24 September 1936

Dear Bob:

How is high school going this year? What are Ken (Patton), Leo (Blanchfield), Haig and all the rest of the boys doing this year? Your brother has to wear a dinner jacket, boiled shirt, etc. every Thursday night at the civil school, even to start with. Amazing eh what? But of course high society and all that sort of thing. You should hear an Englishman talk. The idioms get you down. For instance he "opened up the taps" instead of "stepping on the gas." I am in a daze half the time.

If you go to Central you want to try out for the rugby team. You will be heavy enough and tough enough.

I am thoroughly acclimatized to this English weather and like it a lot. There are no high buildings in London - a six storey affair would be looked upon as a sky scraper. The R.A.F. uniform is a fairly light blue (sky). Open at the neck, a large pair of eagle wings splashed across the left breast above the pocket. There are deep pockets cut in the flaps outside the coat. Long trousers are worn, as breeches bind the knees. The full dress uniform is complete with sword and plumed hat, etc. I will send you a few pictures of them.

What do you think of the Trainers I will train in? By the way, I just read that No. 3 F.T.S. is being moved from Grantham to the west coast in Wiltshire in policy with government's idea of moving all R.A.F. aerodromes back from the east coast, so I shall be near Bristol Sea. This is being moved next spring, so I might go to Uxbridge, Grantham and the west coast as well as Reading in the course of eight months.

The more I think of my expenses in the R.A.F., the less I think I will get back to Canada in five years, but here's hoping. The R.A.F. will pay me 12 shillings a day on my 16s6, they holding back 4s6 a day. So at the end of three months I shall have close to $100 over and above pay when I go to Uxbridge. This will go like a flash, because I will have to buy a full dress evening suit with tails for suppers in the Officers' Mess. The R.A.F. mess jackets and full dress are evidently not used for ordinary suppers. One has to have an ordinary full dress suit and mess jacket suit besides. In England (the only country in the world) dress up for every real theatre play and if one is invited up to a home for supper, it is imperative to wear tails. It is no wonder the English think we are barbarians when they come to Canada. An American looks just as loud over here as an Englishman looks snobby in Canada.

English suits are always hand-tailored and the average Englishman looks quite correct with hat, umbrella cane (thick handle) and gloves. I never see one on the street without his coat.

Footmen, chauffeurs, commissionaires, etc. are everywhere. If you stop at a shop, he comes over and opens your car door for you. There are Rolls Royces by the hundreds because it is the stamp of approval and every man who can possibly afford one has a Rolls.

You would never get by with a Packard here. It really is a different world altogether. Homes are hundreds of years old, built of stone, and last for centuries more. They look dingy and dirty, especially the wrought iron, but you get used to it. These are not storm windows.

It is unthinkable for an Englishman to have tea at noon. Oh! No! He never takes tea at noon - "never" - you Americans are quite impossible.

I haven't picked up the paper once this week, but at least two R.A.F. planes had flown out to sea in a fog and were lost or crashed on the railway tracks, etc. Automobile accidents kill hundreds every week. It is impossible to imagine the number of accidents in England.

All the main street crossings have underground passages or tunnels to go through instead of crossing the street. I'll bet Ronny can say a few more things now than he could when I left. Jean is probably a big shot now. I hope she is out playing football for the boys' team and basketball for the girls'.

If I use much more of this paper I will have Mackenzie King writing me a personal letter. All the Canadians here love using it, so why can't I.

Imperial Airways offered me £1,000 a month to fly their new plane across the Atlantic between New York and Southampton, but I refused - the R.A.F. comes first with me.

The R.A.F. advise me to take out insurance - gave me papers to sign. "Who shall we notify in case of casualty?" - cheerful fellows!!

The uppers decided to part with the lowers of my oxfords today. The shoemaker said no go - it would only be a question of hours. So I bought a new pair for 14/9 - it will take a week to wear them in. If you always wait for a letter of mine before you answer me, I shall be waiting a month, so send them in every week at least or I shall close up in my shell and not write you.

Milk costs 11 cents a pint here, so no wonder the average Englishman is short - eh? It really is a little more expensive to live here. Because of the war in Spain, lemons and oranges are extremely high priced, as well as grapefruit. So what!

Bill