Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 8)

2/4 Bn. 6th Div
4th Reinf. A. I. F.
Abroad. 

Dear Dot, 
Just a few lines to let you know whats what  
etc 
Well Dot by the time you get this I will 
probably be on the boat as Im going to leave 
it until the last minute to post it 
I very nearly got down to see you on  
Thursday Dot, I had everything aranged perfect 
and the the darn car had to break down and  
spoil it, just my luck. 
At present there is still a chance of my  
ringing you at the office. Im still sore at  
that bit in your last letter, the more I think  
of it the more Im liable to ring up. 
The weather up here at present is terrible, its  
hot and windy 
Not that this will worry you any I guess but  
wait until you hear from me again before you 
[*14*]

(2) 
write, you see I will be on the sea for a  
while and I think it would be better to write  
when I have finally setteled down, or then again  
maybe if you just wrote a few lines it might catch  
up with me however please yourself. 
It must have been a fluke Dot, the last letter  
I mean, this one is starting to get near the end  
already. 
As I have told you before I will write a letter  
or two on board boat and try to get them away  
at the first port we call at. 
Things are very lively at present you see we  
pull at out of camp at about 8 o'clock in the  
morning, which means we rise at 4 o'clock, and we  
have a lot to do between now and then believe me. 
I don't know if I asked you last time but if  
you see old Dave say goodbye to him for me  
please tell him I'll see him when I come back. 
Try as I may to think of some think to put  
in this letter Dot I'm stuck so I will leave it

(3) 
for a while and go do some work. 
I hope you don't mind my sending those  
snaps down to you and asking you to mind  
them, sort of parking all my rubbish on you  
but if you dont want to give them to Ray. 
Well my sweet, I hope you don't think that is to  
mushy. I guess this is the end for the time being 
I wont say good bye because its only "Cheerio" see you 
when and if I come back, and in between you will 
hear from me quite a lot once more Big "Cheerio" 
Lots of love 
Sincerely Yours XXXXX 
Mac                    XXX 
                             XX 
                             X

2/4 Bn 4th Reinf. 
A. I. F.
Abroad. 

Dear Dot, 
Well Dot just a few lines to let you  
all the news if you can call it that I  
guess there is not much of interest at present  
but I will see what I can do. 
We had a great send of when we left,  
there were all kind of boats sailing around  
us just previous to pulling out and as we  
sailed up the harbour they followed us  
blowing their whistles, it gave you a funny  
kind of feeling in the throat. 
So far the trip has been very good, but  
there has been a good deal of sea sickness  
(no not me) though I guess that was to be  
expected. 
The accomadation is excellent Dot, we  
are, or at least there are, two Sgt to a cabin  
the food is very good, and taking it all

(2) 
round it's just like a pleasure cruise I do  
very little work if any and all we seem  
to do is play deck games and sleep. 
Here is something that will please  
you Dot we have a wet canteen which  
is open all day and they sell beer which  
is also excellent we had a little party  
the first night out and I didn't even have  
a head ache the next day (now stop going crook  
it wasnt that bad) 
You can count yourself lucky that I didn't  
ring you young lady or maybe it's me  
thats lucky, for once. 
At present Im in bed with a tin of  
Barley Sugar, on one side of me, and a photo  
on the other, writing this letter or at least  
trying to and not doing so good. 
I think you will probably find yourself  
getting a little confused when reading my  
letters Dot and you will be saying to

(3) 
yourself I think Mac has a screw loose  
some where which is probably right at that. 
The reason for same being I add a little to 
this letter each day Dot and you will find 
him a lot of yesterday and to-day sort of 
thing in it, catch on Dot? No I don't think 
you do, why Im writing it and Im starting  
to get confused myself so we will just leave 
it at that. I hope you can work it all out. 
Did you get the telegram I sent you ok? 
there was also a parcel and a letter you should 
have the three by now darl I hope you 
received them ok. 
How is everything in general going my sweet 
still having a good time plenty of danceing 
etc I wish I were with you. We have a 
beaut dance floor on board Dot, actually its 
not a dance floor but all you would have 
to do is roll up the carpets and you 
couldn't get better, we have an orchestra to

(4) 
but there is no one to dance with, shame 
isnt it. 
By the way darl tell Ray I will write 
as soon as everything gets settled down will  
you please. 
Are you still doing or trying to do the  
cooking Dot or is your mother ok again 
I hope for everyones sake she is better, (dont 
say it remember your a lady) thats better, now 
don't forget darl always count ten or maybe 
you had better make it twenty, what with 
a temper like that. 
The weather has not been the best the 
last few days Dot it has been rather rough 
and it has been hanging a fair few of the 
chaps over the rail. I pity them Dot but 
at the same time I have to laugh, you 
should hear some of the remarks, most  
of them say they never want to see the 
sea again.

(5) 
You may remember saying Dot that when 
they started to censor my letters it would be 
a good job because I wouldn't be able to  
write certain things but just in case you 
don't know it I will tell you it does not 
make the least bit of difference because the 
censors don't study the letters they just glance 
over them and besides they don't know who 
is sending them so you see I could say 
anything in that respect I liked, but I wont 
bore you by saying it because you know 
just how I feel about it or you should. 
Anytime I change which I wont I will let  
you know. Sorry to but I just had to say 
my piece Dot but now that I have it of 
my chest I will keep quiet. 1 2 3 4 5 Don't  
forget darl 20 not ten. 
One of the chaps was very unlucky 
Dot he had a very bad attack of appendercitis  
and had to be taken of the boat

(6) 
and an operation performed as soon as possible. 
Gosh dot I'm getting terrible lazy on this 
trip, and putting on weight to, but I guess that 
wont do me any harm. 
Im going to get as many snaps as 
possible Dot and I will send them to you 
and you can keep them for me until I  
come back if you will darl, you might  
have to keep them for a long while. 
Well darl I guess this will be all this 
time I will try to do better next time. 
Now don't forget write now just one long  
letter and then wait until I have setteled 
down and I know what Im attached to 
as soon as I know I will write and tell you 
I don't want you to write more than one  
because I don't want any to go astray 
which is quite possible. 
Once more it's a Great Big Cheerio 
Lots of Love            XXXXX 
sincerely Yours         XXXX 
Mac                           XXX 
                                   XX 
                                     X

H.M. TRANSPOST

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL 
FORCE
PASSED BY CENSOR
493 
[*Letter No. 
1 
Received 
25/9/40*] 
  
Miss . D. Williams 
37 Byrnes. St. 
Bexley. 
Via Sydney. 
N.S.W.