Aldershot
17/4/40

Dear Mom & Dad:

Received your letter of the 29th yesterday. The Sydney Post Records came also, three bundles of them. I received a letter from Wannie and one from Evelyn Devereaux. Will try and answer them this evening.

We are very busy this last few weeks getting ready for classification. We are having our exams to-morrow and I feel very confident of pulling through. If we pass, we are considered as first class signalers and are entitles to 20¢ a day extra as well as $3.00 from the government for passing.

Last week I received the parcels that you were worried about, that is the candy, two parcels of mass from Tick and the sweet caps from Bob and Wannie I must have enough for the duration if I smoke them all myself. The cake you mentioned never showed up yet, but I guess it will get here in due time. Some parcels take longer than others to get over but they all make it eventually.

I never heard of any of the boys losing any parcels although they were worried at times.

After classification I expect to have it pretty soft. The officer told me that stone mass would be my sole duties, all the signal stones that are in the Quarter Masters Stones will be turned over to me. So that will keep my busy looking after them.

Last week the battalion was on an all night scheme. We had a feed in the mess hall about 4.00pm and at mid night the whole outfit boarded transport and headed out into the black-out for parts unknown. The convoy was three miles long and it sure looked pretty looking from rear to front. The only lights showing were the red tail lights.

The motor cycles were buzzing back and forth keeping the cross roads clear and sheperding the the transports. J.C. and I were on the back of the signal stone truck comfortable and happy. After driving for about 4 hrs, we debussed and waited for dawn. The zero hour. At six oclock we took our objective. The next most important thing was breakfast which wasn't very long coming up. We did it justice too. After eating we embossed and returned to camp, the colonel giving us the rest of the day off.

19th
Just after I quit writing Wednesday night the Orderly Corpol came in with a parcel for K.V. Butler and what a parcel it was. The boys had just gone to bed, but it didn't take them long to get up again when they saw the cake. I gave them half of it between them and kept the rest for J.C. Dan and myself. The apples kept it good and moist. Most of the cakes the boys receive are dry and hard before they reach here. It sure costs plenty to send them across. I took off all the stamps and gave them to some kids that hang around the camp looking for Canadian stamps and coins.
The date of our classification has been changed to next Monday for some reason or other. This will give us more time to prepare for it.

Some of the first Division left for places unknown. They didn't have any warning. The notice to "report to barracks at once" come out of the screen in the thetares in Aldershot. And what an applause went up from the Audience. It was just about the time that Germany invaded Norway.

There is no rumor of us moving from here for awile. We feel pretty able with all the training under our belts and want to put it to practical use if you get what I mean.

Well guess I'll quit until the next time. Dont worry. Will let you know anything important appearing.

Love to all
Boyley