Clair with unknown co-worker

Clarence and co-worker/friend

Writing a letter home to sister Rose from Green Lake, where he is employed as a forest ranger.

Rennie P.O.

Manitoba

24 Oct 1941

Dear Sis,

Well I guess I`ll answer your welcome letter. I have been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of something to write, I wrote all the news in Curt’s letter.

So it is still Johnny Lemon eh! How the heck could Iona and Roland hit it off as you say? Hit what off? There isn’t anything to hit as far as I can see, or is there? Or what is it all about? Or is it about anything? If so, what? How is Curt and Ruby getting along? How is Caly, that word is Carly if you get what I mean? If you don't ship it, or drop the subject, or do what ever you like, but be darn shore in answering my questions, Or Else!

Malaher, C. Stevenson, and Mr. Denmark were out shooting ducks, and Stevenson shook hands with me, boy am I having fun.

Well I got pictures of the forestry mob, Mickey, Conan, Kimmel, and Barney. Rinie, and Conan are at headquarters with Barney now,...

As ever, Clair

Clarence fishing at Green lake (1 of 3)

Clarence enjoyed hunting & fishing, his employment prior to enlistment was a Forest Ranger at Fort Francis, Ontario (Provincial Park bordering Manitoba-Ontario).

Green Lake

Rennie, Manitoba

19 Aug 1942

Dear Rose,

Well I got back out here okay, but it is kind of late to be telling you that. Say did you have any rain in there one Sunday, we did, a regular little old cloud burst, which is just natural. I was going across Green Lake, before I got back I had a half a boat of water, some fun, don’t you think.

Did Soi get away okay? Who howled the loudest? Mother, her, or you? Now she has gone to Toronto, and I do not have picture of her. Speaking of pictures, I would like all the negatives of Audrey that are in the last bunch of pictures that’s all, just the ones with Audrey. (P.P. she wants them)

(See next photo...)

Carl and Audry (2 of 3)

Carl and Audry

letter continued...

I have been kidding Carl so much that he won’t even talk to me on the phone anymore, for a while Audrey wouldn’t talk to him. Boy was he in the dumps; he must have made a pass, which was very incomplete. Audrey told me that if he makes just one pass at her, he wouldn’t have a head worth mentioning. I have a letter he wrote to Audrey when he was up here alone, I read it to him over the phone, and she thought he burned it. Boy is he afraid Audrey is going to hear about it, he will probably knock the blazes out of Dan and I, before we are finished. Every time I’m down there, we always start re-citing lines out of his letter to one another, boy does Carl get hot, he nearly blows up.

(next photo 3 of 3)

Clair at the lake (3 of 3)

Clair with idle time... Green Lake

Well we took another two shacks apart yesterday, boy are we making a mess of this camp. There is a car in here now, so I`ll try and send this letter out with them as it might be the last in for quite a while, who knows?

Well I guess I`ll close for now, as the excitement here is killing me.

Love Clair

P.S. Don’t forget those negatives!

P.P.S. I might go to the dance at Rennie on Saturday, Carl, I believe is going to help play the piano, or guitar.

An airman in the rough - Clair

Clarence an airman in the rough, he enlisted in 1942.

A.C.2 Soderstrom C.V.

#2 Manning Depot

Brandon, Manitoba

04 Mar 1943

Dear Rose, and All

Well I wrote you a letter on Tuesday, but I couldn’t get a stamp anywhere in this joint, so it didn’t get mailed...

Well I’m getting along okay so far, I had my haircut yesterday, it is 1 ½ long at the longest point, and yes I feel positively naked.

I wrote three tests this morning, listened to a lecture this afternoon, when he finished talking I figured that I would wind up in general duties, or the army. He told us why most fellows fail for aircrew, there are more reasons then hair on your head. I find out the worst tomorrow when I have to go down for an interview with the Officer...

Well that’s about all for now.

Love Clair

3 women and Clair (1 of 2)

Soi, Rose, and unknown in front, Clair in back.

#2 Manning Depot

RCAF

Brandon, Manitoba

19 Mar 1943

Dear Rose, and All

I got your letters the other day, so I guess I had better answer them tonight, cause I might not be alive tomorrow.

We have started a training wing now, they really drill us, and I don’t mean maybe. When we finish this training, we are suppose to be able to take command of a flight and put them through their paces...

...Do you know what? I have had 9 needles in my arm since I got out here, I’ve got 5 or 6 to take yet. Some guys get six and their finished, except for the TABT`s they have to take 3 of them, just like the rest of us.

I went out to a show last night; lucky me I only met two officers, P.S. I only had to salute one of them. The first one I slid past him on a piece of ice so fast it made my hair (what hair?) stand on end, at the same time he was sliding the other way, trying to hold his girl friend up, no she wasn’t drunk, the road was slippery.

