WW II Letters To My Mother: January 26, 1945

The winter of 1945 saw the Canadians in Holland working to clear the country of Axis troops. The tide had turned for the Allied Forces, but there was still a long way to go.

WW II Letters To My Mother: January 25, 1945 Canadian Army Overseas, Somewhere In Holland

My Dearest Darlings Jean and and Diana,

Hello my precious Honeys, how are you feeling today?

I hope you are both well and able to keep warm, but I guess it's not nearly as cold there as it is here. It is real snappy out today and there was a heavy ground-fog this morning. I could sure do with my Honey these nights to cuddle up to and keep warm. wouldn't it be nice Darling? It's really not too bad though, only towards morning it gets kind of chilly.

I've been keeping very well right along with the exception of just a bit of a head cold. During the last week, there have been a few from each platoon go out every day for a shower and to see a show. I went out yesterday and had a nice hot shower and a change of underwear and turned my dirty towel in for a clean one. The show was quite good although I had seen it once or twice before. It was "And the Angels Sing" with Dorothy Lamour, Betty Hutton and Fred McMurray. Between scenes, when they were changing the film they played records.

We are sort of leading a lazy life just now, but I imagine will be making up for it some of those days.

We have platoon cooking here and keep changing the cooks around every day or two so they just about all get a go at it. That keeps them from criticizing each other too much. Outside of a few little jobs we just lay around and read or write letters and cut enough wood to keep the fire going. So you see Darling, life in the front lines isn't always as bad as one may think.

There's a buzz bomb just going over now, which makes several gone past today. They are quite hard to see unless it's a clear sky and they are fairly low. One went over last night and you could see its yellow light for a considerable distance. I haven't seen any V2's lately but we used to see quite a number of them going up. All you see is a red ball of fire as it starts off then it diminishes in size to about that of a star which you can follow until it goes away up out of sight.

All the boys including myself are very interested to get the news on the Russian front. They are certainly going by leaps and bounds but they can't get there too fast to suit me.

By the time you get this my Darling, I guess you will be right in the midst of painting the house or making the changes that were planning on doing when you wrote that air mail letter to me. I hope there isn't anything to do when I get back except just for us to love and kiss and lay around in each others' arms.

The cold weather reminds me of the times you used to come down fro HP on the train and we'd just about freeze, going from the station to the house. Remember my Honey how cold her poor legs used to get and .... censored by me ... I hope our darling little daughter is keeping well and not getting into too much mischief.

I enclosing a snap of a group of us with a big German flag that one of the boys had. The girls are friends of a couple of the boys, I don't even know what their names are. Notice the 3/4 length white stockings, they are quite the fashion in Belguim and Holland.

I'm also enclosing a post card that I told you about in my last air letter. I'm on the right hand corner of the snap. In case you don't recognize me you will see my black stripes, the bluish gray div patch and the semi circle unit flashes with Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Canada.

Well my most lovable little Darling I guess it's time I brought this to a close.

Take good care of yourself and Dianas and keep happy.

I don't think it will be so very long now before this war will be over.

May God bless you my Darlings and keep you safe for me always.

Your loving darling always, Johnnie xxxxx