Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 13 - Part 6 of 11

7
most & unprepossessing at close 
quarters. I don't think I shall 
become a jolly planter bai jove. 
Seem to have run out 
of material so will get this 
one on its way, and think 
of the next which will be 
in a different sort of envelope. 
Cheerio, precious, and if 
you will call me a so and 
so again, you cheeky bint. 
I'll have the breeches off you  
and smack your fat can. The 
usual big kiss from Dadda 
to 'honey chile' and I'm 
telling you, I love you quite 
a piece too, cheeseface. 
Micky

FIELD POST OFFICE 042. 
25 3 44 
AIR MAIL 
  
Mrs. M. Billings 
548 Barker's Road 
East Hawthorn 
Victoria 
  
AUSTRALIAN  
MILITARY FORCES  
PASSED BY CENSOR   
2543 

VX38483 Sgt. M. Billings 
Dist. Accounts Office, NEW GUINEA 
28. 3. 44. 

Darling Kay, 
How are you goin', Mum. A lot chirpier now, I bet, after running
one only house to earth. Excellent, my pretty and it certainly is a weight
off the mind and the feet. Well it does'nt sound so bad and should do O.K.
until we are set for something more pretentious. You don't sound terrifically
impressed, no doubt setting its virtues off against the rental. What would'nt
I give to own a stack of houses at the present time. However, it seems to
possess all the essentials required to enable us to live quite comfortably
so good on you, sweetheart. In fact, now that bugbear has been overcome,  I'm
fairly panting to sample the joys and comforts you are sure to have in
plenty for your exile .The freedom and privacy appeal no end, a place we can
run to suit ourselves. By jove, we will appreciate that side for we have'nt had
a set up like that before. I hope your removal will synchronise with complete
freedom from headaches and belly aches for you, otherwise I'll have the
owner cast you and the babe out into the snows. Quite a good site, it seems,
particularly for the housewife, near the shops so you will not be run off
your tootsies getting the many duties of the good spouse performed. Very glad
the place is in clean and not a tumbledown shack, nothing wrong that a lump
of elbow grease wont rectify. By jove, the rents have rocketed up since my
day but the cows have got you where they want you these times so we'll just
have to fork out and look pleasant. I filed a form today to have your
allotment increased by 2/- per day and it will operate as from the 6th April,
thats the most convenient date for us and it should not take long to
see it on its way to you. Will take the form of an increase in your cheque.
Hope that will be in order but its about the most I can do at present as
my sergeant's pay is not through yet but lets know how you get on and if
you can't manage I will try and boost it up a bit more later. In any case,
an outlay of 47/6 a week is definitely the top we could go buttotting it up
we will get by for the present. Please don't think I'm cold on the deal
you have done wonders getting a habitable place at all but until I can get 
back into the struggle and get among the good dough, we'll have to go along
modestly. Your philosophy xxx going from the bottom upwards, thus avoiding
the crashes, is very good hoss-sense and the right line for us, for the old
bogey of economic necessity will dictate the policy for a while. By the way,
I take it that outside of paying your rent and the gas bill, there are no
other charges such as rates and taxes, water etc. incumbent upon you to meet. 
Well, I hope you will not be living there, just you and Richard, for long as
I can tell you I'm in a stew to be the other link to forge a proper family
chain but it will be a couple of months yet unless something unforeseen
comes to light in the interim. No one has a show of getting away until
they have done a year and I've still over a month yet to go. However its
whipping along quickly, April on the threshold as it were, so  won't be long.
Bad show but I believe we'll have a fair spin for a while anyway. Getting
back to the subject of the mansion, I don't ken Mont Albert too well so
can't picture the layout at all but the locality is high and the air nice
and cool so that will be beneficial to Richard and you. That part of the
city will expand a lot more yet and to tell you the truth a fair way out
in an easterly or south easterly direction has figured largely in my mind
in dreaming of our permanent nest so we will get a preview on its
desirability as a spot for a village. Awful fate though, to be living in
that parched land but the tram line must lead somewhere to where the
devotees of Bacchus slake their mighty thirsts. However, it spells grateful
ease, love, fun and its distance will create an illusion of remoteness from
 the iron hand of the army. An ideal spot for a cut lunch commando, the role
to which I now aspire. If I know you, it will be the acme of comfort but
take it easy, you've earned a breather after the past few weeks. If you keep
up a life of furious rushing, the next step is to that of a fusspot which
is an incitement to murder for any husband. I suppose it will be a wrench
to leave your little room and the Suggies but in the interests of all
parties, the time has surely come and anyhow, that's one mate you are not
so far away from and she from you. I'm not so mad about you living alone
but its like a lot of things we run across , there's nothing you can do
about it and it won't be for long at that. Seeing it has a spare room,
there is no reason why your friends can't stay a night if they have the
time and don't fancy the long trip home at night I do hope, darling, you
will have some congenial company and not get to feeling lonely. Nothing
 to be windy about but a house is made to be lived in and to be kept
occupied. Did you hear anything further from your uncle about the prospect
in Tooronga Rd. Wondering because it may be a second string to your
bow if the Mont Albert chateau is not to your liking. Would be a scream
if houses now sort of tumbled about you begging to be taken.  The main

