Letters from Lt Colin Douglas Simper to Mrs Irene Simper Wallet 2, Part 26

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22

M^RS C D. Simper
c/o Blackwood P.O.
South Aust.
CD Simper

Sx21753

Sg Simper CD

HQ Coy 2/48 AIF
May 11,
My darling,

Hullo beautiful wife here I am

to commence a decent letter for you.
News, well here we go, now as you

realize in any show you dont, stay long

in any one place, if we're winning we

are advancing if we're losing, we are

going back and as it is and has been

since we landed we're winning, yes all!

the way, so day by day, as the fighting

troops push further and further inland

we follow closely behind, occasionally

like last night and yesterday, a few

stray Japs get in behind the line and 

cause a bit of bother mostly with

knives and swords, but we have

ensured he doesn't start his hanky

panky business round here and are

pretty watchful and alert, especially

at night.

Well honey its impossible to describe

the havoc and ruin of this island,

it truly must have been a wonderfully 

developed isle The Japs had

been working its natural product, "oil"

and had the natives working for

(2)

them, There are plenty of them (natives)

here, so owing to the necessity of

bombing, shelling etc, and the burning

carried out by the Jap most of the beauty

of the towns and villages has been

marred and xxxx scarred and twisted

iron, and steel, blackened by fire

and is spread over the whole area,

making the place look as if a cyclone

has blown for a week, it certainly

is the only way to win, but the

destruction is definitely colossal.

The day we landed, nothing could be

seen of any of the buildings or land

owing to the tremendous pall of smoke

and burning buildings, and its certainly

a wonderful feat when you think of those

men never having set foot on it before

going to their appointed tasks. how 

they found their bearings is beyond quite

a few.

Any so there we are today sitting on

a hill in the jungle, waiting, and

watching, working amid rain and

slush, but everyone is anxious to

get the job finished and have the

whole business done with.

The lads in this unit have certainly

(3)

lived up to their name, and everyone

who knows them can well be proud of

their achievments.

The lads of the Pl found an old truck this

morning and being Aussies they soon had it

running and are making good use of

it carrying timber etc.

Yesterday we had a hut to build, so

we took a truck and went to a

former nearby village and saw two

heaps of timber which the natives

had stacked neatly near a fallen

down house, nice long boards they

were so we immediately loaded them

on the truck while the nigs stood 

by watching, they were yabbering some

I spose 'bout us pinching it, and

one of the blokes said, “You're lucky we

didnt get you to load it on the truck

for us?” (of course they couldn’t understand

what he was saying) and if you say

it with a laugh they reckon its OK.

They all immediately started bowing and

smiling and Ya-ak-ya-mee-ina, etc

(probably thinking he was paying a

compliment) to them, we drove off

roaring with laughter.

The Jap apparently made them bow

and salute, because if you pass

(4)

them on the road They bow and salute
in line oriental fashion, they will get
over that, the Aussie soon has them at

ease,
I was coming down a track and I saw an

old Aussie hat lying in the grass on the

side, and a native was coming up so I

pointed to it touching my head, and

gestulating for him to get it and have it

but he evidently mistook me, for he swerved

aside of me off the track bowing etc

thinking I was ordering him aside so I

could pass.

I shook my head smiling and tried again

he finally caught on that I was giving him

something, He went his way yabbering and

grinning with the battered old hat

stuck on his head, and he was pretty

proud of himself I could see. If he

could have known how little I wished to

offend him or hurt him, for I could see

he was plainly frightened.

Then this morning I had a truck down

the road aways collecting some iron, and

tin for a job, but I couldnt lift a

big piece and a heap of the natives

came by and one understood when I

idicated, "You help,' lift! gestulating all

(5)
the time and grasping the iron and
straining on it to show him, 

He caught on and barked out some

rapid instructions and 'bout 20 of them

soon loaded my truck.

I am pretty proud of my boys, they work

hard and well,

The CO wanted his little tent erected, nice

and comfy, so in a trice I had the

lads to work carpenters and so on, and

they whipped ^in a board floor and put up

his tent in no time, and he was

pretty pleased about the job they done

and he certanly has a nice little home

now.

