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To
Mother and Father
From
James
Letter

Dear Folks:

I guess I haven't written to you since I got to Calgary or maybe I have. Anyway we are having a good time and things look alright for the future. I got your letter today and was sure glad to hear from you though I am sorry Pa hasn't got over his sickness. However I guess he'll soon be alright.

So Bill finally got his transfer to St. Thomas. When he gets through there he will know more than me but I'll get paid more for my knowledge for awhile. I am going to get him to send me a few of his notes that cover Merlins.

Talking about keeping warm, its you who needs to worry. It doesn't get very cold out here. Not for very long anyhow. One day it was 6 ° below and the next day it was 45 ° above. The old Chinook isn't far out. We have hardly any snow though there is a bit falling today. When we came there wasn't any. It hasn't been cold since we came.

We worked outside in 6 ° below without hats or rubbers and didn't get cold at all. We are back on erection again. There was only one corporal and two L.A.C.'s come out with our gang and they have never worked on Ansons so we do the work and they sit around and ask questions on what we are doing.

The old trouble over having no tools still persists but we are getting along. If the riggers could go faster we could go right along. As it is we only have one plane done but we have six more motors ready for installation as soon as the planes are ready. We are 2500 ft up here at the station and the planes have to fly faster to stay up. It seems to make a lot of difference. The Australians are at the flying school next door and they really fly when they go at it. They don't care for anything. They fly Ansons like fighters.

I have been out almost every night since I came. Dancing and skating is the chief entertainment. They have some swell dance halls and the orchestra was real good. They skate Sunday night.

We have every kind of airmen out here—Aussies, N. Zealanders, Englishmen and Canadians from all over Canada. There are three stations here. No. 2 wireless, No. 3 flying school, and 10 R.D. so there are lots of us around Calgary.

Is that address of the East or West? The streets run North and South and avenues run East and West. There is a Centre Street and they they number 1, 2, 3 etc. both ways from it so there is a 1st St. East and and 1st St. West. It sure gets you balled up but we'll get used to it.

It looks like we will be here a long time as this is a new station of only 150 men but it suits me alright as it is a lively place. There is a big carnival at Banff on 13, 14 & 15 of February so I have hopes of seeing it but I may not make it.

The mountains are sure great. They are so far away and yet they look about two or three miles away.

I have been expecting my watch these last few days but I'll just have to wait. Well the paper is running out so cheerio.

Love Jim