Hello darling;

I have just finished reading your letter darling and although it was rather short I was very glad to receive it. I also got a card from Irene and 2 letters, one with a cheque for $5 and one with a cheque for $10 from my aunts so that was very nice wasn’t it?
Well honey we are moving next week for sure so I’ll let you know as soon as I possibly can. I’ll try and phone around Wednesday or Thursday night. I’ll call about midnight so you won’t be out but I’ll be home if it is the last thing that I do darling.
I have not done very much at all dear lately. They have taken our motion picture machines out and all Norm and I do is shoot pool. We are sleeping with the band now and they say we are going to have a big dance Saturday night but darling I can’t have any fun without you dear. I certainly think of you an awful lot and I do a lot of planning and hoping for us after the war and I can’t wait until April comes around to see whether we have a little boy or a little girl and you know which one I am leaning towards. It will not make a difference to me honey, but I think a little girl would be nice so see what you can do about that eh?
I went to the station to put some boys on the train last night and what a crowd. I hate to think about travelling at Christmas but I guess we will have a special coach when we go so that is alright. Do you remember when you came down dear what a time we had. I can still see you, boy, I thought you looked lovely in your new coat (and even your white boots HA HA). I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder and just think dear I’ll be seeing you in a week, the time would have gone so slow but as I am going to be real busy it should go fast.
Have you got a Christmas tree yet dear? I hope so and we will just pray that we will be all together next year and little Willie will be there with us with his hockey stick and skates. Unless it is little Doreen in which case she will be there with her little dolls. Either way as the little one will be so young we can just get them a teddy bear.
I hope you are taking good care of yourself darling and it will be a load off my mind when you quit work tomorrow for good and I want you to get lots of rest and sleep but I guess you should get a little experience too but your mother should be able to keep you in line with little Beverly.
Well dear I think that is about all for now but I just want to say that I hope you have a really swell Christmas but don’t have too much to eat and I think I might have a nice surprise for you darling so keep up your chin.
your loving husband,

Bill

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P.S – please say Merry Christmas to your folks and be sure an tell mine the same. I love you very very much.

Hello Darling;

Well here it is Sunday afternoon dear and I have just finished reading your letter and the Toronto Star. We are still down here but I think that my next letter will be from somewhere else so if you don’t hear from me for a while you will know what is the trouble. I have not heard anything definite yet dear but I’ll let you know as soon as I possibly can.
I mailed my cards this morning so I guess that was in good time, but the mail call will be very slow I imagine.
I’ve had an awful quiet week, they have moved the projectors out of the Rec Hall but I went to the Casino Thursday night and to the Capital Saturday night. I went to church this morning and we had a real nice Christmas Service. We were expecting an R.A.F boys choir but they didn’t arrive in time for the service.
Norm and I were the first there and we were asked to be the ushers to hand out the hymn books so I guess I have done my bit for the day.
Have you enough money to do your shopping over the holidays dear? If you haven’t take some out of the bank account and buy yourself some nice things and how about a nice new nightie….oh yes you have a nice new one already haven’t you dar and don’t be surprised if I see you in it about 2 weeks today because I’ll try and get home if it is the last thing that I do (but you know your husband and how much i want to be with you darling). Take really good care of yourself next week darling and get lots of rest and don’t wot too hard.
I received my mothers letters and was glad to get all the local gossip, you had a better tell her to have an extra place sitting at the table on New Years day as I could certainly make short work of a turkey right now.
I guess Beverley is pretty excited about Christmas or does she understand about Santa Claus dear. I guess that you have bought her something from us dear – just think dear we will be buying little things for our own little gift next year.
Well dear I have just come back from having supper, it was beans and a salad and some cake. Norm and I dropped into the canteen for a snack after the show last night and they had about 4 big trays of chocolate cake and about 3 or 4 of cupcakes. They couldn’t get rid of them and they were certainly good and I think that I ate my fair share to the point that I was very tired and went to my bed after we had the cake.
I’m reading a good book dear, its titled “The Strong Women” boy what a story, What a Woman! What a time!, it certainly is a hot one.
Well darling I hope that in my next letter I will be able to tell you definitely where I am going and I think it should be good and so darling for now, all my love
Your loving husband,

