"News From home Appreciated Most By Boys May 25, 1944 Dear Mr. McKenzie: My first copies of The Bradford Witness arrived a few days ago and I can assure you it was indeed a pleasure to read news of the old town. My mail has been coming through exceptionally well, but even so I found a number of items of news in your paper that my wife and mother apparently had overlooked. Spring has at last arrived in England and is most welcome after a winter of fog and rain. I am at present on a drome in the centre of the fruit-growing district and the trees are a mass of bloom. Whoever wrote about the beauties of "An English Apple Orchard in the Spring" didn't half do it justice. Like everyone else these days, we are kept very busy, but last week I managed to get sufficient time off to visit Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon. It is a beautiful little town and the Memorial Theatre is very interesting. I hear from Ron. Sutherland and Lorne West quite regularly by letter, but it is difficult to arrange one's leave in order to get together. My sincere thanks to you and Mr. Earl Rowe for making it possible to receive your paper. Without a doubt, news from home is cherished most by all the boys overseas. My kind regards to all the good people of Bradford and district. Sincerely, Laurie Melbourne."
"Refused Promotion and Apparently Safer Task to Answer Call of Duty with Famous British 8th Army in Italy. The toll of war has sacrificed a life which embodied all that was fine and noble and has brought a great loss, not only to his family and friends, but also among those to whom our fighting men will look for sane judgments in all the troublous days still to come, by the death in action in Italy of Lieut. Keith D. Fairs on May 24." ...
"Government Should Be Free to Meet Any Emergency The eyes of the world will be upon Canada on April 27, when the plebiscite vote will be submitted to the people of this country. Canada will be on trial before the world, and rightly or wrongly, the result of the vote will be interpreted, both by friends and enemies, as indicative of Canada's desire to do her share in the war effort." ,,,
Article features news on construction for the new post office over the land of the old gaol, the history of the old fire hall and the opening of the Holland Theatre.
"Word was received last week by Mr. arnold Walker, of Blubber Bay, B.C., formerly of Bradford, that his only son, William, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for dropping blood plasma to the Partisan troops of General Tito's Yugoslavian Army, thereby saving the lives of several of his soldiers." ...
"Another waster Paper and Rag Salvage will take place in Bradford Friday, June 16. The local Veterans again will make a complete tour of the village, both the business section and the residential section, in an effort to secure every scrap of waste paper in Bradford. The Need for Waste paper is not fiction - it is an absolute necessity. Tie up all your waste paper and rags tightly so that they may be most easily handled by the collectors. Place them in a spot where they will be in plain view of the collectors from the street, and they will be taken away. If weather is not favourable, the collection will be made the following Friday - June 23."
