Letter 23: January 24, 1942

Letter 23: January 24, 1942  Postmark blacked out

 

 

 

No 8 

R85176 Sgt Piper F J

RCAF Overseas

Attached No1 AGS

Jan 24/41

(this letter is dated incorrect as Fred was not overseas in Jan 1941, should be 1942)

 

Dear Ellen

            I haven’t written this letter sooner as there isn’t much news to tell you Nell. Things have been going on much the same, the odd day is nice & we get a few hours flying in & then the next day is foggy & rainy.

            A couple of days ago we had the first snow storm of the season here. The ground was all white for a day and then it melted away.

            I received 300 cigarettes from you Ellen a few days ago & thanks ever so much Ellen, it sure is good to be able to smoke Sweet Caps after some of the stuff we get to smoke here some times. I received quite a few the same day as I got yours, I got 1000 from Dad and 300 from Archie.

            I got a swell parcel from the Bogart family about a week or so ago.

            We had a big dance in the Sergeants Mess last night and what a dance, did I ever get stinkod, I’ve never been so stewed for a long time, I was drinking whiskey all night. I had two or three different gals outside and indulged in a little romance. I was really Jibbing and I also done a little crooning over the loud speaker until one of our Warrant Officers wanted to know who was making such a bloody noise.

            I’ve been to quite a few pictures shows lately and I’ve saw some good ones, the shows though are a little late, I guess they get them here bout the same time as Outlook get them. There had been several times I’ve walked into a show & I’ve seen of them before back in Canada. A funny thing with the shows here that most of them are always double features & usually they are both first class pictures. I got issued a suit of battle dress the other day & it is very nice, it is much the same style as the army uniform but it is blue, it has the same color as the army uniform. We aren’t allowed to wear it outside of camp, it is just for use in the camp.

            I got a big date with a WAAF who is stationed on a station a few miles from this one. I met her at a dance once & she can really cit a rug & I don’t mean maybe.

            I went on a cross country trip yesterday along with some other planes, we went to another station about 90 miles away. One of the boys who I trained with in Canada is stationed at that station so we had a nice visit together.

            I’ve got another leave coming up on the 7^th pf Feb (10 days) & I’ve got in contact with some of the boys in the army from home so I’m going to visit them for a dew days and I received the proper address for Mother’s sister from Dad today so I’m going to try & find here, then I’m going up to Scotland from there.

            I don’t know if I told you but another Canadian pilot arrived here a few weeks back who is from New Brunswick & is he ever a great fellow, he has only been out about once since he came here. He don’t drink a bit, don’t dance & hardly looks at a girl.

            They have started a new idea with us pilots lately which is very good, on rainy days when there is no flying we have a lecture in the afternoon by a different pilot every day & each fellow can talk about any subject he prefers. The USA pilot gave a speech on United States, a Polish pilot gave a speech on Poland. We had very interesting speech by an officer who flew in the last war & has the large sum of 7850 flying hours, my measly 200 looks small beside that eh Ellen. He spoke on his flying experience, my turn to speak on Canada is coming soon.

            The other day it was raining as usual so we had a game of volley-ball in the sports hanger. I haven’t been doing much exercise & did I ever sweat & the next day was I ever stiff, I felt like I had been in the rig  Joe Louis.

            Things aren’t looking so bright for Australia these days are they, it looks like when I came over here I got further away from the war.

            Well Ellen I guess I’ll say goodbye for now & thanking you again for the cigarettes & magazines & your letters, which are coming in quite regular. Say by the way you haven’t mentioned your Mountie friend lately.

            Well goodbye for this time Ellen

            Your loving brother

            Fred

PS You will notice the address I give you at the top of the letter has changed again, well I got notified that this is the proper address from now on.