25 Oct 43

Major GS Andrews, 10 Cdn Air Svy Liaison Sec, RCE

First Cdn Army Overseas

DEAR BILL:

YOU PROBALBY HAVE HEARD BY NOW THA TI PULLED A FAST ONE. A TRIP OUT YOUR WAY NOW WOULD MAKE IT PERFECT. SPENT FROM 23RD TO 4TH SEPT IN CANADA. GOT IN TWO FULL CALENDAR WEEKS AT VICTORIA TOO. HAD TO TRAVEL CPR BOTH WAYS ACROSS TO VANCOUVER, BUT BOTH WAYS BY AIR BETWEEN HERE AND MONTREAL. FOUND EVERYTHING AT HOME OK INCL MARY ELIZABETH AND HER MOTHER. ALSO DAD HALL LOOKED FINE, SAW HIM AT LEAST ONCE EVERY DAY. HE GOT OUT CABLE ABOUT THE MC JUST AFTER IL EFT, SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO GET DRUNK OR NOT SO BOUGHT AN ICE-CREAM COME. GUESS I LEFT A DAY TOO SOON. CONGRATS ANYWAY YOU OLD STINKER. GUESS A DOSE OF CRASS AND A BAD TEMPER IS ALL I'LL GET OUT OF THIS SHOW. WASN'T ACCUSED OF AN ENGLISH ACCENT BACK HOME ANYWAY. VICTORIA IS STILL THE MOST LOVELY OF ALL PLACES. OUR LITTLE HOUSE IS FINE THINK I'LL FIX UP A SNAKE ROOM DOWN IN THE BASEMENT THO' JUST FOR HT EOLD MAN AND HIS CRONIES.

YOUR AIRGRAPH OF 24 SEPT CAME JUST THE OTHER DAY. WHY DO SOME FELLOWS GET ALL THE BREAKS? NOT A VERY INTERESTING OUTLOOK FOR MY SMALL SHOW - DON'T THINK THEY KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO WITH US. COULD YOU FIND A JOB FOR US OUT THERE WITH YOU? BROUGHT THE MIRRORS AND METAL FITTINGS OF MY STEREOPLOTTER BACK WITH ME, AND MAY AMUSE MYSELF DURING THE LONG ENGLISH WINTER EVENINGS TRYING TO FIT IT TOGETHER? AND SEE HOW IT WORKS. THE PELLICLE MIRRORS ARE AS GOOD AS NEW, AFTER 3 1/2 YEARS IN AJ CAMPBELL'S BASEMENT.

SAW QUITE A FEW OF THE LADS, MISSED TREW, AND MULHOLLAND, BY JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS, BOTH HEADEDOFF INTO THE BLUE. FRANK SWANNELL, DOUG MACDOUGAL, DAVE CAREY, MACBEAN, HODGINS, WERE ALL IN. JIMMIE UNDERWOOD IS GRINDING WOOD OUT OF THE LOCAL HINDUS FOR THE SWIVEL SWERVANTS, HE GOT ME TWO LOADS. MIKE GREGG, ED BASSETT, & BILL TATE OF COURSE. ALL WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU. I'D GET HALF WAY DOWN A CORRIDOR IN THE BLDGS, AND THERE I'D BE STUCK FOR THE WHOLE MORNING OR AFTERNOON. SAW ORCHARD IN VANCOUVER, NOT 100% SATISFACTORY, BUT MAY BE ABLE TO WANGLE WHAT I WANT ANYWAY. HE'S NOT THE BOSS OF AIR SURVEY IN BC BUT WOULD LIKE TO BE. EVERYBODY WAS SWELL. THE FB SUPPLIED ME WITH A PLYMOUTH COUPE FULL OF JUICE TOO. THEY EVEN GAVE ME A SEDAN FOR A DAY IN VANCOUVER. SAW JOHN RODD BUT NOT MARY. IT WAS A HELL OF A RUSH. YOUR DAD GOT ME A NEW ROLEX SELF-WINDING - A DILLY.

SPENT ALMOST A WEEK ON THE CPR AND THE BALANCE OF THE TIME IN OTTAWA, WITH SHORT HOPS TO TORONTO AND MONTREAL. MY MISSION WAS SUCCESSFUL AS FAR AS THE ARMY BUSINESS GOES, BUT IT LOOKS AS THO' GERRY ANDREWS II REFUSED TO BE A WAR BABY. HE'S A FUSSY LITTLE BUGGER, WANTS EVERYTHING ALL SETTLED BEFORE COMMITTING HISSELF. WELL BILL TELL ALL THE GENERALS ABOUT ME. MY BOYS ARE GOOD TOO.

JEZUZ---- ALL THE BEST:

GERRY