Bill

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Hello dearest

Well darling here it is Saturday night and we have just come in from a walk and boy was it cold. I thought I would sit down and write you a few lines as I think you might be moving stations very soon and I wanted to get a few lines away to you before you go.
Christmas is only a week away and dear I will be missing you something awful this year. I was certainly hoping that you would be able to get home but we now know that your leave will be at New Years which is wonderful and I guess that next year when the baby comes along having you home at Christmas will be the best present that I could ever receive.
This week on Thursday I went out to supper after work with Dot from the office and I think it might be one of the last times that I go out after work seeing as I am quitting next week. She was absolutely lovely at supper and we had one of our wonderful talks about everything. I was telling her about you moving stations and that you will be home for New Years and that I was missing you very much, which of course you know already. She told me that she will be spending time at your fellows apartment for the holidays which I think is very nice for her and she seems very excited about getting a certain gift for Christmas, but dear I honestly think that he is taking her for a ride. I think he might one of those fellows who plays the field with all the office gals but Dot is convinced that he is the one. For her sake I am hoping that she is right but I have a feeling that it is not meant to be.
We are preparing here for our Christmas dinner and I think that Marg and Aunt Jessie will be here and that she will not have to stay the entire time over at the Simpson house. I think Marg is excited to be back with us for Christmas as Marg told me that she is not expecting very much form the Simpson in way of gifts. Lets just hope that she does not get a new mop as I am sure they will expect her to use it in their house. Darling, they are truly horrible people and I am glad that Ted will get home for Christmas so that he can spend some time with her.
Everyone here is fine and getting excited for Christmas. Beverley loves looking at all the pretty lights on the street and I am sure that once Christmas morning comes she will just light up with joy.
Well darling this will be a short letter and I will close now by saying that I miss you very much and that I love you very much and please hurry home for New Years so we can ring int he new year together like we have done for the last 8 years. Loving you more and more each day, from your loving wife,

Doreen

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Hello darling

I have just come in from work and I have read your letter and I thought I would sit right down before supper and get a few lines away to you before the evening mail is picked up.
How have you been keeping darling, I hope that the weather down there continues to be nice and mild as back here in Toronto it has been nothing but cold and miserable. We all have had to make sure that we have our winter coats hats and mittens on otherwise we just might freeze to death. My folks place has been very cold, Pop thinks that there might be something wrong with the pipes so you know him, he has been downstairs the last 3 nights tinkering with the furnace to try and get more heat upstairs tot he bedrooms.
Beverley has taken to climbing into bed with me, as Mom and Pop usually start her off in their bed and then she wanders through to my room. I am not sure how they do not know that she has left the room, but she finds her way over to me and then we snuggle together to try and keep warm. After all I have this large belly of mine and dear, the baby certainly generates a lot of heat. So at least there is one great thing that has come out of this, I have my own little furnace.
Darling, I am not going to ask about your move but I am wondering once you have moved how am I going to know where to send my letters to? I am guessing that I will have to wait to hear form you before I start writing back to you again. It will be very hard for me not to know where you are and how I can get word to you if anything happens, which I know nothing will, but just to be sure please let me know as soon as possible where you are and how I can reach you.
Your Mom and Pop are doing just fine, I was over at their place 2 nights ago and Auntie Bessie called while I was there. They were all asking for you and how you were doing and if you were excited to be moving stations to which I told them all hat you were looking forward to getting a placement closer to home so I asked them all to keep their fingers crossed and say a little prayer.
Work has been very busy and I am very much looking forward to stop working as by the end of the day my feet are almost killing me, and I oft come home to soak them in a hot tub. Dot is not happy that I will not be working anymore and she says that no matter what she make sure that she comes and visits me while I am not working. She says that she will take me out to lunch at least once a month and I would very much like that but dear, I think she is all talk when it comes to that as I think she would rather be spending most of her time with her fellow.
Marg and I went to the show on the weekend and I think she was very happy to be out of that Simpson house. She would not tell me all the details but I think she misses Ted something awful and I think if she could she would come back to live with me and my folks. She did say to me that she had done the weekly shopping and when she got home, as the weather has turned cold, she was freezing. But good old (and I mean OLD) Mrs Simpson sent her back out to get something that Marg had forgot. So poor old Marg had to go back out int hat cold to get it for her. She really is a miserable sod of a lady.
Well darling, supper is almost ready as I can smell it from upstairs, so darling loving you more and more each day and I am counting the days to your leave until we can see each other again.
Love always form your growing wife,

Doreen

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Hello darling;

