May 8th 1944

#5 Platoon B. Coy

A16 C.I.T.C.

Currie Barracks

Calgary Alberta

Dear Ada:-

Received your joint letter, thanks a lot, also received one from [?] and one from Lloyd MacCollum an old friend of mine all my letter so far are by way of Brampton none direct yet, yours was mailed on the 1st of May and I got it to-day. when you were writing it; I was on the train heading west I am anxious awaiting a letter direct from home to see what your reactions are to my transfer into the Infantry, I’m personally beginning to like it a lot; never worked harder and liked it more since I joined up, believe you me its tough, but I’ll be in wonderful shape when its over, we made our first trip over the battle course to-day at least half of it, but as we gradually get more and more used to it, we’ll be able to get all the way around. [?] it from me a guy has to be in wonderful condition to be able to make it at all. The weather up here is a bit peculiar. Hot as Hades all day and cold as Greenland every night, its not the kind of weather recommended for anyone with [?]; sweet nothing on all day and muffled to the ears every night. The trees are nearly all in full leaf and the [?] are perfect. The people here cant compare with those in Toronto they seem to be out for what they can get out of us, even the old reliable the “Sally Ann”. Tell Mom thanks for the five bucks. I didn’t need it as I still have some of the twenty bucks she gave me when I left home, there’s only one time when I’d possible need extra cash and that if I got acquainted with a girl, and you know how unlikely that is, however if the occasion ever rises I’ll soon send for some. I’m sorry to hear that Mom bought a pen for me, because I bought one Saturday myself its only cheap but better than the straight pens. Find out if she can return it and let me know, I’ll send it back by return mail. They are showing a film here now so I’ll have to wait till its over, I might be able to get a line or two in [?] reels, we’ll see. The picture is [?] [?] with Jimmy Cagney starring, we had a flock of [?] starting [?] and now were wanting for the main picture to come on, I’ve heard its good, but you know better. (end of first reel and not bad). Hennie and I went horseback riding Sunday and had a whole of a time we’re going again next Sunday and take a camera so if it turns out ok I’ll send you some snaps, it’s a bit expensive, but a lot of fun. I feel like an Eastern Dude to day [?] stern etc. Well the picture is finished and it was swell you’ve probably seen it so I wont go into details, Hennie and I went into Calgary Saturday Night to sorta look the place over. There’s certainly no “dim out” in there they even have streamers of coloured lights across the streets and hundreds of coloured neon signs, and the odd cowboy in full regalia, doin the town, the girls up here are singularly plain, I might almost say. why of course there’s some exceptions but I guess they weren’t out Saturday. This is certainly not an army town; for example we were in the Y.M.C.A. writin a letter when an old duck come waddling through; she asked every single airman in the join if he’d like to go out for supper. All we got was a [?] look and a good view of her disappearing [?]. They charge the highest prices for everything here too. I didn’t like the type of [?] cuts the army [?] [?] dish out here so I waited till Saturday and got a trim in town and I mean a (trim) one buck exact! There’s no such thing as anything free for the service men, which is tough on us! however we only have two months to go and then we’ll be back [?] waiting to soil, I hope of course they may change us into some other unit before then; the C.W.A.C. for instance, which reminds me; theres at least six (over) hundred in this camp doing everything imaginable, you’d think I’d be able to look into one wouldn’t you? but that’s life I guess. I’ve got a beautiful tan now from spending all Sunday morning lying out in the sun writing letters, I wrote one to our troop office “Mr. [?]” at Brampton and one to one of the boys I know overseas, which kept me out in the sun for nearly two hours. My face has the appearance of a boiled lobster but its not sore, I guess I’ll never get used to it. Probably peel thousands of times this summer. Hows every one at home? I’d like to hear from dad but I guess he’s busy that that, if Lloyds moustache is anything to [?] about hows about a snap? There’s not much more to write about, I reackon what I written is pretty dull anyway so it is all the same to you I’ll close for now with best wishes and stuff,

Bill

P.S. Private W.S. Hollett and the rest is up top front page