Somewhere in England
April 22, 1940

Dearest Mom,

Received your letter of April 2nd today. The mail is certainly coming in more regularly now. I also got two bundles of papers which were most welcome. I assure you I will be on the lookout for your next parcel but I am very much afraid I won't be able to have the candy with Dez and Charlie for as I told you in my last letter they have already gone to the battlefields. We have been watching the newspapers anxiously for news of their safe arrival but as yet have had no news. Didn't I tell you that old Shorty would expect his boys to uphold the honor of the Pats? Here we are the first Canadians in battle again - just as in the last war, and as far as I can make out we have been handed the dirtiest -most dangerous job there was. Not that we mind though. We're used to that sort of thing by now and come to expect it as our daily lot. You'll notice I say "we" just as though I were still with the boys and indeed I am in spirit. Major Starke - the OC now, has promised to put me back to duty at the end of the month so I guess I'll be with the boys soon. Indeed I hope I am for I miss them terribly.

Today and yesterday have been wonderful days of sunshine, not a cloud in the sky... a lovely breeze blowing through the leaves (for the leaves are all out now) and the birds singing everywhere. Over the weekend I managed to borrow a bike and went on a lovely trip all around here. Then this afternoon the Carleton York reg. who are messing with the PPs went on a scheme and I was one of the ones detailed to carry their dinner to them. We found them about 20 miles away, beyond Camp Borden in the midst of the most beautiful countryside I have yet seen. So you see I have had two lovely trips in the last two days.

Don't worry about me not having enough money to last from payday to payday. Right now I have nearly 1lb. ($6.50) in my purse and it is only 1 week from payday. I am going on leave up to London this week and I expect I'll have about 3lbs. to spend. But of course I won't spend it all. But I am going to see "Gone With the Wind" while I am up there and I expect that will cost 10s. for the prices are very high as you know. Then too I have to pay for my board I expect - that'll be about 15s., so I'll have lots left over for other things.

I have not got a letter from Sadie now for three weeks and I am getting extremely worried about her. You know the last time, I heard she was expecting to go into hospital to have a goitre on her neck removed and I'm beginning to wonder if everything is alright. Clarence hasn't written since a week ago either so I have no news of them at all. By the way he says in his last letter that you have not been writing to him steadily. Why don't you? I know he welcomes your letters and is extremely glad to get them.

Gee I'm tired. I didn't get to bed till 11.30 last night, had to get up at 5 this morning and I'll be serving supper til 11.30 tonight because of the C&Y scheme. It's only 5 PM now but I feel like going to bed for a good long sleep.

Isn't it funny how we get used to things? When I first came here I used to be running outside every few minutes to look at the planes passing overhead. Now I just stay here and don't even bother to look out the window. One has just passed over so low I could here the wing whistling in the rigging.

All for now

Love as always,

Jim