I have just this minute finished reading your last letter dear and was as usual very glad to receive it.
it is Thursday afternoon about 4:45 and things are pretty quiet so this is a good a time to write you as any. We have not heard a thing yet dear about our move and I am just letting things come as they will. I think that you had better hold my gifts down here until you hear from me because we don’t know from one day to another if we are going to move stations.
Well I have not done any more than usual since I last wrote dear. Sunday night I saw a real funny show with Joe Brown. Monday night I saw one of the best pictures I’ve seen in a very long time it was “Princess O’Rourke” and I want you to see it if you possibly can dear as I think that you will really enjoy it.
Last night they had another “last” dance so you can see how uncertain they are. All the boys are sending their wives home in fact about 10 of them went together to the dance on Monday so I guess they had a good time.
Well dear you only have about 8 more days to work how does it feel and I’m not sorry at all because you have to be so careful so you don’t overstrain yourself. Gee do I ever wish that I could get home to keep you warm darling. It is pretty cold down here but the blankets here are not very good at keeping you warm in bed, not like you are dear.
Tell my Mom to write soon and give me the address of those people she wants me to send cards to or it will be too late and she could drop me a letter too as that would be just dandy.
We have not heard a thing about our leave dear but if we don’t get it this month as I said before we will get it in January and I would just as soon have it then as this month if I had to travel on the train from down here but keep your fingers and toes crossed for me anyway.
Well tonight I think I will take in the show in the station that is after we get paid as tonight is pay night too.
I wish that you had of had your picture taken dear. I really wanted one of those to put in my locker but you can have a nice one taken of you and they baby later on. In fact I think that I will be taking many pictures of the baby and using plenty of film that it might cost me an arm and a leg to get it all developed.
Well darling I am sorry that I’ll have to make this a real short letter but I wanted to get it away by tonights mail and I’ll write you again on Saturday night and I hope that I’ll have a little more information for you by then and so dear from the very bottom of my heart,
All my love,

Bill

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Hello dearest;

Well my darling, here it is Monday night, I was going to write you yesterday but I thought I would wait until today to see if there was any mail, but no luck but perhaps tomorrow I will be lucky.
I received your lovely letter Friday dear and was very glad to receive it.
I am feeling fine dear except that I am having quite a time trying to bend over. I have to laugh at myself everytime I bend down. I worked until 6:30PM tonight so I am going to my bed early. Everyone here is fine. Beverley is in bed, finally, and Mom is reading that paper and Pop has gone out to get some chocolates. It has turned very cold here, since Friday and boy I mean COLD. Boy darling how I wish you were here to keep me warm.
I was speaking to your Mom on the phone tonight and she is fine your Pop is working tonight. She didn’t go out all weekend as it was too cold. Mrs Hawkins phoned her today to say that Stan had wired her that he got his commission. I think it is about time that he had it.
I was speaking to Tom Bradbeer on Saturday. I met him in the store and he is still up at Camp Borden, he was asking for you and if you were coming home for Christmas, so I told him the whole story.
Now lets see what I have been doing dear, oh yes, Saturday I went up to Auntie Bessie’s for supper, then after supper I went to Doris’ for a little while as she is making me a dress also my Mom, and we had to go over for a fitting. She is fine and always ask for you. Her apartment number is 12 dear.
Pardon me while I have a chocolate dear. Pop had just come in and he is frozen.
On Sunday I did not go out. I wrapped all my Christmas parcels as well as Mom and Pops, so that took me some time. Auntie Jessie and Marg came over for supper so we just spent some time with them. Marg certainly had many stories to tell about her time down there in Newfoundland but it seems that her and Ted had a wonderful time together. And now that she is back home and has to live with those awful Simpsons she seems so down in the dumps. I guess that they have her doing all the chores again and treating her like the maid and dear if that was me I would just up and leave and tell them what they could do with their mop.
Darling be sure and let m know what to do about Christmas gifts because I gave them all ready to send down to you so be sure and let me know dearest because I will have to get them away to you.
Well darling that seems to be all for now but will write again on Wednesday or Friday, so my dearest loving you with all my heart and praying awful hard that oiyou will be home for New Years.
All my love,

Doreen

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Doreen Darling;

