Correspondence relating to William Dunstan, August - December 1945 - Part 13

309493

Captain W. Dunstan,

Officers' Wing,

R.A. Base Depot

DEOLALI. INDIA

==============

1st December, 1945

 

My dear Dad,

This is really just a short note to let you know

that I have been posted to a regiment at last. It is - 

178 Field Regiment

23 Indian Divisian - 

which is located in Java.

I did not ask to be sent there, so it won't be my

fault if I get mixed up in the trouble in that part of the 

world. It may take some time for sea passage to be 

arranged for me, so in all probability it will be over by

the time of my arrival.

It is a British Unit, so I won't have to sweat for

months learning URDU, which is a good thing. In a way I 

am glad to be going there -- it will be interesting to 

see what is going on.

Also, if I can persuide the C.O. to let me go

absent for a few weeks, I may be able to hitch-hike home for

a spot of leave -- something which I couldn't do in India.

This depot is giving me the willies too - the food

is dreadful and a change of it will do me good.

I had the second wisdom tooth extracted a couple of 

days ago. The same dentist as before did the job. He 

gave me a local anaesthetic (I have spelt it wrong even now?)

and whipped it out intact after five minutes manipulation with 

no pain at all. He is a chap just out of his training,

but very good.

Continue to use the same address - I will send a 

cable when I sail. It may be weeks before I leve here.

From you very loving Son

======================

December 3, 1945

Dear Bill,

It's Sunday night and I am scribbling this out

at home for Mrs Gribbin to type out tomorrow. I want

to keep a copy in case you want to refer to anything I have

said.

I got your letters of November 16th and 21st 

last Friday and I'll reply to the several points in them

before getting on to any particular gossip.

I think some of your letters must be in surface

mail. It certainly is strange that Australia and New

Zealand should not come within the same Empire rates.

I'll check this with my Postal friends and see what it 

means. I hope none of my letters ere in any destroyed

en route. You say you have had a rumour to this effect.

I believe all my recent letters have had some mention of 

pans for your future.

Don't worry about cigars for me. There 

would be none fit to smoke as all cigars and cheroots of

any quality rolled in India - the leaf - mostly came from 

Manila and that market been closed for years. In 

India too, they have a nice habit of topping the boxes with

good leaf cigars and the rest is usually rubbish.

I hope by now your teeth are alright. you 

should try to make enquires about the dentist before

trusting yourself to him.

Be sure to write to Brigadier Bowtell Harris, 

Sir Iven Mackay and Roy Gollan. It was nice of them to

write to you. They are good friends. I have written

to Bo Harris and Roy Gollan thanking them and will write to

Sir Ivan too.

The photos haven't turned up. We are eagerly

awaiting them.

I'm sorry you couldn't get any clothes in 

England. Maybe I should see Jack Lewis and book a priority for you here. I'll do that. It takes many months to

/get a

2.

get a suit made and you'll have nothing to fit you. The

prices are high here too.

You say you are still unsettled as to what

you'll do. I advise you to give George Caro's offer a

go. It will pay you £400 a year to start with rapid

rises. Have no fear that you cannot make a go of it.

I'll be here to help and advise you and George is too good a 

business man to make you an offer simply because you are

my son. 

As to what you should study - I suggest 

you read all the market reports you can get and if there is a 

Library of sorts about - anything you can get on Economics. 

The Public Libraries are usually good - if not, and if

there is no Army rehabilitation and education system, what

about trying the nearest University Library. Meantime,

I will see what I can get here in the way of text books.

If you take the job at Gollins, you will NOT 

be tied to a desk. It will mean moving round Australia

quite a bit and I should think a trip abroad occasionally. 

If you want to come into the newspaper business, 

that's alright, but I believe I will finish up my life's

work with a rather sour heart for it - it is disappointing 

me in many ways. I don't believe our newspapers

(Australia's) are on a high enough plane. They don't 

crusade enough. They are too much of popular appeal

instead of community service. The owners are too

wealthy and self satisfied and too dictatorial. I'm

afraid this will tend to worsen as time goes on as I see

nobody of high ideals coming into editorial prominence. 

That is - nobody likely to get power enough to carry out his

ideals.

There can be a lot of heartbreaks in the news-

paper field, and, as you have had six years out of your life, I don't expect and don't wish you to become a 

crusader now. You have earned some comfort and perhaps

later you can contribute from the outside. I don't think you would be particularly happy and, in any case, it would

tie you down as it has me.

I hope you can avoid the posting your mentioned

to that anti-tank show. It looks like it might be

difficult to get away from.

