April 10th, 1944

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, I have been here a week and nothing very much has happened to me as yet. I think we are going to get seven days leave starting the day after tomorrow. I hope so, because I am anxious to get up to London and see all my friends. I have managed to phone up to London twice: once I talked to Mrs. Sayers and once to Mr. Beverly. Mrs. Sayers was so excited she could hardly talk! She sounds just the same though, not a bit different. I can hear her now as she lifts the receiver and says "Shepherd's Bush 2972". I am very anxious to see her. Yesterday I had a good day. I rented a bike for 2/6 and went for a long ride out into the country. Stopped off at a lovely little market town for tea and also at a beautiful little 12th century church that we discovered tucked away in a tiny village. I'm sorry I can't tell you the names of these places but that would give away the clue to our location and that is strictly ‘Verboten'. We are in a restricted area so that means the censorship is very rigid. We have to hand in all our mail - unsealed, at the Orderly Room. So there is very little I can write about. I have had no mail from Canada and I have been here nearly six days. Some of the fellows had mail in four days and one fellow had mail waiting when he arrived! By the way, will you look among all the things I left home - or have sent home recently, and see if you can find my ‘Flying Log Book' in which are marked all my flying times...I cannot remember taking it home but have lost it and I am checking up everywhere I can possibly think where it might be. If you find it, mail it to me right away because I need it at once. It is most important. The ‘K of C.' are in charge of all hospitality for the RCAF. over here in England: and a very good job they are doing of it too. They have a HQ. here in town and a list of over 1000 private homes the fellows can go to on leave and stay. It doesn't cost them a penny for board or lodging and the people really give them a good time. How different from when I first came across here. In 1940, we were just turned loose on leave and told to disappear for seven days! We made our way to London because at least there was plenty of entertainment, if no human contacts. I guess I was pretty lucky to have met so many nice people so quickly. Mrs. Sayers put me in touch with so many more too. Now the K of C. is carrying on exactly the same work Mrs. Sayers did at the Eagle Club. They have hostesses all over England too, and we can go to them. I think I will go down to Devon on my next leave. I never got there before. Now I must close.

All my love to everyone,

Jim