“Very lazy day. I couldn’t find anything to do.“ Sunday April 15, 1945
15 Sun. Very lazy day. I couldn’t find anything to do. This afternoon Mom invited Stutts for supper. They came about 4.45. This evening Elton, Ailyne & Mr. Freeman came over. They stayed til 11.30. We had lunch. It was midnight or later when I got to bed.
16 Mon. I felt terrific today. Have a bad cold coming on. The school was freezing, no fire at all. Mr. Stutt had brought us in. We stayed at school til 10.40 then came back to the house. Our bed as pulled apart so I couldn’t lie down. We cleaned out our drawers. Men worked on floors tonight. We walked down and had lunch in the Comm. Walked back & then we got supper & did dishes. Went to bed about 11.
17 Tues. An “H” of a day. It snowed, blew and dusted. Wind was terrific. I didn’t have any homework. Lay down after school, but Doris talked to me so I didn’t have any sleep. We did the dishes as Mrs. Stewart went out, then we got cleaned up & went to C.C.Y.M. at the Hostess Club. Had doughnuts & coffee for lunch. Home at 11.10. Bed around midnight.
18 Wed. Not quite so windy, but still bad enough. I still don’t feel up to the mark, but not so bad. Ross took us back to school at noon in the ambulance, not because we were sick. Did my homework after school. We went to the hospital on the bus. Saw Mr. McGugan. Walked back with Evelyn & Marion. Went to Schneider Dance in the I.O.O.F. Came home at 12, then went back. Didn’t have a good time.
19 Thurs. Lovely day. Wind gone down, & much warmer. I did a washing after school, dusted the bedroom & Doris read out loud on “Socialism.” I studied my theory after supper. Were going to go to bed early, but the men worked on the floor. We listened to a music contest on the radio. Roy was playing in the 54-piece orchestra. Jack practiced at 11 tonight.
20 Fri. Wrote a theory test (official) & failed again. Just made 83 this time. Went back down town after school & did shopping for Mrs. Stewart. Stayed in til after supper as there was no one in for us. Each carried a fern to the church, then helped a bit to get it ready for the tea. We then looked in at the Youth Centre, had ice cream at the Commercial, & came home with Jean at nine. Ate (sic) hot lemonade & sodas & cheese with the girls.
21 Sat. Doris Birthday. 19. Gave lessons all morning, went to town right after dinner. We went to the hospital and saw Mr. McGugan also Olga who had a Gall Stone operation. Came down town & went to the Oriental Tea in the church. It was lovely. Did our shopping after that. I went up & told Miss Blackwell, I wasn’t going to write the bookkeeping exam. Set my hair tonight and stuff. Came to bed about eleven.
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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.”