Well I have a C/O`s inspection tomorrow, so I should get to bed, we had hit inspection yesterday.

Love Clair

P.S. Write soon, I didn’t get one letter today, very sad.

Soi, Karl? Rose and ? (2 of 2)

Soi, Carl, Rose and ?

#2 Manning Depot

RCAF

Brandon, Manitoba

24 Mar 1943

Dear Rose, and All

I got your letter today, and have some time on my hands tonight, so I will answer it. Boy am I ever fagged out tonight, you want to know what we do out here in a day, well here goes.

0630 hrs. Lights come on; you get up, shave, wash, and make up your bed. I mean make it up, if it has a wrinkle in the blankets, then you have to shovel snow, pile, or clean out the toilets, bunkhouse, or any other unpleasant job, so we make up our beds. Go for breakfast, polish brass, and boots if you have time, I never have time.

0800 hrs. Out on the parade ground for row call. (If you happen to be 3 minutes late, you might as well cut your own head off), drill until 1130 hrs, then dinner.

1300 hrs. Row call, at this row call the whole Wing is out, and all the guys get their turn at it. The Sgt. tells us what he wants done and we have to give the commands. I make a mistake pretty near every time, I always halt, then on the left foot, and we are to halt on the right. Some of the guys did a hell of a lot worse though. One guy got us going and we were marching into another Flight, so he got excited and forgot how to stop us, he was yelling “whoa”, “stop”, “come back” and damn near everything, but “Flight halt”. One guy just yelled “Halt” and half the Flight fell down trying to stop.

...1400 hrs. Shots in the arm, that is what our part of the Flight did, the other half went to a lecture, then we went back to the lecture room, just in time to go for P.T. which was at 1500 hrs.

1600 hrs. Back to the parade ground for more drill till 1700 hrs, then suppertime. I’ve got lots of work to do tonight, I have to polish all my brass, my boots, and really polish them. P.S. it’s for inspection tomorrow by the Chief of the #2 Air Training Command, so if I’m digging ditches for the next three months, you’ll know something went wrong...

...Why don’t you take Carl to the show, you can slam him all you want too, he is big enough to take it...

Well that is about all for this time.

So long for now, Love Clair

Clarence, No 2 Manning Depot

Clarence in uniform prior to graduation, no air gunner badge on uniform.

#2 Manning Depot

RCAF

Brandon, Manitoba

8 April 1943

Dear Rose and All,

...We had a flight party last night, it was a dry party, and we had it at the Olympia Café here in the banquet hall. We had our Sgt., Sgt. Major (F/S Pearson) for the Squadron, and O.C. All three of them gave a speech telling us what a good Flight Crew #106 was, boy the compliments we got the last two days. The Sgt. Major told us we were good, even when he said that we damn near fell flat on our faces, right on the parade ground.

Well #106 is now on disposal waiting to be posted, I'm just waiting to get posted so I can start studying...I almost forgot that I promised to answer all the questions first, so I will answer it now, as there was only one question.

You were speaking about hangovers; you should have asked, "How was the Flights Hangover?" I'm telling you it was awful, the Sgt. Would say "about turn", so we would all halt, he would say "left turn" so we would all about turn, it was horrible.

Well I'm about stumped for anything to write so.

So long for now,

Love Bro Clair

Clair and Joan on steps

Clair and Joan

#8 Repair Depot

Winnipeg, Manitoba

06 May 1943

Dear Rose,

... Well I have a nice soft job here now. I go on parade at 07:45, get to the hanger at 0800, take 10 or 15 minutes to put my overalls on, go to work, but this is the payoff. I sit on a nice soft stool, sorting, cleaning, counting, and putting nuts, bolts, and turnbuckles into bags until 11:15. I then go for Aircraft recognition, then dinner.

At 12:45 is row call, then I fool around until 13:30, Wireless, and Math till 15:30, back to the hanger at 15:40. I sit on my stool till, then go for supper at 17:00, then duty watch, row call at 18:00, go up to the firehall and sit for an hour or two, then beat it. Last night I had to sleep up at the firehall.

By the way there is a big parade downtown on Sunday, I’m not in it. I have to work on Sunday, everybody here does, it is open house, the public can come in and watch the Airforce work, A lot of work will be done on Sunday, I imagine. If you want to see # 8 you might be able to see it on Sunday, I am in # 7 hanger in the A.G.S. section...

So long for now,

Love Clair

P.S. No! How can I?

Agnes, Clarence's mother

Agnes Soderstrom, mother of six children.

#23 P.A.E.D. RCAF

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

03 June 1943

Dear Rose and All,

Life is getting worse every day, that is the math is getting harder, and the wireless is getting faster, but I’m not. I still don’t know why I didn’t join the army.

