Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 9 - Part 3 of 12

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your last letter gave me cause to be hopeful, the last
three days waiting for that vital letter I trust will not
be repeated. Your last two letters however did put a
brighter complexion on his chances and with all the
supplications of the nuns and other. I really think all
will be well not forgetting the cautious prediction of
Dr McKay of course and he should know. I still
shudder when I think what a close call it was but
when you relate how he is showing signs of and making
the noises a babe should make, how that glows within
me. Is he really like me, dinkum, honey? It is
wonderful of you to present me with a son but for
him to be like me is the greatest compliment I am
ever likely to be get so I hope not fruitlessly, that
when I am privileged to see him, Dad and the
nipper wont have more to do than look at one
another to twig who's who.
I'm very sorry that my prayers were
inadequate but if those can set him on the right
road, I will be unsparing. I shall go to Mass and
the sacraments tomorrow and when visiting the padre
tonight will ask him to intercede for our poor wee
laddie. It's rotten being so far away when I am
needed so badly, the mail seems to be dreadfully
slow in getting here, the whole game stinks.
I am going to apply for some compassionate leave
tomorrow but must warn you against being in any
way optimistic as to the outcome. First I don't think

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the rules consider my grounds sufficient to grant leave
and then I'm hundreds of miles from my unit at
present and maybe the authorities here may not have
power to grant it. In that case, it would take days
to have the matter finalised so that's the position
and you never know what evidence would be my required
to support my application. Anyhow I shall get
paraded tomorrow and see what can be done. Theyre
pretty hard and being away from my mob won't help
If it should eventuate, it would be marvellous but
I don't feel justified in letting you and I build castles
in the air. What a dilemma!
I shan't write any more now
darling but will wait and see what tomorrow
brings, may it be joyful tidings. Before closing,
I want you to know that you did everything you
could to protect yourself and were was in every way
fitted to bring your child into the world without mishap.
That things went awry is one of those things that
happen and you musn't feel in any way responsible
for the trouble. Quite the contrary, your demeanor
has always been apo above reproach and God willing
you will soon be able to enjoy the fruits of your
sterling labors, its only your due and your bubba
would be an ornament in any society.
So with hope, I await developments and
S close loving you more than ever, my sweet.
Micky 

PR006I0 
Australian War Memorial 

ACF in conjunction with YMC 

Air Mail
Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barkers Rd
East Hawthorn
Victoria

AUSTRALIAN 
IMPERIAL FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR 

PR00610
Australian
War Memorial

THE SALVATION ARMY ACF AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND YMCA

From No. VX 38483 Name Gnr. M. Billings
Unit. C. Section 2/5 Aust. Hy. A. A. Batty.
A. I. F. 
Date 4. 7. 43

My Darling,
Nothing further from you since your 
letter of 25th June but today being Sunday I
did not expect anything. Tomorrow may bring
relief and allay my desperate anxiety about the
progress of poor little Richard. I've done some
fervent praying the last few days and enlisted the
padre to add his petition for the little chap.
As a result I've felt greatly comforted and am very
hopeful that the next mail will produce some good
news. Still, I occasionally think that my hopes may
be dashed, you know how those unpleasant thoughts
thrust themselves forward and when good news
comes, what a weight will be lifted from my
weary head. I don't envy you your predicament, poor
dear, having to be in the same building as the babe
you've been wanting for so long and then to be deprived
of the initial thrill of his presence at your side.
I won't refer to the torture while the fight wages
nearby for his precious life. I'm terribly sorry, pet 
and initial imbure fell short of expectations but agree
with you that if the end is favourable, the means
will be justified. I hope that when this arrives
your will have banished the painful evidences of
a very trying period and feel more like your old
self now it's over. Now, I must confess that
despite repeated assurances that everything would go well
with you, I know that being your first experience of
motherhood it would be far from plain sailing if,
for no other reason that it was the first time which
carries many implications of itself. So in addition

IN YOUR LETTER DO NOT REFER TO: 
The name of your transport, or other transports in your convoy...dates of sailing...ports of call...destination,
descriptions of troops, or other information which, if intercepted, will be of value to the enemy.

