Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 13 - Part 1 of 11

VX38483 SGT. M. Billings,
District Accounts Office, 
NEW GUINEA  27.2.44 
  
Darling Kay, 
Preliminary to starting the inside dope that usually  
gives rise to a G.E.screed, first let me bid you good-day and send my  
fondest greetings to wee Richard and yourself. No more letters since  
yours of the 17th but any day now will bring a resumption of your  
glad tidings.  As you were both getting into your stride again after  
the spanner had been removed from the wioiks,  I am confident that you  
are both goodo at time of writing and will be even better when this  
reaches you. Lord Muck here is not so bad and with only a few more  
months to go , I hope, thinks his chances of rejoining you in a state  
of good health quite good although I have a notion that the trip down  
when it does materialise will stink. You have to be good to sleep on  
a troop train and survive it day after day. However, that's a condition  
attached to the Army's kindness in doling it out. I have'nt heard  
anything further but am still optimistic that I shall be down not far  
out of schedule. As regards a prolonged stay after expiration of leave,  
well, I just don't know a thing for as far as I can find out, there's no  
hard and fast rule about it, your name just goes into the hat and it may  
be Melbourne or Mallacoota. Anyhow, my sweet, I think it will work out  
all right for us and if we don't expect too much. And if it is better   
than we expect,then think what a lovely surprise it will be. First,  
though to get out of New Guinea. Am on duty today and have had to break  
off for a spot of toil but back to the machine again.  
The main reason for the letter is connected with  
that burning question you discussed with me at length in your recent  
letter, that of our sexual relationship and conduct when we are together  
again. Anyhow, I'm glad you had a yarn to the Doc. about it even though  
the result did not suggest anything new to help us in our dilemma.  
It is no use beating about the bush and saying how Lady Luck or some  
such fickle jade will look after us for that would be the ideal approach  
to landing us in just the mess we are trying to avoid.As well ask us to  
stop the old Yarra from flowing as to mentally dictate that in view of  
the risk,we must more or less shun one another.  It's so evident that both  
of us have and do more than ever,experience such a longing to be utterly  
loved by that person that only by a mutual surrender to the other's  
demands that our minds and our happiness can be satisfied. 

2. 
As you stress it, the time has long passed if it ever existed when  
obedience to convention dared harness that fire that burns within us  
and is fanned to flame when lying in the passionate embraces of the  
other. True it is that we need each other but equally true that we ,each  
of us, just want   the other and loving in all its fullness,just take  
what is our right. Praise be,our's is not a love confined to the boudoir,  
for I find in you not only all a man could desire but so many things not  
so directly associated with our love and I too look forward just as  
much as you , to just  yarning,eating together and many other of those littl  
things more allied to friendship than love perhaps.
Still that's another story  and fortunately one  
phase of our joint life that is wholly pleasant and free from complication 
To do our utmost to combat the possibility of a further addition to  
our ranksuntil we have achieved some sort of hearth and home is a  
problem that must be tackled now .It's a pity of course that people  
like us who adore kids are forced  to consider practices so foreign to  
our wholesome instincts but driven beyond endurance, the most righteous  
are only as strong as they have been made by circumstance. Speaking for  
you,it imposes too great a burden on your physical and mental resources  
to go through all that again under present conditions while it is  
equally fatuous for either of us to suppose  we are strong enough to  
refuse to gratify a passion grown stronger by repression.Unpalatable  
as it sounds,one must face up to taking preventative steps and there's  
where we must reach some unanimity. I think it will help if I explain  
as lucidly as I can the male viewpoint on the subject. From what your  
Doctor has said you can't place any reliance on schemes planned under  
the cycle system,particularly in cases identical with yours. I do  
appreciate your diffidence in talking about  a subject that to my  
perhaps prudish mind smacks of the beastly, However as you swallowed  
your aversion, then must I too. As he pointed out the use of a sheath  
is pefectly reliable and without risk inasmuch as it is used as a  
counter to causing a pregnancy in a woman but it comes a bit of a  
cropper when other aspects of the matter are taken into account.We  
have both experienced that rapturous sensation  that accompanies the  
perfect merging of our own desires and it owes a good deal of its  
glory to the fact that we give to the other without reservation, we

