PILOT'S EXPERIENCES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 303, 9 May 1941, Page 5

PILOT'S EXPERIENCES

TRAINING IN CANADA SERVICE, IN THE! COASTAL COMMAND

The following are extracts from letters written by Sgt-Pilot Jack Hauesler, of Whakatane,,, Avho i:s now Avith the Coastal Command in England. He describes his journey across Canada and his firsh impressions of England:— On Monday, December 23 Ave arriA'ed in Vancouver. We callcdi al Victoria on Sunday night for a couple of hours, but didn't get oIT the boat'. We disembarked about 9 in the morning and were, taken for a drive all round Vancouver by members of the Board of Trade in their private cars. About 1 2 o'clock in the afternoon Ave dined.

The City Council- or some such body put a dinner on for visv. the Mayor himself being among those present. The people, of Vancouver couldn't .do enough for us. They were really inarvellous. It is 1 by far the most hospitable place. I've been In, since I left good old New Zealand. The place itself is very like Auckland only on .a much bigger scale. After dinner Ave Avere free io do Avhat Ave liked. I might addi that wd practically had the run of the place.

I* didn't cost us a cent from thn time we landed until the time we climbed aboard the train on th-j Canadian Pacific Railway at 7 that night and we had all the beer we wanted as well (terrible lreer though (ike sugar and water). Long Journey. Well for the next four days and four nights the train was our home. We only got out of it for a'n. hour at; the most at any station, and that was usually to participate in a snow fight. We saw all the play grounds of Canada, such as Banff, Lake Louise, Fieli and among other things the Great Divide. Trains Wonderful. The C.P.R. trains are wonderful. As you can see we spent Christmas on ours. They turned on a great Christmas dinner considering itwas all cooked on wheels. Thev, dre very warm and comfortable. There are three panes of glass m each window. The animals we saw were buffalo, deer, moose, and coyotes, as well as a great salmon batcherv • I didn't see any cowboys but saw Red! Indians and North West Mounted Police. The Rockies, [ didn't think much of, nor the Prairies, The Rockies are exactly as their name signifies. The most desolate) hills you could imagine. The prairies are just a flat as you imagine them to be with snow inches thick on them. Admittedly we did not see them at their best. I think everything would look different in summer.

40 Below Zero,

We had » two hour stop in Winnipeg but we weTe back within half an hour as it was only 40 below zero. I thought my ears and nose were going to drop off. I've never been so cold before, although you can feel warm if you put plenty of clothes on in Canada, but here (England) the cold seems to go all through, you.

In Montreal. ' Well' our train journey drew neat to ending when we got to Ottawa. Ai couple of hours later we arrived at Montreal where we spent about . ten days. A cold foggy damp morn- j ing we arrived at this wonderful , ciry. We were taken to the Queen's ( Hotel, one of the leading hotels in Montreal where We made our home for ten days. . In Montreal we were out all nighc and slept all day. It didn't get light in the morning there until half past nine. Education is not compulsory there* French-Canadians, you see, although they have one of the 1 leading universities in the British Em.-, pire for medical students —the McGill University. Its a wonderful place. .Embarkation. Eventually we said farewell to Montreal and together with a batch of Canadian Ah Force wireless operators we boardedl a Canadian National Railway train for St. John Nfiw Brunswick, which took a day and a night. We went in the train right down to the boat and did see the town. They have a wonderful system of overhead conveyors there are taking grain from, elevo- . (Continued in next column).

tors to wharves, and wharves, to* wharves. It was interesting but terribly cold. Well we boarded the boat and sailed! that night. Uncomfortable Crossing. I hope: I. never cross the; Atlantic again in winter. One foggy morn* , ing about 12 daysi after leaving tha sun is trying, to shine as we steamed; into am English harbour. These balloons' are a great sight. They, look like, great helpless things but they certainly give you a feeling of safety. It's nice- to know you have a guardian above you. Praise for English. I must, say Colonials should take off their hilts to the British people here. It will take more than Hitler to break the morale o.f thesa. people. - Smce arriving here I an* more than convinced that we can*t do anything else but come out top. Personally I don't like dion. It' 3 a bit. too big for me. Fox* our leave three of us took a run up* to Glasgow where we stayed for a. week. New Zealanders Novelties. People over here have a great idea of New Zealand. Some think its. oart of Australia and others think, it is an uncivilised place where* everyone speaks a native languages Although there are ai lot" of New*r Zealanders here we seem to be still? looked on as novelties. -'