251775 Thomas Roland Edwards Canadian Army Highland Light Infantry of Canada from:Toronto A letter from my Uncle, Roly Edwards.
Written on the Salvation Army letterhead. On Active Service with the Canadian Forces, May 1st, 1942
Highland Light Infantry of Canada (AF) Canadian Army Overseas A32241.
Dear Gracie,
This is late at night that I am writing this letter, thank you very much for the Star Weekly. I like some of the Novels in them especially. It has been a fine day, warm and a bright sun, many people have been walking along the Esplanade, and then sitting down on the large benches facing the water. Some places are opened up for the men to bathe in but the water is rather cold yet, the men have to be paraded down to bathe. The Orchards are in full bloom in this part of the country and if you consider the bloom anything there should be a large crop of apples. Most of the Farmers are finished with the seeding of grain, and are harrowing and packing these fields, and are now planting potatoes. I was noticing some women planting them in the fields the other day. This is a Farming county, if any county in England can be considered such now, in an industry liked England and there are quite a number of large Dairy Farms with such cattle as Holstein, Ayrshire, Hereford and Durhams. I have looked through some of them and they are very up to date and modern having milking machines and well equipped in farm implements including tractors. Walking down town right after dinner, I tried the door of the YMCA canteen and that of the S.A. but they were locked, as I intended to do some writing, so I took another stroll along the road and entered a Pub, ordered a pint of Bitter as I was drinking this a fearsome looking sight came in. Just a girl of about 25, who had been dying her hair, she was a natural brunette, but had been using some dope to try and make a blonde of herself, there were white streaks all through her black hair. What with this and the warpaint she had on her face she looked very fearsome over a pint of ale. So I took another pint to fortify myself after this and walked out. Quite a number of our men are marrying English Girls, so there will be a few more women in Canada after this War. When a man marries half his pay goes to his wife and part of the rest of his goes towards paying for his wife's passage to Canada, which is figured at 200 dollars. We still follow about the same routine, which is schemes and lectures. Last Monday Decoyor Con Coy went on a scheme which includes a ten-mile march, in which my partner and I carried a stretcher. Starting early in the morning, we marched down past Evergreen cottages for about two miles, then we started to attack an imaginary enemy, till noon, then ate our lunch in a field, which consisted of sandwiches, brought along in our mess tins. After this we proceeded along the road again and attacked two more points then marched back to town over some farm fields. We still have our First Aid lectures at the RAF and also do other work around that building such as sifting the ashes. You see, we have to be very careful in everything and coal is rationed, there is any amount of coal in England but the trouble is to get it mined. That is one of the very few jobs that a girl cannot do, I was noticing some girls in the tire Brigade the other day holding a large hose with a considerable force of water running through it and was thinking what would the men be doing after this is all over. Went to Church Parade as per usual this morning, sermon was given by the pastor of the church for a change. We always parade down having the Pipe Band in front of us. Well I think I will get ready for bed and as I have no fire in the room, I will put on an extra blanket. Saturday we always wash the room so that it is fairly clean. My love to all the Girls, Best Regards to Stan. From Roland.
See you in the Comics.
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