Letters between Malcolm William Keshan and Dorothy Williams, 1941 - Part 3

(2)

When you first see these things it makes you or shall I say gives you faith 
in a lot of things that before you only read about, but when you see how 
everything is commercialised it tends to shatter that same faith everywhere 
you go they ask for bucksheesh (money) but then I suppose if it wasn't that way 
it wouldn't be there. Now sweet just let me straighten you out a little you 
mentioned an album and a few other things etc,  and said you would have to 
put a stop to it, well forget it. I get more pleasure out of, as I kidd myself, doing 
something for you than you think, and being so far away there is very little 
I can do, so please don't say I shouldn't, because it won't make any difference. 
Well I won't go over Christmas as you have already heard about it or should have 
by now and I won't repeat myself, but I'm glad to hear you had a good time, 
and strange as it may seem I do remember Charl, quiet well as a matter of fact. 
Gosh you certainly are fond of that Valley. I wish I were as popular and you 
say you lazed about after the beautest Christmas dinner, I suppose you had to. 
That chap George Brooks has my sympathy he don't know what hes in for 
believe me but then that his worry now. Well after reading your letter 
no wonder you are fond of the Valley what with all the swimming 
riding dancing etc, and a man practically perfect what more could a 
girl want. It was just as well it was Hamilton that it was found  you and 
not me when you were sleeping, I couldn't have missed the chance to get 
some of those hundred matches that you owe me back, well at least you 
reckon its matches but not I. Boy am I unlucky just think of it your Dad away 
at Bowral which means no one to call you in early, and I had to be in Palestine. 
I was a bit disappointed at not getting a photo in these letters darl I'm 
looking forward to receiving one so don't forget it next time will you.

(3)

You make me feel ashamed of my letters sweet, in yours you say, I'm on my 
fifth page and already I'm running out of news, and in other only four 
pages that's all, and I only write two in most cases but this one will be 
nothing under five believe me. Ray still works in Grace Building, but not 
for Grace Building he is working on the second floor now and he drives a truck 
instead of a lift so you will probably see him around. As usual sweet you 
made a mistake in referring to the New Year maybe I did play up a little but 
as for nice girls the only time I see them is when I get a look at your photo 
and that's the only one that interests me, and as for night clubs, not interested. 
I sound like an old crank don't I sweet but I'm still the same old person you 
knew before. I haven't changed a bit, and what's more the cap didn't fit. Well sweet 
you will have to excuse the writing etc because this is a rush letter, I have to 
hurry because I'm liable to be cut short at any time and just have to sign off 
so I hope you will excuse it. There you go again, you say although it's only 
six pages, only six but boy do I get pleasure out of those six, and once more cut out 
this bored stuff you know you couldn't do it if you tried, so why say those things. 
Next on the list is dated 7th Jan, and as a matter of fact I like the way you 
started it, I wish you meant it. You say you hope I didn't take you seriously 
in reference to drink, well I did and even though you say you were not 
serious, I know just how you detest the stuff, a little bird told me. I 
laughed when I came across the part where you said you were glad Mac 
and myself were back together, I don't know why I did but I did, you see 
I expect to leave him in the next few days, and it might be for good you 
never can tell, but there is a chance that I won't leave at all, the last 
time I was about to leave, they stopped me at the last minute.

(4)

I knew I would get roared on for saying that about your dog but I couldn't 
resist the chance why the first day I visited your place he wanted to have a 
piece of me, gosh you scare me stiff saying you will put him onto me. 
You say don't get fed up, but I  can't help it, but I don't let things get me down 
to easy and as for the stripes well just don't worry I often say things like that 
when I can't get my own way but it wears off after a while besides so far I 
have managed to get out of instructing and I look like getting out for keeps. 
Another little point you keep on saying your letters are in a frightful mess 
well they are not, you must have bad eyesight. Theres no doubt about you 
and Bett when you get to-gether I wonder who it is thats the bad influence 
fancy running around at that time of the morning throwing stones into 
peoples places and cooeeing milkman, what would mother say, it's a 
wonder you didn't get a policeman after you. So you can cook I'm just 
busting for a chance to try you out. You couldn't get any body photos 
off my mother because she wouldn't part with them but if that's all you 
want want to see wait until I get back I'll show them to you, it wouldn't worry 
me any. I'm sorry to hear your mother has been sick and I hope she is 
as fit as a fiddle, by the time this reaches you or at least long before wish her 
and your Dad all the best for me and B to. And so the 14th Jan well you don't 
roar on me so much lately, maybe you think I'm not worth roaring at, any 
how believe it or not I like it that is at times. Now listen I told you once 
before lay off that talk about getting my foot taken off by a camel, and what's 
more you need not worry because I won't get it taken of to please anyone 
Gosh I don't know what you must say when you get my letters this one was 
four pages and it seemed terrible short. Sure I will look the same nothing

