31 Jan 41.
Dearest Ma;
Had a very good day & night. Was up yesterday twice for periods of two hours. Still very weak on my pins, and my hole system seems to be out of gear.
You see the weather is so blinkin awful at this time of the year, that I hardly have [...]
Jan. 30. 1941
You know this man.
This is my morning luxury. I have not been allowed to shave myself as yet.
Fortunately I have a very barber here who used to work at the Royal York in Toronto.
This snap was taken by one of the sisters.
She taught [...]
The Protestant padre brought this to me yesterday.
EB
He’s a cheerful guy. He says with this thought your wife can get a divorce.
[...]
29 Jan 41
Dearest Ma;
Your letter of dec 14 reached me to-day, a few days after your’s of dec 28, 30th.
This afternoon, I had a great visitor, Colonel Ham. Gault D.S.O. Former Commander of the P.P.C.L.I (that’s the Princess Pats) of 1914-18, with him came Sir Harry Brittain the English author who has [...]
28 Jan. 41
Dearest Ma;
My friend Mr. Wilcox of Burberry’s Ltd has just left. Mrs. W. received your letter and was enchanted to hear from you. What nice people they are. To show you – I had bought 2 pairs field boots at a cost of $75.00 and a pair of breeches $30.00 – [...]
Monday
27 Jan. 41.
Dearest Ma & Junie
Extra good news; yesterday I walked about forty steps, of course accompanied b two nurses. It is extraordinary how the strength in my legs has gone altogether.
They say it’ll take two months before I can navigate for myself -
Had a surplus of visitors yesterday. [...]
“Glencot”
Church Hill
Horsell
Woking
Surrey
Monday. Jan 24
Dear Mrs Blais
Thank you so much for your very nice letter which I received two days ago.
I can only tell you, that after reading it, I felt very pleased that I had made the jacket for you.
Yes! I can [...]
23 Jan 41.
800 pm.
Dearest Ma;
Your letters of dec 28 & 30 finally arrived to-day. Was I glad to hear from you and know that you were all well home.
I guess all my mail to you must have been lost as I asked you lots of questions in my letters, and [...]
Letter #16
23 Jan 41
England
Darling Ma & Junie;
Just got up about one hour ago, to listen to the news; about the Italians getting another licking at Tobrouk.
By the way, a good friend of mine has had wonderful success there, what a pity I took sick, maybe I could have [...]
Letter #15
22 Jan.41
England
Dearest Ma & Junie;
Just got up a few minutes ago; have had my breakfeast, now had the morning news on, and having a pipe of tobacco. Brig Price came in last night, to try & see Percy F. but no go. Percy had a very bad turn [...]
20 Jan 1941
Dearest Ma;
Wrote you once to-day, but had some news for you.
My old Colonel Flynn has just been brought in the Hospital with a serious heart attack, (Coronis Thrombosis) to you.
He may have a bit harder time than I had. You know, he is past 50+ and that will count [...]
Monday
20 Jan.41
My dear Ma & Junie;
As I told you in my last letter I was down with cold, well, it did’nt last long as they broke it right away, with a furious sweat, and two days more on my back, I feel very good to-day. And now think that my heart [...]
#15 Canadian Gen’l Hospital
18. Jan.41
Dearest Ma;
Hope that at this hour you have received my cable of good wishes on your birthday. It’s the best I can do at this time, but will do better later on. Well baby, of all things I am down with a cold this morning, of all [...]
Lieutenant Edmond Alfred Blais officially declared off the seriously ill list.
The Chief of Records
Letter #14
Friday morning
17 Jan. 41.
Dearest Ma;
Well I was up on the chair twice yesterday; 15 minutes in the morning and 30 min in the afternoon. Got away with it fine. Felt a bit tired, but slept one hour before supper -
I can now stand on my thin legs, [...]
#15 Can. Gen’l Hospital
England
15 Jan. 1941
Don’t look much sick here.
Smoking one of George’s cigar and holding a pkg of Camels.
These are the last snaps of you soldier husband. More coming soon.
Pop
[...]
In Hospital
Letter #12
13 Jan.41
Dearest Ma;
Believe it or not, I was out of bed yesterday for 10 minutes, on a rolling chair, boy I was so weak my legs could not support me.
Two orderlies carried me in – Got pretty groggy after a few minutes but stuck it out [...]
#15 Can. Gen. Hosp England
10 Jan. 41.
Letter #10
Dearest Ma;
The specialist has just finished an “Electro Cardiac” reading of my condition, and just told me the result. I am to start sitting up in a rolling chair Monday or Tuesday next. A few minutes a day, then after a few [...]
Letter #9
#15 Can. Gen’l Hospital
9. Jan. 41
Dearest Ma & Junie,
We English must have our tea, so tea time, 4.00 pm. A cup of tea and some “sugarless” crackers. Been sitting in bed all afternoon, talking to some of my pals, may be a bit too much, as I am [...]
A letter a day
Welcome! This site posts the Second World War letters of Brigadier Edmond Blais to his wife Laurette. One letter will be posted every day, in chronological order. The letters begin with then-Major Blais' Atlantic crossing in December, 1939.
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