whereabouts.

I retract what I said of the meals here. They are certainly no better and much less care is taken in keeping the dishes clean.

Next weekend we get a 48 and Doug. and I are going to Calgary. The enclosed cheque is to provide the necessary funds as it will be just before payday. Can you send the money on as soon as possible?

So far we have herd nothing else but rain or wind here—nothing like the warm weather in Edmonton.

With love from
Tony.
 
[Note: Transcription provided by collection donor.]