Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 9 - Part 7 of 12

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Subject:
  • Love Letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2021.7.32
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 9

VX38483 Gnt. M. Gung C. Section 2/5 Aust Hy.A.A. Gathoy 22.7.43. A.S.F. Darling Kay. At last your Silence has been booken by a letter, that of the 7th July overtaking me today and now t a start has been made a few of those before and after this one should bruge in Ihe letted cirtainly got a oun for its money as it has been to 4 placed seeking me and has at last found its man. The Avmy Port Office it pretty good and dont mess finding theid man eventually if you co aperate and notify changes of address. In addition letters from i un and Jahn came along to d feel fire of satisfaction today as both batches of news were face of natty things and after the worrying days recently, its bonget to know R. chard and you are at Savosing the good things associated with motheshood. Duns letter was written a week lated than yours and tthough I prifed to head details of you and the little chaps progress right from the harse month, as it were, I was none the lews please to have a lated bullitin tilling me you were going along Aid by leaps ane bounds I suppose whenyu reached you, hospital is long over with and the job of linding Snookums has divolvce solity into foud capable hands. Im sure your cadud doubth of being alle to
cope with the delicate job have now disappeared that youre got youd hand in and you now perform the ablutions etc with a poactibed hand. I was all agog when eading your description of the lad and now have a faid idea what he looks like. He docent soune a bad sort of guy to hid old man and it daient matted that his not a glamod boy so long as his made right, in fact he sounds just like the sort of child we would have and now young had him and have provee you can provide for him in every way, hill himn out oathed ncely under you stion hiloring. Now haw about you as ound letter was latd than yours, I was eved to pleased to read that you were fure of beant and the hospital people had looked after you so were. I can imagine haw you felt when the luxury of your first showed came around. I. Wo, have suffered the indignity of nursed washing me when crook and I niver feet clean lying in bed, I'm such a whale on showers that I'd just as soon have one as a feed. That dependence on others is alright when youre really coook but when you feel like getting up and the Doc Says no, hospital life gets on your quenee, So with that sage observation, the hospital chapted would seem to be at an end except for the paltry business of
farking out for it all. Hawwes I wont talk about that now until I knew xactly what fillings & 6o are in the cast for and sering Dame Forture is sindling upon us apted many frownd. I hape I can Snomaunt that poablim alright. I must say I agae with you that furthed additions to the family are out for The duration for the Suef same ceasons you have discribed not that I regret, one what the advent of R. chard as the Salitary life you were leading wsued have graduany become unbearable and new you have an absorbing interest to claim your whale attention, time will pass more quickly and responsibitity for somithing very dead ito you is yours and yours only yout life did change very quickly, for tory meany months doing nathing of consequence ane finding time such a budon. Then in a few hourt, you went through a whole gamnt of experience, from pain, exchaustion, despaid, woory, hope, joy and prefument Tirnny business life; fuce of light and shade and one thing that h seems to appoitd you too much is the memory of the physical pain I always knew that you would supped in begetting gand first chied but please don't lit that clend your thoughtutoo much, it lied in the past and cannot hurt you new, and and futures largely bound up in you and youd activiteed in the next hwelve months and life wre he have enough for you anyway. I m sorry if
at if I appear a bit heartlies but in the past few years Ive had enough confact with bloodshed, ain and disease to force me to view it with some detachment - of alle was handly tends to saphen one when youve got an equal show of being hustlike the next bloke. And now I ve a confertion to make. my sweet. I have wondered if my flitting about of late had exceted your cnoiosity sufficiently for you inteution to divine the reason. Io cut it short, I we been a bit crook myself. (Lucky family aannt we Feet poedly Lonry about the end of May so went tto seewh what it was this time. I emp. was 102 to off I was bunged to the Freed Ambulance feeling hat and Schevery and with the daddy of all headaches so hanged if I wasnt admitted. They took some blood fod testing and danged if it wasnt malana. so off to hospitie by plane and how were the cool white sheets. Anyhew I feet as good as goed apted three days and after bludging under suppressive treatment for another week, I went to the Con camp up in the hiels where they toughenee me up for another two weeks. So I've left thes and am now at the C Reception Camp waiting to go back and am I fed up. Anghow Swietheast, I m bitted than wid now so close hoping you feel at good for. All my love to K. chard and Huming from your old man 16.cky PRDOOI nustratian Rantlee War Memorial
2274 AUSTRALIAN WHLITARY FORCES AMERICAN RED CROSS) FASAIE CC His Hase 3 E - M.s. M. Girings 548 Barkers Road East Hawthoon Pictoria
IX38483 S. H. fulling 2/5 Aust Hy a a gattery A. S. F. 24. 7. 74 Darling Ray. otill more good news from & 11th July you ped yand letters of dond, 4 received fetterday and now the gate thas been apind the lench still coasting about shaud not be long in muoning up. Yours of the 11th was particularly interesting as I Dee by the address that your shaken the dust of the hospital from your hells and taken your self and one only infart back to garkers Road I supfoe you were none the less pleasu as knoew how sedious those places are once youre on you feet. The progrets you repost is very hrearhening to me and itl beaut. that you are now so were and its early sun by yand letters that you have left the sick feeling behind and a little more time should bel you the give you wire when last & saw
you Iead too my libters continue to get to you O.K, I shll get a thrice when you hel me that they help you along and now my travels an nearly oved at least fot a while I doil antrcipate any difficulty in getting them away to you according to schedule. The latest dape about the young matter was avidly read and it appears that my apinion that his the greatest eved is fully justified even if he is a bit of a cad and a stinked for a staot. Of causse it had given me as dwollen head not only because it a bay (I was suce of that but a handsome hepty fellow to boat. It would have been lanry if he had been a sickly codged lunt as we have mow knocked ourseeves about in ristans living, I suppose we are intitled to a oluat child Fre I would give anything to su him but I shall take a leaf from your book and stop wrthing fod the moon After ac. nearly three morths are up and it doisnt
Seim to have been nearly that long to the perion ofewaiting may come arsent not prove to busdensome as I expect I chape the mext of my cillencts did not aplct you much, only you fod and no secrets compact. I wouldnt have mentianed it dent there you are Sim a man of my ond I was only a mild attack and the analyeis from blood feels shawed it ito be the least visulent lype of macana I pertonally think it was a reaple from attacks of fived I suffered in the M. ddl East Anyhaw Im long aved it now and feel one hundred peocent and fot a reason I shall tell you about sharbly I shauld shed clead of further bonts. The worst feature of it was the idleness during and apted the fived snternded chained to the confines of hospital, con camp and now the reception camp with not much to do but neat movch about one spine bash. That combination makes one
tconbly layy and apted a while any effort is just too much trouble. So Inwant to snap out of that kind of thing and get on do a job to keep mind and body active and I think allease from my present abode is in right at last I fold you a few letters back that when visiting the town I came upon what looked like an appartunity to do a bit of good fod myselfn tthe line of burmeds from which I carned a crust in cevy life. to I went and saw the hear serang of the nnit concernid and he hold me he could use me if I could git a tanifed from the Ack. Ack so apter much panding I wrote the chief for same and ye enterday I received a reply saying he would raise no aly etion to a boankfed being afficted. Annud with that I again saw the new people and arrangements are new in hand to put it Through to it looks as though sie revened y connection with my old mob and dean

