Letters of Ronald Henry Etherton, June - August 1944 - Part 1 of 4

Letter 129
Thursday 1st June '44
Dear Sweetheart,
Last night I intended to
answer some of the things you asked me in
your last two letters. I'm afraid I got onto
another subject then - a more important one.
Still I didn't get any letters today so I can 
answer them now.
Yes, the eight letters I posted
together must have been sent by ordinary
mail. You see, these forms are supplied for
the use of anyone, including civilians and
don't receive a very high priority. The forms
such as you use are only supplied to 
Canadian servicemen and invariably go by
air. They are rationed out to the Canadians
rather stingily so I can't get any. If
you can get as many as you want you
might send me some. Don't make yourself
short because I don't like airgraphs. Well 
- they're short, and the longer your letters
are the more thrill I get out of them.
Bill's real name is Irvine Brownlee.
I christened him "Bill" we weren't going 
to call anyone by a name like "Irvine"

2. 
His home is in Shawville which is'nt
far out of Quebec. His people have a
farm there.
I don't think many people around
Yorkshire wear wooden shoes nowadays.
For the few who do, I think it's just a
wartime measure. They just have boots
with wooden soles for working in waters.
You see them all over England and Scotland
- and a few wedge heel sports shoes
with partly wood and leather heels and
soles.
The Yorkshire accent is terribly hard to
understand and to put up with. I'm
not likely to put pick up any of it.
I don't hear enough of it for that. 
Talking of accents, we've got to 
teach Jock the Engineer to speak
properly. On the intercom he speaks
terribly quickly and is very hard to
understand.
I wonder whether I'll get any letters 
from you tomorrow. I hope, I hope. I
usually collect my mail at lunch time
bas but as we're to do a navigation
exercise tomorrow I won't know whether

3. 
there's any for me until late in the
afternoon. It'll be something to look
forward to.
I'm going to read a little before
I go to bed but I'll say goodnight now
All my love, sweetheart
Ron XXX

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AWM2016.832.1    51.6966 (6)

BY AIR MAIL 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL.
—————
Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
[* #129 *]
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[* ← Second fold here → *]

[* To open cut here → *]

Sender's name and address:- 
AUS 423088
F/Sgt Etherton RH
R.A.A.F Base P.O
LONDON
England.

[* ← To open cut here *] 

Letter 130
2nd June '44
Dear Sweetheart,
We did our trip today
alright. It was longer than we expected but
much more pleasant and satisfying than
those we did in Whitleys. We made, or at
least, helped to make a record. The kite
we took today is the first one made by
a certain well known company to reach a
certain number of flying hours, and it passed
the mark 2 1/2 hours after we took off. It
damned near didn't pass it when two motors
packed up but we got them going again. I
say "we" but I didn't have anything to do with
it. It's out of my department. Then one of them
cut for keeps but we were near home and
landed O.K. One motor doesn't make much 
difference to a Halifax that's in good shape but
not many of these are and, anyhow one prop.
feathered and standing still looks terribly odd.
There weren't any letters waiting when
I got to the mess so I'll just have to hope
that tomorrow's my lucky day. Eddie, Freddie
and I are going for a ride into Wetherby
now just for a bit of exercise. When
I come back I'll say goodnight before I

2.
got to bed.
Had a nice ride. We rode pretty
hard and it has made me tired so
I'll have no trouble getting to sleep
Goodnight - Sweet dreams
Ron
XXX 

3854              3854              3854
P.C.90        P.C.90        P.C.90

AIR LETTER 

IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL.
——————
Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
      
[* #130 *]
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← Second fold here →
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

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EXAMINER         EXAMINER          EXAMINER 

Letter 131
Sat 3rd June
Dear Sweetheart,
Today is my lucky day.
I have three letters from you. I wonder
whether my letters mean as much to
you as yours do to me. I don't
think my letters could be one
fraction as wonderful as yours. Oh,
how I wish I could hold you in
my arms and never ever let you
go. Maybe you would become tired
of that after some time. Then when I
wanted to tell you I was sorry for
something you would not realise how
much I meant it. But if I could
come to your bed you would know
there was something special I wanted
to tell you. But maybe twin beds
aren't such a good idea and we
certainly won't argue over them.
Since I wrote and asked you to
come to Australia I've never ceased
wondering how you would take it.

