10
Leave in Oxford
Leave in Oxford
The band members and other service personnel received
regular leave, from a 48 hour or two day leave to a week or more, when they
could relax in their rooms or visit nearby towns and cities. On one of their
first leaves, Harry and Smitty decided to visit Oxford,
about a two-hour train ride from Bournemouth.
British families opened up their homes to the travelling military personnel and
rented out rooms for a modest price. By 1943, the British people were very
appreciative of the Canadians, especially considering the battering that their
country endured throughout the early years of the war.
* * *
Harry and Smitty were staying in different billets during
their week in Oxford,
but met up during the day to go sightseeing.
“So, how was your night?” Harry
asked his friend.
“Wonderful – fresh sheets, sunshine streaming through the
window, AND BREAKFAST IN BED!”
 |
| Magdalen Tower & Bridge, Oxford, postcard sent by Harry |
“No kidding – what did you do to deserve that?”
“I think Miss Fairfax has always wanted to have a man in the
house, and finally her wish came true,” Smitty yawned while stretching his
arms.
“You’re getting too
spoiled. Well, I enjoyed reading the morning paper, while sipping tea with my
toast and marmalade and EGG.”
“Wow, I’m impressed – your first egg over here. I should be
so lucky.”
“I think we’re going to be thoroughly British by the end of
this war.”
“Oh, I almost forgot, Miss Fairfax has invited us both to
join her tonight to hear the London Symphony play at the Sheldonian Theatre.”
“You don’t say. You must have charmed the pants off her.
Don’t get any ideas.”
“No fears. She must be pushing sixty. She’s a piano teacher
and I think she’s happy to have a real live musician stay with her.”
The two spent the day walking around the colleges and grounds
of the historic Oxford
University.
“Wouldn’t you love to come back here after the war to
study?” Smitty asked.
“Maybe your marks were good enough, but I was lucky to
scrape by Grade 12 and that was several years ago now,” Harry said.
“Let’s at least go in the Bodleian just to say we’ve been
there, in case it gets bombed never to be seen again, like the cathedral in Coventry.”
As they entered the historic
library and gazed at the stacks rising to the ceiling, Harry thought about how
tragic it would be to lose all of those ancient tomes.
Bournemouth, Nov. 26, Dec. 2, 1943 [compilation,
excerpts]
Darling Helen,
Well, we’re back in the traces again after a very
charming visit to Oxford.
I stayed at the home of a war worker and
daughter. It was a very nice home and naturally I had my own room. Her son is
away at Cambridge.
I got up in the morning when I felt like it (I’m always up before Al [Smitty] incidentally),
then we went out sightseeing for the day.
They kept three ducks in the back yard
and I had my first duck egg yesterday and also my first egg over here. I’d
almost forgotten what they tasted like, no kidding.
Would you ask Mother how to make egg
toast [French toast] as the lady in Oxford
asked me to send the recipe.
I’m glad to be back though [i.e. in Bournemouth], to get down to work again.
Things aren’t as comfortable as when
Lewis had this place [the former owner of the Atherstone Hotel where they are
staying in Bournemouth] as the new guy is very
short of cupboards and drawers and also the beds are pretty bumpy, but I
suppose we’ll give him a chance anyway.
Well dearest I’m glad to hear you are
getting along so well, I know I have nothing to worry about in regards to you
and I’m living up to my end of the bargain too.
Will close for now honey. I love you as
I always will. Harry.
Toronto, December 12 and 14, 1943[compilation]
Dearest Harry,
Just finished reading your letters over again and
thanks for the card which you sent of Christchurch.
It was handed to me last night, along with your three pictures; your Mother got
them yesterday morning. We think you are looking very well darling, much better
than you did in Ottawa.
It must have been your night life down here I guess!!
 |
| Bandmembers on leave |
I
like the one outside your house [at the Atherstone], you look so gay and young
– maybe it’s because you haven’t a moustache! You’ll grow it again though won’t
you? It was foolish of me to think you would change in four months, but then
I’m always getting ideas like that.
