Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, March-May 1944 - Part 6 of 8

3
airgraphs of course) so that they can be
returned without being opened
2. If you're sending me anything
you wouldn't want anyone else to
have, send it in a separate parcel, if
necessary, but in any case mak  &
mark the outside  "If undeliverable
return to sender - Miss J. A - - etc"
3. If you don't mind you might
mark any other parcels "If undeliverable
send to Red Cross"
I hope that noone ever has to comply
with these instructions but one never
knows. For the same reason, I'm
going to arrange for you to be 
informed in the event of any mishap.
But for Pete's sake don't letter
every cable I send you scare you
out of your wits. Only the good
die young but, of course, you don't
know how bad I really am. Maybe
I should have just told you I come
from a long living family. They're
all bad.
All my love 
Ron. 
 
← First fold here → 
BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL. 
  
117 
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta  Canada 
← Second fold line → 
← To open cut here → 
Sender's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
F/Sgt Etherton R.H 
R.A.A.F Base P.O 
London  England 

Write the address in large BLOCK letter in the panel below. 
The address must NOT be typewritten 
To:- Miss Jean AYRE 
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta Canada 
  
334298 
DATE STAMP 
12 MAY 1944 
______________________________________________________________ 
Write the message very plainly below the line. 
Sender's Address: Aus 423088  F/Sgt Etherton 
R.A.A.F Base P.O London 
9th May 1944 
117B 
118 
Dear Jean, 
I'm writing this from the Canadian Legion Club 
in Aberdeen.  It's rather an appropriate place from which 
to write to Canada.  Everything around us is Canadian 
-the flag on the wall, the magazines. - We're even 
having coffee and doughnuts.  The coffee isn't bad but 
the doughnuts! XX.  C'est la guerre!  The only item 
missing is Canadians.  The place is nearly deserted. 
Actually, we've practically no competition in most of 
the towns nowadays.  Aircrew are the only ones getting 
leave and I think it's only operational aircrew at that. 
Too bad there's no Jean Ayre here! 
I went skating last night and met a girl to 
whom  I spoke to a few times when we were last 
here.  Her name is Kitty Macdonald.  Very Scotch! 
So is she.  She's engaged to an English airman who 
is stationed in The Azores and is very much in love 
with him.  I saw her home but that's all.  I didn't 
even try to kiss her goodnight.  Not that it would 
have been much good trying.  Guess I'll have to wait 
until the day.  I'll make up for it then.  All my love Ron 
  
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE

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 
672742 
DATE STAMP 
18 MAY 1944 
  
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
  
Sender's Address  Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton R.H R.A.A.F Base P.O. London 
11th May 1944 
119 
Dear Jean, 
I'm afraid I've forgotten what number this 
should be but I'll work it out later.  I think it's 
119.  The weather is very considerate and staying 
fine for us, though it is quite a bit cooler here 
than in Aberde Yorkshire.  I think I can say that 
we are both enjoying our leave and growing fat 
and lazy in the process.  I might even say that
we're being overfed.  There aren't many places 
over here where you can manage that.  Aberdeen 
is a pretty good place all round.  There are a 
lot of nice cafes.  In those we go to we're getting 
to be known and, though the menus are quite good 
we nearly always get something better that's not 
on the menu. 
Scotland is far nicer in winter summer than 
winter.  Just now everything is so freshly green. 
Aberdeen's wide avenues look fine with their rows 
of trees and there are lots of bright colours in 
the gardens.  Must so close now   
Love Ron 
  
This space should not be used.