2.
and how your Mother and Father would
feel about it. I know it will upset you
but I hope you do not think badly of
me because of it. No matter what you
say I want you as much as ever
for mine and I will do anything
to make that so.
I love you so much, I'll never
live without you
Ron
xxx

BY AIR MAIL 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL.
——————
Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta Canada
#131
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← Second fold here →
To open cut here →

Sender's name and address:-
AUS 423088
F/Sgt Etherton RH
R.A.A.F Base P.O
London

← To open cut here

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
702375
DATE STAMP 7 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 132
Monday 5th June.
Dear Jean, 
Have my air letters been taking long to reach you.
I know that they are quite likely to be held up on the
camp several days because letters I've written to my aunt
and fellows stationed quite near have taken a week.
Then I'm not sure that the air letters will go by air so
I'll slip in an airgraph every now and then like this.
We have today off but have already wasted half
of it by laying in. It's not a very nice day so I
guess we'll only be going into York to a show. We
went in last night to a half variety, half picture show.
The film was ancient. "The Melody Lingers On" and the
vaudeville not much better. Gee, some English
comedians are low.
I've just been up to collect my mail - a letter
from you - a wonderful letter, of course. They all are.
I'd like to stay in and write you a nice long letter
but I've promised Sam I'd go with him. So, until
next time
All my love
Ron
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE

Letter 133
Tuesday 6th June
Dear Sweetheart,
I want to write you a long
letter but don't know what to write about.
I'll be very conventional and start with the
weather. It has been raining on and off
all day - mostly on. You know how I like
rain - I mean this country when it's raining -
so you'll probably deduce that I'm not 
very cheery. I'm not particularly but - Ah!
The sun just peeped out for a few seconds.
I feel better already.
Next conventional subject:- The
second front hasn't created as much
interest as I expected. Perhaps I haven't 
noticed much because I haven't been off
the camp during the day. I suppose that on
any stations other than in Bomber Command
there would be more interest but it doesn't
affect us much. It will probably mean
different targets to what there would
otherwise be. A target is just a position
on a chart to me anyhow. The only difference is
that some are more heavily defended than
others and some are further. I'll never
even have to look out at them. Sounds
terribly uninteresting, doesn't it? It's not
really. Now that we have good equipment

2.
and I can really do it, i get a great 
deal of satisfaction out of being able
to say "We're here now" or "We'll be
there at such and such a time" and to 
know that those positions are accurate
to a matter of hundred of yards even
when we've been flying hours without
sight of the ground or contact with it.
It makes up for a lot of the hard
work entailed and it is hard and
exacting when you consider that we're
flying at a level where the winds that
sweep you before them blow at up to
100 m.p.h from any point of the compass
and can blow you a long a way from
where you're going in a very short time.
Just as well I warned you that
I had nothing to write about. I
usually do bore you when I'm in that
position. I can practically see you yawn.
That reminds me. It's just as well I
haven't a date with you tonight. We had
onions for tea. I can still taste them. 
Don't worry, I'm not keen on them.
Freddy has tonsilitis and went into
hospital today. He'll be there for at least
a few days but, thank goodness, his
absence won't delay our flying. I'm not

3.
anxious to get killed but we've got to
do our operations sooner or later and
I've had to take that for granted so
long and would so much appreciate
settling down that the sooner we
finish here and are posted to our
squadron the more pleased I'll be.
I'm particularly keen just at present because
the last few trips we've done have been
really first class and the navigation
officers have been so complimentary that
I'm likely to need a we larger hat
any time.
I didn't receive any letters today but
maybe I'll be lucky tomorrow. Must 
say goodnight now and
I love you
Ron.

←First fold here→

AWM 206.832.1   51-6956 (6) 

BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER 
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL.
——————
ARMY 
POST OFFICE
S.C.2.
12 JUN 44

Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta Canada
  
#133
------------------------------------------------------------
← Second fold here →
To open cut here → 

Sender's name and address:-
AUS 423088
F/Sgt Etherton RH
R.A.A.F Base P.O
LONDON
England.

← To open cut here 

Letter 134
Wednesday 7th June
Dear Sweetheart,
Two letters today but since
I read them I've been worrying some. I
wish you would forgive me for failing to
write so many days. I really don't deserve
to be forgiven, I know, but I am very
sorry. It's easy to say that perhaps or
that it won't happen again but I'll try
to prove that I'm sincere. Yes! I am
ashamed. But please don't say that I
may get tired of receiving your letters
Maybe you do think I've been having
too good a time with all the leave that
has come our way in the last few
months. Well have been lucky but please
don't envy us the leave. It really is
far more a necessity here than when
I was in Canada. Even though we're 
not on op's yet flying is far more
hazardous and exacting and we have to
do much more. Besides, being on one
of these stations is a lot different to 
being at AOS Edmonton. Except when
you're on leave you're practically
married to the Air Force - you eat,

2.
sleep and live it. If you do go to
town it's not much better. It's not a 
pleasant friendly Edmonton but cold
unfriendly York, say, where there are just
as many uniforms as in the camp. So
now you know why I go to Aberdeen for
my leave. Even so, need I tell you where
and with whom I would spend my
leave if I had the choice of the whole 
world. So please don't be jealous - 
though I should talk. I get terribly
jealous when you tell me you've had
a good time - not just because you've
had a good time but because it's not
I who has shared the fun with you. I try
not to be jealous but I guess I love 
you too much. And I'm still not convinced 
that this isn't just a beautiful dream that
you should care for me. Is it?
I love you so much
Ron