We didn’t expect our parcels would
arrive so soon but that’s better than being too late I guess. Seeing that you
enjoy crackers so well, I’ll have to send some the next time, I was told they
didn’t pack well and they took up so much room in the box so I didn’t bother
putting them in.
Your Mother does a good deal of baking on her rations, and
everything is always good too! I guess Ross [Harry’s younger brother, about age
18] always knows where to find the cake tin when he comes home. Did that used
to be a habit of yours? It isn’t hard to get Christmas cakes here [in Toronto]
but at the time I sent your parcel, that was the only one I could find after
walking up Bank and Elgin Streets [in Ottawa]. They never taste as nice as the home baked ones though. I sent Mother some raisins and currants, because they can’t get them there. There are more canned vegetables in the stores now too.
Oh yes, I told your Mother about that
recipe for egg toast and she’s going to look it up for you. She laughed as it
reminded her of the time you sent the shortbread recipe home. She’s going to
show me the letter.
Yes, darling, I know in my heart that
someday you will prove what you told me, and you say you are living up to it
now, how perfect it is to hear that! I’ll do my best too, but it isn’t easy,
and it never will be forced. It’s the will and the dreams behind it that makes
things work out successfully, don’t you think so? We want our love to be strong
enough that we’ll do anything for each other.
It’s
time to leave you again darling. You know I don’t like saying good night any
time, not even on paper. Won’t it be swell if someday we won’t have to? Hope
everything is first rate with you, and my love is with you always.
xxx Helen.
 | ||||||||
| Christchurch, east of Bournemouth, postcard sent by Harry
11
Arrival in Toronto
Rooming houses were common in Canadian cities before and
during World War II. With so many men overseas, families often had spare
bedrooms available. The rent money provided much needed income for women, many
of whom were on their own due to widowhood or husbands serving away from home.
Upon her arrival in Toronto,
after searching for several days, Helen found a room in a house on Winnett Avenue near
Bathurst and
St. Clair.
* *
*
Helen looked around her new
bed-sitting room – there was an easy chair by the window, a studio couch on the
opposite wall, small bed, hotplate on a tin table, and a painted, chipped
chest. Not as large or cosy as her room at Mrs. Nesbitt’s in Ottawa, but it would have to do for now. She
might as well unpack her trunk and suitcases, even though she knew she couldn’t
fit all of her possessions into those three small drawers and the tiny closet.
Would she ever have a place of her own where she didn’t have to listen to
strange voices downstairs, a radio blaring in the next room or the crying of
other people’s children?
Now that she did have a place to
live, she turned her attention to finding a job in order to pay the $20 a month
rent to Mrs. McKinnis, her new landlady. She unfolded the flyer she’d picked up
at Union Station – the Selective Service Employment Agency. In order to find a
job she would have to figure out how to get there.
The next morning she made her way
downtown. She was surprised to see a female streetcar driver on St. Clair Avenue –
women certainly could do anything they want to now, she thought. The driver
told Helen to sit behind her so that she could let her know what stop to get
off at.
Once Helen got to the agency, she
was confronted with slim pickings. Most of the jobs didn’t pay the $25 a week
that she’d earned in Ottawa
at the Department of Munitions and Supply. She thought probably government jobs
were higher paying than most. But there was one at the Toronto Transportation
Commission - a vacancy at the Bathurst
branch for a cashier and stenographer. Helen decided to go and see about it.
The manager asked her to write an
IQ and stenographic test and they phoned her the next day to ask her to start
work. She agreed and was surprised to learn there were 50 female drivers in the
motor division – that meant they must be used to having women work there. Maybe they wouldn’t be too hard on her while
she learned her new job.
She couldn’t wait to write Harry
to tell him all of her good news. She unpacked her pen, ink bottle and one of
the airgraph papers she’d bought at the post office before she’d left Ottawa.
