Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, August - October 1943-Part 7 of 11

3.
ceased to do so. While the bleached hair
is growing out they look hideous. There
does not seem to be a very great shortage
of makeup nor does anyone have to dress
shabbily. The rationing is indeed well
supervised but I believe that in most
other parts of England there are many more
inconveniences. Most of the girls at the
skating rink had smart skating frocks.
Oh! After supper on Sunday we saw
an ice hockey match between London and
Brighton teams. Both teams were good and
evenly matched. London won 4 to 3. You see 
Sunday here is quite a bright day. The
shows are all open, also the "pubs"
Now that we've settled down I'm
beginning to realise how much I'm going to
miss you. I do, such a lot and I can hardly
bear to wait for your letters - your photo too.
I have five of your photo's in a pocket album
but I'm terribly impatient to get a larger photo.
Gee I hope they came out well. I haven't met
that "other English girl" that you spoke about.
I have no desire to and will not. I would
much rather dream of you. I will always love
you no matter how long it is before I see you
again. Please stay as sweet and as
beautiful as you are because that's how
I'll always think of you
All my love, sweetheart
Ron
 ←First fold here → 
51-6565 14 
BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL 
10 
Miss Jean AYRE
13007 122 St.
EDMONTON
Alberta
Canada 
  
←Second fold here→
    To open cut here → 
  
Sender's name and address
AUS 423088 
Sgt Etherton R H 
Auspost 
LONDON 
England 
To open cut here →

Aus 423088
Sgt Etherton R H
R.A.A.F Base P.O
London
England
Birmingham
11
Monday 20 Sept' 43 
Dear Jean,
Tomorrow at midday our leave
ends. What leave? Oh! I'm sorry.
We've had leave since last Tuesday.
We, that is, Jim Bateman and I asked
if we might be given a billet in the
Lakes District but Birmingham is as
close as we got where we've been
staying with a very nice family.
The weather, except for brief spells
has been awful. We have not been
able to enjoy our leave very fully I'm
afraid. However we have been seeing
"shop" - aircraft works and fields
and today we went over Dunlop's
huge tyre factory.  It was very
interesting.
On Saturday we went to

2. 
Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare's home.
It's a pretty spot. I'll send you
some cards later.
Tomorrow morning very early we'll
be returning to Brighton. There
should be heaps of mail waiting
for me. Oh boy ! Maybe your
photo too.
I wish I were more in the
mood for letter writing but there's
really not much to write about
Birmingham. It's a terribly big
city surrounded by villages. You
can't tell where one begins and the
other ends. And you have to go
for miles from the centre of the  
city before you see open fields.
Most of the homes are two
storeyed and semi detached, old
too.  And Americans have every
reason to criticise English plumbing
It's lousy.
I certainly wouldn't like to live
here anytime much less now when

3.
everything is so effectively blacked out.
I'm glad that I wasn't here when
the heavy raids were on. They made
a hell of a we mess in some
places.
Gee I wish I could have spent
this leave in Edmonton. Autumn
is beginning now, isn't it? When
you receive this winter will be
an on the way. I'd love to throw
an armful of snow over your
head and then kiss the drops
off your nose and chin. Silly
isn't it. But it's not silly when
I say I love you, I love you
Will I say it again. I love you 
very much x x x x x
Ron

Letter 11 
Birmingham 
Leave 
AWM 2016.832.1             

Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R H
R.A.A.F Base P.O 
London England 
Thursday 23 Sept, '43  
Letter 12
Dear Jean,
On Tuesday I got what I've had to
wait so terribly long for, namely, your first
letters since I left Halifax. There were three
I should have rationed them - you know, one
a day - but I didn't know which I should read
first and, anyhow I don't think I have enough
will power to resist the temptation to read
them all at once and then read each one
through slowly again and again. They were
numbers 6, 7 and 10. I thought that 8 & 9
would turn up soon and have been
waiting for the list to be completed
before writing but no! They haven't arrived
yet and today I received your photo so
I must write now.
Weren't you very pleased with it?
I think it's swell. It's a perfect image
or, at least, as perfect an image as any
photo could give. You're every bit as

2.
beautiful as I think - your eyes, your
hair, your chin. Uhh. Your hair's done a
little differently. Isn't it? Is it your new coat
that you're wearing? Would you like a
wing to wear on it? I'm having extreme
difficulty hanging on to the wing that you
sewed on for me. Of course, it's not the
correct design and they have the Australian
navigator wings here. They are much plainer,
without a crown nor RAAF. I've already been
told on numerous occasions to take it
down and I'm afraid that I'll soon have
to to avoid trouble. If I do I'll send
you one the same as my knew one. I'll
try my hand at making a brooch.
Ambitious, aren't I. On the boat I fixed
your four leaf clover between to two pieces of
clear celluloid and made a sort of pendant
that I can wear on my identification tag 
chain. I hope it brings me the good luck
that it's supposed to. Though I think I
had my share for a long time one night
when I went skating. In the "merry mixup"
I was everyone was holding their arms up
to form an arch for the others to skate

3.
under when I suddenly caught sight of an
unbelievably beautiful face. Beautifu
so much that I'll bet I blinked. Oh
boy ! If we changed partners just once
I'd be able to skate with her. Hell!
It was all over and we hadn't changed.
Then, what happened? I think that you
beat me to it and spoke to me first.
Since then I've learned that you are not
only beautiful but you're the swellest
person I've ever met and that I admire 
and love you so much.  
Friday 24th 
Until next Tuesday we are on gun crew
duty every second or perhaps third day.
Yesterday was my day but I had only to
do four hours. It was a beautifully fine
day, - so is today - and last night my
face felt a bit sunburnt. I'm afraid that
if I carry your photo around in my travels 
as it is it might be damaged so I've
been trying to buy a case for it. Just as well
I hired a bike because I've been all over
Brighton before I found a place and even
now I'll have to have one made. This

4.
morning I was told once more about my wing
but no threats have actually been made
and the officer this morning was almost
apologetic about it so it stays.
I've just been up town to pick up
some laundry and got a case for your
photo. Gee you look sweet.
While we were in Birmingham we had a
mushroom omelette (that looks wrong) (powdered
egg, of course) for lunch in an hotel one day.
It gave two of us terrible stomach pains. I
used to like them - fried preferably.
Of course I know Seba Beach. It's near
Seba, naturally on a lake - Wabamun. I
think. Anyhow it's about 15 miles west of
Edmonton, isn't it? Next time I have out
my old maps I'll check up on that.
H stands for Henry. That's my father's
name, his only christian name. Why
do you object so strongly to being called 
Francis? But there's nothing in a name.
I'd love you just the same no matter what
your name was.
You ask whether there is anything I
need of which there is a shortage. Yes- 

5.
you, most of all, also steaks, fresh eggs
and other meats and - sugar. But
seriously no.  Razor blades are scarce
but I brought enough to last a long
time. Soap is rationed but I also
brought enough of it to last just as long,
also shaving cream and hair oil. And
I have enough tooth paste to last me
years. I usually clean my teeth without
it, sometimes with an apple, the only
fruit reasonably priced. There are also a
few pears but peaches are 4/6d or nearly
a dollar each and grapes up to 17/6'
or over 3 dollars a pounds. They're
terrific prices in peacetime anyhow.
Cigarettes are dear but that doesn't worry me.
Servicemen don't get any clothing coupons
and the b- so and so's in the store
here are more unreasonable than those
in Australia even. Also there are no issues
of handkerchiefs or pyjamas so if I'm
here long I may have to ask you to
help me. I hav don't know whether we
can send money to Canada but I'll find