R97725 AC.1. Humphrey. J.F.,
404 Squad R.C.A.F.,
R.C.A.F. Overseas.
Dear Mom & Pop:
This is the first real opportunity Ive had to write you since I got back from leave because- well- er- ah! its like this I was walking down the street in London with Kerr & Galloway, when all of a sudden two R.C.A.F. sevice police hollered- "hey airman" so we stopped and they asked us where our gas masks were, and we told that they were at our billets so they took our names & numbers so a few days later the same Sp's caught us again without resperators and again took our names & numbers and when we got back to camp- what do you know? they had us on charge, well that sure shook me- and we had only been caught twice in three days. So then we were taken before acting Squadron leader McHardy "DFC" and he explained that he had to punish us so we got seven days drill & confined to barracks. This consists of reporting every hr. with complete kit and every half hr. at night until 10 o'clock up until this time you sweep polish & scrub floors along with our ordinary work.
I think maybe ought to start wearing my resperator if this happens again
I got ten day leave in all but got a bad start & lost one day because of train conections so that left 9 days. I stayed in London with Kerr's relatives and had a swell time. Kerrs uncle owns a big butcher shop & every night when we came in he had a big steak about an inch thick in the ice box for us.
While I was in London I went to the Beaver club and got a bus ticket there to see London, I saw the tower bridge the tower, the castle St. Pauls cathedral & the parliament buildings after I was there three days I went up to Kilmarnock to see Mrs. McKenna and did they ever make me welcome I got breakfast in bed and I wasn't in the house an hr. until the had me dressed up in one of "Willies" suits (incidentally Willies a little smaller than I am) and then I went to visit Mrs. Gemmel formerlly Mary Fulton [?] Mrs. Mckenna's daughter Mary and I went to church with them. I saw Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay, Mrs Lindsays a fulton, and Robert Fulton.
Most of them remembered you and they showed me your old house & your grandfathers old house. I'll get a picture of the old place the next time I'm there, which should be in Jun 23rd.
I noticed that all the Fultons seemed to resemble you and I got around to see most of them but I still have a lot to visit.
When I went visiting one night they sat around the piano & sang hymns I guess I wasn't doing so good because they asked me if I didn't know the hymns they were singing but I said I knew the hymns alright but I just wasn't a singer.
I think Mrs. McKenna was kinda proud of me because she was showing me off to all the neighbours, they couldn't get over how tall & well built I was (I told you I wasn't getting thin around the [?]) insedenlty I'm weighing over 160 lbs they also expected me to be a little stuck up they said but they were surprised to see that I was free & easy to please. They couldn't seem to do enough for me & had ham and eggs for breakfast and they gave me such be dinners that I dowted but what Earle or Stew could have eaten them.
Beleive me I was sure sorry to leave and they made me promise that I would spend my next leave with them and beleive me I will. I was sorry I didn't get to see Willie or Aunt Jane but I'll see Aunt Jane in June on my way back to Kilmarnock.
That parcel you sent me with the jacket & [?] in it sure went over big and Mrs. McKenna said she would sure like one of those little flashlights so if you would send me one like the one McCready gave me I would appreciate it.