Letter from Lewis Ellis to his mother and father

Letter from Lewis Ellis to his mother and father

Reports on mail received. Catches up with news of service friends. Catches up with family gossip and news of other friends. Wonders how rationing effects them and mentions how it was in Canada. Comments on a sortie to Winnipeg. Writes about his friend Gus who was returning to New Zealand. Reflects over his previous year and writes about his daily activities.

1942-05-02

Four page handwritten letter and envelope

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EEllisELEllisH-[Fa]420502

EXAMINER
51-8959-W.H.H. Ltd.

[postmark MY 2 43]

Mrs H Ellis,
54, Wulfric Rd.,
Manor,
Sheffield. 2.
England.

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[crest]

P.C. 90

OPENED BY

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Sgt E L Ellis
No 7 B & G
Paulson
Man.

Dear Mam & Dad,

I received your very welcome letter by sea mail last Thursday & I got the “Air Letter” [inserted] yesterday [/inserted]. The letter by sea mail was the first I had received for six weeks.

So Alan Luxfords’ a bombardier; why didn’t he become a pilot? From your letter it appears he did all his training in England: I thought they all came out here for their training. I was pleased to hear Harry Rodgers had got in touch with you I had lost all trace of him and it will be [deleted word] good to hear how he is getting on, on operations.

In your letters you say our Cyril is a gunner: is it just local defences or is he actually in the army? I do not think they had anything like that before I left.

I received my Aunt Clara’s airgraph last week and I shall reply to it at the first opportunity. Last week I also received a parcel from the “Sheffield Newspapers War Fund”. It contained, toothpaste shaving soap pencil playing cards jig saw puzzle Wardonia blades etc

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Harold Stevenson is still in England I thought by now he would be on his way over here. I am glad he got his selection flying over. I understand everyone has to take that test in England now as too many U T pilots were coming over here and getting washed out.

I thought Echo was going to be an observer but from your letter it appears he is going to be a pilot too so it looks like we shall see them in this wilderness soon.

I often wonder how rationing effects [sic] you over there we have tea coffee sugar meat and preserved and canned foods rationed over here and the local people don’t know how they are going to manage on what they are allowed.

Last night, Monday I went down to Dauphin to see a film but before we went in we went to a cafe and I had a steak an inch thick and big enough to cover our largest meat dish it made me think what you could have done with it at home.

Last Tuesday I had to take a [sic] Anson to Winnipeg so as Gus Knox was on a forty eight I took him with me. We had a great time but we did not leave Winnipeg until 7:30 pm and it was dark by the time we landed at Paulson. We went straight into the mess and everyone started slapping Gus on the back and telling him how lucky he was to be posted

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back to New Zealand; was Gus surprised he did not know weather [sic] to laugh or cry as he thought it would be another three years before he saw home again. He left last Wednesday night for Toronto and since then he let me know he was going to New York so I guess he is on his way [inserted] home [/inserted] now.

Next week it will be the fourth of June and I shall have been a pilot just one year it seems to have gone very quickly considering and yet it seems ages ago that I left England.

I think I have done a lot of work and a lot of flying; eighteen months ago I did not know anything about aeroplanes and now it is the only thing I know anything about. After June the fourth my tour of duty should be up and I should be repatriated so I do not think I shall see much more of Canada and that suits me fine, although nothing definite has come through about us going home yet.

For the last week the weather here has been really hot and I am going to get some shorts to fly in, but today it is miserable, cold and raining so I do not think I shall be going out. You ask me for the news from here, well I wish you could see the place we are right in the middle of no-where, next to a lake. I get up at 7 AM start flying at 8 AM lunch 11:30 – 1 pm fly

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again until 4 30pm then go[deleted]t[/deleted] to supper, after supper I read, go[deleted]t[/deleted] to the camp cinema or the playing field and go[deleted]t[/deleted] to bed sometime between 10 pm & 11 pm. I do that every day; day in day out so you see why there is no news. Sometimes when flying is washed out owing to the weather we do drill in the drill hall and you can guess how we like that.

I guess thats about all for now. remember me to all at home; dad, Renee, Sydney and all at . 69 . 6 . 52 .

Your loving son

Lewis.

P.S. Tell our Sydney algebra is not so tough and we use it in the air force so he had better lern [sic] it.

P.P.S. We had a Victory drive on not so long ago and I bought $100 of war bonds.

P.P.S. I write every ten days so you should have a lot more than seven letters but I will write a airograph tomorrow so see how soon you get that.