Ted

September 5th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , ,

September 5th, 1943

Dear Mom & Dad,

Just a few lines to let you know I’m okay and I got the five dollars. I hope you don’t get mad because I send for money.

Well I only got one more week of this course to go then I will be through. Will I ever be glad because it’s pretty tough. We went on a shoot yesterday, didn’t hit anything, but it was still lots of fun. Boy do they ever make a noise, that is the 6th time I’ve fired the gun.

I am on a weekend and I came in yesterday and it took me all day to get a bed. You have to get in early if you want to get a bed that has sheets.

I seen Ted Friday night, we went to the show. He in a place like I was, but he says he likes it, wait until he is there for two months.

I think I should be getting my furlough by the end of the month. Maybe Waugh and I may get together. I hope so because we have it all planned on what we are going to do.

How is everybody getting along? What’s daddy doing, is he back to work yet? And how is Marg, is she still working or going to the shows?  Does Demps’ mom know he is gone yet? He is probably too stupid to send her a cable and let her know he is safe.

Well, that is all for today. Will write as soon as I get an answer from the other letters I sent.

Lots  of Love,

Gord

The East End Kid

[Shannan Note – Sorry for for the extended time between letters…. life has been hectic as all get out, and I took my very first official vacation last week, so it’s been a lot of prep and catch up from that.]

September 1st, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 1st, 1943

Dear Mom & Dad,

Well I guess it’s time to write again. I’ve only had two letters since I got back but it’s my fault because I didn’t write sooner. Well only 11more days to go and will I be glad. Do we ever work, we are learning more in 3 weeks then I did in two months. I hope we get something out of it, we can’t be doing all this training just to be plain Gnrs.

Well how is everybody getting along? I guess they will all be going back to school by now. Are they ever lucky. This is a swell life as long as you keep moving, but once you stop…?

Well, Demps is gone. I met a fellow today that was with him and he said he was gone. I wished I was with him but I will be seeing him in January I hope. Waugh and I says that if they don’t send us we will just swim across. Waugh cut his finger yesterday really bad too, nearly cut it off. All they did was put a bandage on it and sent him back to work, that’s how important this course is.

How is Mill, June, and Teddie getting along? Do they still like in Toronto? I hope you have more than that ½ a pint in the ice box the next time I come home.

How is Marg, is she still working as hard as she never did? I’ll be glad to see her again, we will all have to get together again.

Don’t forget to send me Ted’s address and tell Bin to send him mine, and tell her to tell him I am near Franklin Park, he will know where that is, everybody knows where that is.
Well, I can’t think of anything else for now.

Will write soon, answer soon.
The East End Kid
Gord

[Shannan Note: some really exciting things over the last couple of weeks… the blog finally made its way to Gord’s kids! I knew they were out there, but some old attempts at contact went unanswered. I’ve always had a little bit of concern that when they eventually made their way to the blog, or I made contact, they wouldn’t be keen on the project. Thankfully my fears were just that, fears. The family is happy, engaged, and wanting to help fill in any blanks they can, and I’ve connected with family I didn’t even know I had! It’s given me that little push i needed to get through the craziness of late and refocus on the letters and my genealogy work… I’m getting some really incredible personal and family stories about Gord that are really helping to round out who he was, and it’s become quite clear that this young soldier we’ve started to get to know, asking often after his little sisters and longing for home, grew into a kind and wonderful man, and I feel even more privileged than ever to be able to help tell a little bit of his story.]

August 24th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , ,

August 24th, 1943

Dear Mom and Dad,

Just a few lines to let yous  know I am okay and I am sorry I didn’t write sooner and hope you didn’t worry about me. Well, I’m back in A23 again, the place where I first took my training on the Bofars. Waugh and I are back taking a course for 3 weeks. There is 16 of us and we are stuck in a hut full of frogs…French and is it ever awful.

This course is pretty hard but it’s interesting. Where is Ted, do you know if he is still here?

They say we are going to get our furlough after we are through here, I hope so.

Send my mail to the same place because I have to go in and get my pay. I won’t be able to write again until payday so don’t worry about me.

If you have any spare change or stamps could you please send me a bit.

I am sticking this letter in with Waugh’s so you give his to May.

Well that’s all for tonight.

Lots of hugs and kisses
Gord
The East End Kid

[Shannan Note: I know things have slowed  down a little recently, life has been a special kind of crazy so it’s been tough to keep up with multiple letters a week, but I hope to get things picked back up soon! Thanks for sticking around! In other news, the coolest thing about doing project is when relatives I didn’t even know existed find the blog and reach out. That happened today (Hi Al!) and it totally makes the work worth it. – Shannan]

Aug 24

July 20th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , ,

July 20th, 1943

Just a few lines to let yous know I’ve moved and am at a real place right in the middle of Halifax. All you have to do is walk out the front door, cross the street and walk in the show. You don’t do any work, just guard, eat and sleep.

