Letters of Jack Lusby Burns, 1941-1945 - Part 10

No 25
"Minushar"
1647 Malvern Rd
Glen Iris SE 6.
January 18^th
My dear Son.
It was simply beautiful
getting your letter telling us all about
your Xmas & New Year festivities & to
know that you had received such a
budget of news on both Xmas & New
Years Day. You seemed to have almost
the same fare as what we had,
so there is consolation in that. You must
have looked very sorry sight at
the conclusion of those ducking
(in the muddy pools. I mean) raids.
Anyway it was all good fun &
I guess one has to let off steam
very occasionally. It was extremely
nice of Joe to write to us, & you
can tell him that Im glad to know
he is looking after you so well. Dad
will go see his mother as soon as
he returns from Gippsland. By the way
Ive had a couple of wires to say he was
well & leaving [[Peusay]]on Monday so he'll
 

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probably have a couple of days with
Mr Daniel I hope he does anyway as I’m
alright. Ive got Eva & Janette  We went to
St Kilda yesterday aftn & Janette has never
seen Luna Park before, so she was very
interested. She had a ride on the
"Merry Go Round" but that was all-
she had a paddle & we built a castle
in the sand. It was a lovely day &
I think we all enjoyed it. Mrs Rogers
came with us. Today Janette & her
mother have gone to the Zoo. & then
on to Auntie Lyn’s for tea. I was to have
gone too, but this morning I had a
ring & it was Lt Col Arnold. so I
invited him out to dinner - & he was.
able to tell us about you. & how he
enjoyed meeting you. He reckons you
are very level headed & will go far.
so look after yourself son & one never
knows. He was so sorry to have
missed seeing Dad, as probably he
would have told him more about
contacting you. He was very pleased to
see you anyway. said you had a very good
grasp of things in general. Well I'm
going out to Auntie Lyn’s now so will finish
later

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Its been very warm here today. The weather
since Dads been away has been gorgeous.
I haven't  had to do much watering although
after we got home from St Kilda ^ last night I had the
hose going 3 hours & I'll have to have it on
first thing in the morning, as it would
never do to have the lawns burnt up.
when the Boss comes home -all the
garden is looking so nice & Dad puts such
a lot of work into it - Did you know that
Geoff Vincent has been transferred I think.
I purchased him a book & sent  to him
on your behalf had to give 12/6 for it.
It’s a late book & I think the type of book
he would enjoy reading- Dad went 
the other day & purchased 2 prs of very good
shoes & also he got the Bowling

shoes as a Xmas present from you & they
we’re 30/-. That was right wasn’t it ! Have
you received a hamper from Auntie Lyn 
She sent you one & you have never mentioned
receiving it & did you get one from Lyn & Mark.

I rang Jack Coake & got him to send
you a Bailey pipe & he also sent you
another one as a gift from the Firm to
be sent by Air Mail It would have cost
me 25/4 so I got him to register it & send
by ordinary mail so I hope

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you receive them safely & I also got a 
ring from Allans & they will refund the
money as we were not able to get
the Gramaphone away so I’ll contact the
D.F.O. & see how I can get the money
to you. & then you cann can get whatever you
like with the money for the comforts
your boys will probably need. I
would like for you to acknowledge it -
so I can pass it on to the various
ladies who helped me raise it.
I also went & called on D Lack & wasn’t
he pleased to see me. I felt very
proud of the nice things he said
about our son. The only thing I regretted
that Dad wasn’t present to hear what
both he & his practice had to say
about you. He hopes in the near future
to make Dad’s acquaintance. He told me
me that he wanted you as a partner. It
was news to Dad & I & by all accounts
a very flourishing one. Never mind Son

a Mother’s heart was very touched &
proud to hear of the sterling worth that
these two men had to say about you

5

To add to all this pleasure when I
arrived home the postman brought with
the afternoon mail your  birthday present
to me & also a long letter giving us a

wonderful  account of your exploits during
the Festive Season. I’m sure xxx  no mother
ever had a better son & I pray that
God will see fit to spare him to be
reunited, when the job h has been done

that he has set out to do. I sent on

2 prs of the stockings to Auntie Nell &

wasnt she thrilled with them. She rang

me up Friday night to say how pleased

she was to receive same. I dare say

you will be hearing personally from

her before very long.

The news we are hearing today seems

to be the best we have received since

Japan entered the war. Its about time we

had a little encouragement isnt it. By

the way I received another letter written

on the 9th & wasn't I glad to receive it.

