Letter to Miss La Verne Woods – October 11, 1940
Transcription of Artifact Content
Aldershot, Eng.
October 11/40
Dear Sister:-
I was so glad to hear from you this morn. I have been looking for a letter from you for so long. & I begin to think you had forgotten your little brother in England. I have written you about three times.
Well I’ll start answering some of your questions. It’s a good thing you ask me things. Or I wouldn’t know what to write.
Well the liking of England is wearing off now. “There is no place like home.” No mater what kind of a dump your home is. It is better than anyplace else.
We aren’t allowed to tell about the conditions over here. It is all right if your letter don’t happen to be censored. But if it is It’s just too bad.
We have been here now 10 weeks & thats ten weeks too long. The way the boys feel now. They’d give anything to see home again This is nothing but a military district here. And all you can see is soldiers, nurses & A.T.S. girls. They are consider army girls in uniform that cook. drive ambulances, stenographers in offices etc.
The prisoners we have are boys who don’t soldier right. & therefore we have to lock them up & punih punish them. They took our Kilt away from us before we left Canada & have been wearing our long pants uniform. I receive a new one this morn. So I have two now. I am going to have some pictures taken later & I’ll send you some.
The reason you have my address at the Canadian Base P,O. is that no one is supposed to know where we are stations. So you send the mail to the Base P.O. in Canada & they forward it to wherever the regiment is.
The C.A.S.F. mean Canadian Actve Active Service Forces.
I guess I told you in my other letters that I spent my first leave in London. But I expect to spend the next one (which is doe soon) in Scotland Just a few miles from Glascow. I received a letter from the lady I am going to see up there. I know her son in Windsor & I promised I would go & see his mother. I have been writting to her & I know I’m going to be right to home up there. & can hardly wait until I get my leave.
I also received letters this mon. from Mary Alice & her husband. Aunt Della in California U the little darlyn in Kingsville. Boy if I could only have her arms around me to-nite. I’d be the happiest man who ever walked
I am on duty here in the office I came on at then a.m. & will finish at six P.M. I want to write to Onnellee & some others as well if I’m not too busy.
I went to the show last nite & saw “Oh Johny How you can Love” & eys also Pinoccio (I guess thats how you spell it)
Tonight I expect to go to a dance. if nothing happens. You should see the way they dance over here.
Did you know that Onnellee was a cousin of Jean Upcotts & Utah Hickmoth? Anyway she said in here letter this morn. that she was down to Utah’s house & she was showing her some school pictures & she said that You, Franc, & I were all in it. I guess thats the one that was taken on the Inman school steps.
I guess you know that Glen Upcott got married early in the summer & Jean about four weeks ago. Onn has been busy the last couple letters I received from her. Writing out invitations for her grandmother &a who gave a shower & waitress at the reception & I don’t know how much other stuff. She married Jean Married Jimmy Neal from Cottom. Remember him?.
I want to go to London to -morrow being Saturday & come back Sun. nite. If they’ll give me a pass. There is a lot more bombing in London tho than here. & they don’t care to let us go to London. I’m looking forward to it anyhow.
Franc. said you sent me some cigarettes. It takes quite a while for them to come (about six weeks) but I’ll get them when the time comes. & I want to say thanks a million. Thats the worst of our needs. Well Sis. I’d better close Hope you can read it.
I Remain
Lovingly
Harry
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