Letter to Mrs. Elton Newman – October 24, 1940
Transcription of Artifact Content
Aldershot, England
October 24/40
My Dear Sister:-
Was so glad to get your letter yesterday. But I didn’t get a chance to answer it until to-nite. I also got on from Onn. & I’ll try & get hers answered too.
I’m sorry you haven’t heard from me for so long. It isn’t because I haven’t written. It must be as you said. It went down on that ship with those refugee children. I think that I’m getting all your mail tho’
I haven’t received thew last 300 cigs. yet. But I expect them any time now.
Onnellee’s letter was written the same day as yours. Elton had been there that morning. She said. Boy I wish I could just go out & see her.
I don’t want you to bother with anything for me for xmas Franc. There isn’t much I can use outside of cigarettes or cakes. & things like that I’d rather you & Elt. get your place fixed up. Cuzz. I’m only going to have enough money to go on leaves (when I get them) & it keeps me scratching to save enough money for that, even. So I don’t expect any. Juist send me the thousand cigs! at the end of every month. As I told you before. & I will be quite satisfied & don’t forget to write often as you won’t be so busy outside in the winter. I hope!
& for Onn. I don’t know what to say. You hadn’t better bother Franc. & I’ll try & get something of some sort. If I can manage.
How are you feeling now? I hope a lot better. Maybe you’ll have your tonsils out by this time.
I didn’t know that Butch Malott was hurt. He is in the FCE’s & are stationed on the coast somewhere. I know there is plenty of bombing going on there.
Hugh Burling wasn’t hurt. He was just run down & had a bad stomack He is in the hospital in London Ont. So Pat says. I wish I were back there too. That would be much better than this hole.
The weather is really damp & cold over here now & We all want to go back so badly. But then crazy Jimie Jimmie Tweedale & a couple more of the police get cutting up & keep the good spirit up. We have a very cozy little office now. The A.T.S. girls moved away & we have had the detention men cleaning up over there & we took everything we could get our hands on to fix our room up. Jimmie Tweedale got a brand new dart board & darts. I got a chinesse checker board & marbles & we play darts in our spare time & on enjoy other things which we have got in.
Franc. As soon as you can. Send me my 2 long sleeved sweaters. the one Stew gave me & the one you gave me Also the gloves that Pearl’s sister knitted, & don’t forget my pictures if you haven’t already sent them. You keep the ones you want of me & send all those others. So I can look at them once in a while. When I used to enjoy life.
I was expecting Eva (Pearl’s cousin) down from London to -day. But she didn’t show up. Here I was planning on having some nice pies or cake for my supper & she didn’t even come.
I hear a damn-d Gerry overhead I suppose he’ll soon be dropping his his little eggs & we haven’t had on alarm yet.
I run out of writing paper So I had this one little sheet & thought I’d use it to finish your letter. I’ll have to borrow some from the Burns. or Glen to write to Onn. cuzz I broke flat & just one week to-day until payday. But we don’t mind being broke as long as we have cigarettes
I’ll have to borrow a sixpence & buy some more writing paper I guess
Well Franc. Give everybody my Love & tell them to write to me & I’ll answer them. I’d better close for to-nite
Will write again soon & you do the same. Well I’ll say
Bye Bye to all.
Lovingly Yours
Harry
P.S.
Did you know that Canadian
troops don’t have to stamp
letters to Canada? That’s
why the C.A.S.F. is at
the top. Also the regt orderly room
stamp on each back
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