Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 5)

Potential Officers Wing
ECTS.
Narellan
Sunday.
Dear Dot,
Just a few lines to let you know how
things are going.
I do hope you will forgive me for not comeing
to your dance, but you see Im not very fond of
danceing, also Im not a very good dancer and I
can not do "Old Time" at all. Actually though the
the real reason I think is that well I just don't
know how to put it, you see I was not in a very
good mood when you rang up, I had not been all
day as a matter of fact, well no need to say I was
disappointed, well after that I was just like
a bear with a sore head so I just packed up and
went back to Narellan on Saturday night. I guess this
school is just makeing a cranky old man out of me.
Well I got your letter ok and I was pleased 
to find it was not six other chaps I guess I must 
be a privileged person at that.
Whether this will please you or not I do not know
but the general news up here is that "I Coy" J Coy
and "E Coy" have sailed and if you think hard
 

You may remember that I did belong to "J Coy"
so it looks as if I will never leave this place.
That is only a rumor though and it may be
wrong I hope so anyhow.
I thought I mentioned it in the last letter
but I must have forgot, but believe it or not I
had to wait for the train that Saturday night
you see it was five minutes late
When I left home to come back here I was
under the impression I was going to study to day
but I can not, you see I can do a thing, but I
just can not read about it, it just wont sink in
through my thick skull, I can read a whole book
and when Im finished I know no more than when
I started so you see this week end study is useless
Once again I say that Im terribly sorry about
last night, and I hope I did not disappoint you but
we will go some other time. I guess they will have
quiet a few more we will also go to the "Troc"
one night. I hope, and if you are not doing
anything on Saturday week night we will do
another show with your permission.
Anytime if you happen to be passing this
place you can drop in you know and pay
me a visit that is if happen to be passing
 

Dont forget young lady I would like a photo
of you all on your own, I did ask you once before
but have not received some yet and I will not stop
asking until I receive it.
You asked me what kept me yesterday on the phone
well I was in the bath when you rang so now
you know
When I thought of writing this letter I had a terrible
lot that I was going to tell you but when I start to write
it does not amount to much after all.
Once more I say done forget to write soon and remember
Dot you are still one letter behind. So until the next
time "Cheerio".

Loves and Kisses
Mac
XXXXXXXX
XXX
XX
X
P.S. Please excuse writing ect again but the more I
write the worse it gets.

MK
 

Potential Officers Wing
E.C.T.S.
Narellan
Monday night
Dear Dot
Once again I write to you just for your own information
this is the fourth letter I have written to you to-night the
other three have been burnt I had two pages finished in one
of them but after reading it I felt bored myself so that was the end.
I have decided that if I have to site here all damned night Im
going to write this letter
Everything is in a mess up here they got all the marks in
the exam mixed up so as yet I do not know how I went don't
be surprised if this letter gets a bit boring you see I m very
cranky to-night and from now on I refuse to study its a
waste of time.
As I told you I go back to Greta on Sunday night and from
what I can gather up here we go to Tamworth the following Friday
so I probably will not see you for about three week or maybe
four darn it, Im very disappointed we cannot spend Saturday night
together but I guess I can not have such good luck all the time.
I just know Im going to have a crook week end. I got a very
bright thought just a minute ago I thought that with a bit
of luck I may be able to get the quack to give me a Doctors
 

(2)
certificate giving me a few days off I dont know yet but I
may try it we could pay a visit to the Trocadero if it came of
I wont promise though.
Do not forget that photo I went give you any piece until
I get one of you alone that is unless you dont want to give
me one.
I hope you improve on your last letter it was one of
those cold letters you know what I mean, I was very pleased to
receive it though.
Well my sweet (I like that even if you dont) I guess this is the finish
this time hoping to see you soon the sooner the better until the
next time "Cherrio".
Loves and Kisses
Mac
XXXXXXXX
XXX
XX
X
P.S. Please excuse writing etc etc but Im still in a bad mood.
MK 