The longer I stay here the more sure I am of washing out, about a third of every class washes out here, and of the 2/3rds that get to the next course, about half of them wash out there. When they get to B&G (Bomber & Gunnery) school some more wash out, it isn’t funny.

I sure had a good time last night; Bob and I got late pass and went to a party, so what happens, at 11:30 we wind up in the rollercoaster...

...You should have been here tonight, about twenty guys all in my room doing math, and such math, we would all wind up with a different answer. So then the riot would start, everybody’s answer was right, of course when it boiled down I never had the right answer, and me with a math exam coming up tomorrow. Oh my shattered nerves, we had two tests this week, I passed one, and the other one, well the less said the better...

Nothing more to write about.

So long for now,

Love Clair

Clare and his mother, Agnes

Clarence with his mother Agnes,

#2 AGGTS

MPO #303

RCAF

Trenton, Ontario

15 Jul 43

Dear Rose and All,

Got one of your letters yesterday and one today, so I guess Ill answer them tonight, I couldn't answer last night cause I was on duty watch.

Thank you for the two bucks, I got them today, and we were paid yesterday, for two weeks I was so broke, I couldn't buy cigarettes.

Is Curt gone yet? And don't tell no Jerry affected you that much, why don't you take lessons from your brother. It is a good idea to get engaged, or married (after the war is over) there is nothing on earth that could get me to get married, or engaged until I come back. Suppose he bumped off, it would hurt you a lot less if you didn't have any ties.

I wrote a navigation test tonight, I've got my fingers crossed, we have a signal test tomorrow, and I've got to pass it, as far as signals go. I've passed one test and flunked one so far. I had my night vision test yesterday, and I don't know from anything. A bunch of the boys are going to manning pool on Saturday on account of it. So far I've passed a Vickers machine gun test, had a Browning machine gun test, don't know the results. Passed an anti gas test, I know one mistake in that test, so I got 23 out of a possible 25, 92% not so bad, it was the highest in the class at least.

Signals is the only thing I am really afraid of, I even passed in aircraft recognition, that is one test I got 41 out of a possible 50. In that test we got 50 pictures, for every one right we got one mark, if we mixed an Allied plane with an enemy plane we lost 7 marks, mix two enemy planes, we lost 5, mix 2 Allied planes we lost 2, if you missed a plane 7 marks. One of the boys wound up 20 marks in the hole, it was naturally Roach.

Well it is near bedtime, so I will quit for now, more later.

So long for now,

Love Clair

Iona, Soi, Clair, Rose, ?

Iona, "Soi", Clair, Rose and ?

#3 B&G

MacDonald, Manitoba

09 Aug 1943

Dear Rose and All,

Well here I am at MacDonald, what do you think I got here? I was all set to get home for an hour or two when we went through Winnipeg, as we were suppose to stop for 2 ½ hours. Well the train was 3 hours late, so we stayed in Winnipeg exactly 10 minutes, boy was I ever burned up.

I am writing this letter in the midst of a kit inspection. They sure are strict around this place, I will probably be CB`d as long as I last here, if I last it out. I`ll go up in the air on Thursday, I hope I don't get sick.

It is a nice feeling to think of getting $2.25 a day now, instead of $1.30 as per usual I get .20 a day extra for my L.A.C. and .75 a day flying pay, whether we fly or not, not bad eh!

Don't be surprised if I pop in home some weekend in the future, that is if I don't get the very few passes I get cancelled.

I guess Ill write Curt one of these days. Just imagine in 6 little weeks I will be a Class 3 G.D. or a Sgt. A.G. but I am hoping. Imagine a guy breaking his neck at this course to get his neck broke, but ah love it.

When I get a leave from here, I'm going to bring Gunner in with me, is that okay by you and the rest of the family?

I can't think of a damn thing to write about, so I guess I close for tonight.

So long for now,

As ever, Clair

Family photo, last letter in Canada, about to go Overseas.

Posing for a family photo

Agnes, Rose, Clarence

Lorn, Joan, and Tim.

Missing is Curt who was also training in RCN for a position on a Corvette, thier father - Ture was out in British Columbia working, the rest of the Soderstrom Family has moved from Manitoba to British Columbia following Clair's departure for England.

The following letter is the last from Clair while in Canada...

#1 Y Depot

Halifax N.S.

03 Oct 43

Dear Rose,

Well I got down here okay, I still don’t know how. I met Gunner in Montreal, so from there to here I don’t know anything. All I know is I got on a train in Montreal, went to St. John’s, then I grabbed my suitcase, and clothes, and finished dressing in the station. We climbed into cabs, and got on a boat, where we had breakfast, then Gunner and some of the other boys pulled out some bottles, so I enjoyed the trip very much.

