Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 13)

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over here, its surposed to be winter at present but unless someone told you, you would never 
know it, the heat is terrific, I do believe they call this "The Promised Land" well all I can say 
is I wish they would give it to whoever they promised it to. 
You should hear me speak Arabic Dot; Im hot stuff the only people who don't know what Im talking 
about are the Arabs, there's no doubt about it they are dumb. 
During our lunch hour to-day the chaps started playing two-up, you would not know what 
it is, but anyhow its a game of luck, catch on, well I've never played before, but to-day I thought 
I'd give it a fly just this once so I took out 50 mils and said to myself if I lose this thats the 
end, anyhow I won 1650 mils with that 50 not bad eh? its not as much as it sounds 
Dot an Aust Pound is equal to 800 mils, all the currency over here is in mils so everyone 
goes round talking like millionaires in 100 and 1000's it seems funny until you get 
used to it, by the way that was my first and last game of two-up. 
Its not very hard to describe the Arab people you can describe the general run in one 
word filthy, they are very dirty from what I have seen, we visited a village one day 
and found the streets very narrow, and when the people step out of their front door 
they step into the road and the smell was something awful we were relieved when 
we finally got out of the village and could once more breath freely. Another thing 
I can say is I have yet to see an Arab child who does not look as though he needs 
a wash very bad. The flies crawl all over them and it don't worry them in the least. 
The Arab men have a very easy time Dot; they buy their wives, and if they have 
enough money they can get three or four just as they wish, anyhow they buy them 
according to the work they can do and it nothing to see the men riding along on a 
donkey with his wives walking along behind carrying big bundles on their heads 
they carry some for miles without a rest and they don't wear shoes. If the man 
has not got any wives he just packs everything on the donkey and jumps on

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top. I pity the donkey they are only little things and they have to work terrible hard, 
when the men sit on them their feet just about drag on the ground. 
One thing that I don't like here, is their soft drinks, they are terrible, Id much rather 
water, they only have one flavor anyhow of course they put it in different ball and 
call some orange, lemon, and many other things but it all tastes like bad water, 
their chocolate is not to good either, the only thing that's worth getting is the oranges 
they are good and also very cheap. 
My camera is not so hot over here, its rather small and I have to get all the snaps 
enlarged, it's a Bantam but the trouble is getting film, I find it very hard to get. 
The place we are in at present is a funny hole, the Arab men and boys are very 
friendly, but the women are just the opposite, the little girls also, when we walk up 
the street the girls whisper to each other and stare at us, but they never speak or 
come near us. The Jews wont even speak to you, which is just fine as far as Im 
concerned, of course if they think they can get anything out of you that's different 
I don't like them myself, just can't stand them. 
How is everything going at home, hope your having a good time, plenty of 
danceing etc, how are my rivals going, doing any good? I hope not, I'm very 
mean in that respect you know, not that it does me any good, I'm not in the 
race from what I g can, make out. 
So far, I have not had a chance to have a ride on a camel, but at the first 
opportunity I get Ill, definately try one out, and I'll ride it or bust. 
They have some very nice horses here darl, but I don't think they take very good 
care of them, and they are beautiful animals, they just about gallop them 
to death, over rough rocky ground to, it's a wonder they stand up to it 
in some cases.

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There is not very much more I can tell you, Dot; I could write a lot, but the censor 
would go to work on it so I'll save him the job. 
After looking this over this letter Dot; I doubt if you will be able to read it the writing 
etc is not the best; I bet you will be glad to see the end of it. 
Where we are at present there is some sort of a festive season on and every night at 
midnight, they have an old cannon almost opposite where we are f which they fire 
and it wakes the whole town, then every morning at four, there is an old chap 
comes out on the tower just up the road from us and starts to yell out at the 
top of his voice, it's a nice place, not to be in. 
Will you wish Ray all the best for me, and tell him to write the first chance 
he gets, I think he has changed his address, again also tell him Ill write 
him as soon as possible. 
Well Dot. I will have to stop as I should have been on 
duty 10 minutes ago. I will write again later in the week must leave 
now have lots to tell you in the next one. Until the next time. 
Big Cheerio. 
(Signature) [[JB Wells]] 
Lots of Love xxxxxx 
Yours Very Sincerely xxxxx 
Mac xxxx 
xxx
xx 
x 
 

"A" Coy. 19th Inf. Ing. Bn.
A. I. F.
Abroad. 

