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

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Subject:
  • Love Letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2020.22.4
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 5

por Miss Jeon AYRE 13007-122 Ir. EOMONTON AIbeTTA JONAdG to horo Surry 18 October 10s Lette 30 f laes f ty mcaing t wtes a l f bao sas t the we be asty to wo t a s sems on il ths was a lt of lan I be ore for s Ou aay off h b chage to Tusday an if I aon hea fom you before the going to sed you a vey pleang cable est nigh su ae fishe t h I co hel whhe you col will sug to it for u Ihas th pt te tos had it sill you wioh afout it fo soth hasa letter for oilze's sive vike fas been sames agan to a ieutent I t he but sone of the other fillows I have dis you kow ar shIsee a cansion swo the only ext tor of bartor has been a shosage of ig0 as of sctoot rixcheo Six dear soaay 14 weathe dowtthe sea avo the bish see to the sile of h pb nen eats core from I would have been good. Hhs is ressible I have wouble fitting this sis we Oos forged It absyys love you a your as we to MMMTM samimn
Letter 31 30th October ts Dearest Jear Gus was I pleased when I received an hetter from you today. It was number r so thee are 0 1a to s adsipt bu is is the e lese we received ae up for aving to wait so lorg In cessibly sorry I shought you may not have been writing should have known better. Renenter what you said about feeling as though you were going to busst somtines your letter gade yo think of you so much and geaen for you so much that I felt goor like that Tharks for perfaring it Is makes he feel that you are so close, yo so for I wish I could core for Chuseras die wouldy it be sl In sorry it's out of the qustion. Please thank mother for serding the parcel and charge a villior yourself I pronise not so open it init Christnes. Do you mind if I stake it and to guess what it is I word whe Fll be on Christnes Day. If I get leave I shirt Ill go up to Edenburgh. I have posted ry present you. Ir's all packed ar Ill and is away of Tusday & hope it assies on sine I think it will Dorr sant 20 offen with you well not ito anoye elses ano but seriously gad you dan feet any after effects Bnooky seers to be doing well. He should. His enalea very well The wing hast natinatised yet Iraid gou'll have to keep guessing Ive been sy very hard to find a good photogeapher who con prosuce a phots or two in less tha four yorths without much success. hive fear I won't lot you down yes it would be a very disterbing to orthe chestefield as you write but we coule very easily renedy that by dispersing with the newspaper. My thoughst when we are silling on the chiolesfield, It sell you The paice will be a hiss. I rean, another Fought Fwo her, to a conp show te is Howest noon navress the cieng (as they call it is this country) is seribly oesitated All the window are closed to conplite the blackout and evrore sokes o ahes eyes water and can keep awake So & only rewenber odd parts of the play heres asng bleck cat the0 always wourd the sess. Hes just seen putting his paws up or the side of y cair when the dable rensis ball fall or the floor he rens after at Brocking is along. The fellows don's like having to had assud everywhere for it
An traliens have a bas reputation for bludging as we call it. That nears missing parades and shipping lictures to get away early or not doing Bos a faet, any vay of dogin work s called acourging in the A97 to get on with ny story, our course is noo1ly australian, a fe hew Jestardes and one RA I chap who joined us sate you'd exped him to be downtrodden but so from it He's the wort sounger of all. And hi's so cool about i. Were all doig ou best so out bludge him but there & not h pint in it here. She are no outside interds to ake it sortt sile The firt is amost out now and the cols danp an is starting to ceep in Ill t i soon you'll be doing likewise a fe sous Hope your dreans at seet and pesceful and I hope I havent caused you concyn with y conplants of no letters. I'll know better is fulure fust as I know that there is no other like you and that you are the sand dearst wwetfe i the whole world Cll the sove & can and with this Ron HK&& EKAMINER exance EXAMINER 3386 3386 3386 Miss Jean Ayre 13007 122 St Edmonton Albesta Corada
Kelle 32 Sunday 4s1 October 43 S Ssher This is the luch how I came oves to the iassoon early to luke some seen sights bu the sun though of he wise and beat it befon the clou I probably sor be able to write such bepre one of the instructors tu up of the flight washed out sonight I'll firish it the Io w quarte past fixe I didnt get for did I Dis Isell you that I have a wisdon sooth coming trough There are two spots i iny gan where w's sicking through believe that the an Tone deists usut on tating the on soretires to prevent blackour. I hope i's not recssary in heavies We st mr flyig tonight 10 o thit Pll go to the fictures in camp. spongline in the ochees is on l to get a sea ea a wd or door and if it get's 100 suffy 8 open it Will I be impopular then? Englishmen hate oper widows more a Candian even a To you sleep with you window open? We were always having argainents with the caradians and Englishmen at Eduortor of socore has closed the windows duing the ight can e as soon as I wase up withou rg then I feel lessibly rued an dope edopw was wel Dax ued to ake pr the owsan the sleep with our aout of the bed cothes is would be able to fall the over ou heads to ea sleep on our sides we used to lie a sig roud ou miadles with a cos over it The rel had leps ind out of sho flarges and when rolle or to ou backs is our sleep it would nake is soll onto ou sides. Is nive wok us up I aon th4 I cald breat the habi 20w if I sid sonerines the fellos laugh at ne steying with ry aris vrapped woud by eare sluping on you side or the grourd woher youre camping isn so good. I used to always walle up with a stiff shoulder, Hs did get onts that subject? I see They say that these's a surch for enstructors gong on through the fellows on course here Pan see w the shou be plnty of fellows who have firished their ops aroud. I doit thirt they re likely to pict or no I hope not I'd have to be in the said cha as several of the fillows we left in Cara as eden Fue just been nadee the Caredian sc news heres guite to be about taoo about wory ta conductors yes it says romtwo gint who were drowned, and P pospective ais soue to the Orient and several other odas and ends Fror Tononow wes going to have a real proot office on the vation. Atit yow we could always bey stanps even. And theyve got the dubest bune you
could uagine working there. Ts wornes ne condizes whe I that what they night to with ny wail Are you still starting work tale? Ha be very convenient during winter, soon it? Youre lucky but you deserve it you desirve tol nor 1 Iu been taying had to shi o something else so write but cant except that I shlll dn the luchies fellow in the world, even if its only because I get littes from you but I could be luckier and will be one day when I can hol you in nyans again o say I lave you. I really go Fowver your &488 Ro ao AIR LETTER MoNn a Miss Gear Ayse 13007 - 123 St Edmonton 32 albests liads

