Correspondence relating to William Dunstan, August - December 1945 - Part 4

210

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LBT 1296 LONDON 25/24 14 1840

T DUNSTAN HERALD MELBOURNE

LETTER RECEIVED FROM BILL EN ROUTE GIVING

FOLLOWING ADDRESS 309493 CAPTAIN W DUNSTAN RAJNG

REPEAT RAJNG INDIA COMMAND REGARDS

CHARD

309493

 

September 25,

1945.

309493,

Captain W. Dunstan,

R.A.J.N.G.

INDIA COMMAND.

Dear Bill,

My last full letter to you was dated September 1.

It was just after this that I got a cable from Doug. Wilkie

saying you had sailed for India, and no address given at that

date. About ten days later I got another cable saying your

address was R.A.J.N.G., India Command. So far I haven't been able

to find out what the letters RAJNG mean, but no doubt we should

get a letter from you soon?

My long letter of September 1 rather anticipated that,

the war over, you would be entitled to discharge at an early date

without the necessity of counting up all the points. With this in

mind, and expecting you to stay on in England at least until that

letter arrived, I had made arrangements to bring you home through

U.S., and the Bank had approved $2000 dollars being made available.

The letter is of nine pages and contains full instructions as to procedure.

Now I guess it will be no use, but I have cabled Chard to

airmail it on to you as soon as it arrives.

It's very disappointing to us and will be more so if,

as it appears, you will have to do a twelve months' trick in India.

From information received as to the Commands there, I cannot see

that it will be anything more than an experience of no particular use,

and just another year out of your business life. However, you must

be the judge of this and if it is, as I surmise, then you must say

so quickly so that I can get busy on your release.

We are all fairly well though Mum has a bad cold. With

a view to a pick-me-up for us all, the last two week-ends we have

spent at the golf Club, Barwon Heads. It was quite pleasant the

week-end of 22nd, but 29th was cold except for the Sunday, when the

sun came out. The week-end of 22nd was splendidly warm. Our golf

was awful.

Keith/

- 2 -

Captain W. Dunstan.

Keith seems to be well. I enclose copy of his last

letter which arrived to-day.

Trevor Smith and family have not arrived yet but

they should be here any day now.

I am just putting things down as they come to my

mind. Here's an important item. As soon as you find your

way about you should contact the Australian High Commissioner,

Sir Ivan Mackay, and tell him you are my son. He will help

you if he can. He is at the Office of the High Commissioner,

New Delhi. Also Roy Gollan, Australian Trade Commissioner,

who is an old friend of mine. His address is Gorton Castle,

Simla.

Do you remember Gordon Jenkins, who was Pictorial

Editor of the Herald? He is now a Colonel, D.P.R. - address

Deputy-Director Public Relations, G.H.Q., New Delhi. And

Group-Captain K. Wallace Crabbe- C/o Air H.Q. (I) R.A.F., India.

Any of these may be useful. Young Bill Spowers is a sort of

Aide to the Govenor of Bengal, Dick Casey. Through him, if

necessary, you could get to Dick, who will do anything he can

for me. Or, better still, Pat Jarrett, who you will remember

is Secretary to Mrs. Casey. I don't know whether Pat went to

England with the Casey's, but even if she did they shouldn't be

away for long.

If you get as far as Singapore at any time you should

ask for Mr. Robert Renton in the Civil Administration Section.

I saw him a couple of weeks ago and he told me he was going back to

Singapore immediately to take a temporary post in Civil Administration.

Previously he was Chairman of the Singapore Rubber

Exchange, i.e. pre-war.

The P.O.Ws are returning home now. The casualties are

proving heavy. There may be 50% of the 19,000 still alive but

that is an optimistic estimate. In my last letter I said there

was no word of Charlie Osborne. He has now been reported safe

and on his way home, which is good. Jack Campbell died. He was

in the Ambon show - and Ian Jaffrey too. Two good lads gone, which

makes us all very sad. The strain on those relations who have

had no word after all this time must be dreadful.

There's not much more to report except that we were all

tickled about your visit to Lauriston castle. It must have been

very interesting.

On/

- 3. -

Captain W. Dunstan.

On Thursday last I took up the job of President

of the Navy, Army and Air Force Club. It's somewhat of an

ordeal and will mean some concentrated work at various times.

Everybody in the Club has been very nice about it.

We are getting a slow but steady stream of returned

servicemen and munitions workers back to the office, and while

they provide a lot of work in settling them in, we are pleased

to get them.

We took the glasses to Barwon Heads with us and had

a lot of fun spying on people and generally reviewing the

district. They are wonderful glasses and I must try them out

at the races some day soon. Yesterday the Disposals Board were

advertising Ziess Prismatic glasses used by Army, at £26/10/-.

