Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 6 - Part 2 of 14

1.2.43 
  
Mrs. M. Billings. 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn 
Victoria.

V280436 
Pte. J. R. Billings 
2/3. Conv. Depot 
Australia 
  
PR00610  
Australian 
War Memorial 

6.2.43. 
Darling Kay,  
After a lapse of several days,  
its gives me the greatest pleasure to be able  
to be in a position to drop you one of several  
lines. I shan't weary you by explaining the reason  
that caused the span in the date between this  
and my last effort because firstly it just isn't  
done and secondly you've been a digger's wife  
long enough to know just what sort of things  
crop up to disturb the even tenor of my  
existence. I only hope that the absence  
of letters from me has not disturbed your  
aplomb but anyhow think nothing of it,  
sweetheart and when next I see you I'll tell  
you the whys and wherefores. Since my  
last letter, believe it or not I've had  
no less than five letters from you and  
stunning letters they were too, and I'm  
flat out now to try and keep up with  
such a spate of words. I'm tickled pink  
to know you're in such good trim in spite  
of the trying temperatures you're suffering  
and while I accept your testimony that

2/ 
you grow bigger, you most certainly grow  
better as well. It might sound paradoxical  
but I vow you're the daddy of them all and  
then where do I come in. Seriously though,  
pet, I got the usual big lift to learn  
that the medico gave you a big O.K but  
why not, you're doing everything to induce such  
a report. Do you know, you marvel, a  
lump comes into my gullet when I read of  
you buying the tiny garments for Richard  
and it isn't catarrh either (Dirty beast)  
You are going to be a lovely mother and  
I just can't wait to see the two of you,  
the two things I love beyond compare.  
Tonight I can't be bothered writing prosaic  
stuff about the weather and so forth. I  
just want to babble on about you, you are  
all I can think about, carrying on down  
there like a true Britain and doing a  
first class job to boot. As my wife, I 
reckon you're the best that's going  
and by jove, I'm a lucky bloke.  
Well, darling, as you can see

3/ 
the writing is rather ragged due to the  
fact that time for writing has been very  
rare and I have to finish up now, worse  
luck. So until tomorrow, piddlekins,  
farewell and its rather feeble but I do  
send you all my love and pray that  
you can carry on as well as ever.  
Cheerio, my darling and the sweetest of  
dreams in the cosy nook I remember  
with lots of pleasure and longing. 
Micky

6.2 43 
  
Mrs. M. Billings. 
548 Barkers Road, 
East Hawthorn, 
Victoria.

7.2.43 
Darling Kay, 
Sunday and a day of rest more 
and or less so lots of time for a change to  
pen a page or two to the little woman way  
down south.  To begin with, I hope this  
finds full of rude health and effervescent  
spirits although if it has become warm  
again, you will take a poor view of such.  
I wrote you last night but that effort had  
to be hastily scrawled but that was  
not my __ fault.  However, as there was a  
gap of several days between that and the previous  
letter,  I badly wanted to get a few words away  
to you to assure you that nothing drastic had  
taken place, the sort of thing that would  
necessitate a lapse of quite a time before a  
letter could reach you.  That sounds rather cryptic  
but this is the time for one to exercise great  
__ care in what one writes as you probably  
know there's been a ton too much prattle  
of late and the heat is being turned on. 
After quite a strenuous few  
days. I have resumed my normal existence

2/ 
and feel splendid and able to soldier on.  The  
weather is stinking hot and sultry, yesterday  
was a scorcher with humidity just the bare  
98^o.  That would have sat you on your tail,  
my lady, had you been here.  I certainly  
have rarely seen its equal anywhere.  On my  
way home I saw from Mass I saw Katie  
and Reg. from the road but could only  
exchange greetings. Mrs. had received your letter 
she told me.  Leave is rather obscure just  
now but shall drop in and have a yarn when  
my turn comes around.  Otherwise, precious,  
there's no other juicy bits from Micky.   
While reading your recent letters, I was pleased 
to see several letters from me had reached  
you like a breath of spring, shall we say. 
Your recollections of those gorgeous nights up 
here draw from me a mournful sigh, they  
sure were heavenly, lady fair.  At last, we  
are moving along now to the climax and soon  
perhaps the three of us will get together again.   
Too right you would have still been here  
had young Richard not stolen the limelight.  When  
I'm with you again, the young rip will have to

3/ 
take a back seat for a while, particularly on  
nights made for love as I reckon you and  
I are not just going to relapse into a staid  
old pair.  We'll still be just a couple of kids  
and your love for me is so too potent and  
delicious to be missed and I can read from  
your letters that the fire and flash of youth  
still courses strongly in your blood. I shall  
be entranced to be with such a lovely mother 
and sweet lover as you, my darling bundle.   
Yourss  You're so sweet when you tell me of all  
the tiny clothes you're putting together for the  
little chap.   As well as being the best baby  
in the whole world, I can see he's going  
to be to be the best dressed one, too.  I'm only sorry 
I can't be there to try and help along a  
bit in several ways, it seems awfully hard  
that you have to battle along all on your  
own.  Don't you ever mention yourself a  
coward to me again, its untrue.  At the present  
time, you're showing guts that a lot of us  
would like to have so don't decry yourself.   
You rank pretty high in the best company.