May 29th/44

Dear Mom:

Here I am again this is to let you know that your letter of the 16th arrived yesterday. It was a little slow in catching me but it did.

We have been very busy the last two weeks taking basic training over. The training here is much more interesting than what we had in Canada the main reason being we are outside all day. We have been out on night training several nights. Last week we were out with blanks for the rifles & "thunder flashes" (they are just a big fire cracker). Part of the troop was put in a spot to defend and the rest to break through. The whole thing was a lot of fun. The only damage that was done was on the thorns. My hands & knees were an awful mess as the ground was covered with them. Every time someone stuck his head up someone would throw a thunder flash. You can see the fuse burning so have plenty of time to get out of the way. The worst that they can do is leave you blinded for a few minutes from the flash and scare you with the noise if they are close and don't see them.

I had a letter from Gordon the other day, he says that he knows where the camp I am in is and hopes to be able to get down here but may not be able to do so for a while.

Will you get Oddie to send me Ken's address as I may be able to meet him if his camp isn't too far away. Any other address of the kids that are over that you can get will you send the along too.

Has there been any word of Ted Alexander yet?

Things have been very quiet around here there isn't very much that you can do. There are three towns around that we can go to and that is all, they are all with in five miles of camp. There is a show in one of them other than the pubs that is the extent of the entertainment. Except for the dances which are so jammed that they are almost a brawl.

On the 24th we had a field day on the afternoon with half the kids in the neighborhood at it. They had a grand time. There was nothing that they could go in but the chocolate bars that the canteen was selling were not rationed except for two to a customer. That just meant the kids kept coming back. Just help them along there was a deposit of 2d on the pop bottles so they went around collecting bottles until they had enough to buy more bars which were 3d each. Some of them sure had quite a load of them when the afternoon was over. I might say that they were all Canadian bars which are much better than the English.

I have found out that we can wear a dress hat if we have them so you can send it along in one of the boxes. Will you also send along my oxfords that I left there when I was home as I can use them as well.

At the present time I am not getting any trades pay. I do not need any money but if I do at any time I will let you know.

We are finished with our basic now so we may be moved to another camp.

I will close for now give my love to all.

Love
Ted.