R-87629-LAC. Bob Lasser
Class 14-M, Hub 13_B.
No.2 [?] School, Calgary, [Alta?]

Dear Nels.

I'm sorry I didn't answer your letter sooner than I am but when I received it I was on Air- operations & damned busy & tired. So please excuse me.

So you got in Dutch again eh! I guess maybe I'd better get back & see you again & keep you out of trouble. Honestly though, I really wish you were in this outfit with me. It's exciting & right up your alley.

Anyway are you transferring to the 5th B.C.D. or are you only transferring to B Coy of the 16th? Where is the 5th BCD stationed at anyway? There'd be plenty of action & a darned good training in that for you especially if it's mechanized.

As to myself well I saw the Stampede here in Calgary & to tell the truth I was disappointed in it. It wasn't as good as the Fair at Victoria was last fall. The Stampede is only running on its name. In any case I had a good time there. By the way the guy I chum around with is from Brandon Man. He's a blonde kid about my size, weight etc. He used to be a truck driver & is the same in the R.C.A.F. as I am. We hope to graduate, go over seas at the same time & go up in the same plane together.

Air Operations was darned hard work, especially long cross-country flying. Those cramped workouts soon make a person very tired especially with all the vibration & work & all. Some of the flights were for 10 hours. We covered all of the South of Alberta. I have 50 hours flying time now I got it in the last week. It makes about 100 flying hours I have altogether since I got into the Air Force.

We had to be up at 3AM. & be on the [?] or line at 4:30 AM we started flying at 5 and flew til 9 P.M. we had to get our sleep between 9 P.M. & 3 A.M. and any time that we were waiting for our planes to be re-fueled a& serviced. We used Moths, Norsmen, and Ansons[?]. All good ships. It sure was lovely to get upstairs. In 4 weeks I'll get 65 hours flying again at Bombing & Sunnery School. We'll use 257 M.P.H. Fairy "Battle" single engined dive bombers there. I'll be glad to get upstairs, so we call it, again.

We led our final Escans[?] 50% of all the guys taking it will fail. It's so damned hard. I think I passed it though easily. At least I hope so. It means a Hell of a lot to me to pass out with top ranking. I want to get a commission & I've got a good chance now. I have a perfect record, good marks & if I pass out top both here & at B&S School I may get a Pilot Officer's rank. In any use I'll get Sergts stripes, "wings" & my "sparks". In 4 weeks we leave this school & in 7 ½-8 weeks I'll be at home on leave, I hope. There was a rumor that we wouldn't get any leave due to the war situation. They're figuring on flying us over-seas in ferry-bombers. I hope so- I'd like to fly the atlantic.

Well I guess I'll sign off now as I've 2 more letters to write. Please write soon. So cherrio & good luck.

Happy Sending
Your chum
Bob Lasser