This letter would arrive in New Westminster from Clair after the 20th June, unfortunately letters take 2 - 3 weeks to arrive in Canada. As of the 8th of June missions flown by the Laffin crew total 15, exhuastion will now play a role and deal a fateful hand. Clair and his crew will fly five more missions including 16/17th of June 1944 - thier last.

RCAF Overseas

434 squadron

8 June 1944

Dear Rose, and All,

Well I have a few spare minutes so I thought I would drop you a few lines. I am sitting munching hard tach and cheese, it tastes pretty good, god we have more stuff around here than we know what to do with. Cliff just got 5 parcels today so we are having a great time opening them. He even got a mouth organ as a birthday present from his girl friend. I got those 3 parcels the other day, Mike got 2 yesterday and Cliff has 6 in the last 3 days.

I guess you haven’t had very many letters from me lately, but don’t worry too much, we are pretty busy these days, as you can imagine. I even got ambitious enough to buy a bike today, as I will probably go out and break an arm or something. Ken is still in the hospital and I don’t know when he will be out.

We have another WAG flying with us now, F/O James, god what a queer he is, he reminds you of Bob Hope.

Our crew has a day off today as Jack, Mike, Jimmy, and Chappie have gone to town, but I went to town a few days ago with Jack and didn’t get home until 9 O’clock the next morning, with no sleep. So the next few days they fly the pants off us, boy I am tired. Every time I go anywhere with Jack we miss every train, and bus stop that is possible. Neither one of us have a clue when we go out and in a couple of pubs. The boy’s just look at us knowingly and think "There goes a part of Laffins clueless crew".

This letter is pretty mixed up but it seems to be about the best I can do at the present time. Oh yeah did I mention it but I got a letter from Mom today. Say how is dad feeling now? I haven’t heard from Curt for about two months, what in the blazes is he doing now? What does Ruth and Betty intend doing out there in B.C. Gosh I can’t think of anything to write about, with the second front and everything else going on, nothing ever happens that I can write about so I guess I`ll have to close.

So long for now,

Love Clair

Overseas & "Op's" (19) > Laffin Crew outside Nissen Huts at airfield