Letters of Thomas Reginald Walsh

5.6.37
My Dear Mum
It is now 8pm Saturday
night 8 pm a week has passed since the
outbreak of what must live forever in
my memory as a succession of weird
events. Have been on deck night & day
since commencement. As you will under-

stand am not in a condition to write
First & last thank God I am well
apart from a couple of nicely blistered
heels & a little bark off the nose am
sound as a bell I am pleased you
received my two radios and happy
to get yours. Many startling tales will 
be told some already have reached 
Sydney & all places. Some day Please 
God I will tell mine where it will
be appreciated. Foolishly another chap
and self were the last to leave the
beach we waited too long watching the
erruption and 10yards from my house 

the hail of debris hit us reaching 
the street natives & all people were
going in directions. My first port of call

was the verandah of the agriculture
Dept & found I was the only white person
amongst possibly a hundred [[coons?]]
huddled up in corners all appealing
to me marsta do you think it will
stop Rabaul & bugger up finish etc
My next drive was to the exchange
but had the call away &c fumes
to a hotel for a spell. Here all
were about choking I was clad only
in a pair of shorts & singlet the
latter I had to put over my head to
save the eyes. It was a blind dash
to the office on arrival a chap had
ordered the native operators back
to the board he heaved a sigh of
relief to see me. Much has happened
since then I cannot settle to explain
now tomorrow we will go for
a schooner trip to KoKoPo where
all the people have been sheltered
they were taken in schooners etc
on Sunday morning after having spent

the night at Ramanella Hospital

About 9 police-officers, the wardens

operator & a few others including myself
stuck to duty. Am not boasting but
there are not more than about 20 men
left in Rabaul at 10 am on the first morning
after the first outbreak We have put in
several crook days & nights, & when the second
volcano took hence on Sunday afternoon
sending over a blinding mass of Black
damp mud grit, the Police Supt.
came out and said boys "I dont know"
I rushed to the Exch & said to the [[coons?]]
leave the board & lay flat on the floor
Well Mum as I say am unable to
give details and think I can never tell
the tale in a letter am writing this under
poor lamp light at a house a cobber
& self took over many days ago.
Trusting all at home are well. This
letter I will post at KoKoPo tomorrow
both eruptions at the moment are only
showing a little smoke the whole of
Rabaul is covered in six inches of deposit
most water is polluted, but the doctors are
treating it so all is well. I am honestly 
well though tired. but a trip tomorrow

will be good oh
Love and prayers for all
I remain 

Your loving Son
Tom.
P.S. I am sending some films taken
throughout the stunt
Please have them developed and send

me a set of all I hope they will
turn out OK as there is good hundred
contained in all
love
Tom

[*TAX 4^d*]

[*KOKOPO 
7 JU37
NEW GUINEA*]

Mrs J. K. Walsh.
Mount Tomah
Eastwood
N.S.W.

9.1.42
My Dear Mum
Hoping Self and all at
home are well leaving me splendid Thank
God. Was very happy to get a lengthy
letter from Lena giving details of
Cliff Kerr's visit, Deaths of Mrs McFadden
and Mrs McGuire R.I.P. Well Mum as
you have heard over the A.B.C, we

 have had a very busy week and
how exciting. Enemy Planes have
paid us daily visits & some are Twice
Daily girls. So the first Australian owned
sail has been bombed. We did not
think it would quite come but
there you are as reported little damage
has been done no European
casualties, but the poor old native
copped it again. Its a very eerie
sight and feeling to see them
approach at great heights However
we are all well & happy and
everyone is in a friendly state
of mind, which is pleasant.
By jove you would laugh

2
at some of the incidents antics of
natives & whites. There's no doubt
it was wonderful to get all the
women clear in good time
Today we are having torrential
rain so take the opportunity to
scribble a few lines. Kindly tell all
friends that it is impossible to
even answer their letters as we
are at high pressure. After a days
fairly hard work its not unusual
to be called at 2 A.M for another

8 hrs job, thence through till midnight
I do not mind as my health is
even improving as the pressure
increases and in no part of the
world could I give greater assistance
to my native land old Aussie.
Socks are scarce several pairs
would be welcome. Remember me to
All. With love, prayers & best wishes
will conclude
I remain
your Loving Son
Tom

Rabaul
16.1.42
My Dear Mum
Hoping Self and all at
home are well as I am Thank God
We were having a nice quiet
time for a few days but the peace
was broken at noon today when
a flock of Japs came over and
dropped a few eggs Causing no
damage and no casualties. Its
queer to see all the people running
for their holes We are building
some rather swampy dug outs
with all mod cons. Two chaps
arrive here to assist me in
a day or two so that will be
much better letters were mislaid
last week none from home
one from Maguire very welcome
too. Wondering did you get the
Camera's Ok as I hear that Mrs
Strathearn met, Nancy the
Roliflex would cost £40 ^or more in Aussie if

same could be procured. You might
get someone to clean it as the Gases
and eruptions played havoc
with delicate apparatus. Do you
see or hear from the Burkes My
regards to them Tom McLaren met
with a bad accident a fortnight ago
was knocked by a truck picked
up in a frighful condition but
after an operation and 15 stitches in
his head has done nicely and now
out of hospital going to Vuna-Pope
to rest. Well Mum this seems all
for the present so will close
with prayers love and best wishes
to all
I remain
Your Loving Son
Tom