C/02/1 Batt J Coy
R.T.O.E.C.
Greta
Monday
Dear Dot,
Well here I am once more and believe it or
not this is the fourth time I have tried to write
to you to-day and I hope I can do a little better than
the last three.
To start with I do not know if I will be going
overseas or not now they told me to-day that I would
have to stay in Australia as an instructer until my
Commision comes through the Eastern Command then
they turned round and gave me a sea kit for on
the boat and said at present they did not know if
I would go or not so at present Im in the dark.
Just to make things a little more complicated I
do not know which I would prefer to do, but I
think I would rather stay here, you see all I would
have over there is a photo.
Please do not forget that photo you will not
get any peace until I receive it anyhow.
I seem to have a one track mind, and it makes
it very hard to write a good letter without
 

(2)
wandering onto this track, so you will have to
excuse me if this letter becomes boreing, which it
would in your mind, you would say but Im only seventeen.
As soon as I find out what Im doing I will let
you know, and remember if I do go overseas all my
letters to you are censored but yours to me are not.
Gosh darl after having such a good time last week
this place is sending me nuts I go around in a
sort of daze.
Boy would I like to get near that guy Hitler what
I wouldn't do to him is no bodies business, I bet he
would think twice before starting another war just
when I was having a great time, but then my luck
always was rotten
I never would have believed that saying Good Bye
could be so hard until after Saturday night
Well darling I hope I did not bore you to much
and once more I say Cheerio until the next time
Please write soon
XXXXXXxx
XXXX  (I wish I could give them in person.) 
Lots of love
Yours sincerely
Mac.
P.S. Please excuse mistakes etc but I'm not game to
read it over myself. How do you like Donald.
MK.
 

Greta
Monday
Dear Dot,
Well darl I received your letter ok and it was
very nice, the only trouble is I don't get enough
of them.
I'm glad you liked Donald etc but you should
not say you don't deserve it.
Terrible sorry you did not enjoy Saturday night
and thanks for getting the last dance for me but
you should not have done it (I dont deserve it, personally
I would have prefered out on our own so I could
have you all to myself away from all my rivals etc
I always was greedy.
I hope your cousin does alright but I do not
envy you one bit.
The best piece in your letter was about the
week of weeks I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope
we can spend many more the same as that one
because even though you enjoyed it you could
not have done so any more than I did.
You said in your letter you would give
my eyes a break and start to finish off well
 

(2)
thats doing just the opposite the only break they
get up here is your letters and the more breaks
they get the better I like it.
Im glad you have sent that photo darl it
should get here to-day before I post this I will
see if I can find it and I might be able to
add a little more to this letter.
Don't tell anyone but at present Im surposed
to be working like a nigger I was surposed to
work yesterday to but I spent the day breaking
army rules and regulations and taking snaps of
the camp etc, they do say it's much harder to
dodge work than do it Im not so sure but one of
these days will do it just to find out, maybe.
Believe it or not but I will be disappointed
if they turn around and send me away now as
I have been looking forward to getting down to see
you again so much but there is no chance of
my going with this lot so everything is ok.
Dont forget to save your letter up until I
get an address for you to write to you could write
up here but if this crowd goes it is liable to
go overseas, anyhow I expect to be shifted this
week and dont forget Ill expect a big letter the
 

(3)
first time even if mine are not so hot, and by
the way how many times have I told you your
letters could not bore me.
Funny thing I write about four letters to
you before I get one good enough to post the
general thing is to write one read it tear it
up and start all over again.
Well my sweet I guess there is nothing to tell
at present so until I see you "Big Cherrio"
Lots of Love
Sincerely Yours
Mac.
XXXXXX

XXXXX

XXXX
XXX
XX

X
(All for you)
(Only wish I
could give them in person)
P.S. Hope to see you very soon
P.S.S Tell Ray Im not going please.
MK