Letters between Malcolm William Keshan and Dorothy Williams, January-June 1943 - Part 15

Dearest Dot,  9^th June 1943 
Hullo there young lady I expect you are still feeling annoyed with me 
for teasing you in my last letter about falling asleep etc, am I right Dot it 
was not a very nice one was it, never mind darling I'll see if I can't improve 
a little this time however I cant promise anything as good as yours Dot. How 
are you darling still the same as when we were together except maybe a little 
taller and definitely more charming than ever I often wonder what you must  
think when you receive some of my letters some of them must seem strange to 
you I suppose I say things in such a round about way at times, that I sometimes 
wonder if you will undestand me, still they all lead to the one thing Dot and 
you know that don't you. Do you reckon I'd make a good farmer Dot, Im a bit 
doubtful myself, but if your heart is set on being a farmers wife well I guess  
Ill just have to be a farmer, still I wouldn't mind what I was as long as I had you 
Dot, Well darling by the time you get this I will be 24 and you will know that I 
wont be with you for your Birthday all our wishing did not do any good this time 
Dot but dont be too disappointed 1944 is our year and we can celebrate your birth 
day as well as many other things then, I know we can make up for all this sweet 
  
and believe me we will, so until that day we just have to keep on wishing. Wish every 
one all the best for me once more and dont forget to look after yourself for me. Everything 
is much the same here, though the weather has been terrible lately, and as for myself 
Im A1, mail in general has been very slow though I shouldnt complain your letters  
are fairly regular and I think I have them all up to 19^th Mar so you see Im doing ok 
Im hoping to hear that your mail has improved at last, in some of your next  
letters. Once more and its the end so for the time being Cheerio darling All my Love Mac

Kriegsgefangenenpost 
Über Nord Amerika  
Luftpost 
par avion 
17.6.43.11 
OPENED BY CENSOR 
2  
PASSED  
BY  
CENSOR 
1424 

An Miss D Williams   
Empfangsort: 37 Byrnes Street. 
Straße: Bexley. 
Kreis: N. S. W. 
Land: AUSTRALIA. 
Gebührenfreil Landesteil (Provinz usw.) 
  
OPENED BY CENSOR  
Absender: 
Vor- und Zuname: Malcolm William Keshan
Gefangenennummer: 3768 (1747) 
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager 383 
Deutschland (Allemagne)

AIR MAIL 
KRIEGSGEFANGENENPOST 
NX11067, 
SGT. KESHAM, M.W., 
AUSTRALIAN PRISONER OF WAR 3768, STALAG 383, 
GERMANY.  
  
MISS D. WILLIAMS, 
37 Byrnes Street, 
BEXLEY. N.S.W. 
AUSTRALIA. 
  
Stalag 383  
23 
Geprüft 
  
12th June, 1943. 
  
Dearest you,  
Well here I am - home from work, Saturday night  
and no place to go.  Mum forgot to book seats for the  
pictures & so we h[a]d to stay home.  Of course, the fire is  
pretty comforting o[n] such a cold evening and the program  
on the wireless sounds promising.  So if you can, just  
picture me curled up here in front of the fire, with  
writing pad on my knees and scribbling away furiously.  
As I was telling your photo a few minutes ago, I'm  
feeling rather blue because I've had no letter from  
you in weeks. You can't imagine how thrilled I am   
going to be when one turns up!  How's mail your end,  
darling ? Arriving regularly and often I hope.   And 
you, my sweet, how are you?  My number one worry 
as well as my number one pal, aren't you?  Gosh  
Mac, the time is getting on; in a few more months 
it will be three years since I waved you from the  
front verandah.   Well, at least we have been able to  
take it  Mac, although I'm glad I didn't know then  
how long it would be before I would see you again.  
Wonder have we changed much since then? It's funny, 
all the questions that spring up.  However, questions 
can, keep for the time being.  Summer or winter - I wonder  
which it will be, when you get home, darling.  Perhaps 

I had  better cease rambling and let you have some news. 
Still think my job super. As I learn the work it  
becomes much easier and I like the people I am with 
which is very important. During the course of conversation 
one day I told Margaret - we're great pals, she & I - about 
you and showed your photos and explained where you 
were and so on. She took the two snaps (which you  
sent me since your capture) in to show the boys and 
they were very interested. Soon they began to question 
me about your letters, where you were taken prisoner, 
etc . Since then they informed me that they would watch 
for the expression on my face each morning so as to  
find out if I had heard from you. This Margaret I 
mentioned, is engaged to an American air man whom 
she hasn't seen for ten months . I jokingly tell her 
that the first three years are the hardest. I'm always 
at her to write to her Max (that is his name) often  
She thinks I'm a bit of a marvel because I write 
every week to you Heavens, its strange that she 
doesn't want to write every day to her fiance. Even  
if she only wrote 'dear Max, the weather is fine - I still 
love you' it would be better than nothing. Dear 
you - I still love you - in case you've forgotten. 
So don't "get scared" or worry my darling, every moment 
that ticks by reminds me that very soon now, we'll 
be back to-gether, sharing all those laughs, dates 
and good times we have been promising ourselves for  
so long. Chin up Mac. - keep smiling . All my love 
Dorothy.

