Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, November - December 1943- Part 5 of 6

Letter 53
Sunday 19 December.
Dearest Jean,
I received four letters from
you on Friday, two Airgraphs and
two Air Letters. I guess the Xmas
rush has caused a lot of
confusion but the letters still
come through. We had just come
back from a long trip and
were having a rather late
dinner - about 3. 30 p.m. I went to
the rack and went thru' the
"E"'s but was disappointed. One
of the others must have beaten
me because I found them an
I on the table in the dining
room. I couldn't keep my eyes
open long enough to write on
Friday night, I could hardly stay
awake long enough to make my
bed even though it was only
6.30. We had had to get up
about 6.00 a.m. and our oxygen
2. 
has become exhausted after about
an hour's flying. Gee you miss it.
We couldn't come down lower
because of clouds in which we
would take on ice and you can't
imagine how much just standing
up once makes you puff and pant
when you're not getting oxygen. The
clouds way down below us looked
just like snow. They stretched as
far as we could see in every
direction, but unlike snow they
weren't even broken by an
occasional tree or rock or house.
I say to the Skipper "That's
so and so below" and he says
"The clouds look the same here
as anywhere else. Where do we
go from here" It's the same at
the next turning point, and the
next. It isn't until we come

3. 
down through the cloud over
Base, or where I reckon Base is,
that we know how far out I've
been. Tomorrow we fly but for
once I have hardly anything to
do. Sammy has to do all the
work dropping bombs. Worse part
is that we have to get up early
again.
I almost forgot to tell you,
Yesterday was our day off. We
even to Inverness again. The Skipper
an Eddie wanted to do some
shopping but it wasn't a very
successful excursion. There is
so little to buy and the place
was terribly crowded. We saw
"Five Graves to Cairo" I didn't see
it when it was showing in
Edmonton. 'Fraid this is the end
of the last page. Will try to
write something more interesting
tomorrow All my love Ron
  
BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL.

53 

Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St
Edmonton
Alberta Canada 
  
Sender's name and address 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R. H. 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below. 
The address must NOT be typewritten. 

To:- Miss Jean AYRE    861350
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta Canada     DATE STAMP 
  
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
  
Sender's address Aus 423088 Sgt Etherton R. H. RAAF Base P.O London 
Letter 53 54 
Monday 20 December.
Dear Jean, 
I didn't realise until I had sealed my 
letter last night that I had forgotten to tell 
you that I've received your X'mas parcel. Yes, it's 
sitting up on top of the locker now with your  
mother's. Neither of them are opened. Aren't I a good 
boy! But I couldn't resist reading the list of contents. 
Sammy and I have been to town tonight to send  
some cables and pick up some laundry, which, 
incidentally, wasn't ready. I sent a cable to you and 
one home. I hope that the rush isn't so bad that 
they're late. They shouldn't be. Maybe we'll get a 
day or two leave over X'mas. Sammy has promised 
to go to a friend's home at Montrose if we do. 
and wants me to go with him. To get the leave 
we have to get a good few trips out of the way. 
Consequently I have to be up with the birds 
tomorrow. Sorry I can't write  more. Beauty sleep, 
you know.    Love Ron x x x   

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#55
Letter 54
21st December
Dear Sweetheart,
I don't intend to
write much tonight. I don't feel
in the best of moods - for no
particular reason. To try to
cheer myself up, I'm going to
get into bed soon and read
some of your letters. I'm sure
that will have the desired effect.
It always does.
Before we went into
town yesterday we were playing
football - rugger. It was b
supposed to be Australians
versus the rest. (There are quite a
few in the new course I mean Australians) Sammy
and I were shanghaied for
"the rest" by one of the screws
in our flight. We beat the
Australians - more by good luck
than good management - but
  
2. 
today were all suffering from
the after effects. It nearly killed
me to crawl up into the old
Whitley this morning. They
certainly aren't built for comfort.
The Skipper was in the "rest" too.
He and Sammy are dashed good
players.
I haven't had any letters since
the 17th. (There were five then,
not four) but I've got my fingers
crossed for tomorrow.
Sorry I can't concentrate
tonight. Guess it kinda jitters.
We've got an important trip
tomorrow. Goodnight. I do love you
so.    
Ron

BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT  
BY ORDINARY MAIL 
  
55 

Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada 
  
Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R. H 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England

Letter 56
Wednesday 22 December
Dear Sweetheart,
Last night when I was
reading some of your letters in bed I
realised that I seldom reply to them.
You asked me about pyjamas. I must
have been vague as usual. I shan't
need any for some time yet. Can
you get Kleenex? If you could
manage to send a package it would
be very handy, particularly to clean
my sextant which has a habit of
misting when it's cold.
Why did your dislike of being
out in the open in the Children's
wear change so suddenly? Which are
127 Ave and 127 St? I can't count very
well. Know how I keep count of
my letters? I have a little diary in
which I make a note of each letter I
write. Smart, aren't I?  All I have to
do is ask someone what comes after
56  and so on.  Sometimes I forget to
make the note. Then I have two 54's
  