2. 
reason xxxxxxx for my interest is that if that place should become
available, it might be a better proposition for us from a central aspect
and a financial one. Anyhow, I'm sure your next few letters will be
replete with talk on all angles of houses, so will give the subject the
air for a few days. 
Your letters are now up to the 21st so we are
on the right track again. Quite interesting newsy bits in them too.
Glad an opportunity arose for you to display your young hopeful to
Ern DuCros and quite a surprise to see you encountered my old mentor
Austin Tuohy. More encomiums for the nipper, must be a great fella
that they will pay homage to his merits. He seems to get more marks for
intelligence than beauty but that's to the good, there's more percentage
in the former. So the boss is a bit remorseful for his wanton neglect
of his erstwhile stooge, his business training should impel him to reply
to his letters. I had a cutting from the Sun announcing the return to
his native land ofx of Brother Tuohy so was'nt so surprised of your
 meeting him. Its nigh on ten years since I saw him so after the blitz
and the passage of time he would have changed a lot. Very fine personality
and I bet xx after hobnobbing with the big shots of London, he's fairly
oozing with savoir faire. I must admit all your titbits from Tuohy were
not very enlightening to me after being away from the game so long and
xxxxx having no knowledge of present or postwar trends. Dunno though,
why he had the idea he would be washed up over there after the war for
I always understood he had been a great success and if he ever was 
recalled to Aussie, would take over something bigger. Of course, there
will be many changes but I reckon that when the private enterprise
take over again, there will be a mighty big job on the boards. Maybe
when Ern writes he will have some good guts to impart. Enough of that
stuff though, sufficient that you popped in, had a good yarn and a cupper
the lad received his just meed of praise and as the instigator of the
the great feat,  you were deservedly patted on the back. Hope I get down
before he returns as he was a good friend to me in the old days and we
would have a powerful ear bash on the 'do you remember' lines. 
In my last letter, I spilled the beans about
the big sister that you tell me of in yours. Great news all right and I bet
when you learned the reason for the visit to Melbourne, you were a shade
surprised. Well, I can guarantee an animated cackling party over at Glen
Iris next Sunday. I dropped her a line last night to tell her how
splendid it was. Regarding John, I am expecting a letter from him any day
to see if there is anything in the tale that he may be going back soon.
 If its right, I will be a bit sorry I put in the claim for him for if he
comes here, I think he will be here for quite a few months. Between you
and I though, he told me that he felt that as long as he was in the Army
he would prefer to serve outside Australia for reasons I understand full
well. And in the Pay he would be doing work something similar to his
own bread and butter and being a pretty smartxxxx  lad should be well in
the hunt for quick promotion. In any case, a unit like is will not be
lingering too long near the front gate, for long so he may be just as
well off here. Better the devil you know principle. 
I'm not at all impressed with your intention to
put off a visit to the Doctor until after I come down seeing that the
trouble has now passed from the dormant to the active stage. You are
talking like a perfect ass saying it is atrifle and you will have ample
time to have it attended to  before I ever leave here. Your opening
pages most certainly gave me a gret kick but feel a lot less exuberant
after reading that para. When will it seep into your thick skull that
all the houses and children are a big flight below your health and
happiness to me and without panicking, the symptoms to me who has not
it are sufficiently alarming to call for immediate remedy. I have no
patience with martyrs  in the first place and xxxxxxx neither can I see
the need or use of premature cripples in our place. Strong words, my
rosebuds but after the provocation you give me, fair comment. 
Glad the mail is satisfactory at your end , that's the
way it should be . In fact, amenities have shown a sudden improvement the
last few weeks, particularly  in the grub line. Fresh meat, apples, pears
they've gone mad for with my dixies firmly clutched in grubby paw, I
approached the cookhouse this morning expecting the usual beans but the
Corp. with lordly mien, gravely deposited two fresh fried eggs therein.
Whooee. A rumor has circulated that a small quantity of beer will be
our portion soon but don't hand me that bullamakou. Had a swim today
and it did my scaly toes a lot of good. Otherwise I'm hale, hearty and

