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

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Part of Quest:
Letters to Ronald Henry Etherton
Subject:
  • Love Letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2020.22.8
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 9

AIR LETYER & aurnune &f onanurM 16 Miss Year Ayde 3002 123 St Edmonton Ailberta Canada
t Riss Jeon AYRE 13007-121 St. LOMONTON MOUTTO CONODO 60 July 0 about noy or ight cuts ago t wrote you a agrap for hre the adi begio a cor mebs ? De anved hes geway noring Atlough wire ben expetng this have pr is beg it sas a suprise she it cane we hs just bsed from a said the sa upo tday she th C0 care up to as and said I shall you can take you have n. I selieve you is sned it today Ill sey i had bouyor or th as hes Io ses our second saylight oge. we sew ou boats laid and the aso y ne of the taget yor has boad gons or ths pees she a got bact. To gives you a lot of srispetion so know the you sork is as sccisspl as she Id g again so t6 the Love Non m STTHALAMMATMLM
178 28th July 14 Dear Sweethear I don desirve to be allowed to adauss you thus but I hope that you seill are by weethear and always will be Ie neves realised any nore strongly how much I love you and I nor sare than ever that shere a seve be anone else about whom I can fill as I do about you. For so long now Ive waited and worseed what you is retion would to so resting yu to are to australis I should have realised that you would be as sweet as ever I ao love you wer so much fean. and I do want and need you is much as I want you to be aphy In sure 100 that well be together, happily, one of these days Please forgive re for everything foe written that I should not have and for not having faith in our fal hen two people love each other as I do you and as I thing you do me a war or a dispence of conries cannot safe be of so mach consequence as to stop a much happiness so there can and will be her's just stay in love an swear that one of these day ll e together no matter what may come. Lets stay is love I say I could not help myself for falling in love with you if sa wayted to yor could I free myself to be anything dul in love with you to you will believe that I love you Ron XXx
AIR LETTI nr AC Sercu asierre w o OPenCO Or EXAMINER Mirs Gean Cyse 13007 122 Edmonto Alberta OrrO5 EXAMINER 2 EXAM 62
27th July 44 Dear Socehear Tharks a lot for the parcet of cardy and peanids. I do like peanets. That's why I i gobbling then up now. Will, I think I can share sone for you in exchange for a hiss. In fct, you can have the whole lor for a lot of hisses. Out you can't ext then now. e got about on hour free Isn bng wough 20 sile co to write a good long letter but if I dosd get a letter away now Ie never be able to. Anyhow, there's not enough to write about to mafe a long letter. We oe done eight sorties now - about a fifth of our Four Though we haven? had any casaliesand no ver serious dauage to the aieraft we cetainly haven & had a very quiet fure ow believe that the Geonan difences are coumbling maybe we ve been snlucky but he still has enough fighters to cause so wttle inconvenience to ou bonders Torturately we se outwithed those that have had a go at us or maybe they were sotter shols Though I don deserve to receive any at all Soe had quite a few ees from you lakely. Ive hardly had tie t read then property but I'll answer they late on, also have to bell you haw we spent on leave. About Fine, I know It won't be long before were on our next leave I shat I'll viset my aund in Edinburgh this tine for a fas days, anyhow. well, I must go now Hemember that I love you and that I shing your the soeest nost wonderful got sar Ror XXX
EXAMINER 724. Miss Gear Ayre 13007 122 St Edmonton Alberta Caace 20
Dr Mi Sian ARE 13007-121 57 KDMONTON AHITTA COnAM O T Lelse 150 11h July 40 Dea Jean I think this is 130. the last fer ws is places like the mfing soo as t4 and our oll to keep a rote of the I recived o fo you yeterday yo i a b ayadfow assaid 1 so neve ale up. There is so wels I can sade about and i's so selder I an sile any to t giring aiad biet ss fu s this harging wo& watig withothing to o and so coace to get away shs to stane. maybe Ill get long mough to wile a long tole one of ths days Altlough Psr's wie such Fe aways hinking of ye all shat is noot inportat to outs y I love you for 41 oan
WE 10.41
ro Niss Jeen AVRE 10or -11ISt. KONONTON MRITTA CMG fee 181 1n agust i sea fra I recived an augrept and also a prcet fr soy t He preet bs been rought t e ^ and all the costies were nashed so wything s is fir. Thanks oy uch to sery to he about your cousin shabous is bnoder as to ? shil te sath nt a or the rising to s, or rayte to just bd be all to o she te own be wee me a e onting ths a aipation of off Crigle se if as as 10 onts on egsapt sayse to ske go go a pi i w cla clothes else s's hew a to ma o c Allay are hon MMGAUATTRMTT Ja

BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
————
146
Miss Jean Ayre
13007   122  St.,
Edmonton
Alberta   Canada

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Sender's name and address:-
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton RH
RAAF Base PO
London

[* ←To open cut here*]

 

147 
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
319457
DATE STAMP

-8 JUL 1944

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Sender's Address Aus 423088 F/Sgt Etherton R.H RAAF PO London   6th July '44

Dear Jean,
About seven or eight weeks ago I wrote 
you an airgraph from here - the Canadian Legion 
in Aberdeen - remember? We arrived here yesterday 
morning. Although we've been expecting this leave 
for so long, it was a surprise when it came. 
We had just landed from a raid the day before 
yesterday when the C.O came up to us and said 
"I think you can take your leave now. I believe 
you've earned it today" I'll say we had. Everyone 
on the do had. It was our second daylight 
one. We saw our bombs land and the mess 
they made of the target. Everyone had broad 
grins on their faces when we got back. 
It gives you a lot of satisfaction to know 
that your work is as successful as that. I'll 
be writing again soon. Until then
Love Ron

