Letter from Lewis Ellis to his mother and father

Letter from Lewis Ellis to his mother and father

Writes that he was still flying regularly and had soloed on the Cessna. Comments on flying Cessna. Mentions weather and cold temperatures. Mentions photographs he took on trip to Vancouver. Comments on local girls and the local town of Brandon. Mentions flying activities. Includes printed magazine page with information about Cessna aircraft.

1942-03-17

Three page handwritten letter and two printed magazine pages

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[crest]

1238597 LAC. E.L. ELLIS
12 S.F.T.S.
BRANDON,
MAN.,
CANADA
17/3/42

Dear Mam & Dad,

Well I glad to get your letter & one from AC2 Stevenson last Saturday.

I still OK and flying regularly. I have soloed on these Cessnas and its like driving a bus after a bike from Tiger Moths to Cessnas. They are really big and flying them alone sure is a thrill.

I can’t think of much to write about only the weather is getting warmer but it snowed quite a bit this morning. You say its [deleted] co [/deleted] dry out here & you don’t feel the cold: believe me when the temperature 40° below zero you [deleted] felt [/deleted] feel it alright. I seen some people with the face cracked with the frost.

Of the cables you sent me I only got one a week ago and it was signed Aunt Marples so [deleted] lh [/deleted] tell them Ill be replying when I get a bit of spare time. We don’t get much.

[logo]

[page break]

I’ve got a lot of snaps of Vancoover [sic] Isle and the Rockies so I’ll put two in this letter. The trouble is I’m putting them in a album but Hilda [deleted] a [/deleted] (girl at Wigan) wrote for one so I’m having some reprints taken off.

When I get the reprints Ill sent [sic] you one of me at Virden.

The girls over here are O.K. but they are too fresh and I don’t have much to do with them except at dances and thats not very often – I’d sooner fly.

You would be surprised at the size of the towns over here, Brandon is a city with a radio station but I bet Anston [sic] is twice as big. This distance between towns is great; the next town to Brandon is Virden and that is 60 miles of open prairie so its easy to get lost especially in a plane doing 180 m.p.h.

We had a [sic] altitude test the other day most of us got to 15000 feet without oxygen but you begin to feel funny and happy and start laughing at nothing and sing at the top of your voice.

P.T.O.

[page break]

When I get some spare time I’ll write to “Aunt Marples” and my Grandma. – I hope she’s OK.

Your loving son

Lewis.

PS. How are you fixed for silk stocking & dried fruit?

[page break]

CESSNA DELIVERED MORE

Twin-Engined, Bomber-Pilot Trainers
During 1941 Than All Other U.S.
Aircraft Manufacturers Combined.

[photograph]
CESSNA
[italics] Aircraft Company [/italics]
WICHITA, KANSAS, U.S.A.

AVIATION. [italics] March, 1942 [/italics] [italics] 185. [/italics]

[page break]

[italics] Tannewitz [/italics] HIGH SPEED METAL CUTTING BAND SAWS
[photograph]
A Tannewitz Metal Cutting Band Saw in the Magnesium foundry of the Wright Aeronautical Corp.

Fastest, most efficient means of cutting off gates and risers from castings of any metal. Models to handle magnesium and aluminium up to 30 inches thick, 52 inches wide. Larger capacity machines furnished on special order. Variable speed machines available. Write for Metal Cutting Band Saw Bulletin. You’ll find the machine that’s exactly suited to your needs – one that will repay its cost dozens of times in time and money saved.

THE TANNEWITZ WORKS, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

[italics] 186 [/italics] AVIATION. [italics] March, 1942 [/italics]