I would doubt they are as good as the ones you sent. The sale

notice says no more will be available as the Ziess factory was

bombed out of existence.

What luck did you have in getting clothes in London?

Did you get a new uniform? Can't think of anything else at

the moment. Write as soon, and as often as you can. Fondest

love from us all.

Encl.

 

BY AIR MAIL

AIR LETTER

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Mrs. W. Dunstan

20 Wallace Avenue

Toorak SE 2

Melbourne

Victoria 

AUSTRALIA

[*WDunstan*]

 

309493

Capt. W. Dunstan

1 Gen. Hospital

Kantara

EGYPT

25 Sept

My Dear Mum

I have had the

operation on my teeth and

although the results are very

painful it seems to have been

successful and I hope to

get out of hospital in four or

five days. The dentist told

me that mine was the most

difficult job he had had to

do for years. The wisdom

tooth took more than a

quarter of an hour to

remove and he is a pretty 

strong man. I am not

confined to bed but am allowed

up during the day. Eating

is rather a difficult operation

so I don't do it very often

with the result that I have

got rid of most of the fat

which I accumulated on leave

My favourite meal at present

is a glass of milk with 2

eggs and a double whisky

beaten into to it. Most nourishing

I am sure. Unfortunately I

may miss the next xx boat

and I may be kept hanging

about Port Said waiting

 

for about a month. Not

a pleasant thought as I am

by myself and don't know

a soul there. However, the

weather is beautiful and I

can possibly spend most days

on the beach.

I only wish I could come

home - I am getting very

sick of doing nothing  - it

is about 4 months since

I did a stroke of work but

the long suffering British tax

payer provides me with an

adequate income for not doing

any, so what?

Your loving

but rather unhappy

Son

COPY

309493 Capt. W. Dunstan

1 General Hospital,

Kantara.

EGYPT.

September 25, 1945.

My dear Mum, 

I have had the operation on my teeth and although 

the results are very painful it seems to have been successful 

and I hope to get out of hospital in four or five days. The 

dentist told me that mine was the most difficult job he had had 

to do for years. The wisdom tooth took more than a quarter 

of an hour to remove and he is a pretty strong man.

I am not confined to bed, but am allowed up 

during the day. Eating is rather a difficult operation so, 

I don't do it very often, with the result that I have got rid of 

most of the fat which I accumulated on leave.

My favourite meal at present is a glass of milk 

with two eggs and a double whisky beaten into it. Most 
nourishing I am sure. 

Unfortunately, I may miss the next boat and I may 

be kept hanging about Port Said waiting for about a month. 

Not a pleasant thought as I am by myself and don't know a soul 

there. However, the weather is beautiful and I can possibly 

spend most days on the beach.

I only wish I could come home - I am getting very

sick of doing nothing. It is about four months since I did 

a stroke of work but the long suffering British tax payer 

provides me with an adequate income for not doing any, so what?

Your loving - but rather unhappy -

SON

 

309493

Capt. W. Dunstan

No. 1 Gen Hospital

Kantara

EGYPT

27 Sept.

My Dear Dad

I am still in hospital

having treatment for my teeth.

Apparently it really was a hell

of a job removing the wisdom

tooth and the jaw still

aches like the devil. I

don't have to stay in bed

but can get up and wander

about. After I have seen

the dentist at 9.30 a.m

and the heat treatment chappie

at 10 there is absolutely nothing

to do so you can imagine

x what an exciting time

I am having. Kantara is

just a bit too far from

anywhere to visit any

place that is worth while.

I only wish I had some

work to do or someone would

give me a job. However,

80% of the army are in the

same boat a present - just

killing time until they are

released. I am quite sure

demobilisation could be

speeded up a lot if xxxx

all these old army diehards

weren't so keen on stopping

their own little empires

from crumbling. When I

leave here I have to report

 

 

to that place of lost souls,

Base Depot R.A. Almaza!

When I do eventually get on 

board a ship again I

will have to return here

to catch it. A round trip

of a couple of hundred miles

gives some little organisation

some work to do so I

suppose I shouldn't grumble.

However the thought of having

to put up with that sort of

thing for a long to time to

come, just about causes me

 to weep tears of blood.

Sorry this letter is not very

cheerful - blame the toothache.

You had better continue writing

to the India address - I suppose

I will get there some day.

Lots of love

Bill

 

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

AIR MAIL

LETTER CARD

EGYPT 45

23 SE 45

POSTAGE

PREPAID

Mr. W. Dunstan

20 Wallace Avenue

Toorak SE 2

Melbourne

Victoria

AUSTRALIA

 

[*WDunstan*]