3. 
hot. The pipe is drawing nicely at present so for another page I shall
ramble on. Funny thing or maybe pretty grim, depends on the point of view.
A cutting from a Sydney has appeared giving a pronouncement from a
Macquarie St. specialist on male sterility with emphasis on the effect of
soldiering in the tropics. He goes on to say that the effect was most
marked on men he had consulted who had been in the Middle East. Later
experience of examining chaps from New Guinea made it even worse, normal
figures are approx. 20 percent men, 80 percent women. Of soldier types
from tropical service the figure has jumped to 50 percent, He puts it
down to dietary deficiency, particularly lack of Vitamin E causing a
permanent deterioration. However, I would say his cases were chaps who were
in forward areas for long periods living on short and hard  rations, a
regimen not at all conducive to keeping any part of you in good shape.
Personally, I am not perturbed and hardly consider myself a thing of the
past, a whited sepulchre, so to speak. You can imagine the chaff hurled
at those who await their leave full of intentions to take unto themselves
a wife but the shiny bums are not undergoing the physical hardships xx 
that brings on such dread things. After all, what's a bit of beri' beri
among friends. 
The news of Richard is most inspiring so with your son
and your house fixed, I demand that you be a good girl and be in it too.
Too many confessions of headaches, weariness and so on of late, the little
matter of the former glorious Clarkie's lovely curls  rankles too in my
repressed bosom so in addition to preening your new found refuge, hop to
it and present to your loving and admiring Micky a shining new facade or
the whole business will be a flop. Otherwise I won't get up in the
morning, wont do a damn thing at all so that you will send me packing back
to the great beyond. Maybe the cows will do that for you anyway. Oh, one
other matter, that odious preparation you were teeing up with your 
pharmacist, its O.K with me to get the stuff but there's just a doubt
whether I will get a chance to get around to the places where same may be
procured. Anyway, you had better keep in touch as the opportunity may be
beyond me for movements are a thing one has no control over. Lets know
how you fare and we will see what can be done. The point is that if you
leave it to me I may flop and all our earnest conversations may be set
at nought. 
In your frenzied rush of late, you have crept into a funny
habit of telling me about your progress in one direction or another  and then
never saying a word as to how the thing finally pans out. The parade  of
houses that have flashed before my vision recently has been dazzling but I
suppose your subsequent xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx silence was
more eloquent than any sentence could be. 
Well, sweetheart, the lads want to go to bed now so
must bring this booklet to a stop. Will tear into another spate of
words in a day or two, have'nt forgotten that masterpiece of character
analysis you wish me to attempt but it will take a good deal of thought
to sort out a mass of impressions into a coherent statement. Cheerio,
cooing dove of love, for a while and give the little wonder an extra big
kiss from Pappy for being a good boy, you know, you've got something mighty
wonderful there or I'm a punk judge. You, you bundle of charms, I salute
and send you every scrap of love, 
Micky

ACTIVE SERVICE 
For use only by members of the Australian Military Forces 

28. 3. 44 
Address: 
Mrs. M. Billings 
548 Barkers Road 
East Hawthorn Vic

VX38483 Sgt. M. Billings 
Dist Accounts Office 
New Guinea  31. 3. 44 

Darling, 
With a chunk of satisfaction
that puts paid to another month
herewith salutations and lots of
love from the old man. The
day was brightened by the
arrival of yours of the 25th
as well as one from young John
written, if you please, from near
Brisbane so you will be seeing
him again soon. Well that will
be fine but I flatter myself
sufficiently to say that there is
another party in the family you
would prefer to see just now. 
Glad a letter from this
guy turned up too, just getting
properly troppo now. I see, not
putting the date on the letter.
You said it, every day is just

2/ 
the same as the one before, the
next will be the same too, to cap
it all they are a mass of boredom
and stalemate. Except Sunday
of course which I like, you loaf
and sleep all day and after tea
trench along to Mass and
Benediction. I enjoy Mass up
here, it seems more vital up 
here, for instance, 80% of the
congregation go to Communion
and the atmosphere seems charged
with more genuineness that at
home. 
Glad to see the model
boats are at call, if they are
flops as ornaments, perhaps young
Richard will find them good
craft to play with in his bath.
The news of him was great even
though he's a bit static in his
weight. If he's getting in his
quota of snoozing and is sound