Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 4 - Part 9 of 14

N.S.W. 18. 4 42
My Darling,
Here we are crouched over our cow-dung
skeeter chaser all bent on the same task. The pens are
all scratching furiously, all of us telling the loved ones how
lousy the Army is not to give us home leave pronto. The
situation has its funny side if you can see it. It's like this:
while we were near Sydney all the lads or nearly all were
a trifle careless in returning to camp by the specified time
therefore the Sergeant Major threatened that the latecomers
would go to bottom of the list for home leave. The only snag was
that just about all of us offended and we all hope we are
at the top of the bottom of the list. I found out today that
I'm not with the party going Monday so another week shall pass
before there is any possibility of my going. Am now back with
C. Section so address those splendid letters of yours accordingly,
my sweet. Feel much happier and more settled as a result
having picked up with all my cobbers. The combination of
being with re-inforcements and not being able to go to you
did not tend to make x me  too cheerful. By now, I
guess you have a fair idea of how much I'm pining for 
you. That tantalising so near yet so far feeling 

2/
is a fair cow and only the knowledge that in a week or
a month I shall see you lets one keep going. What
always comfort me is the knowledge that you are still
all mine and no matter how long I have to wait, to be
with you if only for a week as my wife makes continued
exist existence possible. There's quite a few of the boys bound
for the altar and we are a sort of a guild of the lovelorn.
George Sinclair one of them goes on Monday, lucky cow and
the sap is walking around in circles. I spose I'll be as
daffy when my name goes up. Hope so cos I want to be
up in the clouds for a change. It I'm working on a skeleton
itinerary now so let's talk it over or do you think it
will spoil it. Anyhow its still very incomplete so I'll
just talk about the most important & nicest & biggest part.
You & I together and alone. I notice in one of your recent
letters. a note of concern regarding the difficulty of curbing
our emotions when we are first alone in the velvety
warmth of your little love nest. I propose to leave that to
take care of itself, for myself I think that having to the
privilege of marrying you on the following day, I shall be
content to take no more from you than you have given
me in the past. I don't deny it will be hard even

3/
for a short time but really what else can we do. When
first you are my bride, you assume a loftier and more
intimate role in my eyes and when I imagine how full
and life thrilling our wedding night is going to be, little
ripples of ecstasy run up my back. After the leave we shall
have more waiting I daresay but I know it shall be easier to
bear when that awful sense of frustration has departed from
us. Gee, I'm hungry for you. You've loved me as a
girl friend through thick & thin and your expression of love
is no milk and water business. What a surging flood
of repressed feeling will flow between us when we are man &
wife. It's been a long struggle but I've a hunch we are
soon going to win through. Pray hard for an early
reunion as I think we're not asking too much and say
what you like, you as Mrs Micky is the logical and
most lovely thing I can detect on the horizon. So
good night darling and as you begin to feel sleep claiming you
think I'm kissing your softly swelling breast and then your
eager lips a for that's what I'd do now if I had you in
my arms.  Cheerio, little precious & God bless you
Mick

18.4.42
MELBOURNE
4:30AM
22 APR
1942
VICTORIA 

Miss. K. Clarke.
548 Barkers Road.
East Hawthorn
Victoria 

Essendon 2-10
Malvern Church  2-40
Barker B'mad  2-45
Church  2-55
Brides Car arrives  2-55
Church   3-2

T.G.42B. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA - POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.
Funds may be Quickly, Safely and
Economically Transferred by
MONEY ORDER TELEGRAM.
(PLEASE TURN OVER)

TELEGRAM
This Telegram has been received subject to the Post
and Telegraph Act and Regulations.  The time received
at this office is shown at the end of the message.

The date stamp indicates
the date of reception and
lodgment also, unless an
earlier date is shown after 
the time of lodgment.

SCH C.2941 9/1940
Office of Origin.     No. of Words.     Time of Lodgment.     No. 