If you go back to England to be demobilised

of course you could come home through America. It may 

be you could work your passage. I believe that would be 

a good idea and I believe I could influence some help. 

/I would 

 3.

I would sooner though you came home first and went from 

here. That is if demobilization can be worked that

way. I know it is in George Caro's mind you should

spend part of your training time in the United States.

As you seem to have been careful with your money,

which is good, that would help and I want you to know that

I can and will help if you will  let me. I believe it 

would be a good investment. Don't worry about polling

on me. I am proud of the job you have done and I 

believe you have the personality and initiative to do any-

thing well that you set your hand to. I have no worry 

on that score about either Keith or you and I am thankful

to be able to say it.

My guide about what to see in the newspaper

business would be just as useful in the Gollin set-up as

you would be in a Department which handles everything news-

papers require in the way of machinery and supplies. 

I think you will soon get away from the idea 

that the British Officer life creates a false standard of

living. For the time it probably does. But any man 

with backbone soon adjusts himself to his environment and

if he wants to and tries hard enough can usually lift

himself above it. By this I mean that ifyou you've got the

will to do it - the way of living is the incentive to

achieve it.

I'm just at the point in your second letter 

where you ask - Does George Caro really want you? I 

have not the slightest doubt that he does. George is

a bit suave in appearance to those who don't know him welll.

That probably is the defensive armour of all high class

Jews. But you'll be working under Bob Weir who is a 

really top-hole man and one I'm sure you will like. Bob 

wants you too.

Don't be influenced about what Jim Edwards says 

about George. Jim has a guilty conscience where George 

is concerned because he has not been too straightforward

with George about the terms of the Goss Agency. This will 

all straighten out when Jim gets into his stride and finds 

out that George is amenable to any reasonable suggestion.

You see, when Jim was here, he had the 

difficult job of sacking Carmichaels, who were Goss Agents,

and appointing someone else. He decided on Gollins, but

didn't get it reduced to contract terms. Then Jim

started in to sell presses and it was easy. Then he began 

to feel (or so I imagine) why should Gollins collect 

commission on what he has sold. The fact is, Gollins cannot

run an agency of this magnitude without carrying thousands of

pounds worth of spare parts. Goss presses are not sold 

/like 

4.

like bicycles of sewing machines and an agency doesn't

credit commissions year to year, but over longer periods. 

Gollins could have sold all Jim sold and are entitled to 

the commission, though I believe they will not press it.

This is the sort of fellow George Caro is ---

In 1939/40 he was appointed buying agent for N.A.A.F.I.

The Controllers fixed 4% buying commission. George

said he believed this would be too much and suggested they

leave it for three to six months with 4% as maximum and

then see what the volume was. They wouldn't agree to

that and George later consulted me. He said - "by the

way they are buying we will become the biggest war

profiteers in Australia - they are buying at the rate of 

4 millions a year". He then arranged to meet the 

Governor of N.A.A.F.I. in Singapore and I arranged the 

transport. I asked George what he was going to do.

He said - "this is our war job - if we make enough to 

cover expenses, I'll be happy - I intend to do the job 

for 1/2 of 1 per cent:--- he has ever since. That 

is the act of a big man who could give up £160,000 a year

for £20,000 to cover expenses. I believe they lose

money but are quite happy about it. 

You need not worry about working for a man who

will do that sort of thing.

You say you are not mechanically minded. You 

don't have to be, but if a bloke with your knowledge of

ballistics isn't sufficiently mechanically minded to get

by in the job, I'd be surprised. 

Don't get the impression I'm overselling this 

job. It's a good offer and worth consideration, but it

must be your own choice - at least for a trial.

As for the money. We are doing the same

thing these days. We have men coming back who left us

as juniors - now married and with kids some of them.

Take Johnny Whyte as an example. We can't carry them

on junior rates.So we pay what we think they 

would have earned if they had stayed and were more or

less trained - and tell them it's up to them to earn it.

They will.

This is all on that topic. 

Grandma's blood pressure is down and now she is not getting as much sympathy I think she's sorry.

Keith is well and working hard. I'll send you

copies of his most recent letters - or did I?

/Mum 

5. 

Mum is my particular worry. I wish we could 

get some help in the house. She works far too hard and

is tired out at the end of the day.

The Trevor Smiths have almost been living here.

Mum and Grace are very attached. They leave next Tuesday

and there will be a lot of tears, I fear.

Miss Robertson was pleased to get your letter. 

It was nice of you to write.