SERVICE DES PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE. 
KRIEGSGEFANGENENPOST 
PAR AVION 
Aust.- U.S.A. - Portugal 
4.30PM 
30 JUN 
1943 
VIC-AUST 
3 PASSED BY CENSOR 384 
Y 198 
  
Sgt. M. W. Kesham, 
Australian Prisoner of War No. 3768 in Germany, 
STALAG 383 (FRUEHER  OFLAG III.C. ) 
GERMANY. 
12th June 43 
  
AUSTRALIAN  
RED CROSS

Miss D. Williams, 37 Byrnes Street, Bexley, NSW 
AUSTRALIA. 
  
3 Opened by Censor 

Dearest Dot,  14^th June 1943. 
I'm stuck Dot there is so much I want to say to you and I don't know where to start, maybe 
its just as well you would probably think I was crazy, though it is a curse having to keep these  
things to yourself darling, when we do get together once again Dot you wont be able to get any sense  
out of me for weeks, so be prepared darling. I had another letter from you last week 25^th Mar still  
so good to as ever, you know Dot I never realised how good it could be to get a letter, until the last 2  
years, still seeing as it's your letters that are so good to get maybe that accounts for it. I see by 
your letter you are starting to worry that little head of yours again Dot, I know its no use telling 
you not to worry, but whatever else I may do darling I won't change, and as for growing away from 
you, do I sound as though I have, or will Dot, and I think the last thing to happen to us would be 
for us to be complete strangers with each other no matter how long we were kept appart, still 
Dot I suppose letters play a large part there, I was just thinking Dot, two people who intended to  
get married at the first opportunity could hardly feel like that could they, I cant do more than ask 
you and you already know how I feel darling, whatever you say Dot, of course you could keep it a 
secret now and if you should change your mind later, well lets not think of that, but its entirely  
up to you Dot, are you getting confused a little Dot, you will have to get used to these letters of mine 
Dot or maybe [you'd rather] me just say, Will you marry me darling it's the same thing that's what I want you know. 
  
Anyhow Dot how are you, still taking care of yourself for me dont forget will you, and wish every 
one all the best for me, you should be an expert cook by this by the way. I'm still in the best of health  
myself though I havent been doing much lately, a game of football now and then, and a  
bit of reading and lots of thinking, and every week is just about the same with very little  
sunshine and plenty of rain. Well darling everything must come to an end, I'll write 
again soon as possible, but if my mail should drop off at any time dont worry it wont 
be my fault so dont go thinking I might have changed, Cheerio for now All my Love Mac.

  
Kriegsgefangenenpost 
Über Nord Amerika  
Luftpost 
par avion 
20.6.43.11 
OPENED BY CENSOR 
2  
PASSED  
BY  
CENSOR 
1424 
383 Geprüft 
An Miss D Williams 
Empfangsort: 37 Byrnes Street 
Straße: Bexley  
Kreis: N. S. W. 
Land: AUSTRALIA. 
Gebührenfreil Landesteil (Provinz usw.) 
  
OPENED BY CENSOR  
Absender: 
Vor- und Zuname: Malcolm William Keshan
Gefangenennummer: 3768 (1747) 
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager 383 
Deutschland (Allemagne)

AIR MAIL 
KRIEGSGEFANGENENPOST 
NX11067, 
SGT. KESHAM, M.W., 
AUSTRALIAN PRISONER OF WAR 3768,  
STALAG 383, 
GERMANY  

MISS D. WILLIAMS, 
37 Byrnes Street, 
BEXLEY. N.S.W. 
AUSTRALIA. 
Stalag 383  
23 
Geprüft 
18th June, 1943 

Hullo Mac darling, 
How are you? Do you like my photo? It's one  
of the physical culture ones I mentioned previously.  
Look closely at my leg and you'll see the little 
bandage where the horse kicked me last holiday 
Of course there is only the scar left now - thank  
goodness. By the way, did you receive the other photo 
I sent a few letters back with the close-up? 
The 'R' on my uniform stands for Rockdale, in case 
you were wondering. Mac, the girl at work, (her 
name is Margaret, so now you'll know whom I  
mean in future ) received a letter from her fiance  
to-night and altho' I didn't really expect one, I  
did hurry home , you know - just in case. But it  
was no go. They still have to come. I went out  
to see your Mother on Wednesday night Mac. May 
and I went to Ashfield theatre to see a good picture 
& then I came back and stayed the night. Your 
Father got hold of McCosker's home address and so I  
intend writing to his Mother to find out his where- 
abouts, We know he is alive and well, but that's all. 
Well we had a great night at Betty's 21st birthday  
party darling. It's months since I've been to a 

dance, and I donned evening frock and trimmings 
for the occasion. Betty love Jazz watzses - so - we 
had load of Jazz watzses. Dear old Bett was so 
excited, she didn't know where to turn. I'm hoping 
she'll be over one night so we can have a good  
'discussion' of the events leading up to the dance 
as well as the dance itself. Don't laugh sweet, 
we won't pick anyone to bits. Not much anyhow. 
Mac darling, when am I going to see you? Uh 
it's easy enough to say to people "of course I'm  
waiting for Mac to come home." Talking is easy. 
Especially when letters are few and far between, 
time does drag so. Even so, I guess we are lucky  
tho' Mac. The other day I received a letter from  
Charlie - you remember the boy you saw me with  
that time you were in a taxi? He asked if 
I had heard from you lately & then said "You 
know Dot, I do envy you two the joy, and for 
all you've got to look forward to ". I thought to  
myself as I read that. He's right, we are to be 
envied darling for what we have to look forward  
to . And I'll always remember that. It will be 
worth all the waiting. That's all for this week 
Mac. - look after yourself sweet. All the family send 
their love & are looking forward to the day when 
you'll be back. Big Cheerio & All My Love. Dorothy.