It was posted in another state. I posted

it on to Dad C.0 Mc Daniel so he would

be very pleased to see it. By the way Dad

got the car registered again although we

only get such a little it will do us for

a few miles of a Sunday

6

Mr Arnold looks much older & is a very

worried man at times. I think he had

over 500 persons to look after. Mrs Arnold

was very well they are having a very

hot summer. How wonderful for you to

get that lovely fruit & so cheap to.

Dad hasn't received the parcel you posted

Margaret Gaston may have fwd on to

Nhill - They were staying at The Prince

of Wales Hotel St Kilda I think.

Had a very nice tea out at Auntie

Lu's. Jack has a nasty bung eye. She

seems to live a very aimless sort of life

apart from his work.

We are going to Middle Brighton tomorrow

if it isn't too hot, so that Janette can

have another paddle in the sea.

Ive got Edna North & Judith coming down

on Thursday to stay. Mr North is coming

to Melbourne for a Conference & of course

Edna & Judith haven't gone to the beach

yet so Ted will be here too. I was going

to Belgrave for a few days so I'll have to

put it for another time. They had a

very bad Xmas & its all black out now

especially around the coast I think

they had 70 cancellations the last few

days before Xmas.

We dont go out at all at nights now.

It isn't too safe.

Well my darling boy I think I've given

you all the weekly news. Dad wrote to

you about your allotment etc & also sent

Bank Book. I hope he has a successful

fish at Doctors Flat.

God bless & watch over you.

Is the earnest prayer

of Your Ever Loving

Mother.

 

I'm sure Dad would wish to convey

to you all the best. Lots of love &

kisses. Auntie Eva echoes it too.

Cheerio darling.

Ma.

No 31

"Minnehar"

1647 Malvern Rd

Glen Iris S.E.6

March 8th 42

My darling Son

Another week gone by & things 

generally seem to be in a very bad state. One

wonders what is going to be the outcome

of the whole situation. Never mind we

just has to have the faith & courage to stand,

& be ready for any emergency, that may arise.

It looks as if under the new call up

that Dad will have to register, & I wonder

what I will do without him. You can see

that I didnt go to Warragul. We’ve had

more or less a heat wave during the week,

we never felt anything like it before,

even at night it didnt get cold cool, but

we had our Refrigerator & had cool drinks

& foods suitable for hot days, so we had

a lot to be thankful for. Mrs [S?] was busy.

disappointed that I didn't come but I hope

to go perhaps about Easter time, if things

dont get any worse this week. I bought a

lantern in case the light failed, & we are getting

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all the windows fixed up in case of

broken glass. It's a business I can tell you

quite a lot are digging trenches, but our back

hall is as good as anywhere to go if we

should have a raid - Little did we think

when you left Australia that we would be

subject to all of this. Never mind we've

still got our chins up.

I was at church & we had several boys

from our Allies present. We may go out

this afternoon just for a mile or too. One can

go far as Dad wants to go to the funeral

of late Mrs Shearington who died very suddenly.

on Tu Saturday morning last & is to be buried

at Springvale tomorrow Monday. I suppose she

has been upset about the two boys & having

such a big strain took Mrs. Shearington. its

not to be hopelesswondered at.

Mrs Rogers & I went across to Wattle Park

on Saturday afternoon. It was so lovely &

fresh there, & we both recalled the wind

the last time we went. that you drove

us, you were playing cricket at Central

Park & you ran us over. The Golf course

looks lovely & all the surroundings are

so nice with their bright flower beds.

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Auntie Lyn was out on Friday. They havent

heard any further word of Harold - We went

along to see Mrs Wilks & Harold [C?]

is staying with them from Brisbane. He

wants to do medicine so we dont know

whether he is in the call up or not. He has

got ever so much thinner. They used to go

to Lloyd State School. John & Harold

just in Bruthen Leaves where Sapper Lloyd

Buchan has just become engaged to

Dulcie [S?]. He'd made a great soldier

with his height wouldn't he!!

They haven't got any green keeper at the

Bowling green so they have made a roster

for certain ones to water & roll & Dad is

the cutter of the green. I guess the bulk

of looking after the green will fall

on his shoulders. They never got any

applications for the position. I suppose

more money can be obtained at munitions.

Its Dad's birthday in the morning, & Ive

bought a gift to give to him from you. We

wont be able to send you anything Son

for your birthday, that is if we dont hear

from you in the meantime. Never mind we

will make it all up when you return to

your loved ones & I hope that day is not too

far distant. I'll leave this & finish it later.