How are y’all?

January 28, 1943
Sameplace.

Dear Mom, Dad and Family,

I received your letter today Dad and I was sure glad to receive it. It did me a world of good – it sort of made me feel as tho I was suddenly unmanacled, or set free. So now I am going out and take it, but not only that I am going to give it. From this letter I am going to be the guy whom they want to cool off in the showers. I’ll reverse my field and see how it works. Probably this barreness of this place has been a factor so I’m going to hike up to Regina on my next 48 hour pass. It may help. Well lets forget this episode and lets see how it goes. Thanks a lot Dad, your a real pal and I’m the luckiest guy around. The papers are grand, so keep ‘em coming.

Yes you certainly have had a cold spell, how did you do for fuel? I’ll bet Ray wished he was in Victoria. It is warming up out here, but still snowing so flying is still washed out. They tried to fly in it a couple of times, but the undercarriage froze up and they had to come in belly down. There were no casualties, so it was an adventure for the boys. We have the best pilots in the dominion out here, just young fellows too. Well about this pilot business. You want to know how I can do it? Well here is the solution. Six months after I graduate I can remuster for pilot training. Six months shouldn’t be long, the way time seems to be fleeting now. I’ll do it if it’s the last thing I ever do. Just watch me.

It doesn’t sound any too well for Martin as Trenton means “washout” to us. I hope I never see the place. I sure feel sorry for him if it is washout. We are still practising in the bombing teacher. I am sure rolling up a score. My lowest error on bombing alone is 27 yards group at 10,000′ for 6 bombs. I sure hope I can do it upstairs. We start practising in gun turrets next week. It won’t be long before we start flying if the weather keeps clear.

Oh say Mimi how about buying me some snapshot corners, they haven’t any out here. I’ll send you the money and keep the change. Thanks! How about a line too and what guy is keeping Fran from penning a few lines. You’d think I was a heck of a guy by your lack of letters. Ha ha. No cracks please. Hiya Ray how about flying down to see me!

Hello Loretta, how are you and you Dolores and Ramona and Elvi. Still curl your hair honey. Isn’t as coot. If you can’t understand that remark kindly refer to me by letter. Thank you. You can write can’t you Elvi? Well where’s your pen, migosh. Please let me know if you get $35 this month from the air force. I have a faint suspicion I am getting gyped at this end and I am going to tackle Pay and Accounts as soon as I am sure you get yours there. Oh yes we had turkey dinner today no kidding, but oh did supper ever ruin the illusion. I got a letter from Johnny, please say hello if you see him. I suspect he has left now tho. I wrote to Ken Barker in Winnipeg on a hunch. I sure hope he is there.

We had a bombing theory exam yesterday. We haven’t the results yet, but 2 got over 90, and 14 got over 80 so I have a chance of a good mark. It certainly was an easy exam anyway.

We also had an Aircraft Rec. exam. I don’t know that mark yet either. I bought myself a cigaret roller in Moose Jaw on the way here. So I am rolling em now. It’s much cheaper. Here are a few facts about my studies. We study all bombs from 4 lb incendiary’s to block-busters including A.P’s (armour piercing) which will penetrate 12″ of chrome deck steel, also mines, torpedoes and miriads of others. When you let a 4 ton block buster go your plan bounces up 1,000 feet. You have to watch you don’t get slapped in the face by the bombsight when she jumps from the release. Also American automatic bombsights are poor because you must fly straight and level for miles to hit the target. Where as with our sight all you need is a couple of hundred yards run up.

So with ours we can zig-zag and take evasive action, thus giving you a better chance to come back whole. Some of our stuff is a secret so that is out, but we sure aren’t as dumb as the enemy thinks. I sure hope this weather clears up soon, I am plenty hit up about this business and the quicker we get going the better. It’s going to be fun dropping real “eggs”. We should be overseas in 4 months. Just think 3 weeks here already, nearly half the time gone here, that is if the weather clears up grrrrr-rrr. I never worried so much for good weather before. Weather is the big problem in this business. Well folks, I have dribbled enough tonight so I’ll give you all a rest. Bye now.

Love
Pete

P.S. Still hope it’s a boy Mom.

SWISH –– [swoopy symbols drawn here, somewhat like: “Թ Թ Թ Թ Թ”] – 450 M.P.H.
That was a new mosquito fighter.