Letters of Jack Lusby Burns, 1941-1945 - Part 8

4.

retrospective to 7 Nov. 41. 'Twill

be hard to take. Wish I could

forward you some tobacco dad

but I'm afraid its impossible

as we are not allowed to dispose

of canteen stocks.

By the news from

home Curtain seems to be

doing a good job. - Its about

time! - Looks to me like, as if

conscription is not very far off.

What we want in Australia

in my opinion is a bit of

the strong arm tactics.

Things are gradually returning

to normal now and my

dears there is no need to

have any fear a regards

my safety; as long as I

have ground under my

feet I feel OK. Guess your

5.

trips this year have been

mucked up dad. When you

have your Xmas dinner

think of me sitting down

to a similar meal with

three other officers. It is

now at 7.30 p.m. and we're 

waiting for dinner. A

typical Sunday evening meal

poultry and is it delicious.

How are the bowls going

Dad. - still trundling them

up. - Would be glad if you

would give Dave Lack of Pt

Lonsdale St. a ring for me. - He

is the chap who gave me the

radio. - Tell him that it

still works O.K.

Managed to sell the

remains of my car for £16.10.0

ie. a loss of £18.10.0 which

the other chaps ^responsible are going

6.

to pay. the balance. It was

really a cheap car as I

could get petrol for about 1/8

gallon. Why I bought the

thing was because I could

buy it for £35 and if ever

we left this place was going

to resell it to the owner for

about £20 then the car would

have only cost me £15 at

this price it was rather

cheap.

Had to knock this

letter off on afternoon Tea. The

blessed duck  was so tough

I couldn't get my teeth into it

had a drumstick too.

Received a decent

parcel from the Aust. Comforts

Fund - Plum pudding, razor blades

soap, boot polish, sweets etc.

also an issue of tobacco - 9ozs

7.

of fine cut - 3ozs flake cut &

2 pkts Capstan cigs so they are

treating us rather well.

Have been having a

fair bit of wet weather of

late. It is a cross between a

hurricane & a cloudburst - you

can hear it coming through the

jungle & palmtrees from along

way off. Please give all the

relations my regards and I hope

that your "Back Yard Fair"

was a success.

I was rather glad I

had that chance to speak to

you - I couldn't ring on

the Sunday as we left

early Saturday night.

Cheerio my darlings

look after yourselves. You

know mum & dad I just beginning

to fully appreciate what you both have

done for me. Keep the old chin up

Hugs & kisses (over) Your Loving Son  Jack.

Please don't forget to buy

Geoff Vincent a Xmas

present please. mum - charge

it up to my a/c.

I'd also be obliged if you could forward

Jimmy Browne a present

for me as there is nothing

to send from here.

Again I'll wish the both

of you a Merry Xmas

& a very happy time

during. 1942.

Dear Dad.

The parcel (a camphor

wood box which in should be arriving)

has a number of parcels inside

if possible I would like you to

take them out, post them to the

various people concerned and

give the balance to Mum

on Xmas day.

Thanks pop.

Your loving Son

Jack.

 

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL

FORCE

J L Burns

155

Confidential

Dad.

Dad.

N39159

Lieut. Jck Burns

No. 1. INDEP. Coy

A.I.F. Abroad.

4.1.1942

 

Australian Comforts Fund

QUEENSLAND DIVISION

 

My dearest Darlings

Although I received

three ever so welcome letters from

my loved ones at home two from

you Mum dated 1st & 8th Dec. resp.

& one from dad date 5/12/41 on Xmas

day (marvellous Xmas treat) I have neglected

until now to write. Also, I received another

treat inasmuch as on 'New Year's

Day received one date 15/12/41 from

you Mum. Twas a coincidence mail

coming on those two days - wasn't

it - But gosh it was grand.

Xmas day dawned

'neath laden skies - gosh it was raining

By 6 AM our dinner (fowl) had not

arrived & was everyone in a 'nice'

state of mind. However by 7 the sun

had come out & our dinner had

arrived. By common consent everything

was called off for the day and during

the morning I rested - Lunch time came

and whew! what a dinner it twas

fowls greens, etc, Xmas pudding cream (tinned)

etc. By the time we had whaddled through

this lot we were feeling quite comfortable

(I forgot t mention that the officers lunched

with the men in the men's mess hut).

2.

Quite a few speeches were made include

one by self when somebody cried "Wolf".

There was a rush & scatter. However I

digress - it rains every day here now

or I should say "pours", consequently, there

are quite a number of muddy pools around.

The boys being incensed at having their

dinner cut short on them immediately

grabbed the "wolf" offenders & immersed the

offenders in such a muddy pool. This started

the fun - immediately the officers went in

again included was your son. We rang

the C.O., 2i/C, & C.S.M and they came out

to their 'doom'. Tiring of putting our

own 'chaps' in we hit on the idea

that we needed fresh blood so we took on

the local whites. It was a shame to

see them coming like lambs to the slaughter

dressed in immaculate white. They must have

thought that we were a lot of barbaric

heathens. About 4 PM the mail came. I

received 13 letters all told (3 from home also

a telegram, 1 each from Jeannette Downing, Flora Colley

Geoff.Vincent, Joan, Aunty Nell, Aunty Eva, a chappie

in [?] near here, Aunty Doris, 2 from Lillian Williams)

Ruth a handfull Gee was I pleased. Needless

to say the advent of mail broke up our

various activities as each chap retired to

3

his own corner to read his mail in peace.

As I had kept quite a number of

my parcels for Xmas we all had a dashed

good time. The days now seem to follow one

another with monotonous regularity. Often I

think of you both at home and wonder what

you are doing. Mum you seem to be

going gay with your several activities. Bet

the "old man" was like a bear with a sore

head when both radioes went bung & he

couldn't hear the news. If you are not going

to use the car dad I think that you had

better put her up on blocks in the garage.

If I conveyed the idea of being

dissatisfied with the money received for Albert St.

I didn't mean it & what I meant was that

it may be a safeguard to have ^your money in something

tangible. Considering the two houses you seem

to have come out of it very well dad.

On of the lads here received a

letter from Ted Donoghue - he and is having

a very rotten trot as well as a very worrying

time- anyhow he intends getting in touch

with you. The £27 he owes me can wait.

Under separate ^registered air mail have

sent you home mum 4 prs of stockings

for your birthday on 22nd Jan. Little knick-nacks

are hard to procure now. Dad also, under