Britain
Feb 22, 1944

Dear Mom,
I don’t remember just when I wrote last but I guess it’s been long enough. I’ve got to write to Jack Mac D., he’s been sending clippings from the New York daily minor nearly every day and I like the stuff he picks to send Walter Winchell whims etc.
I have received several letters from Elmira, Peg and Laura, both are riding pretty regular. I got a letter from Judy about every day last week but I don’t hear from Betty very often. I haven’t felt much like writing lately so I wreck in my mail will slow down before long when they don’t get answers. I wait till I get two or three letters from each one so I can answer more in one letter.

So you still make Jay’s book reports and compositions eh? He is a lot different than I was, he hates to read and I’d rather read than do anything else. I never read any of Mary O’Hara‘s books though I’ve heard some about them. “My Friend Flicka” was made into a movie.

I have all of the reading material I have time to read. We get the “Yank” British edition magazine and the Stars and Stripes daily papers. Some of the fellows get the Readers Digest and other magazines so we have plenty.
About those insurance papers – you have the only paper I ever got for it. I had my army insurance raised to $10,000 before I left the States and there are no receipts or papers to go with it; it’s all in the service records, etc. I don’t think I had anything up in my room worth bothering to sort out, at least I don’t remember any.

I guess Eloise H. is just like all her older sisters and will probably have to go through the same process. Jay’s showing good sense if he doesn’t give her a chance to pull a fast one on him; just stay clear until she gets interested in someone else who can take her around.

How much hay was in the Tipple barn? Did dad sell it loose or have it baled? I can’t keep up with things there. It kind of tickled me the other day, I got the Dairymen’s League News; I don’t know how they got my name and address unless you had something to do with it.

Dad pulled the same kind of a trick pulled at least once, that darn pin in the trailer hitch has a habit of bouncing out if there’s a little slack and a bump at the same time.

I saw Chuck Henry for a few minutes When I was over there, he came in in with an ambulance but had to go back out right away. I had a long talk with Stuart Mays, he intends to finish the break off with his wife and marry Sara Bliss. I don’t know whether she has gotten a divorce or not but Stewart says she didn’t live with her her husband even a night. It was a put up just cover Stewart’s kid. I reckon you had figured it out before, anyhow.

I hope the kids are all over their siege of whooping cough. I was sure Jay had had it before, but maybe that was just one of the exceptions to the rule.
It’s probably a good thing Bobby is around and likes to do things that are disagreeable to Jay and the rest of the kids. He always was a good kid to help if anyone stood around (as Jay did) and directed him. Jay couldn’t ever direct Edward to do anything.

I think I’d knock a few kids in the head and raise hogs if I were around there. If you can’t trust them with small things like that I’d send them somewhere they would learn a few lessons. It’s too much trouble to take care of your own children and try to straighten out someone else’s even if they have lived there most of their lives. I’m surprised that the Whitney’s put up with the two they took in if they are as bad as the ones you have.
It is just as muddy as ever around here but it snows a little now instead of raining all the time. Of course it melts as soon as it hits the ground but we do see some snow.

Well maybe I’ll get around to write sooner next time; I’ll try anyhow.
Love to all, Wayne