Thursday Oct. 9, 1941

Dear Sweetheart,

At long last we have been given something definite on this O.C.T.U. business. Eleven of us were called into the Colonel's office tonight and told that we had all passed O.K. and were going on the course which will start on Dec. 3rd. And that is just six weeks away. After almost two years of trying, I'm finally going to get my chance.

We also were told our marks on the exam. Mine weren't as high as I had been led to believe, although I was the only one of our group to get "A" rating in both papers. My marks were 76 and 89, but I don't know which paper was which. I think the 76 was the "IQ" paper as that would be about the number of questions I had right out of 92. The rating indicated our standing as compared with all the candidates. "A" being the top ten, "B" second ten "C" third ten and so on. So I wasn't too bad. There were 304 candidates all told. I believe that I've told you all this before, but it is a relief to know at last exactly where we stand. So wish me luck now as I understand that it is a tough course. We were also told that we would be coming back to the Queen's Own. For my own part I don't want to particularly, as it would be harder to get along here than in a strange unit. We'll see in time.

We had some parcels from home come in on Tuesday and I got a parcel and a paper from Mother and Dad and 300 Buckingham's from the Mimico Ladies Beach House. I'll get a letter of thanks away this week end because we really do appreciate these things. There have been no letters though for a month now. Either Fritzy has nailed them again or they are being held up for some reason. They do this now and then for no apparent reason and the boys get pretty restless. Maybe it will be in this weekend. I hope so.
I have to stop writing right now as the lights are going out and tomorrow we go out all day, bivouac and come back some time on Saturday. So good night sweetheart, I'll be seeing you in my dreams.

Sunday Morning

Mail is in! Yesterday morning when we came in there were three letters for me from you. I can't describe the 'lift' it gives me when I see the familiar handwriting and as I've mentioned before, I can recognize it as far away as I can see it. But before I start on the mail, I'll tell you as much as possible of Friday night's scheme. I guess it is mostly just to toughen us up. We take our greatcoats, three blankets and groundsheets and make up our beds on the ground in as sheltered a spot as possible. Half the regiment acts as enemy and are sent to the next on the farthest edge of our training area. Then after dusk we each send out patrols to try to surprise, or rather to discover where they are and then to capture them. In the meantime the men not on patrols practice digging-in in the dark, doing sentry duty and so on.

The night was cold but clear, and with a sweater, uniform and greatcoat on I managed to keep warm under two blankets. But around 3:30 a.m. I woke to feel a light patter of rain on my face. I was too comfortable to get up and thought it might only be a light shower. So I pulled the top blanket over my face and stayed there. About half to three quarters of an hour later water started coming up from beneath me so it seemed. I was sleeping on a bit of a slope and it was running merrily down underneath my ground sheet, and my top blanket was soaked. I got up and wrapped my ground sheet over all the blankets and tried to find some covers. By this time the rest of the platoon were wet and beginning to get up. All of us were wet. Breakfast at 5.30 warmed us up and we started back to camp. In spite of being rather bedraggled and uncomfortable the boys were in fine spirits and sang and whistled practically all the way back to camp. Each one was trying to convince the others that he had been in the wettest spot. We spent the rest of the day getting dried out, between practice air raid alarms.

At noon the R.S.M. [Regimental Sergeant-Major] sprung a surprise visitation on us to a dance engineered by the Telegram section of the Post office and about twelve of us went. We had a very nice party and came home with a box of cakes and rolls which were left over. So we will have a spread this afternoon or tonight. I persuaded Harry to go along and he really enjoyed himself as the people here really set out to see that everyone has a good time and even the most bashful men are coxed out of their shells.
And now for your letters. Anne's tooth didn't survive the trip. There is a neat little hole in the envelope and it is hopelessly lost. The three letters are dated Sept. 5, 7 and 9, so you can see how long it takes mail to get here sometimes, today being the 12th of Oct. So there should be lots more on the way.

I'm sorry that you have been disappointed in the mails. I know that I haven't written as often as I did in Sussex but except when we do manage to get a week-end or a leave of some kind there isn't anything to write about. We aren't allowed to mention the weather, bomb damage, troop movements or anything of changes in personnel etc., so it rather cramps our style as those are the only things that we see and hear of, day in and out. But we're getting tougher and more used to the climate as even a bivouac such as Friday night didn't produce any colds or any unusual amount of "beefing." But I do try to get at least two letters a week written and I'll try to make them as interesting as possible. As you say you hope that I can read between the lines so do I hope that you can see the undercurrent in my letters to you. And we'll certainly pick up our living where we left off, because regardless of who I meet or where I go, I feel myself turning to find you to share my enjoyment of the new scene. It is as much a part of me as life itself and instead of dying out through being away from you it is growing, So rest assured that there is not the slightest danger of my changing.