VX 38483 Lnt M Billings 
C. Section 2/5 Aust .Hy. A.A. Battery 
A.I.F. 22.7.43 

Darling Kay, 
At last your silence has been broken 
by a letter, that of the 7th July overtaking me today 
and now I a start has been made a few of those 
before and after this one should breeze in. 
The letter certainly got a run for its money as it 
has been to 4 places seeking me and has at last 
found its man. The Army Post Office is pretty good 
and don’t miss finding their man eventually if you 
co-operate and notify changes of address. In addition 
letters from Mum and John came along - so I feel 
full of satisfaction today as both batches of news 
were free of nasty things and after the worrying 
days recently, its bonzer to know Richard and you 
are at savouring the good things associated with 
motherhood. Mum’s letter was written a week 
later than yours and though I prefer to hear details of 
you and the little chap's progress right from the 
horses’ mouth, as it were, I was none the less pleased 
to have a later bulletin telling me you were going along 
by leaps and bounds. I suppose when you this reaches 
you, hospital is long over with and the job of minding 
Snookums has devolved solely into your capable 
hands. I’m sure your earlier doubts of being able to 

 

2/ 
cope with the delicate job have now disappeared that 
you’ve got your hand in and you now perform the 
ablutions etc. with a practised hand. I was 
all agog when reading your description of the lad and 
now have a fair idea what he looks like. He doesn’t 
sound a bad sort of guy to his old man and it 
doesn’t matter that he's not a glamor boy so long 
as he's made right, in fact he sounds just like the 
sort of child we would have and now you’ve had 
him and have proved you can provide for him 
in every way, he’ll turn out rather nicely under your 
stern tutoring. 
Now how about you? As Mum’s 
letter was later than yours, I was ever so pleased
to read that you were full of beans and the hospital 
people had looked after you so well. I can imagine 
how you felt when the luxury of your first shower 
came around. I, too, have suffered the indignity of 
nurses washing me when crook and I never felt 
clean lying in bed. I am such a whale on showers 
that I’d just a soon have one as a feed. That 
dependence on others is alright when you’re really crook 
but when you feel like getting up and the Doc. says 
not no, hospital life gets on your quince. So with that 
sage observation, the hospital chapter would seem to 
be at an end except for the paltry business of .

