July 9, 1943
Elkins Barracks
Halifax, NS
Dear Mom:

Here is the letter that should be telling you that I am coming home. I am sorry to say that I am going on a "fitters" course and will not be able to get home until I finish that.

The other day I wrote gram that I expected to be leaving this weekend, I also told Barbara the same. Now I have to write and tell them that I am not coming.

The course as far as I can find out is 4 or 5 months long. The first month or two I am in Halifax, then I go to Hamilton.

The course does not start until around the first of August. They said that I could go home now but I could not leave until the 10th and had to be back in camp on the 26th. That would give me 4 days at home if nothing went wrong with my train connections. Another thing is that the train fare is about 25 dollars plus whatever I spend on the way home, at home and on the way back. So I felt that it would not be worth my while to only have 4 days now when I can get my full time at home when I finish. It will be a long wait and I would sure like to be coming home now.

I got through the course here alright. There are four of us in my troop that are going to get a trades course. There are 60 fellows in the troop.

We have been getting a few nice days here lately but not very many. Last Sunday I was sorry that I did not have my bathing suit here. We went out to one of the lakes behind Dartmouth to see what it was like. It was not very big but it was very pretty. There were quite a few people in swimming and quite a few sail boats on the lake.

The only boats that you see sailing in the ocean around here are fishing boats. That is why there are the number small sail boats on the lakes, they don't allow civilian boats around the coast at all.

Your letters arrived yesterday and I was glad to get your picture even though it is not very good.

When I leave the camp here to go on the course I hope to get some pictures, I see no reason why I shouldn't.

We were out on a scheme last week. It was sure a lot of fun while it lasted. We had the easiest time since we came into the camp. We set up the guns in one place for a few hours, take them down and climb into the trucks and move to another place. We slept outside while we were out. The weather was grand all the time.

Well it is getting late so I must close now and get to bed. Give my love to all.
Love
Ted

P.S. Will you send my bathing suit.
Ted