29 June 1938

Dear Dad:

What part of Ireland do you have connection with - I must have some relations here - even if they are tough.

Had a wonderful tour all around north Ireland with C.O. and two other officers Ryder and Chator in C.O.S. $2,500 M.G. - People probably thought we were rich Americans. We stopped at some famous hotels on sea coast - Orchestras playing in afternoon at tea time - expensive tapestries, etc. Saw a woman trying to buy cigarettes with Canadian 25¢ piece in Grand Central Hotel in Belfast - introduced myself as a Canadian and she asked where I was from. - "Calgary"

As a matter of fact I just left Calgary three weeks before, she answered.

Cutting story short, she also lived on 13th at 4th West - Gee - I give up.

I finished by introducing her to Overall of Niagara Falls, Barton of Penticton and Dennison (213 Fighter Squadron) of Vernon, B.C.

We are having a good time cycling around country inspecting ye olde anciente pubs.

My bicycle costs me 5/ a week which is $1.25 but is worth it.

We do our Air Firing over Loch Neagh so our bullets fall on the finest trout in Ireland - so help me -

As Dennison says, if it stopped raining here for one hour they would have a drought. Boy does it rain! - the Heavens just open up and pour forth.

Dennison comes down from Air Firing and says even if he hasn't hit anything I'm certainly consistent.

213 Squadron here are equipped with Gauntlets. I certainly like Britain's names for fighters - here they are: Hurricane, Spitfire, Gladiator, Gauntlet, Fury, etc. - not bad eh?

The fields in Ireland are even smaller than English ones.

It's quite mountainous here - just over 2,500 feet but as they rise directly from sea level they look quite big, but molehills compared with our incomparable Rockies.

Real one-horse country up here north of Belfast and Dennison sprang up yesterday and shouted

"Hey! fellahs look - a train."

"Well! thank goodness the mail got through. I haven't heard from grandpappy since nigh on last grass."

These chaps are always bubbling over with wit.

H.M.S. Rodney is coming to Belfast on July 5th so I might see her again before going back to Angleterre on July 10th.

Hope the crops are holding out and you make plenty of cash. (As the French would say)

Love
Bill