“Mrs. Brimacombe put my cream away for herself, & used milk for the coffee.“ Monday, January 22, 1945
21 Sun. Just got up and had breakfast in time to go to Kyles’s for dinner. Had a lovely one. Turkey included. They have a nice piano, which we made use of. We stayed for supper, as they insisted. Wrote a letter tonight. Ate grapes before bed so didn’t sleep til after 12.
22 Mon. Dad brought us to town. We took Isabelle back out, to Kays. Lovely day, but I felt awful — I’m so tired. Mission Circle at Mrs. Brimacombes our work group in charge. Had a discussion on Faith. Sandwiches & shortbread for lunch. Mrs. Brimacombe put my cream away for herself, & used milk for the coffee.
23 Tues. Lovely day. I wrote a letter after school. Worked on my dress at noon. Isabelle came tonight at eight, she & Doris went to the show at nine. I stayed home, worked for awhile, & was in bed before ten.
24 Wed. Harm Stutt arrived on the noon train. I saw him on the way home. I got my 60 words per min. in shorthand. The only one in the class who did. Charlie came after Peltier & I tonight & took us to his place to practice. We then had a lovely lunch & got home at 11:30. As we had had coffee, I didn’t sleep til after 2.
25 Thurs. Perfectly lovely day. The folks & John & Harm were in town. Places were full of people. We fooled around down town after school. Came home & read the papers, went down town got Isabelle at the bowling alley, looked in at the rink, then at the dance. Home at ten.
26 Fri. A little colder. Harm & John came in for us. Didn’t get home til nearly six. The folks & John’s went to Bill Kufe’s to a card party. Wilma, Shirley & I went to wait with Doris & Harm. Had the grandest talk on world affairs. Came home and washed my hair also stockings.
27 Sat. Up about ten. Miss F. set my hair. I gave Shirley a lesson, & finished the embroidery on my dress. Harm called in here on the way home from town & had supper. Stutts & Howard come up this evening, & Isabelle had a birthday party for Miss Farrell. It was a surprise for her. About 16 kids. Bed about 1.40
Click Here to view a scan of the handwritten original
These are the diaries of a seventeen-year-old teenager from a farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Her name is Lorraine. She eventually was a church organist in Colgate. In 1944 she was the piano player for a dance band in Weyburn. In these days before school busses she, and her sisters, each had to move from the farm into town to attend school for Grades 11 & 12. This is the darkest time in World War II. Weyburn hosted an airbase for BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). In other words, the town is filled with eligible young airmen from all over the world …
For more information on BCATP see a blog site dedicated to “Paying homage to those who stayed behind to train those who fought overseas.”