Toronto, Nov. 5 & 7, Dec. 10 1943, [compilation]
Darling Harry,
Believe it or not, I’m here at last and feel fairly
settled after a hectic week. I haven’t even had a spare minute before to write
you darling, that’s a fact. You will be almost a week without any mail, but
hope you don’t mind too much. Mine hasn’t been forwarded yet either, and I’ve
missed it terribly too. I just wrote Mrs. Nesbitt a note to give my address and
have it sent down.
Monday
morning I went down to Selective Service for a position, about 9:30 and there
were about twenty ahead of me, imagine! They didn’t give me much encouragement
and said they didn’t have many positions at the salary I had been getting [in Ottawa]. I got an open
permit and went to see a few of Mr. Lauson’s [her former boss’] friends but
either the positions were taken or they were only paying $20 a week. Then I
went to the Transportation Commission, there was a vacancy at their Bathurst Branch for a
cashier and stenographer with a fair salary, but it entailed a bit of night
work. I came home and thought about it, then went back the next morning and
wrote an I.Q. and stenographic test, which wasn’t easy, but I must have passed,
because they phoned and asked me if I wanted to start work Wednesday morning
and I decided to take it. It’s quite a distance from downtown, you know over on
Davenport, and
the offices aren’t very large. The work is so different too; I was on cash all
day today and found it a bit nerve-wracking. About every month or six weeks
we’ll be on one week nights; I hope it doesn’t bother me too much. I just
wonder how conditions will be here after the war when positions are so scarce
now, but then I suppose there won’t be so many married women working.
Guess what I have in front of me now sweetheart – your
gorgeous red roses [which he sent for her birthday]. Thanks so much; it
was such a surprise and nothing could have pleased me more. Their perfume just
fills the room. You are so thoughtful, aren’t you? Apparently you wired the
florist at Ottawa and someone referred them to
the Y.W. [C.A.]because
that’s where I received the message asking for my address. I just cried because
I was happy at the thought of what they meant, darling.
I
phoned your Mother Monday night; she wanted me to come up . . . so I went down
Wednesday. Oh, darling, imagine the feeling I had going up those steps, and the
memories! It was grand to see them again, and they made me feel perfectly at
home (as you always said they would). Everything was just the same as it was
that last Friday night, and I felt so close to you when I saw all your
pictures around.
I’m in a bed sitting room; rather comfortable; I’m the
only roomer. I can get my own breakfast, also my other meals but I expect I
will eat dinner out. It’s a long way from downtown, but fairly close to my
work, so hope it will work out satisfactorily. By the way, we get a book of
tickets, so have free transportation. I phoned your Mother after I decided to
take it. Immediately, she asked me which number, and told me you had lived at 16
before you moved to the apartment, what a coincidence eh? She told me to watch
for the house that you played around for about sixteen years. I noticed it
tonight; it has a red roof, with a white verandah and two big windows in front
upstairs. Is that the way it used to be, or do you remember? This district has
certainly been built up; your folks were saying when they built here there were
only about three houses and the rest were green fields (where you used to
play.)
I don’t feel so strange now that I know that! I get so
sentimental, or do you think so? I can’t help it when I think about you, oh,
how I want you to come back soon, darling!
I unpacked my trunk tonight and found that two of my
cups and one tea plate were broken to my set, which made me a bit provoked as I
had six of everything, but maybe Lois can get them for me again. I have to
write them all in due time. Most of them thought it was strange for me to leave
all I knew there. I haven’t slept much the last few nights, just the strain of
everything as it isn’t easy by any means, but guess everybody does it at some
time or another in their life.
All
my suitcases are here in the middle of the floor – haven’t even hung my clothes
up yet. Oh yes, I have a radio too; can only get a couple of stations but it
will keep me from getting too lonely now that I haven’t a room-mate. Can you
get Canadian stations there? I suppose not.
