Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 9 - Part 4 of 12

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

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more hopeful words about the laddie. 
So for the first time for many a day, 
an occasional smile has disturbed my 
rugged countenance and the natural 
pride and joy at having a son is 
pushing aside the confused mass of 
anxieties and forebodings. It's a 
beaut feeling too, a novelty that won't 
fade, lacking only the thrill of being 
able to see you both. Still they 
won't deprive me of that forever and 
time will only serve to accentuate 
my anticipations. True, it is a blow that 
our budgeting for the arrival of 
Richard has gone sky high but as 
long as he is spared and is a 
normal chappie and you suffer no 
ill-effects, to hell with the expense. 
Money can always be got and in an 
emergency I'm just the bunny to dig 
it up so don't let that worry you. 
Get yourself and your son well and from 
then on, keeping the pair of you that 

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

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way and my eternal gratitude is yours. 
To continue on finance, I saw the Pay 
Sergeant today and unfortunately the 
matter of claiming your dependants 
allowance will have to be done by 
you. The procedure however is simple (I 
hope) but the D.F.O. only needs to sight 
the birth certificate for the claim to 
be in order. However, when you are up 
to it ring 'Dependants Allowances, DFO' 
and get what they want. Perhaps it 
can all be done by correspondence 
and save you having to go in there. 
If you post them any documents be sure 
to register the letter. Of course, the 
payments can be credited to your account 
at your bank. Gee, I wish I had a 
hundred I could lay my hands on 
but it sounds a bit painfully 
funny coming from a gunner. However 
I'm slowly putting together a pound 
or two in the pay book and when 
I reach a tenner I shall send it to 

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you to go into our funds (Remember that 
financial hope of ours). So with your 
prudence, I daresay we will triumph 
over our monetary headache as I have 
a lively admiration for your management, 
vide your achievements in the last nine 
months. When you have a moment 
you might let me have a resumé of your 
financial state, likely expenses in 
view and so on so that I can see 
what we are up against. It is a reproach 
that I am not there to look after that 
side of the business but regrets won't 
help at all. It sure is a grateful 
country that takes the best years of your 
life and while one tries to do a [[twofold?]] 
job of it leaves your struggling financially. 
However, although charity is a virtue
and that I dislike availing myself 
in ou terms of cash. So I think we 
will as usual fight our own 
battles as usual with success as our 
portion. until I hear further from 

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You regarding this aspect I shall say no 
more. I referred to my intentions the 
other day to go for compassionate leave 
and took the first steps. However after 
stating my case and, the fact that you 
were in no danger and the little chap 
was improving caused a hold up 
until further tidings come to hand. 
Your letter today did not advance my 
prospects at all and I was advised 
that if good progress is made, little good 
will be accomplished by filing the 
application. In any case it could not 
be done here so it looks at though 
that's the end of that - hard as 
nails they are, eh? 
So on that cheerful 
note, I shall conclude, but only till 
tomorrow, precious. Thanks ever so 
much for the news today, its 
refreshed me immensely, you beaut. 
Goodnight treasure and permit me to 
tell you and Snookums, I love you. Micky

YMCA 
Air Mail 
548 Barkers Rd. 
Hawthorn 
6743 
Mrs. M. Billings 
C/O St George's Hospital 
Catham Road 
Kew. Victoria 
AUSTRALIAN 
IMPERIAL FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR 
870

THE SALVATION ARMY ACF AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND YMCA 

From No. VX38483 Name Gnr M. Jillings
Unit C. Section 2/5 Aust. Hw. A.A. 
Battery Date A.I.F. 7.7.43 

Darling Kay. 
After writing you last night I crept off 
to bed just before lights out and had a very 
pleasant surprise when I got to my quarters in the 
shape of two letters from you, and one from your duenna 
Ada, one from Sheila and a wire from Dorcas. 
Most unexpected but really a great bedtime story although 
reading them by lamplight undetected by the orderly 
sergeant presented a slight problem. Your letters were 
those of the 29th and 30th June and my fond hopes that 
the brand new Billings family would henceforth be free 
of crises quickly got a swift kick in the pants. Poor 
dear, how rotten for you to take such a nasty turn, 
you've certainly got more than a fair share of the brickbats. 
I heaved a huge sigh of relief when I read on and 
twigged the reason for your turn as now you've been 
purged, it is reasonable to hope that you have at 
last been through the mill and are emerging into 
the calmer waters of a restoration to your pristine glory 
(What guff I talk). The respective barometers of 
Master Richard and you have been very interesting 
to follow but please dear, I beg of li you to leave 
the problem of creating excitement, and fear for me 
to the honorable Nipponese (or do you prefer the 
little yellow bastards). The latter designation is 
recommended. So after another perusal of your letters, I 
reckon I can relax a bit and do a bit of soldiering, 
I'm getting too ancient to stand such stocks and 
maybe you'd better send me a bottle of that iron 
medicine for my nerves of steel (use only Hutuwai) 
Anyhow I had a lot of items to tell you but more 

