August 1943 - A Letter From Ellen Hall - Part One

Ellen wrote to her sister Margaret in early August.

Letter - Page 1

"August 9, 1943

Dear Sis and family;

I have just about 10 minutes before time to start work so I will start a letter to you.  That is the way have to take care of my correspondence since I started back to work.  Incidentally you owe me a letter - how about writing!

I can't remember if I wrote and told you or not that I am working at Georgia Aero Tech.1  It is quite a place, long hours, and low pay but even at that they pay better than anywhere in Augusta.  Just to be back on the West Coast where you make enough to live decently and still have some left over.  I'll tell you about my day now.  I get up at 5:30 (When Grover works day shift - he is working at night this week) I leave the apartment between 7:40 and 7:45 and start work at 9.  Bush Field (where G.A. Tech is located) is 12 miles out of Augusta so the bus leaves early.  I work there until 5:30 with..."

Letter - Page 2

"...half hour for lunch.  I don't get home until 6:45 or later.  By the time I get dinner, do the dishes, and clean the apartment and bathe and in bed it is 10:30 or 11P.M.  So you see I have a long day of it.  I am only supposed to work half a day on Saturday but from all appearances I will be working every Sat. afternoon from now on.  Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that my office job is assistant to the accountant, although I do a little bit of everything.

I started this letter this morning at the office and wrote some at the canteen tonight while waiting for the bus.  Now I'm home trying to finish it.  I'm all ready for bed.  Grover has to work from 5:30P.M. until 1A.M. this week am I am alone this evening.  He'll be in about 1:30.  He made me promise I would be in bed by 9 so I had better hurry.  I came home this evening and got me a light supper (salad, beans - bread & butter, and cake).  I washed the dishes, washed..."

Letter - Page 3

"....some clothes out, cleaned my shoes (saddles), washed my hair & put it up, and took a bath.  So I feel as if I had accomplished quite a bit for one evening.

It is sure swell of you to send me your slip.  Maybe I can give you something someday when I get to(sic) big for it.  My hubby says I'm going to be terribly fat when I get older.  I only weight 111 lbs now but guess I have plenty of time to gain a lot.

Yesterday was our 7th month anniversary.  Grove had to work.  I was sick nearly all day but did get up energy to bake a cake, cook some navy beans and then for dinner fried a chicken.  After dinner we left the dishes and went to a show to celebrate (first show in 2 weeks).  We saw 'Buckskin Front'.2  It was one of those rottin' tootin' westerns, it was the only show we hadn't seen that was in town.  It is surprising now many people picture the west to be right this day just like those western picture shows..."

LETTER TO BE CONTINUED...

1 Georgia Aero Tech was one of three contract pilot schools in the country to offer basic flight training, employing an estimated 300 civilians civilians with an annual payroll of 1.5 million dollars.

2 'Buckskin Frontier' - A railroad man and the owner of a freight line battle for control of a crucial mountain pass.  Stared Richard Dix, Jane Wyatt and Albert Dekker.