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iv-iv- the tribune stooff yille onti thursday jan 29th 1942 pagbnin eh re good cheer still going to boys overseas joe austix leland fairlks i ralph cooper overseas c bruce boyi albert mylaxd alfred thomas tells of hazards of night fighters in britain january 2 1942 dear fellows im now on an operational squad- ion and i will soon he taking over my share of the work it is very haidto tell muoh about my work as it is something that jeny doesnt know about yet under stand when you see in the paper small enemy raids last night two bombers shot down by night lighters thats what i am trying to do but believe me it is not as easy as you may think you have to see an aircraft and identify it fcefore shoot ing afterwards you try to guess where the home base is and fly back a cloud layer is usually between you and the eaith so your task is diffi cult and it is just steer by compass which is regular work with us now its all at night so what can one see needless to say we have study and listen to lectin es all the time there are new ideas new systems arid new tactics we have a crew of one a radio observer who also loads the cannons he weais an ro in a half wing like an airgunner i believe they take men who aie fit up to the age of 40 it is a very haid job and only clever skilled men make a suc cess of the job thanks for tne parcel it arrived m good condition we men ovei- seas appieciate them very much and make them last a long time i find it easier to get a good meal here in cential england than in the south ibut mostly i stay m camp we are or duty 28 to 29 days a month so we have little time to do other than just stay m camp the meals are veiy good and i get all tho one half maigarme and one half butter s i want there is tea every meal and cocoa at 8 pm ps i will write a more interesting letter when i have made a few tups but it is hard- to tell anything that is very inteiesting yet that is if its okay by tho censor please thank all those who helped to send the very welcome parcels to us yours sincerely alf thomas ul v j clifford barkey arthur swift hello bert just a line to thank ou and everyone for the wonderful parcels i havent seen any of the boys since t received this last paicel but ill bet they will all yrlte and thank you i have received my cigarettes every month and they aie really enjoyed havent much news this time so ill close yours truly bruce lintner donald harper sure appreciate them morley pugh dear fellows much obliged for the cigarettes just got back from seven days leave and found them waiting for mo needless to say a most pleasant sui- prise all the best george abell dear fiiends tis with gieat pleasuie that i wiite these few lines to acknow ledge the receipt of mf- cigai ettes i dear sir thank you for the cigarettes hope you all had a good chi istnias as i did oliver larkin bert clarksox overseas bob abell new bayonets for the infantry the new mark iv lee enfield nlle with its short needlepointed bayonet now being issued to tioops in britain is in pioduction at the plant of small arms ltd near tor onto the new one is only half the length of the old and is a three- coineied daggertype blade instead o the last butcher knife it is said to be bettei for handtohand fighting two membeis of the elgin regiment demonstrate the old and the new weapon at long branch camp v donald lehman is the second son of mr and mrs a b lehman to join up beanie was attached to the 2nd field ambulance corps at camp borden but was honorably dis charged last year due to a physical disability he is now working at lindsay t 5s3 bill castle missing arthur clarksox our boys get new suits to wear with best girl i v speaks from england mr and mrs bert maskell jjf stouffvillo and members of the fam ily heard the voice of their son albert now in england over the soldiers broadcast last week spr a maskclf is listed as fiom brougham whore his wife and her people reside the maskell home lnstoufrvillevfs not being occupied by the family this winter as the parents aie in toron to mr maskell being employed at the pickering war plant r v i george abell overseas left gordox lehman overseas canadians will be hard put to ll to distinguish ofllccrs fron other ranks when tho swank new walk ingout uniform designed for army privates and xcos makes its appearance a few weeks from now type of cloth belt the necktie is hlack socks this uniform it is for offparade hours and social occasions the new dress has a tunic much like that worn by com missioned officers with the same beech brown in color and colterpins form part of the issue the private even carries a swagger stick also issued and wears low shoes and fine pointed cut does not replace the familiar battle dress which has prov ed itself the most practical and com fortable ever designed for battle con ditions but is purely for 3cst wear allbx baker east coast