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Date: February 18th 1943
To
Marion Loney
From
Ted Loney
Letter

Feb 18, 1943
Edmonton Military Hospital
Edmonton, Alta.

Dear Mom:

This is the first chance I have had to write since I left.

You will be wondering how come from Edmonton so I will tell you about that.

A week ago Monday on the train into camp my right eye got sore. At the time I thought it was from reading so I stopped reading. When we got to camp that night the Doc had a look at it and he put me in the camp hospital. Tuesday morning the eye lid was swollen and I couldn't see. The doctor didn't know what to make of it. He started to give me sulphathiazole and you know what that does to my appetite (nil). Well anyway my eye instead of getting any better swelled more until nearly the whole side of my face was swollen, that was last Thursday. Friday & Saturday the swelling went down until it was just my eye lid then Sunday my eye lid started to swell until Monday morning it looked like a ripe tomato. The doctor that morning told me he was sending me into Edmonton by plane but I got gypped out of my plane ride due to a snow storm. So he sent me in on the train. Well I arrived here all right Tuesday morning and into the hospital and bed again but first they took me to an eye specialist. I don't know what he said. But Tuesday night the thing broke and it has been draining ever since it is almost down to normal now and I can open my eye a little and see. The nurse was telling me a little while ago that I have an appointment with the specialist again tomorrow. The eye was pretty sore for a while until it broke, it feels fine now so much [for] that.

Well the trip up here was very quiet. We were 8 hour late when we hit Kamloops. It was cloudy and snowing and we didn't see the mountains.

We got into Jasper at 9 when we should have been getting into Edmonton so that spoilt the trip through the mountains. We stopped at Jasper 20 mins: most of us got out and stretched our legs I went over to a store and bought some cookies to eat on the train but had eaten most of them before the train left.

The next morning, Sunday, we were in Edmonton, got in around 4 or 5.

Gypped again! Spent the whole day in Edmonton but they wouldn't let us to any farther than the station. Just as well though it was 35 below [F] and a very strong wind blowing in fact it felt as though it had blown everything off.

We left Edmonton 5:30 that night and arrived at camp at 5:30 next night (which is on Pacific time).

From here on you know what happened so I guess I will close.

I am sitting in bed writing this and I don't know why they keep me here. My one good eye is getting tired from all this so give my love to all and say hello to the Brassingtons for me.
Love
Ted

P.S. Don't know address here but at camp
Pte E.J. Loney K_____
#132 C.A.B.T.C.
Grande Prairie, Alta

P.P.S. haven't been paid yet missed out being in hospital but still have about 5 bucks so will live.
Love Ted