Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, March-May 1944 - Part 7 of 8

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Subject:
  • Love Letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2020.22.7
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 6

To Hiss Jeo AYRE 13007-1115t. LOMONTON MRTA CONNDA anton T bio Fs tead tan to tordon 104 ba is 22 Our fear I portes you bullday prse esday te very eag, has be a bast to sa ws so tee or lie, Cors ope i upo so 4t will you ha so state she contyts or the orside so place oof your rothes to see the lebele off te she necins it, wo nt y as I vaed it out shs aprociable hen aI hed so get i po cao cont note the cfoice nysel u i offer. The should give you a chus as so what it is Ill sap you guessing begond 140t ho ad I weat ito go His apero an so the sow as soe Diais for the suord sis tebe Hhe just sieI no i sas is noo 0 Today hes bee sod o ri day that we stould not have speat any of it is dooo bu t apaid e would bott love gooe to seif on ou feet hs we gore for eve & steel sat ti youning heasily now so igs love fon UMMMEAN
M Mis Sean AIRE 36917 13007 -11 St. KONONTON BAITT Con - ty L t Pe bnt Len helle 125 a is On pe the wit and be bnbly up ws se says sice I hs ay wes po you bo bes bees as big asayed i to a wee guss to you as among just agho o Tht thn haw bee vary I so s shost svy to se you as nos ofe 16e not give it up as uselss. Phn's suthy or id sa so sell you see anI has fow to dat il t a stenges effert as se as I go suppise Sir to not going to see you I aord love you a wos. I love you nos thay eer, Of, P4 sell you mos, to the tis don sory. Just se that &s abs lea you is aalle w be happes Hhe weatter hen is ony cagiool. sone days as sipl, ohs b sows s so is sa ongelly one wte but ihe n is saing. Wo so bad hes baving a bils. Ie a rie ito on of the rty vittages for a reat without aad effert sa be pe if you will nearry allny love MEEESRUTEEENO HITRY IHLARSE MOCH LITERGM IRETANLANTT
124 16th Aay 1846 Dear fear henke in one of you for letter you wrote that if I would cone back to bamortoy you would wait for no if aed it or way? Fe never very able to play out whetfer or 2ot you mean by that that you would not com to Austratia allhough Foe know all along that you do sayt to leave tamorton For a long time I thought that if I cane to Canorton it would solde eosything Fae always toped that shings would be sade easie by my being posted back to canada before the was eded but atsnow inprobable you as I alos sre to be sent back hore or to the T bst he Foe finished a now and a period of instruction. Then there is The bogey of finding and keeping a gob in a place where I don't know many people and, nor exportayt still, very few people hrow ye. Also, there is the fact that I would be starting as abost inexpriened my exueation and experince cont for sore at hore ou in caade ayaagain, after the wa there will be lots of Condiars in 140 same shes as nyself not knowing whve to start be with lots of advantages on their side you may be starting to thirg that I had have known this all along and should have told you. I aid know it as you probably have too but Foe though and hoped that I would not be deersed by these obstacles For some tine now tue reglised that by the lye the sas endo Ill not be i for state not have the desire to stay afirst my foult hiis in the I should hae realised ths at the outset be they I had not bee away from home for so long nor bnown flying as it has bee for these last non1h0 and will be for the rest of my flying days. Peshaps I an saed a to cal o ny she tateon it is, this is how I4 be at the e of the was will you come to Australia a will your p you youa life Ausrali
and Austratin would like you, you like the sa wather is banstor Syaney is yeve mach lotter and ito geve so cold as to be keep you from giving about you love the beackes and the swining ad sufing. wid se preccially secure, could build a nce hone, and our son or soro to ny old setoot and take a fall past in the future of a fine contry. Australia has a great furure. During the war it has advanced in leaps ad boards and will be ever nore progressive apewards. Please say you will Jear Fve fell very strargely about writing this ter. Foe hesitated because I ttought you vay day 20 or ever risundetad that I was ad need you guot as much as ever. Foe thought that ig out look may change but it hassd and lately Ie foud it so year bepossible to write to you that I imply had to get this off my snd how wt's done and my pluse is in you hava Yon AMAOR1 EXAMINER 4961 Mirs fran Clyse 13007124 Camont or Albeta Krads PCN ED BY OPEI
por Hiss Jean AYRE Srodes 13001 -121 57. EDNONTON MIBETTO CanAdO D L he 126 1s by no an d Do you sep op Dldsudy Cade to of Io the ss vi not goe De and ed abou sson toliday is by bsa cos o Cghos, way i swousy and so is a pitte solidg. Io is nestiful wthe for Colldgs. This is the holsest day &is expeinces t the est stsephe rates it sae pt howou Out of probbly ou cols wor. we set out to do a revigation seveise th aperson. De sed so sail a how whit the god saff dages the sys as scapped up for a high m were gearly conposating ait us got a sie of high is no po we al the casi bet or to is sed to san bed aps a low bcause sippe witsped a nove pay in the head. I gus do in h coe dy an 1he 20 prosonced bis for to f geway on of the y w etig a my wnte as i aas If a tas sen ron MSEESRUNENS AlRAUMAMMNT
To Niss Jeog AYRE 336307 1oor - 191 57, KONONTON Dare Cams ATyTT PTt to lette 145 she fyng auc lorge it nght have b cpai septated is which case ved fave in as oo 14 on of as saided goe f s s4 ae gong r a bile l se you about I u e be we so wo wetely shch is about foe sites for hex. Thi's a we boang ple or te noo t ote wig but I suppose this se a st of people coue today so e just rose through the s as set by the siver further downse for a ht. the we were covng boot a bregs has 1 pstail a sait ans moe t fuling my sued and stepy so I gaess to belee ogt as will due Hor 111 aCM C

