Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, January - February 1944 - Part 4 of 7

3. 
hard for all the good things of
life, but anything for you is a
labour of Love and will be a
pleasure for that reason. Gosh
I love you, Jean so. so much   
Ron 

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AIR LETTER
  
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75
Miss Jean Ayre
13007- 122 St
Edmonton
Alberta Canada 
← Second fold here → 
Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R H 
RAAF Base P.O 
London Eng 
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Letter 76
Sunday  
23rd January '44
Dear Sweetheart,
No mail today because
it's Sunday. Gee, I hope there's a letter
from you tomorrow. A few days ago
Roy Olsen gave me a photo of me myself which
he took a long time ago. I'll send
it with your scarf (or is it?) I started
to write a letter to send by ordinary
mail but then I thought it'd take too
long to reach you so this is the result.
Last night I put myself to sleep
scribbling plans of our home. I wish
I were a rich person. I wouldn't
build a terribly big home but it'd
be lots better than I'll be able to
afford in many years' time. I like the
way your place is built. There's
something else that came to my mind.
Do you like twin beds? Maybe I am
screwy. Have you read any of Marie
Stopes' books? I guess she's not very
much appreciated in Canada, neither.
2. 
However, she gives some very decided
advantages of twin beds and bedrooms. Maybe it's
just because she has shares in
furniture factories. It's best to have
the sun porch adjoining the lounge,
don't you think? And it'll have to
face south. Guess we'll have to get a
block facing south.
The purse wasn't damaged in
the mail, was it?
Now I can't write as much as I
wanted to. The gang has been in here
for the last two hours asking one
another questions. I'm afraid I'll have
to leave you now, Sweetheart. Goodnight 
Sweet dreams 
Ron 
XXX

BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
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76 

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 RH 
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
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
45023 
DATE STAMP  
26 JAN 1944 
__________________________________________________
Write the message very plainly below the line. 
__________________________________________________ 
Sender's address Aus 423088 Sgt Etherton R H RAAF Base P.O London 
Letter 77  Monday 24 January 
Dear Jean,
Have my recent letters made you think that 
maybe I've changed my mind about wanting to 
finish the job for which I've had all this training? 
I haven't really. It's just that I get cheesed 
off" sometimes. That means "dis-contented" in RAF 
language. It's then that the time seems to drag 
so slowly and s I think of all we could be doing. 
A good trip or a bit of encouragement from the 
instructors makes the world of difference, too. I had a 
pat on the back yesterday. There was no reason why I 
should get it really but it put me on top of the 
world. I'll probably be down in the dumps again 
tomorrow. That is, unless I get some letters from you. 
I think I will. Anyhow, I hope so. A letter means 
just as much as seeing you would though I 
know which I'd prefer if I had the choice. Your 
letters are grand but you're far, far grander. I like 
your letters but I love you. 
Ron x
___________________________________________________
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE.

Letter 78 
Wednesday 26 Jan. 
Dear Jean,
This is another day off for us 
but it is a miserable, rainy day. That is, 
except that I received two letters from 
you - 61 and 62. I got ready to go into 
Elgin but, unless it clears up, I think 
I'll stay in. 
Last night we went to the 
show in Forres - Sammy, Skipper, Billy 
(our Canadian gunner) and I. We saw 
"Girl Trouble" and "Murder in the Library" 
Not bad! Now I've just lit the fire 
and am sitting in front of it trying 
to get warm. We can only get coke (maybe 
you'd call it charcoal. It's what's left 
when they use coal to make gas. Get 
me?) - To continue. We can only get this 
coke to burn now. We used to pinch 
coal but someone must have wondered 
where it was all going because they've 
put a barbed wire fence around it and 
a padlock on the gate. Coke doesn't 
burn very well and it takes a lot 
longer to heat the room but we keep 
2. 
it going as hard as we can. The room 
is raging hot sometimes but it's always
pretty cool by morning. We open the
windows. Maybe that's why. I wake
up with a sore throat if we don't.
Gee, I'm glad you want a son for
our first child. So do I. But we must
have a girl, or girls. There must be
someone to inherit your beauty. I used
to get a great kick out of teaching
young kids to swim. It must have
been my paternal instincts though I
didn't know it, then. I didn't think I'd
ever marry or want to. In fact, I hadn't 
met you. Made quite a difference. More 
than you'll ever know.
Do the fellows at work really call
you sunshine? That's how I think of
you - happy, bright and smiling. Wouldn't
I like to kiss the smile on your lips now!
Save all these crosses. I'll trade the
real thing for them some day. Keep 
smiling. Stay as beautiful and as sweet
as you were 6 months 3 days ago and
send that day I'll tell you just you how 
beautiful and sweet that is   Ron XXX