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/ 
urgent matters have consigned them to the forgotten. 
Your reports of Richard were a honey and truly 
you have begot (sounds queer to me) a remarkable 
lad as as further evidence of his toughness, 
vitality and beauty amply prove. After much 
humility, my dormant ego is swelling and I'm 
beginning to look down on the other guys. To which 
you will no doubt reply 'Who the hell did all the 
work anyhow' or something too vulgar for me 
to even think about. Anyhow, my lovely one 
I feel absurdly happy, really the first time since I 
hit the island and you are the cause. So 
once again, accept my thanks, congratulation and love 
on a job exceedingly well done, the way you have 
overcome all obstacles excites my profound 
admiration and may your reward so hardly earned 
be appropriate to your accomplishment. No doubt about 
the Irish for blarney but I mean every word of it 
and if you are competent to express your feelings, why 
not and I do like to say nice things to my wife 
when she deserves far more. Another fine chunk of 
news was your amazing (I'll be in deep water I 
if I seek the right word) but after your bitter 
disappointment earlier at not being able to feed the 
nipper yourself, I rejoice with you at the bright prospects 
of your now being able to do so although as you imply 
its all a bit of a secret to me. But don't get to 
be feeling that way, Mummy as theres lots of things 
I have gathered into my storehouse of knowledge 
and with a cunning leer, I tell you I know a 
thing or two biologically speaking. 

3/ 
There was one sentence in your letter for which I was going to 
take you severely to task but the flickering lamp played 
tricks with my eyes so I withdraw. It was when you were 
referring to Richard's comeliness and I first thought you 
were having a shot at me when you said that even if he 
looked like Old Nick you'd think he was like Gabriel. I 
took it as Old Mick. If you remember your scriptures, you 
know Gabriel and my patron Michael were pretty big shots 
in the heavenly firmament. Thanks too, for the press 
notices, I socked the good one away and I now have 
it in black and white and from that pillar of truth 
"The Argus" too that we actually possess one only boy, 
Richard, weight 6 lb 13 oz. Sounds like a pad from the 
turf section, like - Mr & Mrs. M. Billings black colt, 
Richard, 6.13, By Happy Lovers out of Great 
Blessing, trained by Mrs Billings - now showing 
great form in his preparation, the owners are very 
pleased with his progress. Just occurred to me that 
maybe my horsy allegory maybe is in bad taste 
but I feel a bit silly tonight so pardon my 
uncouth expressions. I'm a dag, am'nt I? If my 
humor becomes unbearable, please mail me the bill 
re birth of Richard Billings which should certainly take 
the grin off Dads homely mug. However, I intend to 
enjoy my new found if vicarious happiness for a while 
before grappling with the problem of filthy lucre. I'm 
glad you did not play the part of the stoical heroine 
during your travail, pet, and but let your neighbors know 
you were doing a great job the hard way. You're not a 
weakling and also not a Squib either but a such a time 
you could hardly be said to be controlling your 

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actions or your vocal chords. We humans are born 
to pain physically and mentally. woman gets her whack 
in fulfillment of her instinct, man in other ways such 
as now not far from here. When I was in hospital 
in Egypt, a good Kiwi was brought in with a stump 
of a gangrenous leg, a fine big chap but he screamed 
and whimpered for days and nights in spite of dope. 
The vocal expression for extreme physical pain is a thing 
apart from gameness, the howls and screams are 
involuntary. What matters is whether you kick on 
afterwards or luxuriate in an orgy of self pity for 
something past. Then you see whether a person has 
guts or is yellow. Your solicitude for the boy while 
feeling lousy yourself is proof that you dont lack for 
the former and now things are on the up and 
up, gone a note of satisfaction and determination 
pervades your letters. So don't hand me that crap 
about your frailties, my lusty wench. Pardon my 
portentous sentences, sweet, I'm recalled that the 
author is a long way from being a hero, I loathe 
violence and bloodshed and only a studied attitude 
of indifference to the horror of this business keeps me 
from making a goat of myself. 
Before I close add my thanks to 
the congratulations you've received and in particular 
give Ada a big kiss from me, she's wonderful. I'll 
write her tomorrow. Now the tension has lessened 
I will feel up to writing to our maters and other 
friends. I too expect an increased mail from the 
mainland. So good night, precious madrē and 
every scrap of love to ye. Daddy Micky. 

7.7.43 
Air Mail 
Mrs M Billings 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn 
Victoria 

Australian 
Imperial Forces 
Passed by censor 
870