Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 12 - Part 9 of 16

Conflict:
Second World War, 1939–45
Part of Quest:
Love letters - Michael Billings
Subject:
  • Love Letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
AWM2021.7.35
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

18C 4 TREL SCOMOS TUNO look p p up and I don't believe in young children being kept tlah. I but you takee dun veew of fend meagu tobacioation and lapps fiee strength at that ha haveswo be as give I hope a good fany cames to yand resem soon and a packit at tr of something more patalable wire please you. About waiting a millage of ondc to the pkinnest Addside. all quite a time since the litter from Kabhlein tached me. So maybe a furthed aminder of this sad lalt avou nly a woe that has bady stunned them as it is. The wiathe the last few days as been frequet it gaus ceasing
JIC STAI SICOMIER but as a ine son of usue at sints me particulaly when blaws for it admost cold £ beng Today then so being Sunday. the day off. the Sormy weathe has kept me indoors and few a but state tonight. Very disappointed though milling my few hous or the beach. Se on this is 99ly note I staw now stare down - and werl think mp some saily martils for a G.C. letted Toodle 00 pemons and I did like you mre long litter so write Dad another. a byg kils and a pat or the back to the interpuing eas and vart guartes of leve to y.
A1B MGIL 30 14 H.R. M. Puling Danker's Ro 848 &e East Hamthorn. Cnt CUNA 242 retoria
WC RALUNFCOMOS FUNO VX38483 Sgr H. guuing Dist accounts Office New Srinia. 1.2.44 Dading Kaye Iwo mor sccreds from you Sunce my last and I thought I was doing my ine with hwe in two days until I had me yenrs of the 24thh which served no usiful purpose by being written at all. I can any conclude that an inportuncte contination circumstances; the indisposition of Richard, the saying weath and suil natural disappointment at missing outnmapomp you to wil in such a pteain after you had complained a little iego aboute pood rispane & hapt ot man you
TC AUSanr SCAMSOR FUNS 2 to some pains to implaii that the few letters you had eecuie were the seret of a like quantity withn and the failure to get them to you was ot my fauit Te disabuse you mind of Sevece mistaken ideas and in a spint of fanuell to myself which you appaiently are unable to concide me I shall boy so stoughten out a tsthichnot n any lead to incunderteay and itportun consequences Frankly, I could sute to you mor opten sven daily bt a lat of thes lettersey appenet, the sait of thingto me acquaintances, written in spaims and quite lucking tthe pand mpo
188 a to your litters. I therfore have waited uatil I can be sun of ample time and quiet pusoundingl which sutemp in anny busits is not ecry of actrment but I hewe contome to dout at least once in evrry than days although my own inclinations put it down two days If you as one reflect on the length of neary ar of y munt letter you cannot dent agae that they are the product of same houss. If they laid mint you can esculy that to ay literary cincapacity and its not so bad if you have ar to the smn sitbacks asuch h e speminta inalia, sweat, iinucl not t the sacting dutil the nty
182 MSTit WiUMMS JUNO any cas upon you to perform In are sincerity I dont considet Iin been tasking in was aspect, at tent my conseunce does not upooach me If had you would paiped a page as two dashen off wery say you have only to say to and I sume quietely acted my istallishen custom Letl writing has always been a bave to me but the fact that they pleasing in youd right empled with the esdinary requinment of duty ito the puo you love most have made it a pleasure me a sp to ina highes lan when that simally astociate with he dashes off actien ito you go on the say that a pity that sy ppeople thingl they to do the kw it
R Milti do in the fiit theiee of mamed life. ware, we have hardly had the normel life of such peaple and I unpow tthe inexaable dimands of life kind be cad the an of the first few months but I believed that that feeling e g place in and can to samilhiny meccaud and man sasti pantieutanly apte au son was leemn. A thing which if staing the timps of and umations gave at trought unto sharped attuf qualitid such as duty, inpossibulity tendiness irtent detracting in the least from that intenuty of lave that filt brought us togeshed as the dy days of separation dong on the only feeling that I expeninc is a hungry yain to be wth di at I int you t te
1 TRLSTOO FUNO what will be be me my bisthnight and clucky to have two such people to seme at present. I am not my awn mached and so am dimited in appratinty to do se. I feel though, am doing hat I can at present and handly appuinate your lack of thought to pease it gently. To came down to cart. There have been many fimes in these contentions mantal when I have had gapt of up to ther days between you letters but without any partinc to nable prtitude on my part I can tenthfully say that it mt my munde that gue were not ting and I have been pos right aithough a fiw of isule have gone up in mke of something tyout you dicide
12268 ISTAM ECOMSOOS 7 Dom intention to write only at often as you get one from me you appear to have little appoination of the vale chaps place an man from and ok in fact your senturce displays a pittiness that I trust dis the product of a py appuistion and not a side of your character I have s yt preceived ordincy canately compels a uply be any onit litterbutto pople ave at a comman link a deep and stendting will. lame, as the foctures of aad conchain and ts uuse the written on as the sale rxperien of that lov it showd be that and letters shoued youngfrom sons a spontanity of sping cathed then the dictates of a formicaap acquaintances Haww I niv attempt tto oun any

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look a few people up and I don't  
believe in young children being kept 
out late.  I bet you take a dim 
view of your meagre tobacco ration 
and Cappo full strength at that, 
tea leaves would be as good.  I 
hope a good fairy comes to your 
rescue soon and a packet or two 
or something more palatable will 
please you.  About writing a 
message of condolence to the Skinner's 
in Adelaide, it's quite a time 
since the letter from Kathleen 
reached me.  So maybe a further 
reminder of this sad loss would 
only open a wound that has badly 
stunned them as it is. 
The weather the last few 
days has been horrific, frequent 
gales, unceasing rain, storms

 

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but as a true son of Melbourne 
it suits me particularly when 
it blows for its almost cold 
then.  Tomorrow being Today, 
being Sunday, the day off, the 
stormy weather has kept me 
indoors and feel a bit stale 
tonight.  Very disappointed though 
missing my few hours on the 
beach.  So on this niggly 
note I shall now stand down  
and will think up some tasty 
morsels for a G. E. letter. 
Toodle. Oo, previous 
and I did like your nice long 
letter so write Dad another.  A 
big kiss and a pat on the back  
to the enterprising lad and vast 
quantities of love to you. 
Micky  Robert -

 

AIR MAIL  30.1.44 
  
FIELD POST OFFICE 
31 [[?]] 44 
042.   
  
Mrs. M. Billings, 
548 Barker's Road 
East Hawthorn.  Victoria. 
  
AUSTRALIAN 
MILITARY FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR 
S43 
  
THE SALVATION ARMY  ACF AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUND  YMCA

 

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VX38483. Sgt. M. Billings 
Dist Accounts Office 
New Guinea.  1.2.44 

Darling Kay, 
Two more screeds from you 
since my last and I thought I 
was doing me fine with two 
in two days until I had read 
yours of the 24th which served 
no useful purpose by being written 
at all.  I can only conclude that 
an unfortunate combination of  
circumstances; the indisposition of 
Richard, the trying weather and 
your natural disappointment at 
missing out on mail prompted 
you to write in such a strain 
after you had complained a little 
while ago about the poor response 
to your hopes for more.  I went

 

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to some pains to emphasise that the 
few letters you have received were 
not the result of a like quantity 
written and the failure to get 
them to you was not my fault. 
To disabuse your mind of several 
mistaken ideas and in a spirit 
of fairness to myself which you 
apparently are unable to concede me 
I shall try to straighten out a 
twist which if not corrected can 
only lead to misunderstanding 
and its unfortune consequences. 
Frankly, I could write to you more 
often, even daily but a lot of those 
letters would be airy fripperies, 
the sort of thing one writes to 
mere acquaintances, written in 
spasms and quite lacking the 
depth and sincerity I try to impart

 

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to your letters.  I, therefore, have 
waited until I can be sure of 
ample time and quiet surroundings 
which [[Sut. info?]]  in army busiss is 
not easy of achievement but I 
have continued to do it at least 
once in every three days although 
my own inclinations put it down 
as once every two days.  If you 
reflect on the length of nearly 
all of my recent letters you cannot 
but agree that they are the 
product of some hours.  If they 
lack merit you can ascribe that 
to my literacy incapacity.  And its 
not so bad if you have regard 
to the numerous setbacks associated 
with the tropics, to wit, mental 
inertia, sweat, insects not to 
mention the everlasting duties the

 

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army call upon you to perform. 
In all sincerity I don't consider I've 
been lacking in that respect, at least 
my conscience does not reproach me. 
If, however, you would prefer a 
page or two dashed off every day 
you have only to say so and I will 
quickly alter my established custom 
Letter writing has always been a  
bane to me but the fact that they 
were pleasing in your sight coupled 
with the ordinary requirements of 
duty to the person you love most 
have made it a pleasure and a 
sport to writing on a higher plane 
than that usually associated with  
the 'dashed off' article. 
You go on to say that its a 
pity that newly married people 
don't continue to do the things they

 

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do in the first thrill of married life. 
Well, we have hardly had the normal 
life of such people and I suppose 
the inexorable demands of life tend 
to cool the ardor of the first few 
months but I believe that that 
feeling had given place in our 
case to something mellowed and 
more lasting, particularly after our 
son was born.  A thing which 
if slowing the tempo of our emotions 
gave our  brought into sharper relief 
qualities such as duty, responsibility 
and tenderness without detracting 
in the least from that intensity of 
love that first brought us together. 
As the dreary days of separation  
/drag on/ the only feeling that I experience 
is a hungry yearning to be with  
you in order that I can shoulder 

 

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what will be to me my birthright 
and lucky to have two such people 
to serve.  At present, I am not my 
own master and so am limited in 
opportunity to do so.  I feel, though, 
I am doing what I can at present 
and hardly appreciate your lack of 
thought, to phrase it gently.  To 
come down to cases, there have been 
many times in these contentious 
months when I have had gaps 
of up to ten days between your 
letters but without any [[?]] to 
noble fortitude on my part.  I can 
truthfully say, that it never crossed  
my mind that you were not 
writing and I have been proved 
right although a few of course have 
gone up in smoke or something. 
If you decide to carry out your

 

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intention to write only as often as 
you get one from me, you appear 
to have little appreciation of the value 
we chaps place on mail from our 
own folk, in fact, your sentence 
displays a pettiness that I trust is 
the product of a temporary oppression 
and not a side of your character I 
have never yet perceived.  Ordinary 
courtesy compels a reply to any one's 
letter but to people who have as 
a common link a deep and abiding 
"love", well, as the fortunes of war constrain 
us to use the written word as the 
sole expression of that love, it should 
be that and letters should spring from  
a spontanity of  tous spring rather than 
the dictates of a formula afforded 
even to ordinary acquaintances. 
However I never attempt to run any

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