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148

25th July '44
Dear Sweetheart,
I don't deserve to be 
allowed to address you thus but I 
hope that you still are my sweetheart 
and always will be. I've never realised 
any more strongly how much I love 
you and I'm more sure than ever that 
there can never be anyone else about 
whom I can feel as I do about you.
For so long now I've waited and 
wondered what your re reaction would 
be to my asking you to come to 
Australia. I should have realised 
that you would be as sweet as ever.
I do love you ever so much, Jean. 
And I do want and need you as 
much as I want you to be happy. 
I'm sure, too, that we'll be 
together, happily, one of these days. 
Please forgive me for everything I've 
written that I should not have 
and for not having faith in our 
future. When two people love 
each other as I do you and as I

2.
think you do me, a war or a 
difference of countries cannot make 
be of so much consequence as to 
stop so much happiness as there 
can and will be be. Let's just stay 
in love and swear that one of these 
day we'll be together no matter what 
may come. "Let's stay in love" I say. 
I could not help myself fro falling 
in love with you if I'd wanted to 
nor could I force myself to be 
anything but in love with you.
Do you still believe that
I love you.
Ron
XXX

 

BY AIR MAIL
AIR LETTER
IF ANYTHING IS ENCLOSED
THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
————
July 25         
148
Miss Jean Ayre
13007 122 St.,
Edmonton
Alberta  Canada

----------------------------------------------
←Second fold here→
[* To open cut here→*]

der's name and address:-
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton R.H
RAAF Base PO
London
OPENED BY          OPENED BY          OPENED BY
EXAMINER             EXAMINER             EXAMINER
4223                         4223                          4223 

 

149     27th July '44

Dear Sweetheart,
Thanks a lot for the 
parcel of candy and peanuts. I do like 
peanuts. That's why I'm gobbling 
them up now. Still, I think I can 
spare some for you in exchange for 
a kiss. In fact, you can have the 
whole lot for a lot of kisses. But 
you can't eat them now.   
I've got about an hour free. 
It's not long enough to settle down 
to write a good long letter but 
if I don't get a letter away now 
I'll never be able to. Anyhow, there's 
not enough to write about to make 
a long letter. We've done eight 
sorties now - about a fifth of our 
tour. Though we haven't had any 
casualties and no very serious 
damage to the aircraft we certainly 
haven't had a very quiet time. 
Don't ever believe that the German 
defences are crumbling. Maybe we've 

2.
been unlucky but he still has enough 
fighters to cause no little 
inconvenience to our bombers.
Fortunately we've outwitted those 
that have had a go at us or 
maybe they were rotten shots.
Though I don't deserve to receive 
any at all I've had quite a few 
letters from you lately. I've hardly 
had time to read them properly 
but I'll answer them later on. 
I also have to tell you how we 
spent our leave. About time, I know. 
It won't be long before we're on 
our next leave. I think I'll visit 
my aunt in Edinburgh this time 
for a few days, anyhow.
Well, I must go now. Remember 
that I love you and that I think 
you're the sweetest, most wonderful 
girl ever
Ron
XXX

 

EXAMINER 7245
51/2191.
THIS LETTER WIL BE SENT
BY ORDINARY MAIL
—————
July 27 Miss Jean Ayre
149 13007   122  St.,
Edmonton   
Alberta  Canada
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[* To open cut here→*]

der's name and address:-
Aus 423088
F/Sgt Etherton R.H
RAAF Base PO
London
P.C. 90
OPENED BY

 

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below.
The address must NOT be typewritten.
506144
DATE STAMP
2 AUG1944

To:-  Miss Jean AYRE
13007  -  122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta  Canada
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Sender's Address Aus 423088  F/Sgt Etherton R.H RAAF Base PO London               
Letter 150 20th July '44                                     

Dear Jean,
I think this is 150. The last few letters 
I've written in places like the briefing room and the 
mess and haven't been able to keep a note of them. 
I received two from you yesterday. 
You're a long way ahead of me now. I'm afraid that I'll 
never catch up. There is so little I can write 
about and it's so seldom I can settle down to 
write. Also, I'm getting lazier and lazier. It's 
not my fault. It's this hanging around waiting 
with nothing to do and no chance to get away 
that's to blame. Maybe I'll get long enough to 
write a long letter one of these days. Although 
I don't write much I'm always thinking of you 
and all that is most important to write is - 
I love you
Ron 
XXX
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE 

 

AIRGRAPH  
AIR MAIL   
Aug 9
5pm
1944
POSTAGE PAID

 

Write the address in large BLOCK letters in the panel below.
The address must NOT be typewritten.
652985
DATE STAMP

To:-  Miss Jean AYRE
13007 - 122 St.,
EDMONTON
Alberta  Canada

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Sender's Address Aus 423088  F/Sgt Etherton R.H RAAF Base PO London            
Letter 161  151  2nd August '44

Dear Jean,
I received an airgraph and also a parcel from 
you today. Ther The parcel had been roughly handled 
and all the cookies were smashed but everything 
else is fine. Thanks very much.
I'm sorry to hear about your cousin. 
Whereabouts in Edmonton did he live? I think Ian 
Smith must be on the missing list too, or maybe 
he just hasn't been able to answer the letter I 
wrote him some time ago.
I'm writing this in anticipation of not being 
off tonight but if we are I'll write an airgraph - or 
maybe I'd better go into York and pick up some 
clean clothes else I won't have any to wear
Must close now
All my love
Ron
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MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BLOCK LETTERS IN THE PANEL ABOVE

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