March 29, 1945 (2)

8 C.I.T.R., C.A.O.,

29 Mar 45

Dear Isobel:

I wrote you once before today but I’m in the mood again tonight so I’ll drop a few more lines. Had a letter from Mrs. McAskill today and gave me some news of the place. They seem well anyway. She said you were the best looking woman at the W.M.S. meeting & I know dear, that she was telling the truth too. I haven’t seen anyone that looks half as good to me as you do, even when you had your teeth out. Heard a cute story today – a soldier saying so his son – “Never you mind where I met your mother, but believe me, it sure cured me of whistling!”

I’m rather curious about what happened to Agnes, in fact I’ve been wondering all along what the score was there. How about letting me in on it too? Did she have to leave for some reason or something? Maybe I could guess but I won’t right now.

Had another letter from Mrs. Rigby today. She is some bent on me going down to Leeds to see a cousin of hers there. I don’t imagine I’ll ever be able to get there because it’s a long distance & I don’t plan on spending money on going to see people I don’t even know. I haven’t had a chance yet to get down to see the Dowell’s & I want to get down there before too long. By the look of this war news we won’t be here much longer, I guess. Am sure excited about the parcels and am looking forward to them all. They should be here real soon now.

Will close darling, with all my love, & kisses & hugs for the children.

-Frank

March 29, 1945 (1)

Last Letter 28 Mar

8 C.I.T.R, C.A.O.,

29 Mar 45

Darling Isobel:

Just about dinner time here now, & about 7:30 AM where you are I guess. You’re just about thinking of getting up. Wish I were there, kid. Was down to Aldershot yesterday to get some information on a chap in Hospital there & when I was finished popped in for a few minutes to see Hugh. He is looking really good now, his hand is all better & he’s working hard to get back into shape. I doubt very much if he’ll be in it again but he will be well when he gets home. He tells me he hasn’t had only one letter from home in about a month so I gave him all the news I had which was fairly recent. I see a bunch of air mail stuff in today so quite likely there will be a letter from you in it. Also in Hospital I met a guy by the name of Drysdale who was a Sgt. at Aldershot when I was. He took a pretty awful wound somewhere in Belgium – a piece of shrapnel entered high up in his back and came out in front of his stomach. Tore out a lung on the way & really chewed him up pretty badly. You can get some idea of the good medical attention over here when I tell you it has now about healed, that all his insides are working normally & that he will soon be going home. The medical services here are wonderful. There was a man admitted to that hospital yesterday afternoon that had been wounded in Germany yesterday morning. The casualties are nearly all flown back.

Well, honey, I’m waiting for the parcel & I know I’ll enjoy it when it comes. How are you feeling & does it show yet? Won’t be long now, will it? I wish to God I were there with you, but no can do. Make sure you see a doctor well ahead of time & make your arrangements.

All my love, dear, & don’t worry about me.

Your own Frank

xxxx

March 28, 1945

Last letter – 25 Mar.

8 C.I.R.T., CAO,

28 Mar 45.

Darling Isobel:

I’m late this time writing. I was going to write last night but was away all day taking some evidence on another case & didn’t get back until late – was so tired I just had a cup of tea & went to bed. Anyway I’m writing this to catch this mornings mail, so no harm done.

I’m Victory Loan Joe again this time. I sort of thought that I’d be able to get away with it this time but I was someone else thought differently. It will be o.k., I guess best I tried to get over to the [?]to sell them there but couldn’t make it. I sure would like to have done that.

Well, Babe, the war news sure looks swell these days, & maybe before too long we’ll all be home again. Certainly we’ll be back by this Christmas, & that’s not so very far away. I’ve been here nearly three months already. I’d sort of like to be back before things get happening to you. It will sure be funny coming back & seeing a baby a few months old. Had another phone call from Hugh – he just phoned as he was passing a phone booth. We are getting together this Sunday afternoon if all is well.

Have had no letters this last few days. Maybe the weather has been bad or something. No parcel yet. It will be along sometime. Be sure to register the next ones you send. It is always safer. Also don’t enumerate the articles in them – just say “soldiers comforts” & don’t forget to put on a customs declaration – lots of unnecessary advice, I guess.

