April 21, 1944 (Friday)

Hello Mom,

      Haven't much news as I'm still doing nothing.  Just thought you'd be looking for a letter.  I sure hope that my mail to you is coming through better than yours is to me.  As I told you before, I got 20 letters one day and 1 then next.  The last was written May 1st (Laura's and yours and Dad's written April 30). I'll give you a list of all mail received so far from home:
      Air Mails: Mother - 7; Eileen - 2; Bett - 2; Laura - 1; Dad - 1; Tom - 1; and Jean - 3. Also two Easter cards, yours and Jeans.  Oh yes and the watch.  I should be getting in another batch quite soon.
      Yesterday afternoon I went to the dog races again and had a lot of fun besides making another pound on the day's betting.  I always pick dogs that pay great odds so that if I lost it's very little and if I win it's really something.  They were auctioning off some famous bitches there yesterday and getting as high as 80 - 90 pounds ($400-$450) - not bad is it?  One chap said that before the war the same dogs would sell for 5 - 10 pounds.  The two cities near here are very nice but really overcrowded with Yanks.  The more we see of the Yanks, the less we think of them.  They are anything but a good representation of the people of USA - especially all the ones we know.

de Havilland Mosquito

      I should be receiving some word from Poki any day now.  He's going to try and get up to see me.  We are not able to travel by train from here so I'm sort of isolated for a while.  I would like to have a few hours off to dash in to London to get a fitting on my uniform but it looks hopeless.  As my other uniform has been at the cleaners (10 day service), I've been wearing battle dress all week long.
      The weather sure has taken a turn for the worse - damp and cold.  BI natter how many clothes I put on going to bed I wake up about 6AM frozen stiff.  Have a miserable sore throat but it seems to be loosening up now.  You can start sending food any day now - include a pound or so of peanut butter and also strawberry jam, and some good old Maxwell House coffee.  I eat all they give me over here and am still hungry - especially at bed time.  The food is darn good but the helpings are skimpy some times.  Don't forget to look into the Morgan situation too - boy what I wouldn't do with a chicken right now.
      I have just been over to see Eric Smith and Johnny Conlin - they're going out on Mosquitoes in a couple of days.  I would sure like to be going with them but no use in hoping.
      Also had dinner with John Carr the other day.  I believe he's on leave right now.  We visited for a couple of hours or so.  Well I must close as I've run out of news - will write again in the middle of the week.  Keep them all writing Mom - including Pop.  Say hello to the Rennicks for me.  I'll write them a good long letter one of these days.  Bye for now.

Oceans of Love,

Son

PS - We have a little stove in the hut and a tea kettle but are running short of tea and coffee.