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 
198923 
DATE STAMP 
29 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 
122 
20th May '44 
Dear Jean, 
I posted your birthday present today. I'm very 
early, I know, but at least I'm sure it'll be there on 
time. Don't open it before the 12th, will you? I had  
to state the contents on the outside so please ask 
your Mother to tear the labels off when she 
receives it. It's not exactly as I wanted it but 
they're unprocurable here and I had to get it from 
Canada so couldn't make the choice myself. Use it  
often. That should give you a clue as to what it  
is. I'll keep you guessing beyond that.  
Sam and I went into York this afternoon,  
went to the show and saw "Dixie" for the second  
time. Remember the first time I saw it was in New  
York. Today has been such a nice day that we  
should not have spent any of it indoors but I'm  
afraid we would both have gone to sleep on  
our feet had we gone for even a short stroll. 
I'm yawning heartily now. 
Goodnight - Love Ron 
___________________________________________________________________ 
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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 
  
336917 
DATE STAMP 
1 JUN 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 123     22nd May '44 
Dear Jean, 
The mails must be terribly mixed up. It's 
about ten days since I had any letters from you.  
Even local letters are being delayed up to a week so  
I guess my letters to you are arriving just anyhow.  Not 
that there have been many. I sit down almost every  
day to write you and more often than not give it  
up as useless. There's something on my mind that I  
want to tell you but don't know how to start. I'll  
make a determined effort as soon as I get sufficient  
time. I'm not going to tell you I don't love you any  
more. I love you more than ever. Oh, I'll tell you  
soon. In the meantime, don't worry. Just remember that  
I'll always love you no matter what happens 
The weather here is very changeable. Some days  
are beautiful, others terrible. Sometimes the sun is shining  
brightly one minute but the next it's raining. It's not  
bad here having a bike. We can ride into one of  
the nearby villages for a meal without much effort  
it'd be fine if you lived nearby.  All my love  Ron 
___________________________________________________________________
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124 
26th May 1944 
Dear Jean, 
Remember in one of your first 
letters you wrote that if I would come back 
to Edmonton you would wait for me if I  
wanted it that way? I've never been able  
to fathom out whether or not you meant  
by that that you would not come to  
Australia although I've known all along  
that you don't want to leave Edmonton.  
For a long time I thought that if I came  
to Edmonton it would solve everything.  
I've always hoped that things would be  
made easier by my being posted back 
to Canada before the war ended but 
that's most improbable now as I'm almost  
sure to be sent back home or to the  
Far East when I've finished a tour and  
a period of instruction. Then there is  
the bogey of finding and keeping a job 
in a place where I don't know many  
people and, more important still, very few 
people know me. Also, there is the fact  
that I would be starting as almost  
inexperienced. My education and experience  
count for some at home but in Canada 