Well, honey, I’ll get this to the P.O. right away. Don’t worry about me, dear, & be sure you get to the doctor in lots of time.

All my love, honey

-Frank

xxxx

March 25, 1945

Last letter 23 Mar 45

8C.I.T.R., CAO,

25 Mar 45

Darling Isobel:

Here I am again with the usual Sunday night effort. John & I are over in our room & it is nice & warm & quiet here now. Got a letter from you yesterday again, the one that you wrote after you’d been to Whycocomagh & told me about the funny chocolate bars. About that Mrs. M. Adams piece – whether you put it in or not I kept it. It’s about how to make a happy home, not losing one’s temper & venting one’s displeasure upon the ones one loves best. Maybe Ida did it on purpose but it sure hit me right between the eyes & I’m not fooling. I’ll send it to you.

Had a letter from Normal yesterday too. He expects to come to England on nine days leave real soon. I hope he & Hugh can have their leave together. I expect they will be able to. Norman is now in Belgium and likes it there much better than any other place he has been so far. It was a good letter. He hadn’t seen Henry up to that time, but his letter was 2 weeks coming this way. I wrote Hugh right quick to get in touch with him at once re. the leave situation.

John & I were down to a hospital about 15 miles away overnight – got back at noon today. Mr. Morris who was at Aldershot, he comes from Windsor, is there & has been quite ill with some ear trouble that by spells destroys his sense of balance so that he can’t stand up. A queer one, what! He expects to go home soon so we went down to see him. He seemed awful glad to see someone from home, having been here for about a year. While there we saw two more doctors that had been in Aldershot for a short time – one’s name was Carrol & I can’t remember the other one. Remember Bill Garrell – the officer that came to Flo’s & Jack’s the night of Jack’s birthday party & only stayed a short time? He was there in hospital with his left hand missing – lost in just across the border to Germany. He is very well & the wound healed up very rapidly. He goes home very soon. We decided it was a good occasion to open the chocolates so we took them with us and ate them all. Looking any day for the parcel, dear. There were no cookies in the other one.

Will close, darling, with all my love – forever your own

Frank

March 23, 1945

Last letter 22 Mar

8 C.I.T.R., C.A.O.

23 Mar 45

Darling Isobel:

Went down to the P.O. today & there, sure enough, was a letter from you. So I feel pretty good tonight. Had a long letter & Easter card from Jennie, & one from Mrs. Rigby too, & a letter from Col. MacKenzie.

It’s nice to get them but I like your letters dear, better than all the others. Just as I had started this, the phone rang & who was it but Hugh. He’s out of Hospital & is now at a convalescent Depot, a place where men go from Hospital to pick up again in their training & physical condition. He expects to be coming this way soon & I’d sure like to see him again. His hand is all healed up & he’s feeling very good again. He’ll never see the front again, though, I’m sure. Jennie & family are all well. Wilbur had all his teeth out & now is living on soup. Roslyn is five now & I guess they had a birthday cake for her that was out of this world. One of the CWAC’s at camp back there is in trouble & I guess RSM Rollins is the Joe. By all accounts the Col is furious. I don’t know who the girl was but she sure is unlucky. Rollins is to be stripped. The parcel should be here any day now & I’m looking forward to it. I hope my parcel to you arrived by this time & I hope you like it as much as I did getting it for you. It’s from Cornwall where Dad’s people came from.

Well, honey, I know just how much you must be pondering over in your mind these days. If I were only there how much better I’d feel. Would Bessie come home? Maybe by that time I might be back. I would like to get started at school again this fall if I am going, because time is really slipping by fast & there’s none to waste. I’m crowding 29 now, remember.

I haven’t heard from Roger McKim so I expect he must have gone. He was lucky, wasn’t he? Did I tell you his little girl, about 4, has had to go to bed with some trouble with her spine? That’s tough.

That’s all for tonight, honey, and here’s worlds of love to you & the kiddies.

-Your own (always, dear)

Frank.

March 18, 1945

Last Letter – 16 Mar.

