Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, March - May 1944 - Part 2 of 8










Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below.
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140640
TO:— Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
DATE STAMP
15 Mar 1944
_____________________________________________________________
Write the address very plainly below this line
_____________________________________________________________
Sender's Address Aus 423088 F /Sgt Etherton R.N RAAF Base P.O London
Letter 98
Tuesday 7th March
Dear Jean,
Gee, it's been a beautiful day today. This morning
there had been a heavy frost and the ground was frozen
hard but the sun has been shining all day. As has
been our habit lately, we've done practically nothing.
That's not really true. I've done quite a bit of study
even if I was sitting in the sun and dozed off a
couple of times. Last night was nice, so nice that when
we came out of the show, Eddie, Bill and I decided to walk
back to camp rather than wait for a taxi. It was after
midnight when we got to bed. That's why I've been tired
today. Guess I've got out of I've got used to early nights.
Tonight when we get to bed it'll be well into tomorrow.
Double Dutch isn't it. We take off at 2230 - half after
ten to you. I was going to say it'd be daylight when
we land. It's practically that now the moon is so
bright. It's not quite full - just a bit out of shape. Maybe
you'll see it up in Edmonton in a couple of
hours. Wish I was watching it with you instead of
cussing it because it dims the stars in the sextant.
I shall soon. All my love Ron
__________________________________________________
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Letter 99
Friday 10th March.
Dear Jean,
Yet again I have to write to
you during the day. I really could
have written last night but I went
to the camp show and I was so tired
that I went to bed straight away
afterwards. The show was "Hello ‘Frisco
Hello" Remember I saw it at Montrose
at Christmas time? It's so good
that I enjoyed it just as much this
time.
What's Blue Monday ? Or is it just
any Monday? We say we have
Mondayitis. I used to suffer from the
complaint a lot, particularly in the
summertime after swimming all the
weekend. I haven't yet discovered
whether you don't catch it in the A.F.
or whether you have it every day.
I remember the night I wrangled
out of the parade by going swimming
and then it rained and the parade
was washed out anyhow. I didn't
realise that you’d been caught in
it and soaked. That was the time you
laughed at everyone getting out of the
street car and running thru' the rain —
2.
until you had to do so yourself.
Gee, but you looked nice in your
housecoat. Putting up with the rain in
those circumstances - to see you - was
different. Anyhow, it had stopped raining
then and I knew it wouldn't rain much
more. It just sprinkled a bit while I
was going back to camp.
I'm going to dinner now. When I
come back, I'll tell you whether I've
received any letters. Will I be lucky?
I was - two letters 88 and 89 ! Gee, I
love you , too. I love your letters a lot, too.
I guess that they're next best thing to
seeing you. Gee, I wish I could, I've never
wanted anything so much in all my life
as much as I want you, Being away from
you has made me realise that and I
know it so well that I'll never forget it.
Please God let me go back - soon. I
love her so much
Ron
BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
6d POSTAGE 6d (on stamp)
99
Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
ALBERTA CANADA
← second fold here →
Sender's name and address
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton R.H.
RAAF Base P.O.
London England
R.A.F. STATION
13 MARCH
CENTRA
Letter 100
Sunday 12th March '44
Dear Sweetheart,
Gee, if it was always as pleasant
as the last few days, I might come to like
being away from Edmonton, just so's I could
receive letters like those I've had the last few days. That is, if I didn't know how very
much nicer it is to be in Edmonton with you
Gee, Jean, I can't find words to tell you how
much I love you now and all the time I'm
falling more and more in love with you.
When I do come home, you'll think I only
love you a tenth as much as I really do.
I received letter 82 by ordinary mail and
97 by airgraph yesterday, also a parcel. Thanks
Jean. Don't you eat chocolate now? I'm sure
you send me all you get. I'll be getting too fat
you wouldn't like that. Don't send anymore
cocoa yet awhiles, will you? We don't often
use it and this will last a long time. But
who told you about socks. I'll write and
thank your mother when they arrive .That is, if
you don't mind my writing to another girl.
I like the snap and the poem. That goes for
me, too, except that I’d break someone else's
neck too. You take me out in the wind and snow
eh? That's nothing to the way I treat you, young
lady! I take you everywhere too. Up to 20,000
without oxygen! Gee you must feel weak then.
But I never let you get cold – well no colder
2.
than I do, 'cos you're right where you'll always
be – as close to my heart as you can be.
In my last letter I wrote about Blue
Monday, or Mondayitis, and then in ^one of^ the
letters I got yesterday you ask me what we call
it. Well, I beat you by a day and told you.
Or did I, because last night I realised I hadn't
posted the letter and there's no mail until
tomorrow. Scold me, please.
I think it'll be OK if we have the
window closed. I'm getting used to it but
if that's the only way you'll want me
to keep me you warm then I'll throw it
wide open. Would the censor's face be red
if he knew what we were talking about?
Hell! He shouldn't stickybeak. Guess you've
got him bluffed. He never touches your
letters.