3. 
forget the world without,everything rests in the present.Well,you can  
see that the use of a contraceptive  is a sort of a intrusion into  
that world that consists of just us  and I'm afraid  that the joy  
you derive from association with me  would not be capable of complete  
repetition.The point is,then will you be satisfied with something less  
I don't want to depict a big bogey-man that does not exist but I feel  
that I must bring that aspect to your notice.In view of what you were  
told, I'm inclined to think that the risk of having another child before 
you are ready will diminish as your system reverts to its former tenor  
but until then,well it is up to us to determine our intent in the  
matter.  Also,pet,to a greater extent than you,the use of a sheath  
will react against me achieving complete satisfaction from you. I don't  
tell you that as a means of arguing against their use but merely to  
put you in possession of my belief so that if we agree to have recourse  
you will be forewarned against likely possibilities resulting and you  
can guard against it. I am still brooding over the business and cannot  
come to any other conclusion that what he recommended will be forced  
upon us. However as  it is an expedient to meet a pressing necessity do  
not let it grow into a black cloud  and above all ,you are not to get  
the idea that I am going to xxx be the poor martyr  whose pleasure is  
to disturbed on account of his wife. Your health is far more precious  
to me than a postponement of the gratification of my wants. As there i  
is quite a bit of time between our next reunion,we will sleep on it  
a bit longer and x reflection will simplify our problem, I'm sure. 
So until I hear from you again,I will defer  
the subject. Please give the little toddler a big kiss from Daddy  
and if there's one clear sentence in this, it is that I love you  
so much,precious so what else matter,s
Cheerio, 
Micky

Air Mail 
27.2.44 
AUSTRALIAN  
MILTARY FORCES  
PASSED BY CENSOR  
943 
Michael Billings 
  
Mrs M Billings 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn Vict

PR00610 
Australian 
War Memorial

VX 38483 Sgt. M. Billings 
Dist Accounts Office 
New Guinea. 1. 3. 43 
  
Darling, 
Well, up comes another  
month but there's nothing to  
distinguish it from any other  
month except that a new name  
signalises another step nearer  
the big day. Not even a letter turned  
up to make it different and we  
appear to be in the throes of  
another barren mail period.  
Now that their precious skins are  
safe, I suppose the mob up here  
being well out of sight can be  
conveniently forgotten. Ah well,  
blessed are the meek and I may  
be whinging out of turn. Still  
it leaves a chap hard put to  
find material to write about  
because this place is hardly  
conducive to the production of  
good stuff out of the skull

2 
unaided by a few pages from you.  
Misery, thy name is Monotony!  
At least, I can ask you how you  
are and may the answer be a  
bright one. It was great in your  
last to read of a resumption of  
Master Richard's capers so he should  
be dragging many loving smiles out  
of you once again. Jolly little  
chap, isn't he? The photos are  
being well thumbed over, I can  
tell you for you make a lovely  
couple, I assure you. The old  
man is feeling quite fit but  
at my time of life I find that  
not enough, maybe you know  
how it is, eh? 
I had a letter from Doug  
Reid t'other day. He was still  
about the place but in the  
same frame of mind as me  
although disguising it well under  
a veneer of wit and banter.

3 
Gwen & Susan were both fine  
but missing Dad too. Quite a  
few had followed Bob Sutton  
into retirement. A bunch of my  
old chinaplates had been crook  
with one thing and another  
but of good news, there was none.  
He asked me to convey his  
warmest regards to you & Richards.  
I am buying a pair of toy  
lakatoi (native boats) which  
I think may look O'K as ornaments.  
I have one and am getting the  
other as soon as it is made so  
shall pack them and whizz them  
along to you. The masts and  
rigging are pretty fragile so I  
hope they don't get smashed.  
Regarding that book for your  
mother. I enquired about it and  
from what I gathered it should  
have reached her by now. If so,  
give her my love to go with it. 

4 
Entertainment has been lousy this  
last week or so and there are a  
few good shows floating around.  
It looks like a spot of hitch- 
hiking for this baby for I've  
never been so bored, I feel as  
though I'm in a vacuum at  
present. It wouldn't be safe to  
leave me near a pub just now,  
two pots and the excitement would  
flatten me. 
The weather has been wild  
and woolly lately, the cool periods  
are heavenly though. The gale  
blew all my washing off the  
line and now I have to do it  
again to get the mud out. From  
What fun we have. 
Lamentable as it is, that                         
will have to do until the ice breaks  
So for a little while cheerio, Sweet.  
The usual big kiss to Richard &  
you're the only thing that's real to me      Micky 

AIR MAIL
Mrs. M. Billings 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn. 
Victoria 

AUSTRALIAN 
MILITARY FORCES 
PASSED BY CENSOR 
543