8 CITR, CAO.,

18 Mar 45

Darling Isobel.

Didn’t write yesterday because there was no mail out today. Whoop! There come the planes again, just passing over. There sure is some noise when they go by. Saw a whole bunch of fighter planes go over today. They are much faster than the bombers & away up in the sky they look like ducks with their next sticking out. They have long engines away out in front & do they ever travel at a fast clip.

Had rather an interesting weekend. Yesterday John & I had arranged to get a couple of bikes & see the country. Just as we were ready to leave a call come to say there were two fellows down town to see us. So we walked down & there were Jimmie McLean & Joe McMillan, who used to be in Aldershot & who have come over recently. So we went into a hotel & sat down in the lobby & had quite a chat. Then we took them around & showed them a bit of the town & came up for supper. When we got here, there were two more, George Murray & Bill Ryan, also formerly from Aldershot but have been in action & back, who came down to see us. So we had supper & chewed the rag all evening. Then the first two left at 9 o’clock by bus so we all walked down town. The other two stayed all night. Jonnie went on that Educational trip today so I walked the other two around & after dinner they left to go back to their place. They had a bit of a nap & about 4 o’clock got up & took the bike I had & went for a ride. I guess I was gone about 1 ½ hours but I sure saw some pretty country. The primroses are out now – they are a small flower that grows close to the ground like a mayflower, but are yellow & about as big as a quarter. They sure look lovely & are in thousands. You asked what month this is like at home – I’d say it’s about like May. I even saw the apple tree in bloom today & I got pretty homesick, I can tell you.

Well, honey, goodnight for now & I’ll write tomorrow night too. All my love, dear, & I wish I were with you right this minute. Kisses for the boys.

Frank

xxxxxxxx

March 16, 1945

Last Letter – 15 Mar.

8 C.I.T.R., C.A.O.

16 Mar 45.

My Darling Isobel –

This was quite a day for me & I sure was busy. I handled 4 cases today & they sure were interesting, & quite sticky in spots. Guess I’ll be a lawyer when I come back. You ought to hear me when I get up & make an address to the court. Then I got 7 letters today too & I sure was happy.

There was one from you, and Ida, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Arch, Aunt Margaret, Jack Bower & a Mrs. Manelaws, who lived across the street from us in Victoria. I saw her this summer & had tea on the boat with her, remember? She is from Edinburaugh (that’s not spelled right) & gave me her sisters address there & I’m to call on her if I go to see her. Rather nice of her. She got my address from Jennie. Aunt Ida had no news to speak of, but gave me the Darwell’s address here in England, which I already have. Aunt Sarah, Uncle Arch are both well, & Cecil is much better this year than he has been for years. Aunt Charlotte is fine but her son Fred is not too well. He was ill this summer. Edna Hoffe, Aunt Lucy’s daughter, has scarlet fever as well as almost all the kids in the school, so it’s closed. They are still in Gander Bay & expect to go back to C.I. [Change Islands] in the spring. They have me the address of Tim’s resting place – it is near Oxford & they want me to see it. Aunt Sarah thinks you are very nice, as I do too, & apparently Uncle Arch got a pretty good report on both of us, as well. From Aunt Margaret – she says Uncle Will has been in Hospital with bladder trouble – had several stones removed as large as walnuts. Do you suppose the Dr. made an error & cut of something he shouldn’t have? Anyway he was still in Hospital when Aunt Margaret wrote & getting better. They phoned you when they found out that I left but I guess you had gone in to Halifax & they didn’t know where you were. Jack & Flo are in Utopia, or a place called St. George, & Jack’s not happy. Has to work awfully hard there. They are both well. You said in your letter that you had received 5 letters from me all at once. I’m so glad, dear, & I thought that’s what would happen. Incidentally, they gave you an awful rip on the rate of exchange on that English money. I thought you’d get about $25. I’m going to buy another bond as usual & I’ll save all I can. I’m glad you’re feeling better dear, & I know the war news must be cheering to everyone home as it is to us here. It can’t last much longer now. All my love, dear, & do try to take care of yourself & see the doctor.

Goodnight

-Frank.

xxxxxxxx