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below. 
The address must NOT be typewritten. 
534431 
TO:- Miss Jean AYRE 
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta Canada. 
DATE STAMP 
-1 NOV 43 
Write the message very plainly below this line. 

Sender's Address Aus 423088 Sgt Etherton RH Raaf Base P.O London. 
Letter 30   Friday 29 October 1943 
Dearest Jean, 
Another unexciting day, unless a letter from my aunt in 
Edinburgh that's (I mean the letter) been astray for two months 
and a birthday cable from home that had been mixed up and 
read nonsensical are exciting. There was a lot of Canadian mail 
but none for me. Our day off has been changed to Tuesday and, 
if I don't hear from you before then, I'm going to send you a 
very pleading cable. Last night, just after I finished my letter 
I heard Bing sing "you'll never know" I couldn't help wondering 
whether you could still sing is it for me. That's the first 
time I've heard it since you wrote about it. Ian Smith had a 
letter from Velma's sister. Velma has been married again to 
a Lieutenant. I never met him but some of the other fellows 
have. Did you know? Now and then I see a Canadian news- 
sheet. The only recent mention of Edmonton has been a shortage 
of eggs and of school teachers. Dear, dear! Today, the weather 
clamped down at the wrong time and I missed a trip across 
the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man where Manx cats come 
from. It would have been good. This is terrible. I have 
trouble filling this sheet even. Don't forget. I'll always love 
you, never another 
Yours as ever, 
Ron 
This space should not be used. 
MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE

 

Letter 31 
30th October '43 
Dearest Jean, 
Gee! Was I pleased when I received 
an air letter from you today. It was number 
17 so there are two, 15 and 16 still adrift. But 
this is the best letter I've ever received. It makes 
up for having to wait so long. I'm terribly 
sorry I thought you may not have been 
writing. I should have known better. Remember 
what you said about feeling as though you 
were going to burst sometimes? Your letter 
made me think of you so much and yearn 
for you so much that I felt just like that. 
Thanks for perfuming it. It makes me feel 
that you are so close, yet so far. 
I wish I could come for Christmas 
dinner. Wouldn't it be swell. I'm sorry it's out 
of the question. Please thank mother for 
sending the parcel and thanks a million 
yourself. I promise not to open it until 
Christmas. Do you mind if I shake it and 
try to guess what it is? I wonder where 
I'll be on Christmas Day. If I get leave I 
think I'll go up to Edinburgh. I haven't 
posted my present yet. It's all packed and 
I'll send it away on Tuesday. I hope it 
arrives on time. I think it will. 
Don't faint too often, will you? Well, 
not into anyone else's arms. But seriously, 
I'm glad you didn't feel any after effects.

2. 
Snooky seems to be doing well. He should. 
He's treated very well. 
The wing hasn't materialised yet. 'Fraid 
you'll have to keep guessing. I've been trying 
very hard to find a good photograher who 
can produce a photo or two in less than 
four months without much success. Never fear, 
I won't let you down. 
Yes, it would be w very disturbing to 
sit on the chesterfield as you write but we 
could very easily remedy that by dispensing 
with the newspaper. My thoughts? When we 
are sitting on the chesterfield, I'll tell you. 
The price will be a kiss. I mean, another 
kiss. 
Tonight, I've been to a camp show. It is 
"Harvest Moon Madness" The cinema (as they call 
it in this country) is terribly ventilated. All 
the windows are closed to complete the 
blackout and everyone smokes. It makes my 
eyes water and I can't keep awake. So, 
I only remember odd parts of the play. 
There's a shiny black cat that's 
always around the mess. He's just been 
putting his paws up on the side of my 
chair. When the table tennis ball falls 
on the floor he runs after it knocking 
it along. The fellows don't like having 
to hunt around everywhere for it.