EXAMINER 6228 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL. 

78
Miss Jean Ayre
13007-122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada 
  
← Second fold here → 
← To open cut her→ 
Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
Sgt Etherton R.H 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England 
51-1436 H & S   P. C.90 
OPENED BY

Letter 79
Thursday 21 January
Dear Jean,
Ive just had a lovely bath- real
hot. As soon as I've finished my letter
I'm going to bed. The bath was so hot
that it's made me real tired. I'll sleep
well tonight. I always do anyhow. I
think this is the quiet before the storm.
We haven't flown for a while and expect
to be rushed off our feet very soon. I
may not be able to write as often
as I'd like to but I'll try. We'll be
leaving here shortly and should be
getting some leave. Sammy and I plan
to do such a lot that we'll need
at least a month. I want to go to
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London- to see
your cousins (I've got their address in
one of your letters), to Cardiff where
the Skipper lives, to Stoke-on-Trent where
the  W/Op lives and to Liverpool, maybe.
I wonder how much of that we will
fit in.
2. 
Last right there was a variety show
by an RAAF concert party on in the
camp. There were only seven artists in
but it's the best show I've seen for
ages - well, since I've been in Scotland
anyhow. The strip tease ^ act by a very
tall brunette caused quite a stir,
particularly amongst some WAAF's who
were sitting behind us. I think they
were terribly disappointed when, on
he removed the tennis balls and 
wig to disclose his real identity.
We were smart. We knew what to
expect but only because a fellow
who'd seen it at another camp had
told us. I think I'd been fooled
otherwise.
Guess I'd better go to bed now. I
know I can't meet you in real life
so I'll just hope to meet you in
my dreams 
Goodnight and 
Ron

OPENED BY 
EXAMINER 5,865 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL. 
  
79
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 
RAAF Base P.O 
London  England 
P.C.90

Letter 80
Friday 28 Jan
Dear Jean,
I'll post the scarf and photo
I wrote about to you tomorrow. I've just
done them up. I sealed the envelope once
and then discovered I'd left^ out the note I'd
written - so - I had to prise it open,  
put the note in and seal it up again.
This time I put a big daub of sealing
wax on it. It looks so very important 
now. I'll bet the censor opens it to see
what it's all about.  I wondered why
the censor opened every single one of
my Xmas cards but very few of my
letters until I realised that it must be
much quicker to glance at a card than
read right thru' a letter.
Have you received the wing I sent 
you? 
There's a camp concert on tonight.
I think I'll go. All the last five days I've
been in the "sweat box" - flying all over
the world without leaving the ground. 
I used to hate it and think it was a
2. 
waste of time but I've changed my mind 
now. But it makes you stale, especially
in a place like this and I badly
need a bit of a break from it.
Two of the Canadians here are going
to be married. One is a pilot, the other
a navigator in our course. His fiancĕe
is a WAAF. He was in E at AOS 
Edmonton for a few weeks. He did most
of his course at Regina but they moved
that AOS to Edmonton and his course
graduated a fortnight before ours', I
didn't remember him but he reckons
he'd seen me around. He too liked
Edmonton. Who didn't? Who doesn't?
I'd like to be able to go skating
with you at 112 St tonight. That's if its
not too cold. We will be able to
some time. But, just as these kisses
can't be real, it can't be now, worst luck.
All my love
Ron XXX

BY AIR MAIL 
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
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80 
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 
RAAF Base P.O 
London England