Well here it is 4:30 Saturday afternoon dear and I have just returned from supper, we had a hot beef sandwich and salad and a choice of prunes or rice pudding for dessert.
I received your last letter yesterday and was very glad to dear that you are feeling better. I certainly do a lot of worrying over you dear when you are not well. I guess that is what love really is.
Well I haven’t heard anything yet dear, but I guess that I will only be writing about one more letter or so from down here so if you don’t hear from me for 2 or 3 days you will know that I am on my way but I will let you know as soon as I hear definitely darling.
Well I have not been doing very much dear. Wednesday and Thursday nights I didn’t go out of the barracks and Friday night I went to the Rec Hall and saw a stage show and then the picture ” Hangmen Also die” and didn’t get out until 12:15 which was the latest for me in a very long time. It was a real good picture though. Tonight they are having a show in the Rec Hall and a dance int he drill hall. Norm and I are going to the show.
Well it is only 2 weeks today until Christmas, it isn’t very long darling is it dear? And you can bet that I’ll try my darnedest to get home at New Years with you honey because we have been together at New Years for a long time now haven’t we?
I haven’t been able to get any shopping done at all dear but I will get our cards away about next Friday or so, do you think that will be OK? I hope that you got something nice for you Mom and Pop dear as I think you did very good for my folks.
I am glad that you only have 2 more weeks to work dear you never know what might happen if you overdo it dear. What does it feel like to know that you are not going to work anymore dear, and now you get to stay home and be a good mother to be and darling that is the most important thing in the world for me.
By the way dear have you decided where you would like to live? I’m going to leave it entirely up to you honey if you want to stay at your place or if you would like to stay at ours, you know that you would be more than welcome, in fact my Mom and Dad would be so very happy to have you but as I said dear it is up to you but then we can talk it over when I come home.
I’m just fine dear we haven’t had hardly any flu down here. I guess that is pretty bad back home eh? but the weather is just great down here. I just went to the mess hall in my light jacket so you can see how wild it is down here.
Boy I can’t wait until I get home to you dear especially after all the milk that you have been drinking, I bet you are more than an awful now and that makes me very happy. You had just better watch out when I get home. It doesn’t seems that you were getting ready to come down here this time last year, and I just want to say those 6 months were the happiest days of my life dear and I hope that they’re were for you too dear. I don’t think that very many couples are really as close and as much in love as we are, we are certainly lucky aren’t we?
Well darling I think that is about all for now and I certainly hope that I might be with you 3 weeks tonight and so keep your fingers crossed dear and so for now dear,
All my love dearest,

Bill

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Hello darling;

Well dear I have just finished reading your last letter once again and as usual I thought I would answer it once I had some news to tell you.
I’m really sorry to hear that you are under the weather darling and I want you to take good care of yourself and don’t you dare go to work until you feel better. I am still wishing that you would quit work altogether dear because it is too much for you I think, so what do you say? And don’t drink to much whiskey, it isn’t good for expectant mothers. I was talking to the M.O down here and he said that it really was bad for you.
We have been lucky down here, the flu had hardly hit anybody and I really am feeling great these days dear, and I am getting lots of rest. I really think that is why I haven’t even had a cold yet. I have not been to bed any later than 11 o’clock for a couple of weeks.
Well dear you heard about our move. I knew about it 2 weeks ago but I didn’t want to say anything to you until I heard definitely that I was going there as they might be posting some of the boys other places than Montreal at any rate dear I can’t go any further east. That is the reason I didn’t know where I stand in regards to my leave dear but we will know definitely within a week or two and all we can do is just hold tight and I’ll let you know just as soon as I find out darling.
Well honey I have not been doing very much since I last wrote you except think an awful lot of you and dear do I ever miss you. Monday night they had a little get together in the Corporals Club as a sort of final closing of the place and we had a good time but I can’t stand the taste of beer and that is what they were serving. They played cards and I ran the record machine, they have a real swell selection of about a hundred or so popular records.
I would like to get a few of them. That reminds me dear I would have liked to have got one of those records players for you for Christmas but as I guess you know you can’t get one anywhere. I was wondering if Eaton’s had one tucked away somewhere that they don’t know what to do with. We could have a lot of fun with one couldn’t we dear? We could buy records that are wanted, and I just thought of that place on the Danforth near Lindsmore. I wonder if they maybe had one, anyway, let me know what you think of it dear.
Last night they had the last dance on the station but you had to take a girl to get in so I did not go. I guess that the Halifax girls are pretty unhappy about the station moving thing but the boys on the station are really happy, new fields to sow. Tonight they are showing “The Glass Key” on the station show and I think that I will go and see it as I thought it was a dandy picture.
I think that you did very well with your Christmas shopping dear and I really don’t know when I’ll be able to go get anything done because things are so busy and unsettled around here expecting to move at any time. It would certainly be wonderful if it was Montreal. I could get a 48 hour leave once a month and it is only 6 hours by train to Toronto and you know the Air Force, I would not count on anything too much dear because I would hate to see you disappointed but keep on praying, at any rate we will get our leave in January sometime anyway dear so I’ll be seeing you within a month.
Bob certainly had some time on his leave, we was going to spend 2 days in Montreal but one night was enough for him, he woke up in the morning with some gal, and he had never even seen her before and he spent $25 on her and a room so he got out of there as fast as he could. Bob sure knows how to treat the gals right eh?
Well dearest I’m afraid that is about all for now but keep your fingers crossed and you might be seeing me soon until then from your ever loving husband,

Bill

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Hello Darling;