2/ 

to my anxity anxiety about Richard, I will get a big
kick to read that you are well on the mend and if 
the laddie starts to thrive, I bet that will accelerate your 
complete recovery. It's rather peculiar here to adjust 
oneself to the position as the die has been cast some 
time now yet I'm living in the past and am hoping 
for things now past. Gee, life stood still that day 
I got those three letter from you, what with the hurt 
from what you went through, your pathetic disappointment 
at being deprived of the presence of your child and the 
fears that his life hangs by so slender a thread, 
the emotions of fears experienced in a few moments. 
Distance far from lessening the effects serve only to 
accentuate them and my uselessness. War is more of 
a curse than I had thought up to then. I hope my 
letters are reaching you quickly, just when I desperately 
want yours they are taking longer than ever and my 
once boasted patience is a thing of the past. You 
have often told me my letters helped you and I pray 
that now you derive a crumb or two of comfort and 
encouragement from them. I don't feel up to carrying 
out the usual conventions of thanking those who did 
their part in the matter until I get word that the 
boy is going to be alright as conventions will be 
[?] until then. You are the only one I can 
write to at present as my thoughts translated into 
words won't lend themselves to the expression of the usual 
trite stuff as being a big part of me. I can forget 
all that when writing to you from the heart and 
not from the head. Its funny how manly forg 
almost forgotten things [[rec..r?]] at times of crisis and 

3/ 

thinking of that poor innocent mite putting up a great scrap 
for his life brought to mind what Mum had told 
me that I showed reluctance to be born healthy 
and was a sickly coot for quite a while and I think 
she said I lived on a bottle for the weaning period. 
It seems that history is repeating itself with our lad 
and gives meaning to the maxim that other things 
besides the sins of the father are visited upon their 
sons. If he kicks on like his old man everything 
will be marvellous and seeing he is such a 
natty build, maybe his shown his quality long 
before now. It all depends on that rotten 
first stage and when the letters come telling me 
his going right ahead, I'll permit myself the 
luxury of the natural jubilation that is appropriate 
to the occasion. If I have to wait before I 
can see him, surely God will at least let me know 
he is thriving. It sounds odd but when you told 
me he was like me, the thought that he might 
not survive was like the lash of a whip. This 
letter seems to be all taken up with yap about me 
and my troubles yet how much more must you have 
suffered. A favorable turn of the wheel of fortune 
is more than overdue for you so by the law of averages 
things have surely become sunnier for you. The 
words have stopped coming into my mind now so 
with a load of suspense, I shall put in another night 
in pray for good news tomorrow although strange to 
say I'm not sleeping too badly. (inhuman brute, eh) 
Ta Ta, precious, maybe in miles we're far apart but 
I'm right with you and love you so. Micky 

Air Mail
4.7.43 

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

AUSTRALIAN 
IMPERIAL FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR
870 

G. Ryan

ACF AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND YMCA
In conjunction with Y.M.C.A.
(Use Military Address only) 

NO. VX38483 Gr M. Billings
C. Section, 2/5 Aust . Hy. A A. 
Battery. A.I.F. 194... 
6.7.43 

Darling Kay, 
Three hearty cheers, my 
sweet. Your letter of the 26th came in 
and you can picture my joy over the 
contents. The last few days have 
been uncomfortable to put it mildly 
waiting for that letter that everyone 
seems to have conspired to delay. 
It arrived a minutes reading sufficed 
to raise my spirits sky high and 
wasn't the news of Richard and you 
a break for me. I don't want to 
minimise your sufferings before, 
during and after your confinement 
but you had one big advantage of 
being on the spot and able to follow 
that struggle. I can tell you now 
what it was to have to wait what 
seemed ages for your letters not 
knowing whether our boy was alive 
or dead, whether you have seen your 
life threatened. The dragging hours 
were punctuated by horrible thoughts

MAIL YOUR LETTERS A.P.O. DO NOT MENTION MILITARY ACTIVITIES.

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although plain commonsense averted panic 
But when they did flash across my mind 
what a humbling [?] Now that you 
are both doing so well and I pray 
you will continue to flourish, I want 
to put those frightful days behind 
me and I shall never mention them 
in my letters again. I recognise that 
the little bloke is still not out 
of the wood and until I hear that all 
danger is past and that you too 
feel more like your old self, the 
letters will be more eagrly 
awaited than ever. I do hope these 
letters will be here very soon as we 
had had more than a bellyful of 
the gamut of emotions in recent days. 
Your sketchy bits about Richard are a 
joy to behold and as I said before 
I sure mop them up. The cheerier 
tone of your letters are a tonic to 
a bothered worrier as they reflect both 
your improved condition and your