Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 11 - Part 6 of 24

PR00610 
Australian  
War Memorial

VX 38483 Cpl. M. Billings 
District accounts office  
New Guinea  
7.11.43  
  
Darling Kay, 
Hast betrayed me, wench?  
not a solitary line from you since I got  
yours of the 28th five days ago but I  
suppose it's another of those periods when  
the mail plays tricks on us and who  
knows, tomorrow may bring P.M two  
perhaps even three of your treasured  
epistles. Hope so for believe it or not,  
your letters have not lost a scrap of their  
charm for me.   
I trust Richard & Kay are  
both doin' fine and not finding life  
unduly oppressive. I suppose the weather  
down there at present is not hard to  
take and both you and Snookums  
are benefiting from the greater  
longer hours of sunlight & warmth. 
 

2/ 
I hope my letters are not suffering the  
same fate as yours particularly as I  
wanted my latest G.E. effort to reach you  
quickly. I was pleased that your descent  
into the inferno was not of too long a  
duration. It must have been a bad  
show finishing up with a bilious attack.  
Poor darling!    
The news of Richard was  
again wonderful, it must be wo 
tip-top to have the box seat at all his  
performances, you lucky devil. Maybe  
I wouldn't be so romantic beholding you  
in a flannel nightgown but of course  
an enterprising fellow like me can always  
overcome such trifling obstacles. Glad you  
reminded me that your satin stunners have  
been carefully put by until an appreciative  
audience is at hand to j do justice to  
them. I will be all that & more  
I can assure you and anyway when we

3/ 
go into a clinch, you will have something  
more substantial than flannel to keep  
you warm. Not that I condemn flannel  
nighties, used one myself not so long  
ago and cut rather a dashing figure  
I'm sure. There are many alluring  
attractions in store for me I'm glad  
to recall and you are the star turn  
of 'em all.   
Today being Sunday, I  
have taken it very easily and bludged  
properly. Arose at eight, ate and  
went back to bed, dozed and read  
until eleven, then fiddled about until  
lunch time. Did my laundry then and  
then went for a swim. On night duty  
this week so am penning this from the  
office. Things are very quiet generally  
round hereabouts but I don't mind that  
a bit. I'm all for a quiet life while  
I may.

4/ 
Got another parcel, a small pillow from  
the Sandringham Comforts Fund or  
something like that. I wonder who is responsible  
for sending it. Also two more bundles  
of papers from you. Everything but a  
letter from you. Heard from Doug Reid  
during the week and he sounded the same  
as of old, a little more cheerful after  
the recent excitement. By all accounts, it  
certainly was monotonous over there.  
Gwen & Susan were O.K and Doug sent  
his regards to you.   
Had pictures & boxing the last  
two nights and [[but]] for those breaks  
the dullness of this place would get  
on your quince properly.   
Well, dearest Puss, that's about  
all the good words I can conjure up  
tonight so will leave off for a short spell.  
Kiss the [[mighty?]] atom for me and  
lemme tell [[you]] I love you like hell.   
Dad.  

Air Mail 
7.11.43 

Mrs. M. Billings  
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn . 
Vict. 

AUSTRALIAN 
MILITARY FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR 
2543 
TMHill

VX 38483 Cpl M. Billings 
District accounts office  
New Guinea. 9.11.43  
  
Darling Kay, 
Great was the rejoicing today  
for after a week, a letter from you came  
along and a good sized meaty one at that.  
It was that of 30 Oct and accompanying it  
was one from Sister Sheila. Pleased too  
to see my masterpieces of are also getting to  
you. Hope Richard and you are merry &  
bright. Whilst you show the signs of  
acute war weariness, I'm very pleased  
the laddie is shaping so well. Your  
description of him snoozing and sunbaking  
enraptured me, he sounds like a chocolate  
bar and when I come down I shall gobble  
him up. Maybe I'm a loon but when  
you describe all those capers of his that  
remind you of P.M. I'm terribly bucked.  
Perhaps his excellent physique & disposition  
are but a reflection of the perfect love

2/ 
of his parents but its none the less  
satisfying to me that he is so good because  
at the a time like this when he's so much  
to you, it would be dreadful if he were  
sickly and a source of worry instead of  
pleasure.   
Yours truly is O.K but full of  
itch. Been very hot today and it still  
is for that matter, the sweat is pouring  
out of me. How I should love a cold  
pot of beer. Still visiting the dentist to  
get the fangs fixed up properly. I've now  
developed three of those bald patches on  
the nut, seeing if the Iodex will clear  
them up. Always some damn irritation  
to annoy a chap.   
How like a woman jumping  
from one extreme to the other. You'll  
be seeing me in about six months  
time, my fine yeast bun and I 
hazard a deener that you can count

3/ 
on that. Maybe a month or so one way  
or the other but it will be pretty right  
and I think I will get a spot of home  
service after I have my leave. Maybe  
you were a bit optimistic in your prophecies  
regarding the duration of the war but think  
how glum you would have been had you  
thought in 1940 of it stilling carrying on  
until 1944. Of course these things are  
unpredictable but it's going our way  
and to we fellows of the 1939-40 vintage  
that has a lot of significance. So  
don't lose hope, Stinker, one thing you  
won't get long notice of the ending. To  
be perfectly candid I did suffer nostalgic pains  
when I had news of the doings of the  
old mob for it's natural after being with  
a unit for so long to always cherish  
a sort of proprietary interest in it. I'm  
afraid they're leading a pretty dull life  
the last flash was only one in the pan.

4/  
Howbut I'm an A.A.P.C wallah now for  
good or ill but to you I'll confess I have  
ceased to consider myself a soldier under  
present conditions. Any how the war is  
not over yet and I'm still A1 Class so  
I might see a bit more excitement yet. One  
thing in this war the gulf between the  
front line chaps and the hangers on has  
diminished by air bombing and no one  
can claim immunity, the difference is a  
matter of degree. However, enough of such  
junk, read all about it in the Herald.   
Glad to hear you took time  
off for a jaunt with Junior to Glen Iris  
and you had a good chin wag. I wrote to  
Dorcas a while back so at her Sydney  
address so it will be waiting for her  
when she gets back. I suppose you feel  
strange to relinquish your precious charge  
to his gaunt aunts (wouldn't they like to  
read that) but old Lil would get a kick