[Dec. 10/43] I’m listening to “Waltz Time,” some of
the new numbers are nice. What kind of music do they go in for there at dances?
Are jitterbugs ever in the spotlight? Yes, it’s a bit of a change for you to
play dances too, instead of parades all the time. They are singing that song
“For the First Time” – do you know it?
I’ll
have to wander around Queen’s Park one of these days and look for a particular
spot. [i.e. I think where he proposed to her.]
I
must say “Goodnight” now sweetheart. Hope all is well with you. Your love is
with me always. Be good.
Yours forever, xxx Helen
Bournemouth, Nov. 22,
1943
Dear Helen,
Your airmail letters of the fifth and seventh came
today and I was so glad to hear from you again although Mother was keeping me
pretty well posted on how you were making out [after moving to Toronto]. It certainly took a lot of spunk to do what
you did darling and to think it was all on account of me! But then I guess
there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other?
. . . I’m sure Mother will be glad of
your company any time you care to drop down but make sure there’s nobody else
there if all you do is talk about me. It would be pretty boring for a third
person to listen to you two talk about me all night!
I opened your gift tonight [her
Christmas present to him] and I don’t care if you do scold me I’m glad I did
you see I knew what it was anyway and as I was packing my things into a kit bag
preparing to leave tomorrow I thought I might just as well have the use of it.
But I didn’t expect that terrific photograph of you to be in there too. Just
think what I would have missed for a whole month if I hadn’t opened it!!!
You’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible darling and just the odd
glance at it during the day will make me feel closer to you sweetheart.[Helen
had a glamour shot taken before she left Ottawa].
All my love, Harry
12
Christmas, 1943
It was the first time Helen had ever worked on Christmas
Day. She was glad her mother didn’t know. The most she had let them do on the
farm was to milk the cows or feed the chickens, and cook dinner, of course.
Other than that, it was a day off.
However, there was a war on and
Helen had a job where the buses and streetcars had to run every day, holiday or
not, so she just had to accept it. Plus, it was better to be working than
sitting at home missing Harry.
It had been a busy day, just her
and her friend Kay on cashier duty to count the money the drivers brought in
after their shifts.
After punching out at five
o’clock, she made her way over to Harry’s parents’ apartment on Isabella St.
“Merry Christmas Helen, would you like to have a little gin
my dear?” Harry Sr. greeted her with a kiss.
“Sure, if you’re having some.” Helen made her way through
the hall into the living room.
“Helen, this is my mother Mary Fernley,” Ida said, getting
up from the sofa to give her a hug.
“Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll bet you’re missing Harry, especially today,” said the
kindly looking older woman.
“Yes, I sure wish he was here with us tonight.”
“Can you turn down the volume Ross, I know you like Bing
Crosby, but we’re trying to have a conversation over here,” Harry Sr.
admonished his younger son.
“Supper’s just about ready Helen. You can sit there, in
Harry’s old chair,” said Ida. “Little did I dream last year that there’d be a
girl at his place. Harry can you please carve the bird?”
“Let’s pull the
crackers,” Ross said, sitting down, and at that, everyone got busy, donning their
colourful paper hats and reading their fortunes.
“What does yours say Helen?” asked Elaine, Ross’ girlfriend.
“’Hope’ – I hope that Harry and I can be together next
year!”
“Mine’s ‘success’ – I guess that’s good,” said Ross.
Then, they all fell silent as they tucked in to goose with
all the trimmings, plum pudding, short bread and fruit cake.
“Ross, can you please pass the shortbread around, I’ve
noticed you’re keeping it pretty close to you there, but I’m sure Helen and
Elaine would like to have a taste,” Harry Sr. teased.
“Alright, but no more than one each!” Ross reluctantly
handed over the plate.
