Letters relating to William Arthur Allsopp - Part 5

to one of the many lakes around
here and had a great weekendx.
We were invited out to spend
the Saturday night on an island
and had a great morning fishing
and shooting Went looking for a
bed of pine needles but all we found
were mosquitoes, and ended up eating
three dozen eggs between us.
I had a look at a game of
"grid iron' football the other day
but it is not as fast as League, as
they go into a conference every time
a player goes down on the ball. We
played a curtain round against the
New Zealanders but they cleaned
us up easily.
I am enclosing a photo of
the school which might be
interesting in time to come. Did
you receive any of the others I sent?
I would keep them in an album
only that would be a bit cumbersome
to squeeze into the kitbag
so I reckon they are safer with
you.

Well mum, I have just about
reached the end of my tether, and
have run out of information
you might find this hard to
read but you can blame
the morse for that as you have
to write pretty fast or else you
might miss some interesting part
of a 'thriller' theya have on the 
Automatic morse machine or
'creed". as we call it. Anyhow
I am still going pretty strong
and "happy in the service" and
hope that everything at home
is right. Give my regards to
the neighbours and love to yourself
and all at home.
Love
Bill
xxxx

411063 ALLSOPP W.A
RAAF.
Base Post Office
Ottawa
Canada.
29th September '41
Dear Mum,
Was very pleasantly surprised
to find four letters on my bed today,
three from you and one from Eileen,
and this should keep me quiet for
another month or so until the next mail
arrives.
Its hard to imagine having to
cook for only four, I wish I had
been there to look after what was
left over, as it seems a long time since
I had a good wholesome meal.
I suppose stan is where Jack was
maybe he ought to pass on where he
used to get so fat, I dont think it was
from eating camp fodder maybe a bit
of camp life will cure stan of wanting
to join the A.I.F.
Am still progressing pretty
well, except that it gets a bit cold
now and again. Saw a few flakes
of snow the other day and it seemed
to give some warning of what

is to come as the coldness seems to
sink right into you. Up untill around
ten o'clock in the morning the barometer
shows about 30° and then
improves to about 50° but doesnt
seem to want to go above that.
Had another graduation day last
week. but that should be the last
one we will be watching as we
are the senior squadron now, and should
shift out of here soon. The time certainly
does go quickly and we have digested
a fair amount about sparks and Radio
Waves in that period. All our exams
are now over but havent heard all
the results yet, but should end up with
a fair average!
I started a letter to Bede around
a week ago and have just completed
it so you see I am beginning a life
as a foreign correspondent. I havent
heard from him as yet and I suppose
by now he has moved to another
station A couple of Tamworth boys
were here the other day and wished
to be remembered to him, so I passed
their regards on. They were Jim Henry
and Reg. Partridge and both sported
their observers badges and had

their sergeant stripes up. Les M^cLeod
and I had a great yarn to them and
overwhelmed Jim Henry with our
hospitality at the canteen. But is was
pretty good to see them and we were
like a lot of debutantes comparing and
swapping news. I think by now that
Potts and his mob have left the country
but I can't be sure as I havent heard
anything about them at all.
By the time you receive this we will
have finished our flying and are looking
forward to it as it seems to be the best
liked portion of the course. We are
a bit unlucky as we just missed
on a new scheme they have devised.
Whereby you fly from the second
month onwards but we cant kick
as we've had a pretty fair go.
Eileen was telling me about the night
out Mick gave them, she was as pleased
as punch, and certantly appreciates Pop's
visits to her saying she wished more of
her inlaws were more like him She.
seemed surprised to receive a letter from
me but should make a good correspondent
and help to swell my fan
mail.

I'm having a bit of trouble
trying to concentrate as a wireless
a few beds away is just introducing
a few of the fellows Joe Lewis has cleaned
up prior to the Louis-Nova fight.
which commences in a few minutes
time, so I had better hurry up. I
remember the last Louis fight I
listened to it [[very?]] light and the
sun was still up at 8.30. but now
it gets dark very quickly soon after
the sun goes down at 6.45.
I suppose by now all the peppers
are gone and you have commenced to
worry about the sun drying out the
soil and a shortage of water to
keep the plants alive. It has rained
every consecutive day here for the last
few weeks so if you can a just get
a bit of this moisture over there you
would have a world beater of a
garden. All the leaves on the trees
have turned to all the colours imaginable
and are just waiting for something to
push them off; you would be in
your glory admiring them but Australia
has more to offer than they ever
 

can produce in this country, I'm
certain of that now. I think Letty
said that also when she came back
from America so I second her in it
now. Talking of America; they have
opened the border to fellows in
uniform, and all we have to have
now is the luck to be sent to a
gunnery school somewhere around
Chicago so it will be easy to get
to New York, the big difficulty being that
the leave is too short if you are not
Close handy Maybe I will say a few
"Hail Mary's".
I dont know if I've ever mentioned
our Padre but every Sunday morning
he puts on a venerable show for
the boys He is about 90% French and
fire proof to his views by gesticulations
and he certaintly can act. I usually
start to laugh as soon as he turns
round to speak and dont stop till
he's finished but he does a lot
more good for all that. Dr Dunne
would take a fit if he saw him
during mass or in canteen drinking
with the boys but they couldn't have
picked a better man.

What happened to O'Reilly? Did
he go to Sydney in the Air Force
or is he still around the town.
I wrote him a letter a long time
ago but maybe it didnt find him.
if he has shifted. If he is about
go crook on him and get him to write.
I receive your papers you post now and
again, and keep apace of the town
new. so keep on posting them Mum
as they are, at least, pretty good
reading. I sent Mick an 'Esquire'
with a lot of baloney about Australia
in one of the articles and a few
pretty pictures of girls in it so he
might find it handy to his work.
I saw in the paper where he is
at the Technical ^school with the night
classes he should be making 
a ton of money. There's not much I can
tell him about the windows, it needs
Pop with his little pencil and race book
for that, except that Trealoars windows
were as good as any here in the city,
if not better, but may be he wont believe
that. They go in for a lot of bright
colours with not too much in them,
but they all seem to lack background
- a bit of a hanging sufficing

Maybe if we go to any of the
bigger Cities I might see something
better and send some snaps home.
The fashion is for land clothes
in sports wear and shirt tails
are being worn hanging out this year.
It looked a bit strange for a while
to see fellows getting around like
this but it certaintly looks cool
on a hot day. Maybe Mick ought to
start the fashion in Tamworth,
these shirts opened necked, and gaudy
pants rolled half way up the
shins and a pair of sneakers.
Clothes are dear compared with those
at home but the cost of living is
nearly twice as high with everything
taxed up to almost 100% of the original
cost. One of the fellows bought a
pair of shoes the other day and cost
him 18 dollars, while he priced
a few hats and they seemed to be
very dear for the quality. Most
of the windows are displaying
winter clothes and coats now, but
that wouldn't be of much use to
Mick now.
 

Well Mum, I dont think there is
anything else I can tell you without
giving the Censor something to do.
So I will close for the present hoping
everything is O.K at home and that
Pop will crack it soon. Give my
love to the family and lots of love
to yourself and don't forget to
remember me to the Moors, [[Doks?]]
and all the neighbours so
Cheerio
Love Bill xxxx.
P.S
You will see I wrote this on
Sheila's birthday so wish her
a delayed happy birthday for
me if you havent got one of my
other letters and so done it.