Soi, Carl, Rose and ?

#2 Manning Depot

RCAF

Brandon, Manitoba

24 Mar 1943

Dear Rose, and All

I got your letter today, and have some time on my hands tonight, so I will answer it. Boy am I ever fagged out tonight, you want to know what we do out here in a day, well here goes.

0630 hrs. Lights come on; you get up, shave, wash, and make up your bed. I mean make it up, if it has a wrinkle in the blankets, then you have to shovel snow, pile, or clean out the toilets, bunkhouse, or any other unpleasant job, so we make up our beds. Go for breakfast, polish brass, and boots if you have time, I never have time.

0800 hrs. Out on the parade ground for row call. (If you happen to be 3 minutes late, you might as well cut your own head off), drill until 1130 hrs, then dinner.

1300 hrs. Row call, at this row call the whole Wing is out, and all the guys get their turn at it. The Sgt. tells us what he wants done and we have to give the commands. I make a mistake pretty near every time, I always halt, then on the left foot, and we are to halt on the right. Some of the guys did a hell of a lot worse though. One guy got us going and we were marching into another Flight, so he got excited and forgot how to stop us, he was yelling “whoa”, “stop”, “come back” and damn near everything, but “Flight halt”. One guy just yelled “Halt” and half the Flight fell down trying to stop.

...1400 hrs. Shots in the arm, that is what our part of the Flight did, the other half went to a lecture, then we went back to the lecture room, just in time to go for P.T. which was at 1500 hrs.

1600 hrs. Back to the parade ground for more drill till 1700 hrs, then suppertime. I’ve got lots of work to do tonight, I have to polish all my brass, my boots, and really polish them. P.S. it’s for inspection tomorrow by the Chief of the #2 Air Training Command, so if I’m digging ditches for the next three months, you’ll know something went wrong...

...Why don’t you take Carl to the show, you can slam him all you want too, he is big enough to take it...

Well that is about all for this time.

So long for now, Love Clair