2. 
for example. I soon realised that mistake
Your letters arrive in any order
at all. I suppose mine do too.
Sometimes I put the together and
read them is order. One that you
must have written about the end of
November says that the rink at 112 St
was going to open in a couple of days
yet it had just started snowing.
That's very early isn't it? Gee I'm
inquisitive.
Sure I remember "China", or rather
the night we saw it. What wouldn't
I give to have that night again, or
any of the f too brief hours that I
spent with you. They seem briefer
now than they did then. Time
always flashes by when you don't
want it to. But yet there was
more in those hours than in the
rest of my life. Time does mean
very little sometimes. But now it
means such a lot because it drags
by so slowly. It must may drag on
through the days and the weeks

3. 
and the months but some time the
day must come and then if time wishes
can to be kind it will move as slow
as a tortoise. Whether it does or not 
we can enjoy every minute of it. There 
is something to which time has 
no bearing. That is that I love 
you with all my heart. Time will 
never change that. 
Ron  

BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED  
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT  
BY ORDINARY MAIL.
  
56 

Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St
Edmonton
Alberta  Canada
  
Sender's name and address:- 
AUS 423088 
Sgt Etherton R.H. 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below. 
The address must NOT be typewritten. 
  
908 
  
To:- Miss Jean AYRE                                
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON                                         
Alberta Canada                                   
28061
DATE STAMP 
28 DEC 43 
  
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
Sender's Address Aus 423088 Sgt Etherton R.H. RAAF Base P.O London 
  
Letter 57        25 December 1943 

Dearest Jean,
This is Christmas Day and as I have been
thinking of you so much I though that I should
write at last a short note even if I cannot post
it until tomorrow. Truly, I've been dreaming of a white 
Christmas for I'm sure that yours is white and it's 
of yours I've been dreaming. How deep is the snow? 
Has it been snowing today? I hope that you are 
all having a very Merry X'mas or rather, will have 
because X'mas day has not dawned in Edmonton 
yet. 
Sammy and I have come to his friends' 
home in Montrose. We have been here since 
yesterday afternoon. I'll tell you how we got here 
in my next letter. They have a wonderful big home 
and are very nice. We are enjoying a quiet time and  
will find it hard to tear ourselves away to go back. 
Mrs Pert, the lady of the house, says to tell you that 
she knows quite a bit of Canada and wishes she were 
there now. Not half as much as me, I'll bet. I can't be 
an ungracious guest any longer, so will have to finish 
for the present. All my love - every scrap of it. Ron 
  
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Letter 58 
26 December '43 
Dearest Sweetheart, 
Back at camp again! And  
relieved of a little anxiety to find 
that we're not in "Dutch" as you say. 
You see, to get to Montrose. Sammy  
and I had to go a.w.o.l. for a bit 
so we could get a lift on a truck 
that was going to Aberdeen on Thursday 
night. Also, we weren't supposed to 
travel more than 20 miles and, too, 
we were a bit late getting back. So 
we were lucky to get away with it all. 
But if they expected us to stay in 
camp over Christmas they're dumber 
than I though, even. 
We stayed at an hotel  
in Aberdeen on Thursday night and 
went onto Montrose on Friday 
afternoon. Aberdeen is the nicest 
city I have seen on this 'ere isle. 
It's rather like Sydney. You can 
actually get good meals there. Mr Pert 
at whose home in Montrose we stayed 
  
2. 
is a very wealthy man. He and his 
brother, practically on their own, own 
(Terrible, isn't it?) 38 cinemas. But that  
is only one of his interests. Mrs Pert 
is Scotch but was married to an 
American and lived in the States 
for about eight years. Her first husband 
died and she came back to Scotland 
and married Mr Pert whom she'd  
known for years. He was a widower. 
Although they have too much money 
they are really swell people. Their 
home is the nicest I have ever seen. 
Mr Pert is a builder and must 
have started out with the idea 
that only the best should go into 
his home. It's rather hard to 
describe it because it's just the  
quality of everything that is so 
remarkable. The bathroom is a  
dream - in middle green. They have 
beautiful curtains at the wide 
window's which are waterproof, i mean

3. 
the curtains. I don't know how you'd 
describe the curtains in the bedroom 
- kinda padded silk. All the 
lighting is indirect. And the carpets 
and other floor coverings! I wish 
you could see it. Or maybe it's 
just as well that you can't. It  
might make you dissatisfied with 
what I'll be able to give you. 
I couldn't bear to lose you. I don't 
love you just as much as I used 
to. I love you more and more 
each day. How long can this go 
on? Sometimes I think that my 
yearning can't go on any longer but 
somehow hoping helps it along 
Some day all my hopes will be 
realised. They will be our hopes, 
won't they? 
Ron 
  
BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL 
  
58 
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta Canada 
  
Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R. H 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England