 

3. 
Australians have a bad reputation for 
"bludging" as we call it. That means missing 
parades and skipping lectures to get away 
early or not doing PT or, in fact, any way of 
dodging work. It's called "scrounging" in the 
R.A.F. To get on with my story, our course 
is mostly Australians, a few New Zealanders 
and one R.A.F chap who joined us late. 
You'd expect him to be downtrodden but far 
from it. He's the worst scrounger of all. And 
he's so cool about it. We're all doing our 
best to out-bludge him but there's not 
much point in it here. There are no outside 
interests to make it worth while. 
The fire is almost out now and the 
cold damp air is starting to creep in. I'll 
turn in soon. You'll be doing likewise in 
a few hours. Hope your dreams are 
sweet and peaceful and I hope I haven't 
caused you concern with my complaints 
of no letters. I'll know better in future 
just as I know that there is no other 
like you and that you are the 
sweetest and dearest sweetheart in the 
whole world. All the love I can, 
send with this 
Ron xxxx 

← First fold here →] 

OPENED BY OPENED BY OPENED BY 
EXAMINER EXAMINER EXAMINER 
3386 3386 3386 
P.C.90. P.C.90. 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL 

Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta Canada 
31
← Second fold here → 
To open cut here → 

Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R.A. 
RAAF Base P.O. 
London England. 

 

Letter 32 
Sunday 31st October '43 
Dear Sweetheart, 
This is the lunch hour. I came over 
to the classroom early to take some sun sights 
but the sun thought otherwise and beat it behind 
the cloud. I probably won't be able to write much 
before one of the instructors turn up. If the flight 
is washed out tonight I'll finish it then. 
It's now quarter past five. I didn't get 
far, did I? Did I tell you that I have a 
wisdom tooth coming through? There are two 
spots in my gum where it's sticking through. 
I believe that the Air Force dentists insist on 
taking them out sometimes to prevent blackout. 
I hope it's not necessary in heavies. 
We're not flying tonight so I think 
I'll go to the pictures in camp. "Springtime in the 
Rockies" is on. I'll try to get a seat near a window 
or door and if it get's too stuffy I'll open it. 
Will I be unpopular then! Englishmen hate 
open windows more than Canadians even. Ha! Ha! 
Do you sleep with your window open? We 
were always having arguments with the 
Canadians and Englishmen at Edmonton. If 
someone closed the windows during the 
night I can tell as soon as I wake up without 
seeing them. I feel terribly tired and dopey, I 
mean dopier. When I was little Dad used 
to make us open the windows and then sleep 
with our arms out of the bed clothes so we 
wouldn't be able to pull them over our 
2. 
heads. So we'd sleep on our sides we used to 
tie string 'roon 'round our middles with an 
empty cotton reel threaded over it. The reel 
had lumps cut out of the flanges and when 
we rolled onto our backs in our sleep it 
would make us roll onto our sides. It never 
woke us up. I don't think I could break the 
habit now if I tried. Sometimes the fellows 
laugh at me sleeping with my arms wrapped 
around my ears. Sleeping on your side on the 
ground when you're camping isn't so good. I used 
to always wake up with a stiff shoulder. How 
did I get onto that subject? I see. 
They say that there's a search for 
instructors going on through the fellows on 
course here. I don't see why. There should be 
plenty of fellows who have finished their op's 
around. I don't think they're likely to pick on 
me. I hope not. I'd hate to be in the same class 
as several of the fellows we left in Canada as 
instructors. 
I've just been reading the Canadian 
Services news. There's quite a bit about Edmonton. 
- about women tram conductors (yes, it seys says 
"tram"), two girls who were drowned, and CP's 
prospective air route to the Orient and several 
other odds and ends. 
From tomorrow we're going to have a 
real post office on the station. Until now 
we couldn't always buy stamps even. And 
they've got the be dumbest bunch you 

 

3. 
could imagine working there. It worries me 
sometimes when I think what they might do 
with my mail. 
Are you still starting work late? It'll 
be very convenient during winter, won't it? You're 
lucky but you deserve it. You deserve lots 
more too. 
I've been trying hard to think of 
something else to write but can't except that 
I think I'm the luckiest fellow in the world, 
even if it's only because I ge letters from 
you but I could be luckier and will be one 
day when I can hold you in my arms again 
and say "I love you". I really do. 
Forever yours' 
xxxx Ron 

[*← First fold here →*] 

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

Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta Canada 
32

← Second fold here → 
To open cut here → 

Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R.A. 
RAAF Base P.O. 
London England 

To open cut here →

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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