2. 
hardly at all. And again, after the war  
there will be lots of Canadians in the  
same shoes as myself not knowing where  
to start but with lots of advantages  
on their side. 
You may be starting to think that 
I must have known this all along and  
should have told you. I did know it  
as you probably have too but I've 
thought and hoped that I would not 
be deterred by these obstacles. For  
some time now I've realised that by 
the time the war ends I'll not be in a  
fit state nor have the desire to start  
afresh. My fault lies in that I should  
have realised this at the outset but  
then I had not been away from home  
for so long nor known flying as it has 
been for these last months and will be 
for the rest of my flying days. Perhaps I  
am scared - want to crawl into my shell.  
Whatever it is, this is how I'll be at  
the end of the war. 
Will you come to Australia and will 
your parents let you? You'd like Australia 

 

3 
and Australia would like you. You like 
the warm weather in Edmonton. Sydney 
is never much hotter and it's never so  
cold as to be keep you from getting 
about. You'd love the beaches and the  
swimming and surfing. We'd be financially  
secure, could build a nice home, send  
our son (or sons) to my old school 
and take a full part in the future  
of a fine country. Australia has a  
great future. During the war it has  
advanced in leaps and bounds and  
will be even more progressive  
afterwards. Please say you will, Jean.  
I've felt very strangely about writing  
this letter. I've hesitated because I  
thought you may say "no" or even  
misunderstand that I want and need you  
just as much as ever. I've thought  
that my outlook may change but it  
hasn't and lately I've found it so  
near impossible to write to you that  
I simply had to get this off my mind.  
Now it's done and my future is in  
your hands. 
Ron. 
  
51-6956 (6) 
  
←   First fold here  → 
  
EXAMINER 4961 
  
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED 
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT 
BY ORDINARY MAIL  
  
Miss Jean Ayre 
13007 - 122 St., 
Edmonton 
Alberta  Canada 
124 
←  Second fold here   → 
  
er's name and address:- 
Aus 423088 
F/Sgt Etherton R.H 
R.A.A.F Base P.O 
London 
  
P.C. 90 
OPENED BY

 

.............  in large BLOCK letters in the panel below. 
The address must NOT be typewritten. 
  
TO:-  Miss Jean AYRE 
13007 - 122 St., 
EDMONTON 
Alberta  Canada 
  
336908 
DATE STAMP 
1 JUN 1944 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Write the message very plainly below this line. 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Sender's Address Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton RH RAAF Base P.O London Eng. 
  
Letter 125                  
28th May 1944 
Dear Jean 
Do you keep up Whitsunday in Canada? No, of 
course not. I was there this time last year. We used  
to read about Whitsun holiday in English books and  
comics at home. Anyhow, today is Whitsunday and  
tomorrow is a public holiday. It is beautiful weather  
for holidays. This is the hottest day I've experienced here.  
The moist atmosphere makes it rather uncomfortable I 
wish we were allowed to wear our shorts. But then 
it'll probably turn cold soon. 
We set out to do a navigation exercise this 
afternoon. We had to wait an hour while the ground  
staff changed the tyres. All wrapped up for a high trip  
we were nearly evaporating until we got a bit of height. 
At 18,000 it was just nice with the cabin heat on but  
we had to turn back after an hour because Skipper  
developed a severe pain in the head. I guess it's sinus  
trouble. He has had a head cold the last few days  
but the M.O pronounced him fit to fly yesterday. It was 
lucky we did come back. One of the tyres was leaking  
and we nearly crashed as it was. If we had been   (cont.) 
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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 
  
336907 
DATE STAMP 
  
___________________________________________________________________ 
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 125     Sheet 2 
flying much longer it might have been completely 
deflated in which case we'd have run all over the 
'drome when we landed. Great fun! I don't think! 
Sam and I are going for a bike ride soon.  I'll 
tell you about it when we come back. 
We rode into Wetherby which is about five 
miles from here. There's a nice boating place on the 
river there. Eddie and I had a row there  the other  
evening but I suppose there'll be a lot of people  
around today so we just rode through the town  
and sat by the river further downstream for a  
while. When we were coming back a breeze had  
sprung up, fortunately a tail wind. Nevertheless I'm  
feeling very tired and sleepy so I guess I'd better  
say "Goodnight and Sweet Dreams" 
Ron 
XXX 
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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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