Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 2)

Young Mens Christian Association

Patron: His Majesty the King


2
know my address. 
Believe it or not but this is the hardest place
to write about that I know of everything that
happens up here would not interest you, and besides
it is the same old thing day after day.

There is one thing up here that interests me and I 
feel sure that it would interest you to, you see the camp 
is right on the Race course and if I get up early 
enough I see the horses doing their gallops and believe 
me there are some beautiful horses up here.

How is George going is he in camp yet, don't forget 
to wish Mum and Dad all the best for me I 
wonder if you ever do.

By the way you can send the photos up to me 
here, I would like to let you keep the lot, if you 
wanted them, but you see they are not all mine, but 
if you want any just let me know and I will get 
them for you.

I almost forgot, you see when I get my final 
leave I'm going to arrange a party to go to a 
good ball, and would like nothing better than to 
have you as my partner, I will tell you in advance 
Dot if you go there will be a little drink but not
much, and I promise you a good time, please let

me know if you can go.

Well Dot please write soon and make it a long 
letter if you can, even if mine are short, you know 
I have been waiting for you to put something in your
letters with which you seem to leave out every time, 
still you might one of these days

I hope you will excuse my writing but at present 
I have a bad arm and it makes it a bit awkward to 
write.
Anyhow until the next time Dot, "Cheerio" don't forget 
to write soon
Your's sincerely
Mal
 

N.S.W.
Open Air Campaigners

"El Shaddai"

God All Sufficient

15 Shepperd St
Ashfield
Sunday Night

Dear Dot,
Well I'm back at last back at camp I mean so I 
thought I would drop you a line or two.

You will notice my home address on top well I 
would like you to write to me there until I let you 
know different. At present I'm in Menangle camp at present 
but I do not expect to be here long, as I expect to go 
on final leave to-morrow, they told us to be prepared to go 
for two days final leave and the overseas on Wednesday 
it may be wrong but they need 150 men and if they
can not get them they will take us so you see I do not 
know if I will be here or not.

But that is beside the point you remember the guard well 
on Thursday it rained so they put it of until Saturday 
so six of us went out on a spree and got back at three 
the next morning, we stayed there until Sat then and as 
you know it rained on Sat and so they put it of
again and so another spree but I had a great time 
while I was down there believe me.

Well Dot this is going to be a very short letter 
as there is nothing to tell you.

I will be very dissappointed if I go on leave tomorrow 
as I did really want to try and take you out just once

more before I left although I do not suppose you would 
have gone out with me.

I'm sorry Dot but I forgot to tell you in the last 
letter to wish Mum and Dad all the best for me, so
this time wish it to them twice.

Believe it or not Dot but outside of relations you 
are the only girl I write to from camp its a fact

Well Dot as I have said before it is with the greatest of 
pleasure I receive letters from you, but I am not very good 
at writing them.

Anyhow I hope you are haveing a good time Dot 
and do not forget to write soon very soon, until the next 
time "Cheerio"
Sincerely Yours Mal
 

C/O 9 Coy 2/1 Batt
R.I.D A.I.F.
Greta Military Camp
Greta

Dear Dot,

Just a few lines to let you know 
all the latest news.
Well to start of with we were surposed 
to start our final leave to-day but as per usual they 
informed us that they had put it back [[?]] 
weeks. Trust them just when I thought I would
get a chance to take you out

By the way I do not like what you said 
about favoritism you see I went through an 
N. C. O. Class and what is more I got the 
forth highest marks, believe it or not; so I think 
I earned them there stripes, Anyhow I'm thinking 
of giveing them back there nothing but a pain 
in the neck.
I think your Mother is quiet correct in 
saying what she said about the Ball so what 
say we do a couple of shows and maybe a 
bit of skating instead, ok ? Besides I only 
have six days leave and I would have to
 

2
find a good Ball and then notify everyone 
in that six day which would probably finish 
up by my not giveing them much notice, 
and it might turn out a flop.

That photo will be done on Friday and 
if possible I will get leave and get it on Saturday 
morning and meet you outside Grace 
Building that is if I can get off I sincerely 
doubt it, that just proves what I said if I did 
not have these stripes I could take leave you see

You remember saying I would like you boy 
friend from Kanga Valley, well you should have 
said might because I'm a funny person and it 
seems very hard to understand. Catch on? I 
dont think you do.

Believe it or not in my Platoon we have a chap 
and I know it is hard to believe, but he speaks acts 
ect ect the same as your friend Mr G Nully, I 
got the shock of my life the other day when he 
came up behind me and spoke to me I would have 
sworn it was Greg I think you know what the 
ect ect means.
Well Dat I have just about done my dash 
at present I'm in a lovely temper I could spit chips

3
You remember I told you that they wanted more 
N.C.0.'s well - they woke up at last, but they picked 
promiseing men out of the ranks or at least told 
the Platoon Commander to and he promptley picked 
his friends gave me two and said here these 
men will help you Cpl, well there is one thing 
these chaps had to have to be any good or at least 
several things one word of Command two Common 
sense and a few others, and they have none 
while at the same time there are good 
men in these (who are not my friends) 
but were in the same school as I was and 
have a good idea of what is wanted, but that 
is just the way they do things in the army
Anyhow Dot you probably will not no 
me next time you see me I'm getting grey 
headed, thin and everything else at once that's 
just how it is. Well I won't bore you any longer 
Dot so until the next time "Cheerio"
Sincerely Yours
Mal
PS Don't forget to write soon.

21st May 1940
Cpl M Keshan NX11069
C/O "J" Coy R.J.D
A.I.F Military Camp
Greta

Dear Dot
Just a few lines to let you know my change of address
and all about my promotion as you have no doubt noticed
Well you remember in the last letter I said they kept me
back from going overseas for some other reason besides the
Guard well that was it and now they call me Cpl instead of
Pte and it also raises my wages 4/- per day, but takeing all that
into consideration I think I will give them their stripes back if
they do not get more Cpls soon. You see it's like this they are
surposed to have three Cpls to one Platoon and I'm the only one
in my Plt so I have to do three mens work most of the time
and believe me it is pretty tough. Just for example do you know
that since I have been up here I wrote two letters to you and on
account of being so busy I had to do it while on duties, in bits
and pieces sort of thing, and upon reading it after I ripped them up.
By the way I saw you last Friday week waiting on the corner of
King St for a tram to pass, not a bad looking chap that was
with you if I may say so, let me see now, yes that correct he was
wearing a light sports coat, blue sports shirt, dark trousers, I was passing

 

2

Tuesday night 7 .30 PM

in a taxi at the time I was going to pull him up and chase you only
there were four soldiers with me and I would have had a hard time
getting them to wait I know they would have insisted on coming
and I thought you might not like that not or if you did not mind
your boy friend might have so I left it.
Anyhow Dot there is nothing much to tell you yet but when there is
I will let you know.
I almost forget we were told the other day that we would definately
be out off  here in a months time and on the boat so I expect to
be on my final leave soon.
On account of us being reinforcements I do believe I loose my
sp stripes on the other side when we come under British Command
Im not sure of it though.
Well Dot don't forget to write soon I expected a letter all this week
but I never get what I expect so until the next time "Cheerio"
Sincerely Yours

Mac X X X X X
P S Wish Mum and Dad all the best for me
Please excuse writing ect ect.
Mac