Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, August - October 1943-Part 1 of 11

Fort Garry Hotel, showing Old Fort Garry Gate Winnipeg - 28

Post Card 
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007   122 St., 
Calder 
Edmonton Alta

Sat'dy 
Dear Jean, 
I think I even forgot 
to give you my address. 
is Aus 423088 
Sgt. Etherton R.H. 
RAAF Auspost 
Ottawa. I shan't be in 
the States long enough to 
receive mail bur I hope there's 
some from you when I get to Halifax. Thanks a lot for  
the bracelet. I'll always wear 
 
it. I hope you liked the 
compact. They'd have taken 
too long to engrave it. We 
stopped in Winnipeg for an 
hour this evening and only had a brief glimpse of the city 
xxxx Love Ron

Viewing the American Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada    28

Post Card 
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 122 St 
Calder 
Edmonton Alta 
Monday 26 July 
Dear Jean, 
I'm not sending  
these cards to make you 
jealous or anything like that 
but just so that you'll 
be obliged to write to 
me. We were in Toronto 

this morning for a few hours 
and Niagara this afternoon 
The falls are magnificent but 
there's nothing else. Toronto 
is like all big cities. I 
don't like 'em. I hope I 
wasn't presumptuous in 
sending the cushion cover. 
I guess you've seen the verse 
before but it fitted my 
thoughts 
xxx  Love Ron

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING FROM THE AIR, showing 
the comparative size of the building with the surrounding 
buildings (2) 
POST CARD 
PHOTOGRAPH 

Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 122 St 
Calder 
Edmonton Alta 
Canada 
Wed 28 July 
Dear Jean, 
Have been here  
in New York since yesterday 
morning. Am having a swell 
time but gee, it's hot. Thank 
goodness for air conditioning. 
The organisations go to great 
lengths to entertain us & we 
have not a spare minute. 
The hardest job is to pick 
where to go out of the many 

places available. Night 
life goes on all day &  
night here. It's OK for  
a change but I'd hate  
to live here. Have been 
to a cabaret & a show 
yesterday, viewed the city from 
the Empire State Bldg this 
afternoon. Tonight we have a 
radio show, then start in on  
the night clubs - at 10.30pm. 
mind you, I don't think I'll be 
doing much tomorrow morning. 
Have succeeded in getting one 
film for you. Will post it from 
Halifax 
Love Ron xxx 

Aus 423088 
Sgt. Etherton R.H. 
RAAF 
Auspost Ottawa 
New York Friday 30 July '43 
Dear Jean 
This evening even more than any other time I have
wished that you were here.  We have just seen "Stars on
Ice"  It is by far the best show I have ever seen.  I could
not help thinking all the time how much you would
enjoy it.  I expected that I would be good but would never
imagined that it could be perfect.  It is just that.  It is
even hard to believe that a hundred per cent ice show
could hold one's interest all the time.  For me, it would
have taken a team of horses to drag away my attention
for one moment.  I'm afraid that if I try to describe more
with my fumbling words I shall give it up as an
impossibility.  Perhaps I should stick to realism and leave
impressions to your own imagination.  Let it run riot - it
cannot overdo the perfection of this.
The Centre Theatre is at the corner 6th Avenue 
and 48th Street Manhattan New York.  Not a very romantic 
address on the surface, Is it?  But it is 8th & 7th 
Avenues which run together to form Broadway proper and 
what Broadway's influence is felt many millions of miles  
further away than this.  Never have you dreamt of a theatre 
like this.  It's large foyers are - well you'd never expect

2. 
them in a city so crowded as this. In the Inside the 
theatre itself is almost perfectly circular and there are 
three balconies.  The main floor and the balconies are laid 
out so that the ice surface which is quite big and 
takes up the whole of the stage can be seen from 
everywhere.  The seating, lighting and decorations are superb. 
The show itself is without equal - the skating 
- the dresses - the scenery and above all the orchestra. 
Never have I heard one so brilliantly versatile - to  
be able to produce the right predominance to fit the moment. 
and yet be acceptable to hear.  I'd like to be able 
to describe each item but instead I'll mark some of 
them in the programme which I'm going to enclose.
I've lots more to write about but it'll all have 
to wait for the present.  It's now 1:30am & I must get  
some sleep. 
"Absence make the heart grow fonder". I t does 
believe me.  Never have I wanted anything so much as 
I want to make you mine for keeps some day 
Love 
Ron 
XXXX

July 30 / 43 
New York

Aus 423088 
Sgt. Etherton R.H. 
RAAF 
Auspost Ottawa 
Canada 
Monday 2 Aug 
Dear Jean, 
Am writing this on the train between Toronto 
Montreal so maybe you'll understand why it's so hard 
to read - It's even harder to write.  We left New York 
last night, and have been on the train, or at least, trains 
since.  We should arrive in Montreal about five 
this evening.  We had thought that we'd have to 
wait in Toronto but when we got there two of us 
discovered that this train was late & had not 
left.  So we tore up onto the platform & just 
made it.  We now have the laugh on the other 
fellows because we will now be able to see Montreal. 
We all saw Toronto on the way down & it isn't 
much & it'll be as dead as a doornail today 
because it's a holiday there.  Hope we haven't been 
too smart and land in the soup. 
I won't overtax my patience very too much by 
trying to tell you all about New York but will leave 
that until later.  I'm afraid I could only get one film 
for you but I was very lucky in unearthing a silk 
& nylon stocking black market. I will send them 
all on from Halifax 
all my love & best wishes Ron.