Letters of Thomas Rampton Hunter, 1940-1944 - Part 8

17
Reg is back & wishes

to be remembered to you

Jack Bill & George also.

Tom
 [*AWM 2017. 208.1*]

P.S.

After our

Biblical Tour,

Bill & I found

Tonic beautifully

Cool "Fosters Lager"

(Melbourne) &

wallowed in same,

so it made a

perfect day.

T.

[*AWM2017.208.1*]

Mother,

Despatched by Air Mail

a small present for the 10^th of July

Many Happy returns although

it might arrive early Love

Tom 

AIR MAIL

ACTIVE SERVICE

17
Mrs. B. M. Hunter
277 Springvale Rd
TUNSTALL,
VICTORIA,
AUSTRALIA.
Tho R. Hunter

17

[*AWM2017.208.1*]

No 21

VX 17049
CPL. T. R. HUNTER

2/1 Aust Corp Field Survey Coy

R. A. E   A.I.F. Abroad
5/8/41
Dear Jean & Mother,

Sine writing to you last week, four

letters have arrived from Oondoroo, Jean's of the 17^thJuly and

Mother's No 18. 19. 19 of 14^th 20^th 24^th  July. and also

one from Aunt Fan, Bee and a birthday card from Nance

Findlay at Slott's - not forgetting the Canteen orders the boys

from Blackburn sent me, and only a envelope full of

cross words from my lady love - still I know she'll make good

for its 14 days since any of her of newsy letters have arrived.

Many thanks for the stamps - they're always handy.

Mother, you certainly seem to be having some fun

with your first aid crowds and parties - but don't overdo it.

We'd love an air raid ^here just to brighten the joint up as

it's been a bit dull of late.

It's too late to ask you not to forward the Silver pencil or

fountain pen but as they are on their way I only hope I

do not lose them - as I. lost another perfectly good set (Aunt Isobels)

Anymore of those acceptable gifts - I would rather you kept

them in safe storage for me.

There's not as much news as my previous letter -

the one of our Petra trip and the only place or anything

of news is that last Wednesday Bill & I went

surfing at Tel - A -viv and since we have been

busy back at camp.

2
In your letter of the 14^th July Mother, you say
that several of the chap's letters have been read of over

the air - please DO NOT let any of mine get to

this as I regard them of a somewhat personal interest

but do not mind any of our friends reading them.

Another reason is that from the letters I sent about

Petra  to Fanny, Joan and yourselfes, Bill and I have

modelled up an article and together with some negs

and snaps, are sending some to the Herald & we are

telling them we have informed no one else of this.

Please tell Aunt Fan to keep things like that away

from the news. Don't expect to hear our voices over

the air as were are still in a pommy camp under

British administration but at last we have obtained

Australian rations and in the rice custard Monday

night only 80 eggs for a less number of men were used

so now we will fair much better in tucker.

Well Jean, somewhere about the time this epistle

reaches Tunstall you will be in or near your 20's

so Many Happy Returns and I hope a little present

I despatched a few weeks ago arrives safely by surface

Mail. I believe I registered it to try to help it on

its way. In one of your older letters I meant

to answer a question in the musical instruments of the

Arabs. To begin with the Arab music of over the air

is terrible - moaning & wailing mostly in a minor

key with occasional string instruments. 

3

In Trans - Jordania more-so than Palestine the

Arabs sing a little, some with quite a little

music in their voices - but they mostly persist in

that minor Key. Arab shepherd boys I have often

seen wandering around their flocks of goats and/or sheep playing

on what appears to be a bamboo pipe with about 4 notes

along it and it sounds very soft and deep. The few

drawings of the present race I have seen are generally

very crude in their structure and I doubt if the Arab

kids who attend English schools would receive much

drawing or art intuition.

By the way, please don't tell folk about the

attempt we have made of our write up for the paper of Petra.

The Herald will more than likely forget it but I am asking

them to forward it (if they don't use it) to home.

I am enclosing a few snaps and will be sending

some more later as they are being printed.

How would you like a spot of our summer,

still around the 100 mark daily & still the same.

All keeping well & the boys wish to be

remembered to you & still talk about the

tennis they are going to have at Tunstall.

Lots of Love to you both.

Yours

Thomas.
 Hope everything is O.K at home and you are both very well.

Tried  to buy a shepherd’s pipe but they were all brummies.  T.R.H.

Please apologise to Aunt Fan

for the mistakes in spelling I made

in her last letter

Been too busy to print our

local rag lately.
[*AWM2017 208 1*]

[[BPLamshed?]]

Mrs. B. M. Hunter,

277 Springvale Road,

TUNSTALL,

VICTORIA,

AUSTRALIA

21