(5)

could change that funny face of mine unless a camel had a bite at it, he'd 
do his teeth in even then, what's more I still act the same and I am the same. 
And am I waiting for the day I can get back and talk to you instead of write I can 
talk a lot better than I write I think. Well there wasn't much to that one darl 
and the next is 21st Jan So your on your holidays at last I'll bet you have a good time 
and your not the only one who wishes I could have seen that view, I do also 
for more reasons than one. Your getting as bad as I am sweet, that is as far as 
eating goes I'm very much after your style that is never satisfied. Do you 
mean to tell me your on holidays and you get up at 5 AM in the morning 
why in that case its a waste of time going to bed, do you know it almost kills 
me getting out at seven so I'm afraid I would never be able to see the farm 
at five. Well at present darl I feel great I think, and Im in the best of health. Those 
horses were Arabian and the ones I sent you would look like mules along side 
them. Good on George, congratulat him for me will you I was pleased to hear 
that it makes a lot of difference tell him to keep it up. No one wishes I could 
answer the next question more than I do darl, but Im wondering when myself. 
Well I'm getting near the finish sweet, that darned old censor had a hide 
he went and opened one of my letters can you beat that. The weather 
has been terrible to-day windy and the dust has been blowing over 
everything. How am I going sweet, not bad for boy am I, five pages 
By the way Im going to repeat myself darl, just remember keep writing 
even if you don't hear from me for a month or even more, you never know 
what might happen that will stop me from writing so don't forget. By the 
way I have some more photos coming out for you if I'm not here when I leave 
I will get old Bullet head (Mac) to post them to you ok, and believe it or not, he has 

(6)

grown a mo, I haven't had time to try and shave it off yet but I will. Well 
Im afraid this is the end sweet Im going to post another letter at the same 
time on this with snaps only in it. Once again its best wishes to all
Lots of love and take care of yourself "Big Cheerio"

Sincerely Yours Forever x       x
Mac x     x       x    
 x     x     x     x                
 x   x    x
x

P.S. I did make the sixth page but only just.
Mac
x                                                           

A.F. W3078
PASSED BY CENSOR No. 3389
ACTIVE SER 
AIR. MAIL.

Signature
Name only }
M. Keshan.
Address:-
Miss. D. Williams.
37 Byrnes St
Bexley.
Sydney.
Australia

Received 19/2/41

S.A.G.

"A" Coy. 2/4th Batt.
A.I.F.
Abroad.
24th Feb, 41

Dear Dot,
Well here I am at last, you have probably been wondering
what has happened to me, seeing it's three weeks since 
the last letter, but this is the first chance I've had, in the last 
three weeks I've covered a fair bit of ground, and I haven't finished 
yet, but the worst of it was I couldn't write, and even if I had 
been able to write I couldn't get stamps or post the letters anywhere. 
As you will notice by my address I'm no longer in the 
reinforcements but with my unit, even though you may not 
think so it's just as well. I think I would have gone crazy if 
I had been there much longer, actually I almost sent them crazy 
trying to get to the unit, or at least Mac and I well the 2 O C 
a nasty piece of work by the way, told me I could only go up as a Pte 
as no N.C.O's are taken in the Batt from the reinforcements, so 
I decided to join the unit as a Pte, at first they didn't know what to 
do with me but then they decided I would have to go back to the 
ranks, but that's nothing it wont be long before I rise again as soon 
as there is a vacancy I'll start to rise again, they cant keep me down
Since I last wrote I have been through Egypt and right into
Libya, and I had a real good time on the way up to, believe me 
I visited Alexandria one afternoon, I wasnt supposed to but I did

(2)

its not a bad place very big, but I still have to see any place with the
lawn as good as Sydney the thing that spoils most of these places 
is the Wogs, with there filth they would spoil anything honest, but 
the town itself isn't bad there are dozens of night clubs, I visited a 
few to see there floor shows which weren't much good, there taxi 
service consists mainly of the old horse and cart, [[Gauries?]] I think 
they call them the horses are specially trained owing to the road being 
made out of big slabs of rock and very slippery, you see all kinds 
of people there and hear just about every language spoken, the 
main one being fren French, some things are cheap, and others dear 
but you have to be very careful or you get robbed. Im glad I dont 
drink as it's one of the dearest things in Alex. Just outside the town
 they have big lakes, and every now and again they pump water 
into them from the sea, then they wait until the water evaporates
 and by continually doing this they get a big lake of salt and that's 
the way they supply the city. Well from Alex we went on to Tobruk 
when we arrived there the place was in a hec of a mess the Harbour 
was full of wreck of all shapes and sizes and there was one ship 
still burning. the town had been blown to bits in places and there 
were no civilians there at all, not even Wogs and everywhere you 
looked you would see burnt out trucks and tanks left by the Italians 
in there retreat there were hundreds and hundreds of them, and 
ammunition, rifles, big guns, they must have lost thousands and 
thousands of pounds worth of stuff at Tobruk alone there were 
that many trucks you couldnt count them and they were big

(3)

ones to each truck would have cost no less than seven hundred pounds 
some of then they only destroyed the engines, and lots of the chaps 
got to work on them, and finally got some of them to work, and in 
the end almost every one had a truck or a motor bike. we also did 
a bit of shooting while we were there with Iti rifles v amcs we 
just collected it up and went out in the hills and blazed away. the 
country there is not much good all desert, nothing but sand and rocks 
and every third day there is a dust storm, its a great place, to keep away 
from. The only bath you could get at Tobruk was a swim in the Medd 
which I did quite often, and boy was it cold, but it was good. I started 
to write to you from there and had just finished a page and a half when 
we had to get ready to move so I was unable to finish it, and I did learn 
one thing darl, that is its not very wise to carry your letters with me, 
you see everywhere we went there were Iti letters, and photos of there
 girl friends etc, and anyone able to read Iti and mean enough, could 
have read them, and I know for a fact some people would if they could 
Im just busting for some mail, I havent had any since I left Palestine 
and I don't suppose I will get any for a while yet as it all has to be 
posted on to me and it takes time. Well we continued our trip and 
headed for Derna as you get near Derna the country starts to improve 
you see a few bushes here and there and now and then a house 
or two there is nothing much to see though all the country is just hills 
and scrub that is until you get to Derna Pass and then you get one 
of the best views I have seen, the pass itself is an excellent piece of 
engineering it winds around and round down the side of the moun