Dear Dot, 
Once more I had the pleasure of receiving another letter from you 
which is the second since I left; the only thing I was sorry about is that there 
was only one. You say you share all the news with Ray, well I write to him now 
and again, but as you share the news, you know that, I don't think he would pass 
very much news on to my mother, because everytime I write to you I write home 
so you probably both pass it to Ray. I don't think you would have recognised her 
from me. You see she is the Lady of Ladies, and nothing like her, swell headed, 
(thats one of your own) cold hearted, hard faced, son. Funny thing that the W, stands for 
William, believe it or not. I wish I had been in Bettys place that night in the 
double seat nothing would have pleased me more. Don't you think it's a bit tough 
Dot. I mean at these theatre party, to promise about six chaps that you will sit 
next to them, and then when the night comes make them scramble to see who 
actually does sit next to you, that will never do Dot just think how disappointed 
the chaps are who don't get one of those two seats. You ask certain questions in 
your letter darl which I have already told you in others so I wont repeat myself. 
Thanks a lot for the congratulations on my first vote, but its a little out of 
place, as I have not yet had one, and what is more I did not have to buy a new hat 
as I have them issued to me now, sorry if I disappointed you. Im very surprised 
to learn that you did not rush out to see your friend Greg when he was in the 
building knowing as you say how you adore him. I suppose that is the 
reason you got all the information about him, as you say I will certainly

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watch out for him, we may be able to get together and have some good times 
like we used to before. Sorry to hear that Sydney is so lonely and I really wish 
I could do something about it, more than you think. I thought that when 
they got rid of that certain guy you talk about the place would improve 
I hope I didn't get you to mad at me darl, I mean in referring to Kelly but 
you asked for it, you said I couldn't hit back in that letter, well in 
that way I can I don't know if its effective, I will look out for him but 
up to date I have never ran from any one or thing, and I think Im getting 
a bit old to start now as you suggest, besides this place is infested with 
things that crawl, and walk and another microbe, wont worry me in the 
least, besides there is an old saying, the army makes you or breaks you, and 
he wouldn't take much breaking. Well darl there is not much to tell you, 
since the last letter I have not had any leave and I can not tell you 
anything about the camp etc. As for Palestine its a place of sand and 
rocks, the Arabs hold their Sunday on our Saturday and our Sunday is just 
like a week day over here, and they had their Christmas last month. The 
Arab men that work on the roads and buildings never seem to stop work 
they work every day in the week and start early and finish late although 
they never seem to stop they actually work hard. The Arabs have a drink 
over here which they call Irak, when they drink it they get very drunk but 
thats not all, after the effect has worn of and they are sober again, if they 
go and have a drink of water or anything for that matter they get drunk 
again and its liable to have that effect on them for a week. You should 
have seen me yesterday morning darl, you would have laughed if you 
had, I chased a donkey for about 15 minutes trying to catch it so I could

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hop on and have my photo taken, when I did finally catch it and get on the 
darn thing tried to run away with me, I tried for a while but I couldn't 
make it stand still, and in the end I had to get a chap to hold it while they took 
the snap, when I got of an Arab came over and tried to charge me 20 mils 
for having had my photo taken on his donkey, funy funny part about it was 
he didn't own the donk and had probably never seen it before, he got a big 
shock though, he was told he was on military property and if he didn't get of 
pronto he'd finish up in the jug (jail) you should have seen him go. All the 
Arabs are the same, very cheeky if they think they can get away with, and when they 
find they can't they go for their lives. There are not very many camels around here 
well we dont see very many anyhow, and so far I have not had a chance to have 
a ride. I started to write this letter last night darl , but at present, Im stretched 
out on a ground sheet in the sun, I don't think I'll be here much longer 
though its getting a bit to hot. I often think to myself when walking 
round over here, I wonder what I would be doing if I was back in Sydney 
as a matter of fact there is always someone asking that question, it makes you 
think for a while then you tell them what you would like to be doing. As 
yet I have not posted the photos darl, I have a few more now, of some of the 
native quarters and Old Jerusalem, the reason I have not posted them, is Im 
writing to you once a week by Air Mail, and if I write and post the snaps 
I will have very little to put in the Air Mail letter, so when you get the photos 
dont be surprised if you only receive a very short letter with them. I 
don't know what Ill have to tell you next time as I'm going on leave to 
Tel Aviv again to-morrow so you never know I may have something to 
tell you that will be of interest. We have a theatre over here, darl and

