27/10/41.

My darling wife;

It is now 8: A.M., of a beautifully clear, but icy cold morning and although this classroom is quite warm, I’m still shivering from a freezing bed all night and parade this morning out in the clutches of the frozen wind. How about coming out here and keeping me warm at night, lady lovely? I’ve got my love to keep me warm on the inside, but my feet get cold as hell and the cold shivers tear up and down my spine something awfull. So you see I’m being very badly tret my love. “I want sympathy,” and other stuff and Junk.

Despite the insane patter my dear, I do really get cold around here and whether it has any bearing on the matter or not, I’m really lonely for you, and I’d do anything to have been in that little brat Daner’s place.

I know you must be glad to get out once in a while and it is a real pleasure to me to know that someone is being nice to you at least once in a while, but it makes me feel a bit jealous to think that some other lucky bird can get a look at you while I just have pictures to look at. So you see I’m really jealous of everyone down there the lucky bums – what did they ever do to deserve it?

Having a magnetic personality and a very desirable background (quiet please), I made certain worthy contacts in Regina which brought me an invitation to supper at the residence of the local doctor. Mr. or Dr. Portnuff – which ever you please – has a beautifully appointed house a very nice wife and sets a lovely table. This is an airmens dream come true. He also has a rather pretty and very conversant on almost any subject, a very good card artist and generally quite attractive.

George and I went to their residence for supper last week and had a wonderfull meal, after which we played cards with the young lady afore mentioned, then proceeded to a show which was rather mediocre, but which gave us a chance to make small talk with the young lady. After the show we took her home and since she is only 13 we made no further advances, (snicker). On the whole we had a very pleasant evening, finding the doctor.

I must stop teasing you for a while dearest, as we are going to have a lecture on emergencies in aircraft now. Love darling.

We have just finished a period on armaments, subsequent to our airmanship and are now about to go on with a period of navigation. Here we go so I’ll leave you for a while again.

Since I had no time to add to this during the afternoon I’ll bring you up to date now.

I put in an hour and a quarter dual instruction with Smitty on forced landings and single engine work which we get to accustom us to the handling of any twin job when one engine goes dead, then went off for an hour solo to practice take offs and bombs, with both engines and alternately one shut off. After my solo flight Smitty said we’d go up for some instrument, so I went out and got a plane warmed up, when all out of the blue along came Smitty with two of the link instructing officers. So I was exhibit A, having to take of under the hood, which covers up all external views and leaves you with only the instruments to fly by, and go through my paces for three-quarters of an hour. Then I was released from the cage and flew for a few minutes clear vision, showing the officers how the Crane acted in various positions after which exhibition Smitty took over and I gave up the first pilots seat to one of the officers and retired to the rear seat, from where I watched him get the feel of her and try a few maneuvers. The other officer sat in the rear seat by the other window, looking a bit nervous and gray, especially after Smitty did some steep turns, which pull your face down till you can’t keep your mouth shut and seem to be dragging your internal organs down to your knees, to us of course it is one of the more exhilerating parts of our routine, but the poor fellow looked quite sick and he confided in me the fact that this was his third flight and not being as young as he might be, he found it pretty hard to take, so he just sat there and pretended to be interested till we came down. The last flight took us about an hour and a half, giving me a total of three and three quarter hours flying today – so we don’t waste time as you can see.

It takes about twenty minutes to sign in and out again between including of course the starting, warming, and testing of the engines, and of course there are always a few minutes wasted hunting for a plane and fooling around, so it makes a pretty full half-day.

We get pretty well warn out by supper time, but every time we execute a manouver well it makes up for an hours slugging and the results are certainly worth the effort. I’d go through one hell of a lot for a few minutes flying and although this place is no bed of roses, I’ll not make any real kicks as long as I can fly every day.

It was Mum and Dad’s silver wedding anniversary on the 14^th of this month, so I ordered a silver water jug to go with there tea set, when I was in Regina on my 48. It just arrived here today and now I've got to borrow enough money to mail it and write a note of apology to the dear old people and I feel like a rat for not getting it sooner. However being them, they’ll understand and think they’ll like it. The design is quite simple and pleasant, being of fairly good quality and taste I believe and hope – it cost $16:00, so it should be fairly good.

I got a card from Bud today; via Mum, and it appears that he is in Los Angeles on H.M.C.S., Ungava. The lucky pup has beat me too it again, but he really deserved it, from the way he worked and I’ll be on active service soon I hope. I do hope he can get home for Xmas, so that I can see him for a while.

Don’t for the love of mike, let your work get ahead of you darling, of all people who I ever thought could take things in her work in her stride, you've got it and I know if you set your mind to it you can make any climb you choose to try. The only thing is dearest, you take things so seriously, that sometimes you let your sense of perspective give you more conscience than you need. Look darling, if I know you and I think I do, you should relax just a bit and not let your work worry you so much. You know I don’t mean to let your studying go, but try not to take it over seriously because in your new and to some extent suppressed environment, it is more than your nerves will take healthily. So try and get a fresh, balanced outlook on life and don’t ever stop sports Jill, they are about the best tonic on earth for an overtired mind and you’ll never survive without it. In some ways I think you should have been about three years older and I should have had a couple of extra’s to, then I’d of seen to it you’d have stayed were you belonged and that certainly is not in a dirty city. Now I’ll shut up – I’ve said to much already – that’s twice today darn it.

Don’t tell me you put that picture of me up were anyone but you can see darling because it’s for you to see and no one else. I kind of like those arms myself Jill, because they please you and they’ll always be looked after so that I can give you endless bear hugs in the not so far off future.

I haven’t got your portrait as yet darling, but I hope to get it soon – it is rather hard to turn away from the wicket every day without the thing that you dream about every day till noon and then have to wait for another day but I’ll survive till it arrives.

As you say our Tiger’s were pretty small, but what lovely sensitive little lady’s they are. I’d love to have one to play in these days and if I ever get a chance I’ll take you up in one of these small trainers and dispell all your fears of flying and show you just how exhilerating it is.

Our Cranes are, of course, much bigger having a pilots seat, a co-pilots seat for dual control and a large roomy seat in the rear, where three can sit very comfortably. They are something of a luxury job, being intended primarily as a commercial taxi and pleasure ship and they certainly are comfortable.

As soon as I get a chance I’ll sneak my camera over to the hangar and try and get you some shots of our ships to show you what they’re like.

Now dearest I must stop and get my washing done – mercenary life isn’t it. Try and write when you get any spare moments and keep your head above water. I’ll be writing again soon darling, so look after yourself for me.

All my love darling,
Your Den.

P.S. Please excuse the paper beloved but I’m to broke to buy any and I don’t like bumming.
More love and kisses.