Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 12 - Part 5 of 16

2/
I hope to be able to send you a few more snaps soon
of a group or two which I grace with my presence but it
w will be a while yet. How did you like old lantern jaws
I sent last letter? Rather grim I thought but how lovable
he is (the ape).
The Green Envelope has not been done yet
but I'm on night duty on Tuesday so I'll go to town then.
Just haven't had the grip this past week and on the
housing business I want to think it over a bit first. Still
as were as such material matters  I shall touch lovingly on
softer things like your si lips for instance or do you
prefer the conversation to dwell solely on the wifely aspect of.
your life and if perchance you do, I'll change that when
I get down there. Now approaching my 9 months on the
island so it must come along soon - speed the day.
Tomorrow I take my weekly holiday so will have a turn at
dat ol' time religion, washing clothes, swimming & spine 
bashing in turn.  Plenty of work still so I'm not getting up
to any comic turns. Hope to go on a bigger excursion soon,
they are very popular with the mob.
Well, try as I may, I'm hanged if I
can think of another thing to write so will pop off to
my tea now 'cos I'm famished.  Still pretty good on
the tooth ,I am. Cheerio old sport , sorry this is so
brief and barren but you know how it is. I love you
so much, sweetheart; so thats all I can offer to
compensate for this shoddy effort. Kisses galore for you
both.
Micky

tmHill 

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15 1 44
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Mrs. H. Billings
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn Vict

AUSTRALIAN
MILITARY OFFICES
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tmHill 

VX38483. Cpl M. Billings.  Dist. Accounts
Office.   New Guinea.   19 . 1 . 44

Darling,
At last the oft heralded G.E. letter makes a
start and for its inspiration can thank those whole
letters from you this morning, those of 7th, 9th & 10th. A
long time in transit but all the more welcome because
they bring to a close a very bare period. It was pleasing
to see that you had clicked too for I perceive that they
exercise the same feeling of satisfaction upon you they do
to me. Sorry to hear the bubby is upset by teeth &
heat, a formidable combination for anyone. It is tough
on such a small party to suffer, no wonder he's taking a
dim view. Now you are sweltering down there, spare a
head for us poor cows who live in it perpetually with
high humidity for good measure.  Been stinking hot the
last few days. I sweated like a pig in bed last night
for about an hour.  Damned exhausting, what! I see
your molars are beginning to turn you up too, probably in
sympathy with your young charge. By all means, visit your
dentist and have the necessary doings but hold hard on
this crazy scheme of having the lot out. As I recall you
possess quite a decent set of pegs so wait until your dentist
gives you the word before you develop such crackpot notions.
As a plate wearer of years standing, take my tip and
treasure your own fangs as long as you can.
I may be a bit niggly tonight but I
hardly agree that the last leave was a washout although
our troubles were ill timed. I learned quite a few lessons
on married life and had it borne home forcibly that
it's not all love and kisses & sunshine.

2/
Its rather pity our plans on housing & furnishing are
checkmate for the present but things being as they are
its bordering on cheek to expect anything to come our way.
I suppose. Still we can't be worried just at present.
as long at we know our minds about the matter and keep
our schemes firmly implanted there we will come good
when the opportunity offers. Ive had a gander at the
War Service Homes Scheme and its benefits as far as we
would be concerned are mainly monetary advances on
what seems to be very favorable terms. We both are in
accord with the intention to purchase or build our own
place but before we are home & hosed, quite a sizeable
amount of shrewd planning and frugal living will have
to be surmounted. The three factors to consider after the
war are:
(a) A man's income in relation to the cost of
living.
(b) The amount we can accumulate now to
act. as our commencing capital.
(c) The sum we can borrow having regard to
our capacity for repayment.
As regards the first, it is probable that a return to normal
price levels will not be accomplished for a time, really.
depending on the re-entry of private enterprise as a leading
factor so as to furnish the competition to lower prices.
The second is rather uncertain, the duration of
the war bring the deciding factor but for the sake of
argument let us suppose that as it will go still be
holding sway at the end of this year. By that time I
anticipate that I shall have in vicinity of.

