“The boys were awfully slow“ Thursday, December 27, 1945
23 Sun. Cold & windy. I kept the baby while Stewarts went to Church. Did my hair & so on. Ross came home on the train about 1.30. I got cleaned up & went to Church. Ross sat beside me when he came back from the Station. I stayed for Y.P.U. It was fun, though the games dragged out a bit too long. I sat with Bill McDowell, from Griffin for lunch. Walked home with Ross. Beautiful night.
24 Mon. Tried hard to get my work caught up. Nearly did anyway, I’m happy all the staff were in the office. Gave Ivy a going away gift. Mr. Powers gave us all our xmas gifts. $5.00 to each of the staff. Mom & girls waited for me. Did up odds & ends tonight. Wilma set my hair. I finished tying parcels. Have a sore throat & cold.
25 Tues. Opened our gifts this morning. McGugans, Freemans & Stutts came for dinner at 12.30. We kids played Finance. Had a fair time. The boys were very boring. Had ice-cream for supper. Had music this evening. One of those things when you don’t know whether the company wants music or not. They left about 10.30.
26 Wed. Boxing day. Had a holiday. Got dinner & did a few odds & ends. Lay down a few minutes this afternoon. Played the piano awhile. Pert & Neil came down for the truck as they had to fix a tire. We all went to town to tonight to meet Roy but he didn’t come. Dad and we girls bowled 2 games. My scores weren’t so hot. I stayed in town. Bed about 10 o’clock.
27 Thurs. Back at work again. Got pretty well caught up. Went to C.C.Y.M. skating party at the rink. Contemplated a terrific time & really had a wonderful time. The boys were awfully slow, but finally Kirby Gueldner skated with me, then Dilbert, Bob, Edgar & Ernie. Went to Rest Room for Weiners & buns, cocoa & grapes. Bob spoke to us, we had the gossip column, & sang a lot. Gueldners gave me a ride home.
28 Fri. Had diarrhea all day. Felt pretty tough, but struggled through work. Went to the first show alone tonight. “Salty O’Rourke.” Very good. Had a drink of Doris’s ginger ale upon arrival at home. Curled part of my hair.
29 Sat. Business improved a little bit today. Stutts went home with the folks & Doris waited in to meet the bus. Evelyn came in & Wilma, Shirley, she, Doris & I came home in the truck. Ev had supper here. Wilma set my hair.
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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.