 

3/ 
forking out for it all. However I won't talk about that
now until I know exactly what Billings & Co are in
the cart for and seeing Dame Fortune is smiling
upon us after many frowns, I hope I can surmount
that problem alright. I must say I agree with you
that further additions to the family are out for
the duration for the self same reasons you have
described not that I regret, one whit the advent of
Richard as the solitary life you were leading would
have gradually become unbearable and now you have
an absorbing interest to claim your whole attention,
time will pass more quickly and responsibility for
something very dear to you is yours and yours only.
Your life did change very quickly, for long weary
months doing nothing of consequence and finding
time such a burden. Then in a few hours, you went
through a whole gamut of experience, from pain,
exhaustion, despair, worry, hope, joy and fulfilment.
Funny business life: full of light and shade and one
thing that to seems to oppress you too much is
the memory of the physical pain. I always knew
that you would suffer in begetting your first child but
please don't let that cloud your thoughts too much,
it lies in the past and cannot hurt you now,
and our future is largely bound up in you and
your activities in the next twelve months and life
will be hard enough for you anyway. I'm sorry if

 


if I appear a heartless but in the past few years I've
had enough contact with bloodshed, pain and disease
to force me to view it with some detachment - or else.
War hardly tends to soften one when youve got an equal
show of being hurt like as the next bloke.
And now I've a confession to make,
my sweet. I have wondered if my flitting about of late
has excited your curiosity sufficiently for your intuition to
divine the reason. To cut it short, I've been a bit
crook myself. (Lucky family arent we?) Felt pretty
lousy about the end of May so went to see what
what it was this time. Temp. was 102 so off I
was bunged to the Field Ambulance feeling hot
and shivery and with the daddy of all headaches
so hanged if I wasn't admitted. They took some
blood for testing and danged if it wasn't malaria.
So off to hospital by plane and how were the
cool white sheets. Anyhow I feel as good as gold
after three days and after bludging under suppressive
treatment for another week, I went to the Con.
camp up in the hills where they toughened me
up for another two weeks. So I've left there
and am now at the Reception Camp waiting to
go back and am I fed up. Anyhow sweetheart, I'm
better than ever now so close hoping you feel as
good too. All my love to Richard and
Mummy from your old man Micky 

PR00610 
Australian 
War Memorial

 

AMERICAN RED CROSS 
22 . 7 43

AUSTRALIAN 
MILITARY FORCES 
Passed By CENSOR 
3652 

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

 

VX 38483 Lt. M. Billings 
2/5 Aust. Hy. A.A. Battery. 
A.I.F. 24.7.43 

Darling Kay, 
Still more good news from 
you per' your letters of 2nd, 4th & 11th July 
received yesterday and now the gate has 
been opened the bunch still coasting about 
should not be long in turning up. Yours 
of the 11th was particularly interesting as I 
see by the address that you've shaken the dust 
of the hospital from your heels and taken your 
self and one only infant back to Barkers Road 
I suppose you were none the less pleased as I 
know how tedious those places are once you’re 
on your feet. The progress you report is very 
heartening to me and its beaut. that you 
are now so well and it’s easily seen by 
your letters that you have left the sick 
feeling behind and a little more time should 
see you the girl you were when last I saw

 

2/ 
you. Glad too my letters continue to get to 
you O.K, I still get a thrill when you tell 
me that they help you along and now my 
travels are nearly over at least for a while 
I don't anticipate any difficulty in getting them 
away to you according to schedule. The 
latest dope about the young master was 
avidly read and it appears that my opinion 
that his the greatest ever is fully justified 
even if he is a bit of a cad and a stinker 
for a start. Of course it has given me a 
swollen head not only because 'its a boy' 
(I was sure of that) but a handsome hefty 
fellow to boot. It would have been lousy 
if he had been a sickly codger but as we 
have never knocked ourselves about in riotous 
living, I suppose we are entitled to a robust 
child. Gee, I would give anything to see 
him but I shall take a leaf from your book 
and stop wishing for the moon. After all, 
nearly three months are up and it doesn't

 

3/ 
seem to have been nearly that long so the 
period of waiting may come around not prove 
so burdensome as I expect. 
I hope the news of my illness 
did not upset you much; only four for our 
no secrets compact, I wouldn't have mentioned 
it but there you are I'm a man of my word. 
It was only a mild attack and the analysis 
from blood tests showed it to be the least 
virulent type of malaria. I personally think 
it was a relapse from attacks of fever I 
suffered in the Middle East. Anyhow I'm 
long over it now and feel one hundred 
percent and for a reason I shall tell you 
about shortly I should steer clear of further 
bouts. The worst feature of it was the 
idleness during and after the fever subsided 
chained to the confines of hospital, con. 
camp and now the reception camp with not 
much to do but read, mooch about and 
spine bash. That combination makes one

 

4/ 
terribly lazy and after a while any effort is 
just too much trouble. So I want to snap 
out of that kind of thing and get on to a job 
to keep mind and body active and I think 
release from my present abode is in sight 
at last. I told you a few letters back that 
when visiting the town I came upon what 
looked like an opportunity to do a bit of 
good for myself in the line of business from 
which I earned a crust in civvy life. So 
I went and saw the head serang of the 
unit concerned and he told me he could 
use me if I could get a transfer from the 
Ack Ack. So after much pondering I wrote 
the chief for same and yesterday I received 
a reply saying he would raise no objection 
to a transfer being aeffected. Armed with 
that I again saw the new people and 
arrangements are now in hand to put it 
through. So it looks as though I've severed 
my connection with my old mob and I can 

Last edited by:
Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
Last edited on:

Last updated: