Letter 10: June 21, 1941

Letter 10:  June 21, 1941   from Portage LaPrairie, MB

June 21/41

Dear Ellen

            I’m sure sorry to hear your throat is still bothering you, those tonsils of yours had sure been sorry ones haven’t they, you’ll be getting provoked some day & want them to cut your whole throat off. Well I hope when you get operated on next the really get them for good.

            I had a letter from Dad saying that he was up to Swift Current and he said that you were working but was up and saw Archie & Muriel. By the way did Archie get my letter that I sent at the same time as your last one or did he loose his right arm. I send him a few cigarettes & a note the other day for his birthday and asked him if he had got my letter or not.

            It sure was swell to see Dad and we sure had a nice visit. He even showed me through the Portage Park which I had never seen up until then & its really grand. Dad was telling me in his letter Tuxford Sports Day was a flop last Weds, only four softball teams.

            It sure was to bad about Jack wasn’t it, everybody that knew him in the Airforce thought he would be an ace, but he might make the grade at Trenton where they give them another chance. I hope so anyway because he really likes flying. I haven’t heard how he is doing though, he hasn’t wrote.

            Flying has been going a lot better lately I have got in 35 hours now & have had my 20 hour check & passed it, been doing mostly solo flying lately practising loops, spins & force landings & steep turns, those loops are quite the thing by ones self; your going 115 miles an hour when you start into it, then right up & over & your back & then down. We start exams next Thursday on the ground subjects as you know our course ends here about the 3 of July. My chances of a leave are damn slim as I think we go to S.F.T.S. immediately after; either Yorkton or Dauphin we understand, but them there is a war on.

            We had a hell of a big wind & rain storm here last Thursday, a couple of planes turned  over while landing & taxing into the hangers. I managed to keep mine under control until they  grabbed my wings. No body was hurt though.

            I haven’t been doing much for excitement lately but going to the odd shoe. I’ve been taking a telephone operator (you know what they are don’t you) out the last couple of weeks in Portage, and she seems very nice, but it’s not serious, don’t get me wrong as you always do.

            I suppose you have heard that quite a few of the boys at home got drafted to the army & have to go to Dundurn  & big fat Porter is trying to get exempted, I hope the hell they get him in & keep him there.

            Were going to have a flight party before we leave Portage so I guess we all got a good drunk coming up which will be a change.

            I expect to get an overnight pass tonight so I think I’ll slick up and go to a dance in town, they have dome damn good Jitney dances in the skating rink.

           Say Ellen how did the date turn out with the English Airforce as good as his voice sounded.

            A little story – did you hear why Eatons are going broke, dresses are going up pants coming down & everyone is going in the hole.

            Thank you & Archie for the joke its a good plan for men thinking of getting married eh what, or maybe not or nobody would get married.

            Well Ellen I guess that is all for this time so I will close for noe, there are a bunch of German Junkers flying over & we got to go up & knock them down.

            So solong for now

            Your loving brother

            Fred

NOTE: S.F.T.S.  Service Flying Training School