June. 14

Dear Mother & Dad

& family.

Hope this letter finds you all in good health. I am way down in the dumps. We have started our 5 days leave today & most of us are spending it on the station. It is 4 days off payday & they wont pay us for our leave. They won't even give us a subsistence allowance. They say we will get it on our next pay. If this was a R.C.A.F we could draw our pay plus 2 weeks if we wanted to. I am not feeling very good about it as we have waited a long time for these few days off. I am thinking of pawning my watch & getting 3 quid. I have a transportation warrant for free travel to Aberdeen so I might go up to Scotland fishing. It would be a tight pinch but I might make it. I would go to London but that cost plenty of money & I mean plenty from what I hear. Oh well we get 10 days in 4 ½ weeks more of work & maybe I'll have more dough then & I shall definitely get down to see Auntie Gladys. I feel listless tonight & bored with this whole set up. Sorry to bother you with my troubles but I just have to beef to somebody

How goes everything at home. Hope everybody is fine & having a good time. I guess the weather is getting warm over there now. It is raining again out now. Thats about all it ever does over here. We had a big feast in the barracks last night. Wally & Benny got parcels from home. We got bread from the mess hall & toasted over over our coal stove which we lighted with wood we found around. We had sardines & salmon. canned meat & biscuits & jellbeans. Benny had a bottle of Scotch is wife smuggled over to him so we had a regular banquet.

I have those films in for developement & I will send you a set soon. They should be good if they turn out. I hope you are getting my mail O.K. I am writing both you & Marg at least twice a week. I would write now but I hate writing & I am busy most of the time. What do you think of the war. Looks pretty good doesn't it I should be home soon now. I can't be to soon for me. Well I am running out of paper now so I'll sign off for now. Give my love to the family & Dad & all kinds of luck for your vacation.

I remain Your boy

Norm.