I went through the pressure chamber today, gosh I can’t think of a darn thing to write about. There are so many Sgt.’s around here; it makes a fellow feel silly. We went through Deep Brook on the way here, if I would have used my brains I would have got off the train and seen Curt and caught a later train, but you know me and my brain it doesn’t function at times.

I guess this letter will follow you out to the coast. I haven’t got much time, as I will close this letter, in case you didn’t know it, we are busy at this place.

I have never been in such a place as this, to try and write a letter.

So long for now,

Love Clair

Curt - Clair's brother

Curt will eventually be serving on the H.M.C.S. Frontenac, a Corvette doing escorts across the Atlantic.

With Clair and Curt both in the service and away from home the rest of the family move out to New Westminster, B.C. their father Ture is a carpenter and has been working at the port in Prince Rupert, eventually constructing fish ladders at "Hell's Gate" on the Fraser River.

RCAF OVERSEAS

28 Oct 43

Dear Rose

Well I moved twice since that last time I wrote you, I have finally stopped moving for a while since I left Winnipeg. I traveled half way across Canada, then again into the States, across the ocean, then all over England. I was posted to one station, and stayed there exactly 14 hours.

...There was a bunch of us fellows who put in our names to be posted together, so we went all over England, and here we bullied, and bribed, so we all got in the same class. I hope some of us can get posted on the same squadron, when and if I ever get to a squadron, which I hope to do in the near future.

It isn’t to bad yet, the food isn’t bad, but the cigarettes cost a fortune when you can get them. There sure is some lovely country around this merry old England, but Canada still looks a lot better. I was listening to the radio in the mess tonight, and heard Glen Miller playing “In the Mood” all the boys got homesick.

...How do you like it out at New Westminster? And where is dad now? Out at Rupert? Or has he got a job some where else?

This isn’t a very good station, that one we were at for a while was a lovely station. There our barracks are out in the middle of a sheep farm. In case you don’t notice it, I can’t think of bugger all to write about. I wonder what kind of a crew I'll get, I hope they are good fellows...

So long for now

Love Clair

p.s. write soon

Clare and Rose

Clair & Rose

RCAF OVERSEAS

01 FEB 1944

Dear Rose and All

Well I finally get to have 10 days off now, and I have been in London for three days. I am staying at the Canadian Legion Club, boy it is really swell, .60 cents a day with breakfast, you can even buy Cokes here, its wonderful.

I am ashamed of myself, I went out with some of the boys last night, and we had to sample the liquor in every pub we could find in the dark. We found one with a bunch of Yanks and Canadians in it; they had lots of rum there. The Nav. rolled me halfway home, at some point during the evening I run into a lamppost, and the sidewalk hit me. I have a very sore nose, it is very embarrassing, and everybody wants to know what the other guy looks like. Of course Smoky had to make it worse by saying that some dames threw a glass at me, and when I ducked I hit the floor and the glass hit Mac. As things would be, Mac has a sore nose too, Mac claims we walked into a side of a building. Personally I don’t know. Tonight I am staying in or I should say I have stayed in. So when I finish this I will go down to the canteen and have some lunch, take a bath, and go to bed.

I stay in the same room as my WAG. He has come in plastered to the earn for three nights in a row. When he went out tonight, he told me to pay for his bed tomorrow morning cause he didn’t expect to be home by then.

I seen a couple of good shows in London here, “The Angels Sing” and “The Girls He Left Behind” They are both darn good.

So long for now

Love Clair

Curt in the Navy

Curt in uniform

RCAF OVERSEAS

26 Feb 44

Dear Rose and All

Well I received your letters and one from Dad today, and I also got that photograph of Curt , it is really a swell picture, right now it is the only picture I have of him. As for parcels, I’ve got a 1000 cigarettes from you, 300 from Soi, and a parcel from Ivy, and the others will catch up to me one of these days...

... I am doing okay, I think, of course every so often the gunnery leader yanks the boys into the office and tells them they are useless. I am just afraid I might get sore one of these times, then I will be in trouble.

A few of us were in the mess tonight having a few drinks, so my rear gunner who never drinks more than two glasses of beer, well tonight we got him to drink 2 glasses of beer and 4 shots of whiskey. So he staggered back to the barracks and wobbled into bed about 7:30 , he is sound asleep, poor fellow. Just wait till I see Canada again, boy I won’t be able to walk for the first week I’m back.

Say Rose can you send me a pipe or two, and my pajamas sometime. About that cheque for $40 of mine that is missing, you better write to them and find out about it before it is to late, Cause they are kind of fussy if you let it go to long, so you see about it right away...

As ever

Love Clair