3/
£150 in cash.
My deferred pay by that time will
aggregate £143 so that we should have approx £300
at least as our commencing capital when we operate
as a home owning combination. Could be better
of course but not too bad nevertheless. Of course
it presupposes freedom for from heavy expenses in
other directions. Still it will give ^you something concrete
upon which to plan along the lines your fancy lies.
Broadly speaking, I incline to the opinion that it
would be preferable to build our own place but
as things are in such a state of flux, our inclinations
must be greatly influenced by conditions that obtain
at the time we are able to go into the market.
The main reason why I feel justified in giving an
opinion is that a house built to the specifications.
of people who desire and intend to have a larger
family would probably be designed to take additions
to the original construction, I really feel though, dear,
that like conditions we must be prepared to change
our views without perhaps acting in and original
determination. Against the idea of building immediately
after the war is the certainly that houses as well as
furnishing will not come back to normal until after a
period of adjustment and for people like us who
have a limited capital upon which to embark on
such a project, that may be the deciding factor. One
thing we must ensure that we dont pay hundreds of
pounds more than we need purely through expediency.

3 4
For it is apparent that we shall have to borrow quite
a bit and I do not want a debt hanging around
my neck for the rest of my life.
Which brings me to the third aspect .
I am sending you the booklet and you can see how
it is worked out. If we take a figure that would
approximate the sum we would be prepared to pay
as a weekly rental we can then get an idea how
much we could borrow repayable within a reasonable
time. A rental of 30/-  per week is £78 a year which
divided by 12 gives us £6.10 per month. On W.S.
Homes plan, £700 or £800 could be borrowed for
less than that amount repayable (taking it on a monthly
rental of £6.10) in 15 years. Taking it by and
large, the ownership status appears to be preferable
even allowing for liabilities en associated with
ownership such as rates & taxes, repairs etc.
I havent got as far yet as design &
size, my accounting instincts having got their
say in first. For the moment, the foregoing will give
you food for thought and, after inwardly digesting
the facts & figures, you may have a few angles
a mere male would overlook. So I shall
call a pause in the housing affairs and pass
on to other weighty matters. And after wading
through this mass of disjointed prose I can
think of nothing better than to talk of love and things

5/
I appreciated your views on what should constitute an
ideal way of putting in our bit of time now looming
closer. One thing I vow that the whole atmosphere
of army life must be removed for I'm utterly fed
up with being here and doing this at some stated
hour, of being told what I can do & can't do
and so on. We shall be very much together I
assure you, the only times I can envisage being
away from you is to sneak off to the local pub for
a quickie are then maybe I can get your messages for
you and probably a flying visit or two to town to
straighten up a few of my affairs. Otherwise I'm
all yours and as youve wiped the visiting of other
than nearest relatives and intimate friends we should
make very merry. Too right we shall do a bit of gadding
about, I'm looking forward to escorting my charming,
attractive wife about quite a bit. You may be feeling
a bit excited about my impending return, you'll be far
more so when the pent-up longing of 18 months is
loosed upon you. I'm afraid I can't share your philosophy
that theres a great deal in this loving at a distance
business. Your fault too because youre so lovely to make
love to that to be deprived of your presence has no
compensations that I know of. Pretty selfish attitude of
mine but the oppressing atmosphere of this place makes
you indifferent to every one else's woes but your own.
See, I miss your softening influence very badly.
Don't be alarmed though, darling for I retain many

6/
of the redeeming virtues of humanity and I know your
solicitude and love will soon restore my perspective.
I can see the funny side and the humbug of most
things so well that I havent let myself get bitter.
A sharp tongue and a bunch of fives keep me from
being unduly harassed. You must have great
fortitude or be impervious to stinks when all those
adoos you detail still make me a great guy in your eyes.
I think our next close up will be historical, if you
only knew how I yearn to hold you in my arms and
be held in yours, my, bone head cradled in the
enticing curve of your breasts, to caress your softness
and feel your lips searching for mine, the thrill
when they find them. To sense that overpowering
urge to completely possess the throbbing lover beside
me and to feel shes equally possessive of her man.
The mounting climax, the rapture and then a
feeling of peace and contentment nothing else can
equal. At your hands,. I pass through a gamut, of
emotion and emerge enrichened by your firey
love. How diliriously happy we shall be.
And now my treasure its time to
go and dream of you anew. May God & his mother
watch over you & Richard  so that in a little
while I can come to you and love you both till
it hurts.
Micky

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19 1 44

Address :-
Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn Victoria

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