Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 12 - Part 7 of 16

3/  
Some personal descriptions of how you  
are, how you look. Far be it for  
me to encourage you to be vain but  
those kind of things have a high  
priority on my catalogue of the  
things that count. Talking about  
your jet outfit brought me visions  
of the beauteous Billings body or  
should it be the comely Clarke  
carcase. I have no doubt your  
outfit is very chic and it will be  
my pleasure in a few months  
to pert personally. display my  
eulogies and also pay tribute to  
the curvaceous contours that  
contribute no little to its chic.  
I hope the Army in its generosity  
gives yo me a suit and does not  
toss me into Melbourne in the  
motley hotch potch garments I now  
grace. Too grim for words sweet,  
useful togs I admit but sartorially 
impossible in respectably garbed

4/ 
Melbourne. Nev Never fear though  
sweetheart, in silks or tatters, I  
shall still be your Prince Charming,  
that is, if you can stretch your imagine  
a pan like mine in such a  
romantic guise. Anyhow there are  
occasions when clothes are but  
an encumbrance, don’t you think?  
I see too our laddy has inherited 
that notion. I wonder from which  
side of the family he inherits his urge  
to be free of convenient restraint.  
Hardly from me, I should think,  
so staid, almost bovine,  
the big lug. I’m getting quite a  
paunch and it’s not from over  
eating I can tell you. My mate  
Max Docherty and I consume  
gallons of water and I we both  
have it so we coarsely refer 
 to them as water bellies. Not  
soft the swimming keeps the  
muscle toned up but quite

5/ 
quite a pronounced pot. I’m feeling  
quite O.K. these days in spite of the  
intense heat. Bit troppo I think  
for we go on with hell of a lot  
of childish nonsense in pursuit of  
a bit of fun. The [[muppet]] will  
thing, his old man is something 
out of a circus probably. 
Gee I cackled when I read  
that the Screws had been on the  
hue and cry for young John. Yep, 
I hav can hardly imagine him  
'going through', hardly the type.  
It used to be easy in the old days  
but now the organisation has  
settled down, its pretty uphill.  
About the prospects of sticking 
around the old home town for  
a spell after leave. I believe  
it’s quite likely as things are at 
present but what obtained today  
goes by the board tomorrow.  
A matter of policy I should

6/  
think but I shall be both surprised 
and disappointed if I’m packed off  
I afar off straight after leave. 
However as an A class man I don’t 
 think it would seem probable for 
me to stay there and between 
ourselves, I don’t think, men of 
that classification should. Anyhow  
will see how it pans out but 
 your hopes have some foundation. 
I forgot to tell you I had a screed  
from Syd a while ago written  
from hospital. He had wrenched  
his knee at P.T. so he's dodging  
the [[front?]] O.K. You should have a  
jolly evening when Dorothy, Bob  
& Syd. you have your ‘[[biano]]’. 
No funny business, mind though. 
Well, darling, time for bed  
so off I trot to dream of cool  
white sheets. Love to the Sugdens, a  
huge kiss for Richard & all my 
love to you.  Micky

AIR MAIL     25. 1  44 
Mrs. M. Billings, 
548 Barkers Road, 
East Hawthorn, 
Victoria

PR00610 
Australian 
War Memorial  

5.12   6.12 
2.16   7.12 
1.12 
1.w 
1.12

VX38483. Sgt. M. Billings 
Dist Accounts Office 
New Guinea     27.1.44 

Darling Kay, 
Hooray, two letters from you 
today, those of 15th and 17th and 
how welcome even though the  
former was somewhat ‘niggly’ 
in tone on its opening page.  
However, you old [[grouser?]], the  
combination of woes and worries that  
have beset beset you of late were  
enough to make anyone a bit  
out of sorts. What a transformation  
in the later letter when your  
little chap had brightened up,  
two of my letters had arrived  
at last and the sweltering heat  
had abated. You certainly have 
been badly treated for letters since

2/ 
Christmas but appear to be 
laboring under the belief that 
my output has decreased to 
explain the meagre results you 
are getting. I have written you 
at least every three days, usually 
more often, so that makes at 
least ten since 25th Dec so 
the fault is not mine. Your hint 
that pressure of business, lack of 
[[fresh]] material or inadequacy of 
opportunity for expression would 
induce me to stop writing often 
is a little unfair, pet. I had 
hoped that you would have 
explained away your lack of letters 
to causes over which I had no  
control and it would make my 
frequent protestations of love for you 
sound pretty hollow if I didn't

3/ 
back them up as tangibly as I 
am able. As long as I am sure 
that my letters are mean some- 
thing to you, never fear I shall  
keep on writing them and for 
my wife, I can never be too 
busy, [[tired]] or devoid of words 
to pen. Anyhow, sweet, let's 
forget it for it's obvious you 
were not feeling yourself. 
After scanning the first I did not 
feel so happy about Richard but 
felt quite relieved in the next  
to learn he was tons better. 
Still it will be far better 
when his first tooth makes its 
debut and judging by the 
symptoms you describe it wont be 
long now. Very pleased to see 
that his revival had returned 

4/
you too, to a more tranquil frame 
of mind. Gee, he is enlarging 
his vocabulary, his grasp of basic 
English is marvellous and you 
must be entranced to hear the  
call of Mumma from the wee 
mite. Seeing his developing 
ambitions in the acrobatic line 
as well as the vocal, its a big 
moment in his life. I do hope 
he will keep on the good work 
and that visit to the quack will  
not be muttony. Whisper to him 
that his old man this day 
expects him to plonk on at  
least 6 ozs or he'll get his 
bottom tanned. That rotten 
heat must play up with a  
babe though, its bad enough 
for grown people.