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you can go to the pictures every night in the week and not see one 
show twice its a change daily place, and on Sunday they have a 
matinee which is also different so we can see eight different pictures 
in one week, the only trouble is they cut them a terrible lot and it 
spoils the picture in a lot of cases, and the place itself is not the best, 
I much rather go to a show with you, as a matter of fact I went over 
this afternoon, yes it's night again now, and I started writing this last 
night, but I have torn one up so far, it was a terrible show this afternoon 
I made my friend come over with me and he hasn't stopped going crook 
yet. Dont forget to answer that question I asked you in the last letter. 
Well darl I'm getting very used to tinned food now, so next time I 
come for tea all you will be need will be a tin open, even the butter is 
tinned, and it has a funny taste to, but you get used to that. 
Well darling I'm afraid this is the best I can do, you got me that way 
I can't think honest, every time I read your letters I get a funny feeling 
once again it is until next week when I will write again "Great Big 
Cheerio". Lots of Love. 

Yours Very Sincerely. xxxxxx 
Mac . xxxxxx 
xxx 
xx 
x 

P.S. Remember there are no paragraphs so it not so terrible small. 
MK 
J. McKellar

BY AIR MAIL 
PAR AVION 

J. McKellar 
(Stamp) PASSED BY CENSOR 
No. 647

Miss D. Williams.
37 Byrnes St.
Bexley.
Via Sydney.
N.S.W.
Australia.

6.

NX11067 
Sgt. Keshan M.W. 

S.A.G.

"A" Coy. 19th Inf. Tng. Bn.
A. I. F.
Abroad 

Dear Dot, 
Well darl I received your letter ok yesterday and, believe me I have been looking forward to getting 
one from you for a long time, and if I read it much more I think the ink will wear of anyhow I almost 
know it word for word now. I think that was a good idea of your's, no paragraphs so I will do the same. 
You need not worry about that Saturday night darl, it was silly of me to ask you the way things were, but it 
was the only chance I had to see you, and I just had to try it, and hope for the best. I would be very pleased if 
you would send a few photos now and then. I thought I had picked out a nice lonely spot to write this letter 
and I had only just started when, someone came over sat down near me and started to talk, I was getting very 
annoyed and thinking of asking him to take a walk, when he decided to take a walk himself, shortly after 
my tent mate down to see how I was going, I told him up to putty, then mentioned the other chap, as 
soon as I told him he said ok I can take a hint and laughed and walked of. Funny thing but he is 
also called Mac, we both went to that school I was at just before leaving, when we returned to Greta 
we were also in the same Coy, on the boat we had a cabin between us, after we got here we 
were both sent out as special instructors, and now have returned and are in the same tent 
we hope to stick together all the time, he's a good mate only he has a bad habit of getting me very 
wild at times, actually he don't intend to, and he never takes me serious. You asked me did I 
remember the Man That Comes Around, well I remember it but I can't say I remember the words 
but I can not forget the night, it's one of those night of nights. I see you wish to know what 
S. A. G. means, well darl it means St Anthony Guide You. I remember what you said about 
viewing things differently, and what do you mean by tear this up before anyone gets a look 
as is surely you don't think I go round showing other peoply my letters, don't take me serious 
there I know you don't, I just wanted to get you going, remember I always said I wanted to 
see you when you were wild, I rekon you would look real good, even if you don't.