Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 10 - Part 7 of 18

WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF 
THE SAILOR and SOLDIERS' CHURCH 
OF ENGLAND HELP SOCIETY 
FOUNDED 1915 
  
4/ 
so I have decided to send them 
home to your safe keeping for 
I cherish a sentimental 
affection for the two volumes. 
I have sent them registered post  
so they will be on your shelves  
before long.  Not much news  
from here as usual except  
that the news today of Italy's 
capitulation gave us a heap of  
pleasure and aroused that hope  
that the carnage will one day  
come to an end with happy 
consequences to us blokes with  
wives and bairns.  I'm a stiff 
cow , no doubt about it for 
yesterday I awakened with a  
sore throat and later found 
I had slight laryngitis and  
have to gargle thrice daily. 
am Has partly well disappeared 
now so that's fine. I think 

5/ 
it was caused by the dust for 
it has been very dry and dusty  
of later.  Otherwise I'm O.K. 
and kept very busy at the 
job.  I started on a new task 
to replace a chap going home 
soon and it should lead to 
some advantage soon I reckon. 
The only trouble with the job 
is lack of exercise but I guess  
one cant have everything. It's 
too hot for great exertion but  
an hour's swimming daily would 
be ideal.  I have hopes of  
collaring a green envelope soon 
so as soon as I get it and 
feel in a  a communicative mood 
standby for a letter a bit 
different to the usual run.  You 
must find a lot of my stuff  
very banal.  I saw a few  
of the boys from the old show 

6/  
the other day, fellows returning 
from hospital to the unit and 
had a feed with them and 
swapped yarns like we old  
swaddies do. I've just drawn a  
new pair of boots and me  
dawgs are barking plenty while 
I break them in.  Some job 
breaking army boots in, I can  
tell you but as I take great care  
of my feet no harm should result.   
A chap presented me with a  
large tin of Malted Milk t'other 
day so I have a mug full before 
retiring and do I sleep? A  
regular bludger I've become but 
 I'm not one whit ashamed if  
I do a good job in the Pay Corps.   
Do you know I have a great stack 
of letters to answer but  
find letterwriting more  
burdensome now I'm working 
 

7/ 
on paper by day.  I except you 
of course from that assertion  
for obvious reasons.  One night  
when I feel like it I'll make  
a clean sweep of them, at least  
they are not urgent.  I look  
forward to my green envelope  
effort as a fat intimate 
discourse to you is I feel 
timely and appropriate to my 
present mood. 
On that cheerful note 
 I shall now conclude, in so 
doing permit me, Madam to 
address you in terms of extreme 
devotion and affection and  
interest you to bestow upon our  
splendid child a caress the like  
of which I would fain press 
upon your responsive lips.  Get  
me, sweetheart. Cheers.  
Micky  
  
tmHill

Air Mail  9.9.43 
  
Mrs. M. Billings 
548 Barkins Road 
East Hawthorn 
Victoria 

VX38453
Pte .M. Billings
District accounts officer
New Guinea
11.9.43

Darling, 
It certainly was a treat  
to get three more letters from you  
yesterday.  as well also fine to see  
you have been fairing well in  
that respect too. Yours were dated 
4th, 5th & 7th so in point of quantity 
 quality and up to date news, twas 
 splendid.  I fondly trust Richard 
 and you are 'extra' after your glowing 
 accounts that sums rather superfluous 
 but I do want you both to keep 
 in racing trim and perhaps foolishly 
 I think that to wish you all the best 
 does help a bit in maintaining that 
 buoyancy of health and spirits without 

2/ 
which the worries and trials of the 
day magnify in one's mind 
To clear up the matter here  
is the news from here such as it is. 
I am quite fit, the sore throat having  
disappeared, much to my relief.  The  
weather has been a bit cooler the 
last few days also much to my and 
everyones else's relief.  The dust is  
a bother but you can't have everything  
I suppose.  Still tons of work and 
the new job I've just commenced will 
 be a bit of a headache for a while.   
Otherwise life is pretty placid, one  
day being much like another so you  
can see the difference the letters  
make.  The weekly picture show was 
on last evening, quite a good show too 
 for the jaded soldiary. Some gangster 
 show and  'Star Spangled Rythm' 

3  
in which the there were some funny  
sketches.  Now to your letters. 
Nice for you to be favoured  
with some good weather after the bleak  
Winter has passed and I hope  
you both feel the tonic effect of Spring  
to the full.  I'm so pleased he is  
settling down now and keeps his  
best sleeping efforts for nighttime but  
not half so pleased as you I bet. 
I see you prefer to leave the details of 
 your confab with the doctor until I  
come home, perhaps that would be  
better as I know its far better and  
easier to talk quietly about such things  
than to write of them.  Suffice it for  
now that we are both wide awake  
about such things and should avoid  
the pitfalls that await the unwary 
I await very eagerly the

4 
photograph of Richard and you as I  
know it will be a trimmer and I  
want a new picture of you both to  
gaze upon frequently, Gee you must  
get a kick out of his cavortings and  
chucklings no doubt he's a card  
and I feel properly diddled at missing  
such a large slice of one of the best  
things life has to offer.  I hope my  
earnest words do not bore you as  
my mug appears to bore the young  
rascal.  Cheeky young cow, I'll learn  
him to show me more respect.  I  
trust my good woman you do not  
encourage his impudence but must  
say that I'll be disappointed if he  
hasn't a spice of the divine in him.   
I know it was pretty gruesome for you  
having him, your letters show too  
clearly how the memory is imprinted 

5 
on your mind but it at least was a job  
well done and the living result will  
has and will bless many of your days  
as a recompense.  It all bears out our  
belief that nothing fine can come unless  
out of stress and sacrifice.  You can  
rest assured that for me you have  
broadened my v vista of life and made  
me even happier than ever which is  
saying something.  When we are reunited  
my happiness will be complete for these  
are the bulwarks of my whole  
existence for me to love and cherish  
and be loved in return. Even though  
this hellish separation drags on, a  
fellow cannot despair so long as his  
vision splendid stands and I have  
no fears of you ever wavering. God  
wi will as he has always done, give 
us strength to bear with fortitude.  
Please darling, don't make those