I think that the Home and School idea is good, but don't get into too many things so that you'll be wearing yourself out. Just enough to get some outside interest and keep up to date on current events. By the way, once more I'll warn you, though it shouldn't be necessary at this late date, don't pay any attention to gossip at the Q.O.R. Guild. That is concerning moves and what not. Because information does get by the censors and unfortunately most of it is wrong. I'll find some means of letting you know when anything really important comes up. It may be late but it will be accurate. The same goes for news in the local papers. We have already seen Toronto papers write very inaccurate and misleading information concerning us. And above all remember that I love you and don't you do any worrying.

Your third letter was the one I was waiting for, to know that you have received some mail from me and are feeling "picked up" over it. I know just how you feel and I'm trying to see that there will always be mail for you in every lot that arrives in Canada. As far as writing in detail, I really want to get a picture of what I see and how I feel, on paper so that you can see these things and places through my eyes. Then if we can ever make a trip over here we can revisit these spots and you will have some appreciation of them already.

Our seven day leave is coming up and I expect to get to Birmingham on mine. I'll be going on the first of November and will have more interesting news for you after that. But until then I'll be sending you a line to let you know that I'm in love with you and always thinking of you. Anne's work is really improving and I think that once she finds it's easier to do things right and neatly that she'll be OK. Let them know that I miss them a great deal and am looking forward to seeing them again when I get home.

Cheerio for now. With all my love to you, Anne, Karen and Nanny, I am,

Always yours,

David K.

P.S. I love you

... we were given rubber boats and shown how to handle them

Sunday Oct. 5, 1941

Dear Sweetheart,

We put in a rather interesting day yesterday, in spite of the fact that it took all day and we're not any too pleased usually to give up a Saturday afternoon. We marched several miles out to a training area which is on the edge of a small shallow pond. There, under directions from some men of the Engineers, we learned how to bridge a river with a pontoon bridge and it was done very neatly and quickly.

Using a gang of forty men we put the bridge across ninety-one feet of water and got all the men across in a little less than seven minutes. With training, a crew can do this job at night in ten minutes and by day in five. So we were pleased and the men seemed to enjoy it.

Following the bridge building we were given rubber boats and shown how to handle them. They hold two men and are used for reconnaissance work. One man rows and one observes. One of the H.Q. Sergeants stepped too far into his boat when getting in and both of them had an unexpected bath. None of our gang were so unlucky but there were some close calls.

Finally, we were riding assault boats which are folding, or I should say collapsible canvas boats. They hold a complete fighting section, a section leader and eight men. Four men can carry it and it only uses four paddlers. This was the most interesting bit of training we have had since coming here and everyone was working quite happily. The boys felt that they had actually learned something useful, which is a welcome change from their grousing after an ordinary day's training. More of this kind of thing would do us a lot of good.

One of H.Q. boys, who used to be in 'C' Comp., was mentioned very favourably by the Colonel at church parade this morning. We had a rather serious traffic accident just in front of one cookhouse a few days ago. A motorcyclist crashed into a truck and was badly cut up around the face and head, Jack came up, along with others, on the run and promptly cut off a severed artery by applying pressure at the right spot According to the doctors at the hospital, the injured man would have died in a few minutes except for Jack's presence of mind. He had learned where pressure points were located at a first-aid class run by the regiment. So some of the things we learn in the army are very useful even in civilian life, as accidents of this type are quite common and many lives would be saved by just such prompt action.

There's very little else of news at present so I'll get at my laundry, this being my usual wash day. You are remembering, I hope, that I still love you? Be sure to hold fast to that knowledge, as I am to the knowledge that you love me. Because I do love you and spend quite a lot of my spare time planning things for us to do when we start living again.

With all my love to you, Anne, Karen, and Nanny I am as always,

Yours,

David K.

P.S. I love you

 

But I try to get at writing just as often as possible . . .

Tuesday Sept. 30, 1941

Dear Sweetheart,

Well another interview has been passed, successfully I hope. We went into a room where four majors and a colonel were sitting behind a long table that had one lone chair out in front. How the others fared I don't know, but my interview was short and sweet. I was only asked a few questions, mostly personal ones, concerning my period in Goodyear and some questions concerning the Squad. They asked me only one technical questions on army weapons, which I was able to answer almost perfectly. It concerned one platoon weapon which we have never seen or used yet. My only knowledge of it is from lectures and pamphlets. Nothing was said as to whether we passed, failed, or what. So in one sense I'm no further ahead. We should find out soon though as it is getting near the time when the new OCTU will be starting. That is about all the news for the present and I'll be saying hello again tomorrow night. These letters, as you may have noticed, don't always finish the same day that they start due to interruptions of various sorts. But I try to get at writing just as often as possible so that there will be a fairly steady stream of letters going to you to let you know that I'm still very deeply in love with you. So cheerio for the present.

With all my love to you, Anna, Karen and Nanny. I am as always,

Yours,

David K.

P.S. I love you

 

I like your snap that you had taken at the Ex but who was the chap with you?

Aldershot, England, Sunday Sept. 21, 1941

Dear Sweetheart,

Mail came in yesterday and I had five letters and two parcels out of the scramble. Four of the letters and two parcels were from you. You wonder how I manage to write letters with the gang around practically all the time. That is quite often the reason that letters don't get written as there are too many arguments going on. And you know me when there is an argument handy. Nearly everyone is out tonight so I'm O.K. just now.

The army trucks that you saw going through their paces at the 'Ex' are just as hard to ride in as you imagined they would be. On pavement they aren't bad but over rough roads or fields, it's almost murder to ride in them. Still, they get our equipment where it's needed and we usually walk so we really don't have to worry much about their riding qualities. The carriers are even worse and I don't want to ride in them at all. I think I'd be seasick.

I like your snap that you had taken at the Ex but who was the chap with you? The one whose picture is practically in your right ear. Is it your new boyfriend and you were thinking of him at the time? The snap with that one, the spirit photo, is good and I like it. You look just as sweet as you are and I would like to be very near you right now to tell you that I love you. Because I do and one of these days I'll be with you for good to show you that I mean it. And, by the way, I like your new bonnet. It's very becoming.

Just the three words 'I love you' at the end of your letter, convey a world of meaning to me. I like to hear all the local news and particularly about the youngsters. I can read all the other things in between the lines as I hope you can in my letters. I can't say the things in my heart, much less write them, so those three words have to do a lot of work. And no matter how often I repeat them I know you'll like to see them. I love you. Just a short, simple statement, but to you and I, it means almost life itself. Because we are so much one, that neither of us is truly alive without the other. So please carry on as you are doing and I'll understand perfectly what you have in your heart when you write to me. I read and re-read your letters before I destroy them. It's very much like talking to you when I read what you have to say and then remark on it.

I must say a very sincere thank you for the coffee. I interrupted this letter long enough to brew a proper cup of coffee, and all the boys who were in the kitchen have asked me to thank you for the first real cup of coffee any of us have had since we left Sussex [New Brunswick].

Bill had a letter from home with a picture of his wife and kids... He went out and got properly plastered. Two of his pals practically carried him home and poured him into bed. I must say that it was the first time since we've been mobilized that he's been tight and he says that he had sufficient reason, so I guess that excuses him.

I like the three shots of you, in colour, but I couldn't love you any more than I do even if you were a combination of all the best points of the world's most beautiful women. I really mean that, too, and if I could only make you believe it, I would be happy.

I'm glad you are not worrying too much. I know what you mean when you are wondering where it will all end. Sometimes I'm afraid to look ahead, because it looks like the crack-up of civilization as we know it. Our only hope is that our leaders will see the light and really try to organize one social system on Christian principles. Because unless we do, our civilization will surely go under. We can't stand a war like this every twenty years or so. But there is a bright side to it if we can keep men like Roosevelt and Churchill at the helm. And then see to it that private interests are not allowed to hamper the reforms that they both know are necessary. I'll repeat myself again and tell you that my own faith is still whole and believe that I have work to do that is going to bring me home safely to you. Anyway, that is not in my hands or power so I haven't time or need to worry about it.

Our training at present consists of day-long tactical schemes, which usually entail a three or four mile march each way, in battle order. Battle order, I might say, consists of tin hat, respirator, water bottle, haversack, and rifle and sidearm (bayonet). The haversack contains mess tin, sweatercoat, socks, towel, soap, knife, fork and spoon, and groundsheet. Also any other item that we want with us. This makes a fair load but we're used to it and feel lost without it any more.

Bill is mad at the Major right now. Ever since we've been mobilized, there have been crap games galore going on. And no matter what happens they'll still go on. But on Friday -- we were on fatigues -- Capt. Front walked in and found a fair-sized crap game in progress. He took all the names and also Bill's as he was the senior rank present, although he wasn't in the game. All the riflemen got seven days C.B. [confined to barracks] and Bill got a reprimand. What he is so mad about is that a few days previously one of our officers was in the hut when a game was going on and actually made change for one of the players so he could carry on. So now Bill has a mark on his crime sheet and very unfairly too I think.

Nothing new on the OCTU [Officer Cadet Training Unit] but I hope to hear something this week. My information on the exams was right. I was to go in the QOR lot and from what I hear, we did very well compared with other units. So maybe I'll be turned down, as the first requisite for an officer seems to be that the applicant must be brainless and incapable of learning. That is, of course, judging by ours. Other units may be different. I hope the censor doesn't report this remark, but it's true.

And now it's past my bedtime so I'll say goodnight...

With all my love to you, Anna, Karen and Nanny, I am as always,

Yours,

David K.

P.S. I love you

Last night's dance was a nice party

In their letters, David and Audrey Hazzard discuss her handling of car and furnace repairs, the kids, the latest headlines - and the tensions of a separation with no end in sight. One issue was dances, which even for a "staid old married man" like David were a welcome break from the tedium of barracks life.

Tuesday Sept. 2, 1941

Dear Sweetheart,

Last night's dance was a nice party. It was the first affair I've been at yet where there were neither drunks or drinking.

As we were leaving, an Auxiliary Services captain warned the men not to go into any pubs and after we got there, there was an officer on the door to see that we stayed inside. So there was no rowdyism and some of our fine sergeants discovered, to their amazement, that it was possible to have a good time without being boiled or at least partially so.

The dance was put on by the girls of Reading's telephone exchange and they were very nice and very friendly. They told us that the ratio of girls to men in Reading is sixteen to one so it sounds like a nice city. Naturally we didn't see any of it as we came in trucks, directly to the dance hall and the blackout was in effect when we were leaving.

The results of our exam came in today, but so far we haven't heard what they were like, except that Major Bernard said that they were very complimentary to the regiment. So maybe I'm in! Who knows? Anyway we'll probably find out in a day or so and maybe I'll be wearing pips by New Year's.

Speaking of pips, I had trouble last night in that direction. Some officer took a fancy to the same young lady that I did and we sort of tried to outmanoeuvre each other. I asked her if I was cutting in on a steady boyfriend's time and told her not to cut him out of any sense of hospitality or what-not to me, as I was a very staid old married man.

I must say too that I'm nobody's prize for looks right now as I have extremely short hair yet. I don't know whether I told you before or not, but about eight of the boys in my platoon did likewise and we're certainly a bald-headed lot. The Major nearly had a stroke when he first saw the baldies and he read the riot act about anyone else getting a close hair cut. Not that he can prevent them as a man is allowed to cut his hair any way he pleases as long as it's neat. And a bald head is certainly neat.

 

Personally I am always showing anyone I meet your picture

Monday Sept. 29, 1941.

... Being from a far country helps a lot here in making friends. This helps a great deal in keeping us from going wacky, from our own company. I hope you don't think that any excursions of this nature make me forget you or love you any less, because they don't. The girls here appreciate the fact that many of us are married and have families, and only go out with us for companionship, and for their part, many of them are married and have husbands serving in far-off places. So the desire for a bit of fun and relaxation in dancing and shows is mutual, without having any serious motive in view. Personally I am always showing anyone I meet your picture and several of the latest snaps of Anne and Karen. I wonder sometimes if I bore people by doing so. But that doesn't worry me because I'm very fond of you and your daughters. I don't believe that there is anyone else anywhere, as lovely as you are and being away fr om you makes me appreciate that more than ever. So please don't be jealous the least bit, or worry that I'll change in any way.

It appeared in orders today that certain mail had been lost due to enemy action so that's where your missing letters went to. So I'll just have to guess what was in them. I'm sure of one thing that was there, though and that is that you love me. I don't know why you should or do, but I'm very glad that you do and am looking forward to the time when we can say these things to each other again. Not have to depend on the postman.

Well sweetheart, there's very little else to say right now and it's getting late. So I'll say cheerio and good night for now, with all my love to you, Anne, Karen and Nanny, I am

Always yours

David K.

P.S. I love you

P.P.S. I hope you understand what I was trying to say concerning my date on Sunday. No one can ever take your place and I'll never stop loving you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.