I got separated from my boy friends by I’ll be able to see them when they come into town on leave. I’ll be able to see Ted more often too. I thought I was going to New Brunswick but I guess I’ll never get out of Nova Scotia.

It’s now 2:30 in the afternoon and I am laying in my bed. I have often dreamt of places like this but I never believed there was one.

I just found out I could get home for 2 days, but it costs $25. Do you think it’s worth it? If so, let me know and I’ll try and get a 6 day pass. I think I’ll get my furlough by the end of next month so shall I wait and see or try and get the pass? I sure would like to get home, even if it’s just for two days.

Well I can’t think of anything else to say except write soon.

Lots of love,

Gord

June 13th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , , ,

June 13th, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad. ,

Well Mom I have been moved from Elkins Barracks. I’ve been here two days and it seems alright. I’m still with my boy friends, I guess we will always be together. I haven’t wrote sooner because I was broke and I still am but I’ll try to bum a  couple of stamps. I thought I was going to be with Ted for a while but it only lasted a week but I’ll be able to see him every other week I guess.

I don’t think I’ll be getting my furlough in July because I am only attached to this place and you have to wait until you’re posted and it takes a long time before you’re posted so I guess I will be home in August if I can hold out that long.

I got a reboard the other day and I went down to B2. Those pictures I sent to Marg, while I borrowed a guy’s dress uniform. I’ll send some in my summer dress uniform short pants. I’m not going to write to Marg until she sends me a picture, so tell her she better hurry up if she wants some mail.

By the time you get this letter, Demps should be home. Lucky guy. I wish I was 19 so I could go to. I’m going to try awful hard to get home on Sweetipie’s birthday but I suppose they will keep me here until about August, well they had better not.

Well I can’t think of anything else until I get a letter.
Lots of love to the best mom in the world.
Gord.

May 27th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , , , , ,

May 27th, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad,

Just a few lines to let you know I am okay and getting along swell except a bit lonesome, I’ve forgot what everybody looks like but it won’t be long now. Two days ago I found out that I won’t be home until my furlough is due. I met a fellow who lives a couple doors from Ted and he was all through and getting ready to go home this Sat. then they told him that he had to wait until his furlough comes up. I feel sorry for him because he was all ready to go home.

We just now got back from a two day scheme. I can’t tell you what we did but I had fun. If it was like that all the time I wouldn’t mind being away. I don’t know if I will be able to mail this letter tonight because I’m broke and have to bum a couple of stamps. I was expecting some money from home because you said you would send me five dollars every other week but it didn’t come.

How is Pork, Ray, and Sweetipie? Does she still go to school regularly? I don’t know how to spell that word, but I guess it will do. Tell her I’ll be home for her birthday even if I have to give the C.O. a million dollars to get leave. How did Ray’s leg turn out, I hope it’s okay by now.

Marg hasn’t sent me a picture yet, she better hurry up or I’ll get mad…no, I don’t think I could ever get mad at her again.

How is the big sister getting along anyways, still working hard? Tell her I said thanks for all the letters and parcels she sent me. Tell her to tell Jean H. I was asking about her and hope she’s still being true to me. How is Ted getting along? Is he still around or has he left, he hasn’t wrote to me yet.

Well, I can’t think of anything else to say expect write soon or sooner.

Lots of love to the best mother in the world.
The East End Kid
Gord.

May 15th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , ,

May 15th, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad

Well here goes again. Remember I said I would write every day, well I’m going to keep that promise until my stamps run out. Well, here is another week-end and I didn’t get a pass this week so I’m going to catch up on my washing, and how I hate washing. I’ll bet I can do anything a girl can do now, and I’m glad  I wasn’t a girl, I feel sorry for them, I  didn’t think it was so  hard.

I wrote to Mill this afternoon, I hope she will answer because I like lots of mail, that’s about all  I care for, I don’t mind being away as long as yous all write.

I feel pretty good today so I think I will go up to the wet canteen tonight and have a few bottles of that stuff they call beer, is  it ever awful but you got to do something to pass the time away.

If you and Marg answer all my letters, I should get a letter every day. Well, how is Daddy getting along? Tell him to keep those shells rolling in and it won’t be long till it’s all over. If everybody worked as hard as he did, the war would have been over long ago.

I guess  I’ve gained about 10lbs since I came here. I guess I’ll be seeing Ted pretty soon, some fun we can have when we get together. I can hardly wait, he hasn’t wrote yet, he better hurry up or I won’t  speak to him when he does come. Right now I guess he’s at home having a good time, lucky guy. Tell him to spend most of his time at home because when he comes here he will wished he had, because I wish I had.

Well I can’t think of anything else to say except write soon or sooner.

Lots of love to the best mother in the world.
The east end kid
Gord

May 7th, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , , , , , ,

May 7th, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad

Just a few lines to let yous know I am fine and feeling right in the pink. I got two letters from you, one with five bucks that was real nice, one from Bin and one from Edie. I’ve been waiting for that letter ever since I joined up way the first of January.

Yes I got the $1.00 + stamps you sent a while ago. They came in rea handy. I am having lots of fun here, it’s getting better every day and the time is going real fast. I’ll be home a lot sooner than I thought I would for fourteen days. I can hardly believe it, some fun I’m going to have. I met another fellow here from Toronto, he lives just at Broadview and Dundas, another real swell fellow, lots of fun.

Ted hasn’t wrote yet but I’ll give him one more week. If you send me his address, I’ll write to him. He ought to be coming here pretty soon, so I guess I’ll see him soon. It will be just like being at home to meet up with him. We should have lots of fun, him and my boy friends because they have lots of beer here.

I’m going downtown to see what I can get you for Mother’s Day. It may be a couple of days late, but better late than never, so be looking for something about Monday or Tuesday.

Don’t tell Marg  I got a  letter from Edie, and will you do me a favour and get a camera and get Marg’s picture taken? Three or four  of them because I haven’t  got any, I’ve asked Marg so many times that I ran out of breath so please do me that little favour. Get Sweetipie’s and Ray’s and send them too, I got pictures of everybody else. Right now there’s a [word unknown] going nuts here, he’s going on  furlough to-morrow. Maybe I’ll beat him up and take it off him. No, I don’t think I will because mine is coming in a better month.

Well, I think I’ll break off and press my uniform. I’ll be back in a minute. I got to be ready to go out on my weekend to-morrow. We’re going to sleep at the YMCA and are going to have fun. Well, I just got through with my uniform. Pretty good too, even if I do say so myself.

I don’t see Demps very often now. Did I tell you we were separated again? He’s in a different btry. than I am. We only work like a half a day to-morrow, gosh the weeks are just rolling by. I am just lying in my bed writing everything that comes to mind just so I can write a nice long letter. Tell Mill I’ll write a letter to her on Sunday night.

Well I can’t think of anything else to say except please write soon.

To the best mother in the world a son could have.
The East End Kid
Gord

May 2nd, 1943

Letters from The Oakwood Kid Canadian War History, History, Letters, World War Two, WWII , , , , , , ,

May 2nd, 1943

Dear Mom + Dad

Well I just got three letters yesterday, the first for a long time, I don’t know what’s wrong with the mail because I’ve wrote five letters. I was wondering why yous did not write.

On Saturday my boy friend and I went down to look for Earl and after two hours we found him. He didn’t even know my name, but he was awful glad to see me. He invited me and my boy friend to supper next Sunday. He has a very nice wife, nice looking too, but the sailors have all the luck. He was in a nice little house with hardwood floors, nice, place. He has been away for so long he doesn’t know anybody’s name. He didn’t even know Ted was overseas.

Tell Ray I hope he soon gets home. He has been away longer than I have and I’d like to get home but if I get lots of mail I don’t mind so much.

You can send me as much as you can spare out of the cheque, but if you need it keep it.

I broke my watch about a week ago, I can’t  tell you how, so I’ll send it home to get fixed because I took it in down here and they said it would take six weeks and I haven’t got that long. I’ll  be home before that I hope, hope, hope.

What’s wrong with Marg, has she found someone new? I haven’t got a letter for over a week and I just sent her two.

I couldn’t go downtown to send you an Easter Telegram but Mother’s Day is the 14th of May.

Tell Daddy I like it here, but I miss yous all. I guess when I get back to Toronto I’ll get lost so yous will have to meet me at the station or I’ll never get home.

I wrote to Edie when I first come here, but she hasn’t answered so tell Pork to phone her up and ask why she has not wrote, he’ll like that RA 5925.

Where is all the letters and parcels Bin and you were going to send? Bin said she was going to write every night. Tell her if she don’t write, I’ll come home and giver her H—. Tell Bill he was lucky he didn’t get in the Artillery. It’s no good for me, it’s too much brain work.

How did you like that poem I sent yous about Halifax, pretty good un?Too bad Jose went back to Lindsay but write and do tell her to be there when I come home.

Well can’t think of anything else to say expect write soon or sooner.

Lots of love to the best mother in the world
The East End Kid
Gord
xxxxx
xxxxx

[Shannan’s Note – Glad to hear Gord in better spirits than the last letter! I’m not entirely sure what RA 5925 means, or how it fits into that sentance… Google searches have come back with nothing, but I’ll keep digging around in the paperwork, perhaps there’s something in the bits and pieces. I’m also not sure who Earl is. The way Gord speaks of him sure makes him sound like family, but I haven’t seen the name in any of the work I have been doing. Ted is my grandfather, and Gord’s letter suggests that Earl and Ted knew one another, so perhaps  a relation there? Another mystery for the stack, I suppose.. ]