Well my dearest here it is Sunday night just about 7PM so I guess I’ll just have your letter finished by the time the Band Wagon comes on after supper.
Well darling I have a bad head cold, but there is an awful lot of colds and flu going around. I have not been to work since Thursday but other then the head cold I feel fine dear. Poor Beverley had got it today and she is just burning up with a fever and what makes it hard is the poor little tyke can’t tell you whats the matter with her at least I can sure yell when anything is the matter with me and darling you should have seen all the whisky I have taken, oh boy!
I received your lovely letter Friday darling and gosh it sure cheers me up and darling I still have my fingers crossed for your coming home at New Years.
I have most of my shopping done dear, I got your Pop a nice white shirt and tie, you Mom a white chiffon scarf and I am also going to get her Pockard slippers. I got your Aunt Agnes a set of underwear and I’ll get your Uncle Jack socks is that OK dear?
I haven’t done anything since I last wrote you dear as I have not been out of the house. I couldn’t got to the doctors on Friday as he would not take me with a cold so I will have to go next week instead. Last night Mom and Pop went to a party so Marg came over to stay with me and she slept on the chesterfield, as I didn’t want her to get my cold. Together we took care of Beverley and what a time we had with her screaming. Mrs Simpson wanted me to go over there for a chicken dinner but I just stayed home and I think that was for the best.
I was talking toy our Mom today and she is fine. Bob Hobbs phoned her on Friday so she was all enlaced and she also phoned me sp we talked for a few minutes and she said he would lay the odds that you would be home so darling I felt wonderful after that. He was leaving a couple of days early as he was going to Montreal for a couple of days.
I heard on the radio last night that the Depot was being moved to Montreal; and I also saw it in the paper gosh dear wouldn’t that be wonderful for you. You were saying dear that you were going to apply to a PT and Drill Instructor, well darling as long as that is what you want to do darling it is OK with me and anyway it will sure keep you in shape and boy you better be because I certainly am going to look forward to it.
Darling you were asking me what I want for Christmas well dear to tell you the truth I really wont know what I need but dearest don’t spend much money on me because it will cost you quite a bit to come home and dearest you are the only Christmas present that I want.
I was talking to Doris today and she had a wire from Bob and he is in Italy so darling we really are lucky.
Well my dearest that is all for now but will write again in a few days, but write as soon as you hear anything about your leave.
Oh my darling all my love to you and hurry home so I can show you.

Doreen

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Hello Darling;

Well here it is Saturday night dear and Norm and I have just returned from doing a little bowling and a Sundae.
I remember in your last letter that you mentioned that you were starting to feel tired at night dear, now don’t over do yourself dear because it isn’t worth it and you might do yourself some harm. So don’t you work overtime if you can help it dear and please take real good care of yourself.
Well let me see what is new, not very much I’m afraid dear. Wednesday night I went to the station show and Thursday night they had the Uncle Mel’s troupe here and they were very good. That girl you used to work with was in it wearing a grass skirt, she certainly could shake it, but no better than you can dear when you want to. Friday night I saw ” Stage Door Canteen” at the station show and if you have not seen it you should dear it really is a swell picture and well worth seeing. I don’t think I’ll be doing anything tonight but play cards. We play poker in the barracks and I think that I’m up about $1.50.
Well dear I haven’t heard any more about moving so I think that it might have fallen through so I might be home for New Years after all so don’t feel too badly about it until you hear definitely from me.
I had a letter from my Mother and Pop yesterday and got all the local news, by the way tell my Mom to “give me” the addresses of all those people I’m to send cards to.
Well dear just 4 more months to go darling and I’ll be the happiest pop in the world. I’ve got the most darling wife in the world and I know I’ll have the cutest and sweetest little daughter in the world soon. Isn’t it wonderful dear our love for one another, we just seem to be made for one another and we have so much to look forward to when the war is over. In the meantime we will just have to make the best of it and I’m so glad to know that you will have something to take your time when our baby is born.
I am very anxious to hear what the doctor thought of you dear and be sure and do what he tells you and get lots of rest dear. There I go again telling you what and what not to do.
Mom says that my Aunt is really busy doing a lot of knitting, we shouldn’t have to get very much clothing, won’t it be fun dressing little Doreen together dear and I think we will take her in bed with us at 6 o’clock in the morning like the Davis’ used to do.
I forgot to tell you dear that one of the twins, you know the one that used to go around with the small girl, well she is expecting but she is only 3 months gone so it will ben a while yet.
It is really mild around here right now. Some of the boys are going around without any coats on. I guess it is pretty cold back home though.
Well dear I think that is about all for now and I’ll just close by saying I love you very much from the bottom of my heart and hoping to see you very soon honey.
Your loving husband,

Bill

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