After supper, Harry Sr. and Ross, who was a trombonist in a
dance band, rushed off to work, as they had engagements at the Royal York and
the Savarin Club, playing for the late diners. Ida, Elaine and Helen started in
on the dishes.
When Elaine went home, Ida and
Helen left to make the rounds visiting other Culley relatives by streetcar.
Toronto, Dec. 23 and 26, 1943[compilation]
Darling Harry,
Well here it is the day after Christmas and I’m
feeling like my usual self, believe it or not! Can you say the same, I
wonder??? Did you enjoy yourself? Were you playing Christmas Eve and also
through the day? I didn’t like the idea of working yesterday either, and we
were really busy as there were only two of us there. I left promptly at five,
and supper was nearly ready when I arrived.
Everything
was so nicely decorated, I took a couple of snaps of the tree, also one of
Elaine and Ross in front of it, but suppose they won’t turn out just because I
want them to.
[After
supper] we called at Geneva’s
and Ed’s[Harry’s aunt and uncle] for a
few minutes. Their little girl is sick; she said they didn’t have a very nice
Christmas. Geneva
asked about you and wanted to see my ring. They thought I looked like Betty too
[Harry’s cousin].
From
there we went to Grace and Art’s[Harry’s aunt and uncle] and his brother and wife, also your other
grandmother and grandfather [Kate and Teck Culley] were there, all having a good
time. Grace said she was so surprised when you received her parcel in a little
over a week, and mentioned the letter and Christmas greeting they got from you.
I expected your grandfather to be a bigger man, but I
could see he was quite lively all right!!
We
left around 11:30 p.m., and your Mother said the party was just beginning then.
Did you all get together and have a party as you
planned? Have you any cake or treats left? It would have seemed more like
Christmas to you if you hadn’t received your parcels so soon. You know how they
urge us to mail early over here.
Darling
why do I tell you all these little things that are probably very uninteresting
to you? You are a part of me, that’s why and I want you so much, it hurts
sometimes.
So
long sweetheart; I hope I hear from you this week, and I always pray for you.
My best love, Helen xxx
Bournemouth Dec. 27, 1943 Jan 6, 1944 [compilation]
My Darling Helen,
Just finished reading your three letters dated 19, 23,
26 for the twentieth time at least
because they reflected just how I was feeling towards you. Christmas isn’t the
same when you are not with the one you love. We found that out didn’t we? Well
anyway, you weren’t alone in your loneliness like I was. Was my grandfather
dancing around like a grizzly bear and did he kiss you? He gets quite
frolicsome at times; you have to watch him.
I got two more Christmas parcels – 2 lbs. of candy
from my aunt and a box from my school which was a surprise. In it was a very
large pair of blue woollen gloves and candy and stuff. How did you make out for
Christmas? We had a terrible Christmas Eve but we got over that all right. We
travelled all night from Redhill [a town south of London] just to get away from
it; we arrived in Bournemouth about 7:30 and we were playing for the airmen’s
Christmas dinner at 11:30 so you see we didn’t get much sleep. We rested up on
Sunday so we had a big party. Boy! What a party - 70 bottles of beer and several bottles of gin
and lime for 14 of us. Needless to say I didn’t get too drunk. Even the S. A.
[Salvation Army] boys were busy a week ago buying liquor for the bunch of us.
We
took some pictures so if they turn out all right I’ll send them over.
I
haven’t had very much to tell you this time dearest as the dance band has been
working very hard while the other guys lay around Bournemouth but we do have a
good time amongst ourselves so that’s the main thing I guess.
I
managed to get a slice of turkey on Christmas. I thought you might like to
know. I’ve got so much fruit cake it will last me all year I’ll bet. I’m
waiting to hear how you made out.
I
hope it’s the last Christmas I’ll have to spend away from you dear. I guess it
was very quiet for you.
Well,
I’ll try and make up for it when I come home. Well
Darling, I really must close now as we have to get ready for the dance and will
write again when I hear from you.
All my love,
Harry
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