This seems to be the lot. Its been a lovely 

day. Yesterday was too.

Tired and all I went to golf with Robbie. He

had me two down at the 6th hole. We started at the 11th 

and finished on the 10th. Then I started - got a 3 at the

6th - 5 at the 7th - 4 and the 8th - 5 at the ninth - 5 at the 

10th and won five holes in a row and it seemed easy.  It 

was a good finish to a good day. Lovely and warm and just

a gentle southerly breeze.

I got a bit sunburned on top and after doing my

chores in nothing but shorts this morning my back is a bit 

warm too.

We all send our fondest love. Keep writing often. 

309493 Captain W. Dunstan,

MADRAS

14th December, 1945.

My dear Mum,

Since I last wrote I have travelled across India 

to Madras to catch a ship which will take me to Singapore and

probably to Java.

There are five of us in the party and we travelled

together from Deolali to Bombay in a military train and then

transferred to the Madras Mail on which we were lucky enough

to get sleepers for the two-day trip. There was a 

restaurant car on the train so we were very comfortable. 

The scenery of southern India is not very

interesting, most of it being flat or rolling agricultural 

land. The arrival of a train at any station seems to be

the great event of the day and they are always packed with

natives who want to sell fruit, papers or some useless junk

which no one ever buys. There are also crowds of beggars

who are so persistent that a boot in the tail is about the 

only way to get rid of them. 

On arrival in Madras we were accommodated in a 

leave hostel about a mile from the centre of the city. It 

is a pleasant old house with 20 acres of garden around it,

billiard table, bar and very good meals. The latter are a

welcome change from the muck we had to eat at Deolali.

Not far away is the Gymkhana Club which has a 

racecourse, tennis courts, swimming pool, etcetera and is a 

very good spot to spend a day.

The town itself is rather disappointing - there

are no shops worth looking at and there is not much we can

do there. 

Before leaving Deolali I sent you a cable

informing you of my new address which is 178 Field Regiment,

R.A., S.E.A.C. No one seems to know the exact location

of the regiment, but it is believed to be with 23 Indian 

Division in th eBatavia area.

The ship will probably sail tomorrow so I will

write again from Singapore.

Lots of love - 

BILL

====

309493

Capt. W. Dunstan 

122 Battery

178 Field Regt RA

SEAC

20 Dec 45

My Dear Dad

There was quite a large stack 

of mail waiting for me when I arrived here

yesterday. The trip from Singapore to Batavia

took only 48 hours on the good ship

"Circassia" which is a very comfortable, modern

10000 ton motor vessel.

I met the CO who posted to me as

2I/c 122 Battery, which is a better job

than I expected to get. The regiment seems

to be in a q quiet stage of disorganisation

owing to large numbers of troops and NCOs 

going home on release. Naturally most of

the experienced NCO's are in early release

groups which means that bombardiers are

becoming sergeant-majors in a matter of

weeks - not a very satisfactory state of affairs. 

The situation in Batavia is fairly quiet

although on or two chaps seem to get 

knocked off every day. No troops are

allowed to go about unarmed or by 

themselves - they all looked very impressive

walking about in their jungle green

cothes, armed to the teeth. The Dutch

population is very friendly and there seems 

to be quite a social life here.

We are very comfortably billeted in furnished 

houses on the outskirts of the town - all

mod cons, running water, showers and

several refrigerators. There is also a large

supply of all sorts of drink which is a 

good thing. The cost of living here is

exactly nothing because the local population

is still using Japanese currency and will

not accept the official Dutch guilders.

Because of this the Dutch are anxious 

to inflate the Jap currency to a state

where it will become worthless. To do this 

they issue all of us with 350 Jap guilders

per week for spending money - an 

extraordinary situation. However, it suits

 

2.

us fine as we can save all our pay and use

minor amounts to £56 sterling a month I 

should save a considerable sum.

Java seems a very pleasant spot from

what I have seen so far and I think I 

will enjoy my stay here. It rains every

day and the climate is very humid but

I don't think it will weary me too much. 

During my short stay in Singapore I 

made a flying visit to HQ ALFSEA (Allied

Land Forces South East Asia Command) and had an

interview with the GSO1 (RA) regarding

leave to Australia. I told him a very sad

story which brought tears to his eyes

and he took down al my particulars and

said he would look into the matter.

Unfortunately, having been posted to a 

unit here I cannot very well bring in an

application for leave from here. I am

sure the CO would be very annoyed at being

asked for leave after my being here for one 

day. I will make a few discreet enquiries to