Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 7)

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS, CONGRATULATORY
TELEGRAMS, SOCIAL MESSAGES,
MOTHER'S DAY REMEMBRANCES
as well AS EASTER, CHRISTMAS
and NEW YEAR GREETINGS,
are issued on attractively coloured and appropriately
designed telegram forms
WITHOUT EXTRA CHARGE.

You may lodge your message at any TELEGRAPH OFFICE, using the usual
telegram form, or telephone it to "TELEGRAMS," indicating that the message
is to be issued on an ornamental form.

NOTE.- The standard time for the Eastern states of Australia Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania 
is half an hour in advance of the standard time for South Australia and two hours in advance of the standard time 
for Western Australia.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA-POSTMASTER GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT
RECEIVED TELEGRAM

The first line of the telegram contains the following particulars in the order named.


Office of Origin Mil P.U
Words Greta 

Time Lodged 17

No. 2-45

To
Miss W. Williams
37 Byrnes St.
Bex


Write soon 2/4 Battalion

reinfs Greta explain later
Mac

3-20
 

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS, CONGRATULATORY
TELEGRAMS, SOCIAL MESSAGES,
MOTHER'S DAY REMEMBRANCES
as well AS EASTER, CHRISTMAS
and NEW YEAR GREETINGS,
as issued on attractively coloured and appropriately
designed telegram forms
WITHOUT EXTRA CHARGE.

You may lodge your message at any TELEGRAPH OFFICE, using the usual
telegram form, or telephone it to "TELEGRAMS," indicating that the message
is to be issued on an ornamental form.

NOTE.- The standard time for the Eastern states of Australia Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania 
is half an hour in advance of the standard time for South Australia and two hours in advance of the standard 
time for Western Australia.
 

NX11067
Sgt Keshan M. W.
2/4 Bn Reinf
A.I.F. Abroad
Dear Dot,
Just a few lines to let you know the 
latest news etc.
I was very disappointed on Saturday night
actually though I did not expect you to go
but I hoped you would and I was very sore
when I rang home and found out you could
not make it you see it was the last chance
I had of seeing you before sailing I think.
Just between you and me I was A.W. L.
we came down by car and we didn't waste any
time either believe me I think we just about
broke a record.
Above you will notice the address to put on
any letters you post to me but you had better
wait until you hear from me again before
writing I'm not quite sure if its correct and
 

(2)

besides there is just a chance that they will
pull me of this draft
The other day I spent hours writing to you
and after reading it I tore it up but that happen
often though.
I received your letter to-day it was rather
small but better than none. The reason I sent
that telegram was, I wanted to get a letter from
you before leaving because I don't know how
long it will be before I receive one after I sail
I would have written to you only it would
have been to late as we expect to leave Tues
or Wednesday.
Well Dot as you will notice on top they
gave me another stripe but they said I would
probably lose the lot when we get over the
other side, not that I care I'm just about sick
and tired of everything no matter what I do
it won't work out the way I want it.
Enclosed you will find a few pictures of
 

(3)
the camp keep them for me until I come
back (Pardon my mirth)
Gosh I was wild when I read one part of
your letter, the part where you said not to ring
the office and "Well seriously, if you do, well, you
won't ever again that's all." honest I got that mad I
was going to go down and ring up there and then
I might even yet.
I'm sorry to hear mum is sick and I hope
she soon gets well (I hope she don't mind me calling her mum)
wish her all the best for me, and tell her she
had better hurry and get better or your father
might get sick, a man can not live on, baked beans
etc not for long anyhow.
I went for a march this morning and we
were our respirators (gas masks) you should try
it some time, to make it worse the heat was
terrific.
Gosh Dot so far I doing pretty well this
is the third page with a little hard thinking
I may make it four.
 

(4)

This time I will very likely get away as the
only reason that they will pull me out of the
draft is to give me a Commission and the
report has not come from the Eastern Command
yet and it is not due for another ten days and
by that time it will be to late. Still I won't say
I'm definitely going until the boat is outside the
heads.
Strange though it may seem, you get a funny
kind of feeling when it gets this close to going away
it's quite on the cards that we might leave to-night.
Don't you forget to make your next letter a
big one, the more there is the better I like it
The militia came in up here on Sunday and
of our chief warned us that anyone who got into
a fight with any of them and got beat had better
look out for himself but if he won it would
be ok.
Gosh this place is in a mess I have all my
gear spread out all over the floor I'm just sorting
 

(5)
it out or at least was
Well Dot I wrote this letter yesterday or
four pages of it and I was going to finish
it and post it last night (Monday) when some
one started a new rumor so before posting it
I will try find out if this rumour means anything
We are going on a 23 mile march to-day so
I will leave it until I come back before I send it
by that time I may have something definite though
I doubt it very much.
Back from the march and still there is no
news what ever, so I have decided to send it anyhow
it would be terrible if something happened and I could
not post this letter I would be disappointed as it is
very seldom that I get as far as three pages.
Don't be surprised if you get another letter
next week saying Im not going again, as I said
anything is liable to happen.
Even if you don't I think I have done rather
good, five pages of shall we say nothing, when its
all boiled down there so not much in the whole darn
 

(6)
lot.
You know young lady I'm still thinking of giving
you a call on the phone. The way you told me
not to sounded something like a threat.
Well Dot as I might not get another chance, I'm
sending down a little present for your birthday you
can keep it until then if you wish or open it
know please yourself but I hope you like it
(and don't go saying you shouldn't do that) anyhow with it goes
all the best of wishes etc etc. Don't let that give
you the idea you won't be bored by my letters
before then because you will, that is if the
boat don't get sunk. (Pardon my mirth again)
I wonder that if, it just so happened that we
did not, leave before the week end, and I did
happen to get down again, I wonder well you
should know what I wonder.
There has been no more S.W.A.L.K.s on
any of your letters since the last one I told
you about I don't suppose will ever be any
more because if you won't put it on no
 

(7)
one else will
Once more Dot I will stop boring you
and finish up, anyhow I couldn't write any
more if I tried. So until the next time
'Big Cheerio'
Lots of Love
Sincerely yours.
Mac

P.S Just a little change in address
2/4 Bn. 6th Div
Reinf. A.I.F.
Abroad