REP Z 313 NEWCASTLE 26 3 P
01669
MISS CLARKE
548 BARKERS ROAD EASTHAWTHORNE VIC

RECEIVED LETTERS PROBABLY ARRIVE MELBOURNE FRIDAY NEXT ASKED
CHARLIE BE BEST MAN KEEP GOING SORRY CANNOT HELP LOVE
...MICK
(548)

POST OFFICE COMMUNICATIONS
AUSTRALIA

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS, CONGRATULATORY TELEGRAMS,
SOCIAL MESSAGES, MOTHERS DAY REMEMBRANCES,
as well as EASTER, CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR GREETINGS,
are issued on attractively coloured and appropriately designed telegram forms
WITHOUT EXTRA CHARGE 

You may lodge your message at any TELEGRAPH OFFICE, on the usual telegram form, or
telephone it to "TELEGRAMS," indicating that the message is to be issued on an ornamental form.

9/40
NOTE - The standard time for the Eastern States of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria
and Tasmania) is half an hour in advance of the standard time for South Australia and two hours
in advance of the standard time for Western Australia.

THE CHURCH ARMY SERVICE FOR ALL

Church of England Recreation Centres
Headquarters: Tyrrell House, Newcastle, N.S.W.
NAME
Number
Battalion
Company
Camp  NSW

23.  4.  1942

My Darling,
I just received your breathless epistle of the
18th and liked what I read in it a terrible lot.
Sneaked out this morning and sent you a telegram
telling you the marvellous news that I'm on the
home leave roster for next week. I expect to arrive
in Melbourne next Thursday somewhere around
lunch time I expect. We have to wait until the last
party get back so the day of departure is not yet
fixed but I suppose a chance to wire you will crop 
up so that seems to be looked after. Now 
regarding the big ceremony, of course as its a 
job more or less, we'll have to cut out a lot
of the frills but still there seems to be a lot of
things to fix up. Regarding the church arrangements.
I don't know about notice but I think you can find
out about that. One point, you used to be obliged to
be married in your own parish so that's something you
may have to find out. If it still applies your Malvern
relations may come in useful. It's a cow I am poked
away up here but after all this waiting I know it
will be a labor of love for you. Now, Brother Chas is
around the town so hes the bird who can look after
things. So I suggest you contact him and get him to fix
things up, you know, the things the best man does.
I'm writing him today to ask him to stand for me,
so his the gent to co-operate with. Now what else.
Don't hand me that junk about having nowt to wear
those superficialities don't come into this little picture
as I'm coming home to get you by fair means or foul 

2/
so its 0K for me of you adopt the chaff-bag idea. Now
as regards a bit of a honeymoon. If I get to Melbourne
Thursday, we could forge the bond on Friday I imagine
and duck off for the weekend and say return on
Monday. That leaves us 3 days I think to visit our people.
Anyhow just treat that as a suggestion if you can better
it OK. I want you to know that whatever you get
Chas to fix will suit me fine. Outside of making you
mine and spending a reasonable amount of time with my
folks (yours too now) and seeing some special old
friends (e.g. your dear mater). I think the rest of the
time can well be spent in intimate talk and what-
not between us. Anyhow, it will work out good-oh, I 
know. Not having done this sort of thing before and
being 700 miles from the scene of the crime makes
things hard, but scurry around, enlist the aid of
Chas and any of my folks and I shall just have
to be there myself just to make it legal. It's a pity the
war has cheated you of your privilege of  donning all the
lace and finery but to me it's just the same high-class 
goods in a less fancy wrapping just to help the war 
effort. I've just got a new uniform from the Q store,
just as well as I burst the seams of my pants the
other day, so tragedy in the church will be averted 
now. Now is there anything else, I think that covers 
all for I can think of.  Must try and get Dorcas to 
make the trip as soon as I can get to a phone.  As I 
must dash off a letter to Chas for the morning.
Cheerio for now and wire me if there's anything urgent. You 
beaut. I love you Cheerio
Mick