February 5, 1943

Dear Mom, Dad and Family,

Hello Everybody! First I want to thank you for your previous letter Mom, I received it just after I got Dads. It was swell and thanks a lot. We have had a mild break here this last week and flying was fast and furious. But today it closed in again and we are having a terrific wind and snow storm. You can hardly walk against it. It isn’t very cold tho, so it isn’t so bad as it could be. Well how is everybody? Fine I hope. I am okay and have put on some weight so they tell me. Here are my latest marks to date (1) Bombing 86%, (2) Aldis lamp 100%, (3) Wireless 100%, Aircraft Recognition 88%. We had our mid-term bombing exam today and I don’t know my mark yet, we will be having more exams next week; and our finals in about 3 weeks. Time sure flies! Gunnery exams are coming up soon too. We have a lot of fun in gunnery, yesterday we fired 50 rounds from .303 rifles on the 25 yard range. It is surprising how many bull’s eyes you get. We have taken up power gun turrets and are now actually working them. They are fun to operate, but a gunner hasn’t an easy job let me tell you. These are four gun turrets here like in the big bombers. Boy do they ever chew up the target. You wouldn’t believe it. The 4 guns squirt out 80 slugs per second and brother that’s plenty. We have all kinds of exercises in them. I’ll describe them to you when I see you all. I may go to Winnipeg from here, never can be sure tho, it may even be Edmonton, although not many go there from this school. A consert club from Moose Jaw put on a show here last nite. It was small townish but worth seeing when your isolated like we are. I haven’t been out the gate for 4 weeks, but we should get a 48 next week end.

Well we had the inevidable crack-up here yesterday. A Boly lost its prop and made a forced landing in a plowed up field nearby. It landed wheels up at 120 mph and only 1 fellow got a cut on the nose, just because his safety belt wasn’t fastened. He was an Edmonton lad and I know him well (used to play Pee-Wee) with him. He said it was quite the thing. They certainly had a smart pilot. They can all thank him.

Thanks a million for the “goodies” Mom and family, they sure were swell – believe me!!!

Pay and Accounts say that the extra money from the check will be on next months check, because Ottawa probably haven’t changed it yet. So please let me know at that time.

There is a new draft coming this week so Johnny may be on it. I got a letter from him and he sure is fed up with I.T.S. The new air bombers wing is out they say. It is described as an A in an oak leaf wreath and one wing. If you see one please let me know if I’m correct. Some Wags. got their sergeants hooks and wings here yesterday and they are proud as punch.

Boy I don’t blame them, so will I be when I get mine. It won’t be long now. Well dears I must close up now and all my prayers for you Mom and also the rest of you.

Love
Pete.