This afternoon we are fixing some bad

patches in the road.

We have just been issued with a tin

of tob matches, a packet of biscuits &

a bottle of cordial so we have a

lemon drink now and then.

Now then Ill answer a letter or two, I

received No 21 yesterday by the way

page 8 of no 17 - yes the heat is worse

than Darwin muggy and fierce, Yes my

first big boat trip honey and I did

enjoy it although its boring after a

while and I longed to walk around

on land for a bit, I dont go

over (1)

(6)

close to Jap places honey as you will

understand by earlier pages, close

enough to experience his artilliary

though.(there are plenty of holes to get

into).

Air raids, no darling we don't have to

worry about them thanks to our own

aircraft.

I laughed when reading your account here

saying were there any females aboard

ship? nary a wo one (just as well

for them) havn't seen a white woman 
since leaving Aussie, not likely too

either,

No I can't say the boat I was on but

it was large and comfortable and the

food was excellent.

My job here doesn't give me much

training as I don't do it but I see

how the carpenters etc work and could

do it in time.

Mr Cleuer is right re the tax we dont

pay any, as from the day 30 July last

year (that has been refunded)

How on earth did they manage to get

120 guests seated at the lodge? they

must have done quite a bit of work

up there, some feed they put on

I was sure unlucky.

(7)

By gee you couldn't have sent anything

better than those lollies, they'll be a

big cheer to me here, lollies are

just out up here,

I hope it and the cake arrives soon

For sure looking forward to it.

Yes with the Germans beaten it cant

last too long up here, the Yanks

are doing a good job and I hear

the British landed somewhere too,

Its just an impossible to realize a

world without war.
No 18, honey this ole man of yours

is pretty madly in love with you

and he reckons you're the sweetest

darling wife ever, and then some,

You wait to know what I had for

lunch, right, tinned meat, tinned

potatoes, tinned carrots, tinned cabbage.

bread, jam, tea,

Now except for breakfast when there's

porridge it doesn't differ by much

we might get plum jam instead of

marmalade some meals.

The new saving scheme is definitely

worth the money and the trouble, the

war is ending and we wait to

make a final plunge on the pocket

to fill the bank book so we

(8)

have some safe.

War news we get about 2 or 3 days

old bits and pieces.

No darling I don't think we can afford

to lend our money we want it all

and together, we must apply the Jack

system, else we wont be in the race

when this war ends.

Well I don't think Im losing any more 

weight, Im eating well and just about

holding my own. Ill fatten with age

I reckon,

Next time 'm home you'll be able to

carry out extensive practices with my

thinness and cook for all you're worth

and experiment to see what makes

me fat.

No you said it, there's only one you

and arent I a lucky guy, having

you all the time for myself, near

me constantly keeping me loving

and loving me till I'm silly with

rapture and happiness,

No 19 started en train on way home

from town,

Your choice of Mother's Day presents was

OK. I realize don't worry how hard

it is, I had my fill of it in

Brissy last time, one time Id have

(9)

bought anything, but now I'm wiser & 

I guess a bit particular where you're 

concerned. Yep I remember Eric Butler

big fat 'bloke,' 
well surprize, old man Bullemore

going for the smiles, didn't think

it were possible,

He's certainly messing things up for

Peter and Audrey making things hard

for them.

Well honey time runs short for me, I

have no days off and am only able

to grab time here and there, Ive

stuck to this like glue today and

I know I feel much happier now

I have a page or two done today
OK, couple more days should put

me right again.

Excuse me using pencil for awhile

honey, ink and pens are not to be

had and deemed hard to carry,

but when we settle down Ill start & 

write in ink, it's much better

To then beautiful wife all my love

goes with this letter to you and

I hope it speeds on its way for

(10)

its important to me that you

keep perfectly happy healthy and

strong, cheerful and happy, so

as you can write cheerfully, live

cheerfully and keep all happy

about you. -

So long for now, fond regards

for everyone home and for

our babies nothing but endless 

kisses and love from Pop

xxxx

xxx Yours cheerfully

xxx and lovingly

forever Col