Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 7 - Part 6 of 12

30.3.43 
Darling Kay. 
Top of the morning to you, old bean and may 
this find you a veritable ball of muscle.  The absence of 
a letter today from you leaves me in the hoping stage 
but I'm confident that you feel yourself once more after 
the nasty headache you confessed to the other day.  Pity 
to cop one of them when out visiting as it would mar 
your day's enjoyment.  Glad the mail still filters through 
regularly and your scruds keep up the good work at this end 
to my great satisfaction.  By jove, that long one you wrote 
on the 23rd was beaut and warmed the cockles of my 
heart.  So pleased your excursion with Mum was so 
pleasant.  Fancy she getting a letter from each of her 
lads together, thats working it.  It is a pity young 
Richard is not present in the flesh with such 
balmy weather, the sunny warmth in his early days 
would give him a good kick-off and would save you a 
lot of work into the bargain.  Nicky Wale has had his 
letter with the details of his daughter, if you're interested 
it was 7lb 13oz at birth, mother and babe are both very 
well.  I think it will be the christened Kathleen, jolly 
good taste I reckon.  Jolly nice of Bill to provide a 
midget laundry for you, it will certainly be useful for those 
little washes as Persil calls them.  The coming of winter 
with its gloom and early darkness will restrict your 
activities I suppose and it is a pity the wee one was 
not being born in sunnier and warmer days.

2/  
I went on leave yesterday and guess where I went?  I stayed 
in until tea time and then went dancing at the 
Red Cross Show.  After so many mediocre pictures and 
long abstinence from the floor, I enjoyed myself and th can 
still lumber around passably well.  The girls are decent 
types and the allies stay away so it's an enjoyable turn. 
No reliable news from this spot but the rumors are 
buzzing again covering destinations on every place on the 
globe.  Weather has been showery today but when it ceases 
its pretty humid.  I've been kept extra busy the past 
few days and can't see any relaxation yet awhile.  It 
interferes with my powers of concentration when writing 
to you but will ease up soon and get back to far 
better efforts then. 
The letter previously referred to from 
you was swell to read and I'm pleased and proud 
about the baby when I realise what it means to you 
with the feeling permeating your whole life.  It will be a lucky 
chap having all that care and love lavished upon it 
and I hope the intervening weeks pass quickly so that 
your discomfort and anxiety will pass to be replaced by 
a rich devoted attention to your babe's welfare. 
So the time for parting comes on 
yet xxxxx another day so until tomorrow, little mother 
adieu and in spite of this prissy sort of letter,  I love you 
madly and kiss you without pause.  Bless your 
darling heart. 
Micky

30. 3. 43 
AIR MAIL 
  
Mrs. M. Billings 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn 
Victoria

PR00610 
Australian
War Memorial

1.4.43 
Darling Kay, 
Since my last literary gem, I have had 
no less than three letters from you. All honeys as 
usual so thank you, my loved one for your rich 
devotion.  I know only too well that sitting in the
cramped position that calls writing calls for does 
not tend to soothe one when a baby is well 
on the way so I think youre bonzer to write so 
copiously of your doings. Perhaps I'm unfeeling but 
as you and your activities are such an absorbing interest 
of mine, I love getting them and feel quite desolate 
when I miss out.  All the same, I think when the 
day draws nigh for your entry to hospital you had 
better draw the line at any lengthy periods of 
concentration x except to concentrate on the one 
big thing.  I was ever so pleased to learn that 
the sickness that nabbed you at Kath's place had 
passed off and you once more feel pretty good.
It certainly sounded as though it had upset you 
good and proper, not that its so surprising when 
you stop to consider the terrific extra strain on 
many vital organs.  Where other people are concerned 
one doesn't have much regard to the difficulties when 
Mrs is expecting a child but when your own wife is 
the star turn, its brought very forcibly home, the 
sacrifices she is called upon to make to fulfil her 
mission successfully.  Its great that the main

3/ 
requirements are sound but I could have wept when I  
saw that pressure had induced attacks of piles.  I had  
some experience of that sort of fun years ago and I can  
think feelingly of you, your poor sweet thing.  I only hope  
that the next three months fly so that your gallant efforts  
come to fruition and you can return to your lovely  
normal self.  The possibility of twins keeps intruding  
itself doesnt it? From what you write, it seems  
likely that a double heart beat would be detected if  
twins were in the offing but like you I will be on  
tenterhooks until next months opinion comes along  
and hope our fears are then set at rest.  Glad you  
were able to keep your date with Dorothy as a  
person like her would be good company, the type that  
doesn't fuss about and is absolutely genuine.  So old  
Nugget got another visitation of the gout, I bet he made  
the air blue when it swooped on him and had   
awful thoughts of getting hooped out.  About a godfather  
for our heir, the only person I can think of who  
is sure to be available is brother Chas, the field at a  
time like this is very limited.  Let me know what  
you think of my choice and I'll drop him a note  
of invitation.  Its a pity you could not have gone  
along to the picnic with the others just to keep your  
hand in as it were.  Yes, thats one of our favourite  
pasttimes will have to defer for a year or two  
but never fear will get around to them once more

3/
As usual theres not much news from here, at
present I'm doing plenty of work and don't go on  
leave very often as I cant find time. The weather
has been the best, a lot of rain with as much 
humidity so a bloke feels a bit dopey as you 
may judge by the mediocrity of these letters. Still
at the same place but latest dope suggests that 
 it wont be much longer and I think its pretty 
right this time. Otherwise I know nothing more.
Well the clock has sped around 
and the lights are due to be doused any time now 
so bungho, precious bundle and relax. Will resume
the correspondence tomorrow in the meantime I
send you heaps of kisses and love you so much 
Sweet dreams 
Always yours 
Micky

AIR MAIL 
1.4.43 
  
Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria 

PR00610 
Australian  
War Memorial

3.4.43 
Darling Kay, 
From Sunny Queensland comes to you 
a message of affection and encouragement which I trust 
finds you radiant with good health and still 
characteristically surmounting your difficulties and 
discomforts. Boiled down, my lovely one, I bet youre  
doing a great job and feeling that way about you 
I hope letters aplenty are reaching you to give me 
the opportunity of tendering my proud respects. Being 
Sunday, no mail from you today but can imagine 
you over at Glen Iris just now reclining after a  
feast of succulent viands. I’m doing pretty well on  
the tooth just now having disposed of four sausages 
and chips for tea washed down by steaming 
pannikins of tea. Had our usual picnic lunch 
today of cold mutton and salad with a tropical 
fruit salad for dessert, probably the last of such 
banquets I daresay for some time to come. That's  
the prevailing impression around these parts and 
I don’t mean maybe. In all honesty, our faint hopes 
of being together on that certain day grow dimmed but  
pray hard for a chance to present itself, sweetheart. 
Sorry, pet for not dishing out a more cheerful 
message but I know you would rather have a the  
straight dope than sham guff I know to have  
little or no foundation in fact.