404 Squdn R.C.A.F.
Jan. 10, 1943
Hello all you Gerries:

Well, here I am, slow but sure. Anyway, I know you'll forgive me, knowing what social obligations I have over here—what with hundreds of Scotch gals & plenty of work to do I can hardly answer all the mail I get.

Well, did you have a merry Christmas. I sure bet you had. There's nothing like a bunch of kids to have a good time at that particular time. I bet Santa managed to get around them all in spite of the blinkin war. Well, I had a grand time over here too. In fact, I celebrated right thru till nite before last. I was out for Christmas dinner and had turkey & then I had two more turkey dinners & a pheasant supper besides that. Besides I got a huge number of parcels from home so I'm really living high. I guess I likely get more to eat here than you do at home. All the tea & coffee we want anyway—and Scotland is famous for whiskey—which I noticed over the new year.

I really do not know what to say when writing home or to Canada because I can't say anything about what I do here on the station and you wouldn't be interested in what I do in town—you're probably done it once in a while yourselves. A bit of necking I mean—mostly dancing. They got a swell dance hall and I spend most of my spare time (and money) there. We have a new sergeant major and he's a real sport. He don't let the Headquarters W.O. get tough with us. He gives us sleeping out passes every nite if we want ‘em and we go to town, stay at the "Y" hostel for a shilling & come back onto the station on the bus in time for parade in the morning so we have a good time. I've been at 3 all nite parties in the last 2 weeks. I sure got sick of strumming my ukele all nite long while the rest sat around and mugged—darn it. However, the second time I knew better than to take it along.

I guess you have heard from home that I saw Jim on leave and we had a good talk. It was great to get together again after a year and 2 or 3 months. What do you think of his wife. I guess she's a bit of all right eh, but slightly young. She'll get over that in another 20 years. Here's hoping he gets back to see her again.

We've been pretty busy lately and will be for a while yet. We expect to move again soon—not to the Shetlands either. Who knows? We may be in India before spring, I hope. I'd like to see more of the world before I come home. I'll tell you all about it when I see you. Thanks for writing so regular, wish I could do same but I have a lot more to write. Best of luck and I'll be a see'n y'a.

Bill