Sure, I'll give you some lessons some time,
but not on what I try to teach Sam. You wouldn't
want to know what the stars are. They're prettier
to watch and not bother about their names. We'll
take lessons in other things together. There are more
lessons you have to give me too, don't forget.
Gee, I've enjoyed writing this letter. It
has taken hours but the time has passed
too quickly. I feel as though I have been to
visit you and that, as usual, the time to leave
has come round in a flash. I wish I didn't have
to say it yet But I guess this is Goodnight until
tomorrow I love you Ron
BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
100
Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada
← Second fold here →
Sender's name and address
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton R.H.
RAAF Base P.O.
London England
R.A.F. STATION
13 MARCH
Letter 101
Monday 13th March
Dear Sweetheart,
Gee, I hope that this keeps
up. Three letters today! It's great, except
that I feel guilty because I haven't been
writing as many letters as you. I'll just
have to take more time off and write
two a day.
What do you mean by "down in the
staples " I can't, for anything, imagine
whereabouts in a store that could be.
Maybe you mean amongst the hardware, you
know- ironmongery and the farm implements
I agree that I should have been along
on that sleigh party. Gee, I'll have to learn
to dance. Will you teach me? I'll have to
be fair and warn you that I'm about as
clumsy and awkward as an elephant in
on a staircase when I try to dance.
Remember Velma ? I had a letter from
her today too. I don't suppose you've seen
her since I left. I told you that she was
married. Her name now is "Pope". Her husband
is in the army over here and only went home
to receive his commission. Now she's back
with her family.
In her letter, Velma said that until
2.
then there had only been about three days
when the temperature was below zero. I guess
she was rather upset when the storm of which
you wrote came. That could only have been
a couple of days later.
It doesn't always get warmer when it snows,
does it? I know it does sometimes but
not always - unless my meteorology is
wrong.
Writing these letters is like being with
you only not as nice. It's the same in
this way for one thing. I want to talk
to you about lots of things but don't
know exactly what. I'm not even sure I
want to talk. Just like being with you
except — well, I'd give this up to be
with you any day
Have to run now -
All my love
Ron
BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
101
Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada
← Second fold here →
Sender's name and address
Aus 423088
F/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
13007 - 122 ST.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
686831
Date Stamp
25 MAR 1944
______________________________________________________________
Write the message very plainly below this line
______________________________________________________________
Sender's Address Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton R.H. RAAF Base P.O. London
Letter 102. Saturday 18th March
Dear Jean,
Do I look weary ? I feel fit to drop. Next
time I complain about no flying, tell me I'm nuts.
This isn't really Saturday because I haven’t been to
bed from Friday yet - if you get what I mean. It's
now 4 A.M Sat. Time I was in bed? I'll say it is. Ever
been too tired to sleep? That's how I've seen these
last few days - also too tired to do anything else.
The only time I feel like sleep is when it's time to get
up - about midday. We have dinner - brief during the
afternoon, have supper early, and take off just as it gets
dark. We get back about 2:30 A.M, have breakfast
and then try to get some sleep. That's when I feel
least like it. Breakfast is the best item on the programme
-real old - fashioned eggs out of shells, bacon, chips,
toast and coffee. Sometimes I enjoy it almost as
much as tea with you in the kitchen. But we were
never as late as this, were we? If I'd known how long
and how much I was going to miss those teas I would have
kept you up all night Ron
______________________________________________________________
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Letter 103
Sunday 19th March
Dear Sweetheart,
Gee, I wished you were here
yesterday, more than usual even. It was a
beautiful day - what I saw of it was,
anyhow. Having got to bed at 4:30A.M. I stayed
there until midday. After dinner, Bill and I
borrowed bikes and rode into Forres. We
only intended to take some laundry in and
to come straight back but on the way
decided to make a detour. There's a great
steep hill nearby with an old tower
on top and parkland and trees all the
way up the slopes right around. It's too
steep for the road to run straight up so
it winds round and round the hill. We
rode right up this - well, except for the
last hundred yards which was too steep.
The view from the top's grand. On
one side you can see right down the
bay and on the other sides down into
the valleys. From there, we rode down
(much easier) and further out into the
country. On the way, we stopped at a farm
to see if we could buy some eggs. We
did. They had a beautiful cocker
spaniel pup. He was just a year old
2.
and frisky? He had a beautiful black
coat - shiny because he raids the hen's
nests and eats the eggs. I think the lady
would have sold him to us. We asked
her jokingly and she said "no" but
afterwards she asked me if we would be
able to keep a dog at the camp. I think
he's too mischievous for her liking. If I
knew I could look after him I'd have
bought him.
Last night we walked into town and
saw "my Friend Flicka" - again. Altogether,
we had a good day particularly did I
appreciate he break from the monotonous
routine we've been subject to lately. It
starts again tonight. Gee, I wish I had a
date with you instead. It makes me
terribly heavy inside when I think how
much I miss you. I love you. I love you
I love you Really I do - terribly
Ron
BY AIR MAIL POSTAGE STAMP
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
#103
Miss Jean Ayre
13007 - 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada
← Second fold here →
Sender's name and address
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton R. H.
RAAF Base P.O.
London

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