Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 11 - Part 9 of 24

VX38483 Cpl. M. Billings
District accounts office
New Guinea 
16.11.43.
 

Darling Kay.
So entrancing to be the
recipient of your literary favors again
yours of 10th & 11th coming along today.
As the previous one was dated the
5th it appears that someone has done
the dirty on me for a letter or two,
for a while at least. 
Very pleased that my Green
Envelope screed has greeted you and
you derived a need of comfort and
pleasure from the contents. Your letters
fill the bill admirably, dearest, so don’t 
be reproachful of anything that you put
in them. Put yourself in them as much
as you can for though I’m far away
I live with you and in you and 
maintain that precious contact by virtue

2/
of the written word. I don’t write green
envelopes or any other letters for that matter
for a hobby but because I am deeply
conscious of the lack in our lives
measured by the significance and depth
of it inside me and am impelled to
do my utmost to soften the heartache.
You need not feel it incumbent upon you
to be a cheer-up society for me, your
present mode of life has some of the
fundamentals missing for the effect to
veer to the gay and lighthearted. By that
I reiterate that I want to hear all of
you and your thoughts seeing they centre   
on me, not a spurious flippancy 
that could only be assumed.
Very pleased Mother  is on
the mend, that sure was a bad period
for you all, please God,  fortune will
extend you folk a few of  her smiles
now.

3/
Please don’t call me a comfortable person
for really I’m not, full of warring
emotions that ofttimes give me no
peace. Comfortable is one thing I m not
and hope I'll never be in that sense.
Glad you admit to being
bodily competent, I think the causes you
depict to account for that afraid feeling
are not wide of the mark. A return
to a normal life would be a cure-all
I imagine and when you have Richard
tearing into the solids I bet you will
take a further step along the path to
complete physical vigor. Pity you can't
fit a trifle of sport into your routine,
a round or two of golf would be fine
both for relaxation & exercise. Still
that may sound easy to achieve
but I can visualise quite a few
obstacles to that proposition

4/
Your sentiments concerning our soon
to be realised reunion were fine to let
soak throughout the parched soul,
little mother. I freely vow that what
you long for will be number one on
my agenda.  Sweet, words to describe
my yearning for you first won't come to
me but perhaps I don't need to tell you
any way. Suppression is no good at
any time, its a totally different thing
from self control and above all its
not a static thing, it too soon grows
to frustration with unfortunate results
to its victims. Enough however of my
amateur moralising, suffice it to say
that I cannot too quickly rejoice in
your excellence as mother, wife and
lover. The order is not necessarily
in order of priority if you get my
meaning.  You have become the one following
the other without losing your charm

5/
when cast in a further role. I know I'll
use you up in every direction for I'll
want you in each of your various
guises.
H What stiff luck, the little
cherub catching a cold after such a good
trot.  I do hope its just a littley so's
the bonnie chap will be right back to
his top once more. I'm sure he will
for I know how well you'll look after
him. Don't worry, pet, he's as hard as
nails and I hope he spits more fruit
juice in your face to prove he's fine
again. One thing I've proved is that
the way to avoid colds is plain fresh
air,  hardly had one since being in the
Army. The damn cold snap that would
have kept him indoors is responsible for
it.
Glad your jaunt to the city
was a pleasant affair. Has the staid

6/
old city changed much? Lousy with
uniforms I suppose.
Not much in the way of
news from here I m afraid but this
joint is as safe as the mainland now
although the alarm is sounded now and
then. Plenty of work for this base
walloper so that keeps the time from
dragging too much and at least its far
more interesting than digging holes.
Had a man to man chat with my
chief today and he told me he was
very pleased with the way I'd tackled my
job. So that appeased my vanity, I'll say.
Perhaps there's some more plums to
fall into my expectant lap, hope so
its all grist that comes to my mill
and that's the main reason I joined
the A.A. P. 6 to tell you the truth.
I originally intended to go into the
highways and byways but apparently 

7/
the skill and efficiency I possess in such
abundance bids fair to clip my wings.
However we shall see. The prospect
of being chained to the one spot is
not so appealing, too much red tape
for my freedom loving temperament
but I suppose a bloke would be a
chump to exchange this comparatively
cushy spot for the backwoods. Still the
best laid plans etc and I'll let my
immediate island future take care of
itself for a while.
How the man does
ramble so I'll soon quench his
exuberance by going to bed. Ta ta
sweet Puss, hope Richard is himself
again long before this reaches you
Kiss the wee mite from Daddy.
and again I assure you of my.
love, you beauty.
Micky
tmHill

PR00610
Australian
War Memorial

16.11.43.
AIR MAIL

Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barker's Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria
tmHill

Australian
Military Forces
Passed by Censor
2543

VX 38483. Cpt. M. Billings
District Accounts Office
New Guinea. 18.11.43.

Darling Kay,
Once again my fondest
greetings to you and Richard, darling
and trust you are both feeling very.
perky particularly so the little chap
and that nasty cold you told me of in
your last letter has departed.
I'm hoping the next won't
be long in coming so I can see how the
little bloke is faring. By this you will 
observe that the mail has been unkind
to me, nary a letter, paper or parcel.
If you have suffered similarly that's too
bad. We are a pair of old women about
the vicissitudes of the postal service but
then our letters are a lifeline and so
very important to us. Can you imagine
how ghastly it would have been these
weary [8?] years without them, perish
the thought and speed the planes.