Letter 120 
14th May '44 
Dear Jean, 
Edna has spoken of Bill, 
the chap she was going with, in 
her letters to you.  She has asked 
me to pass onto you bad news 
of him - that he has been 
posted missing from a mine 
laying detail in Danzig Harbor. 
I received her letter the day we 
went on leave but didn't mention 
it before because I didn't want 
to think of it while we were on 
leave. 
Edna is hopeful that he is 
safe.  I'll be very glad for her sake 
if he does turn up.  I hardly knew 
Bill.  In fact, I only saw him once. 
I had a letter from him while we 
were up north.  He was on an 
Australian Lancaster Squadron 
which has a wonderful name. 
2. 
despite the fact that it gets all 
the dirty jobs. 
There is another chap I went to 
school with and worked with in the 
same office who went missing about 
the same time.  He was on that 
Squadron, too.  Remember I told you 
that he, I and a pal of his 
joined up together.  The pal and  
I flew together at home until he 
was killed in a crash. and The  
chap I worked with went to Canada 
soon after he went into the Air 
Force.  We wrote quite a bit but 
I'd never been able to see him. 
My brother Ern is going to  
join the navy.  He has more 
sense that I gave him credit for. 
I thought he'd want to join the 
Air Force  but I'm glad he didn't. 
He's not eighteen yet but he's

3. 
a grand kid.  He lost his job as 
dental mechanic because he had an 
argument with his boss over paying 
for some teeth (artificial ones) he 
broke.  That was why he got the 
job at the swimming baths 
while he was waiting to turn 18 
to join up. 
For once I've had lot's to write 
about  but I'm afraid I'll have 
to cut this short.  The whole 
crew is in the one big room and 
they're all wanting to get to sleep 
so I guess its 
Goodnight, Sweetheart 
Ron 
XXX 
  
SI-5956 {6} 
  
EXAMINER 4961 
  
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL 
  
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta Canada 
#120 
  
Sender's name and address: 
Aus 423088 
F/Sgt Etherton R.H 
R.A.A.F Base P.O 
London

P,C. 90 
OPENED BY

The address must NOT be typewritten 
TO:- Miss Jean AYRE 
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta  Canada 
13593 
DATE STAMP 
25 MAY 1944 
  
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
  
Sender's Address Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton R.H R.A.A.F Base P.O London 
Letter 120 
16 May '44 
  
Dear Jean, 
I'm afraid I'm not going to have much 
chance to write letters while we're here. We've 
been doing quite a bit flying. Most of the rest 
of the time we waste hanging around waiting 
but have no time to ourselves. We took a risk 
yesterday afternoon and went into York. We went 
to a show - James Cagney in "Johnny Vagabond" 
and came back to camp early as we thought 
we might be wanted. We weren't but I didn't 
want to stay out particularly. The Skipper's wife 
was going to come up last night to stay in the 
village for a week but was too ill to travel and 
put it off for a few days. I don't know why 
she's bothering to come up here because Bob 
will be too busy to see much of her. There 
were three letters from you waiting for me on 
Saturday so coming back to camp wasn't as 
terrible as it might have been.  
Love Ron 
  
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTER IN THE PANEL AB[[OVE]]

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below, 
The address mus NOT be typewritten. 
TO:- Miss Jean AYRE 
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta  Canada 
  
336918 
DATE STAMP 
1 JUN1944 
  
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
Sender's Address  Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton R.H R.A.A.F Base P.O London 
17th May '44 
Letter 1218 
  
Dear Jean, 
I'm afraid I'm not being punctual with my 
letters.  I just can't settle down to write.  We are 
doing lots of flying but most of it is monotonous 
circuits and bumps - taking off, round the 'drome, 
landing, taking off, around again and so on.  It's 
monotonous for everyone except Skipper.  Halifaxes 
are hard to land.  That is why he has to get so 
much practice.  My job during this procedure is to just 
sit and do nothing unless the weather closes in and 
he gets lost.  Then I have to get him home. 
You asked how many trips we've done.  None 
that count towards being layed off.  I don't know 
when we'll start but it shouldn't be long.  We 
should finish here in about two weeks.  Then we'll 
go to a squadron which won't be far away.  I hope 
we get another leave there before we start operating. 
We should be able to say we're settled there for a 
few months at least.  Here's hoping that it's a good 
station.  This looks like the end of the page Love Ron 
  
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTER IN THE PANEL ABOVE