Letters from Lt Colin Douglas Simper to Mrs Irene Simper Wallet 2, Part 5

Air Mail

 

No. 4

Mrs CD Simper

C/o Blackwood P.O.

South Australia

 

CD Simper

Commenced 29 Apr ^Mar                    

Concluded 29   "              
SX21753
Lt. Simper CD

HQ Coy 2/48 Bn

Australia

My wife,

Honey I love you madly and fiercely,

love you because you're the most wonderful

woman living.

Im here to write another letter to you

because I have not any jobs to do, there

is not much doing at all except a

campaign of sports.

I am well settled in now in my new

Pl and praps I'd better give you more 

details there.

The officer who was their Pl Comd has

gone on leave and after that he's got

a school to do and Ive taken his

job because if you remember I did a

pioneer school myself. He will be away

a fair while.

There is another officer with 8 Pl at present

so they're OK. I shall eventually return

I expect to my own Pl.

By the way I've changed my clothes.

You remember the set I had on when

I left? well I've just changed them

and were they dirty after the trip phew!!

2.

The safari is pretty grubby too but the

creases are still there.

Well I have some good news for you

now, I've just collected a letter from you

No 3! it is, which means there's two others

to come yet. The postal fellow says the

mail has been a bit screwy these last

few days, I spose they will turn up OK

but its a darned nuisance not have the

news in sequence. However it amounts to

this honey. Ever since I left home Ive' been

well worrying I spose whether you were cheerful

and happy Well, Gee honey Youve made my

future here in the ensuing months a darn 

lot easier to bear now, now I have your letter

which tells me of my darlings, which tells me

you love me, and the important thing, You are

Contented, or as contented as its possible while we're

separated. Oh darling when I read and reread

Your final pages thrill after thrill went through

me, A sort of wave of emotion gripped me

so much, and I was lifted, honey You'll

believe me when I say I love, how simple

that sound, and yet, when you stop & think

-I love you - what does it mean, how much

does it cover in a person's life, - almost all

of it, it concerns our whole day year and

life, everything you do or say or think is

3.

is me doing it saying or thinking it,

And honey it was so seay to Pray last night

I well I like to pray, but I seem only

to remember when I'm gloriously happy or

horribly in the dumps, and honey I've proved

it I've proved it to be more than a

heritage, a superstition, I thanked them

for our happiness.

And honey, I want to thank you, let me

do this, let me thank you for making me

the happiest man living, for these precious

days we spent together, never before have

me I been so utterly completely happy, never

has a leave past with such a natural ending

All my life I'll remember you as I kissed

you last, standing on that platform.

Well dear wife Ive only one thing more

before I answer your letter, our babies,

I have, well a confession to make there.

All my life at home at 34 Junction Rd Ive seen

lots of Kiddies, had lots of them around the place

and yet due probably to the number of girls

handy I never had any responsibility to them

I saw them watched their small ways & yet

it was a rare occasion that I had one

in my arms. So you see to arrive home

after 12 months to find two grown babies

for grown they were in comparison to my last

leave, to be able to carry them about,

to feed, bath and chase after them was

an altogether new experience for me, something

that I never before had an op of doing.

I write this because I feel that I didn't

explain to you my feelings, Praps I didn't know

them until I pondered on the journey North.

When you first brought Eleanor home were you

thinking all the time of that which was next 

to be done? You know - now whats the time,

10.0, time, for her bath , or the napkins, I 

must bring them in now, were you like

that, Well that in a nutshell is how I

was, I expect you have got used to it

Yourself now, You cannot imagine how proud

of myself I was, when You'd say Colin can

you put Eleanor to bed', sort of doubtfully,

and after I'd done that, I'd hurry in to

see if You'd question me, whether Id pinned

her in, or given her a drink, or something else

I'd say yes, and yes, and add some other

things I'd done besides, and when I'd make

a mistake you didn't growl, just told me where

I was wrong, and or showed me how to

do it. You're a good teacher darling and

I realize now how much they meant to me

I realize how proud I am of them. I've made

                           5.

Some bloomers since I've been telling fellows

anyone Some I hardly know, all about them

Something they've done, some little trick of Eleanor

and half way through I can see by the

look of them, they're not, in some cases, the

least bit interested. I generally finish rather

lamely when I can see that disinterested look

But I know I love them darling, I haven't

given you much proof of that I know, but

some day I'll be able to cuddle them, croon

to them, perfectly confident in my ability to

handle them

And there's something else, my occupation after

the war, I did a great deal of thinking about that

and its worrying me quite a little but to

realize that I cannot seem to concentrate on 

it, I cannot seem to grasp what it

implies, I realize its important but cannot

grasp the need for that importance now,

Personally I think Army life has a grip on

me so completely that its possible to

concentrate on anything which doesn't concern

Army, and yet, I dunno.

I talked with many fellows since, and when

I brought the subject forward they in some

cases are on ^in the same difficulty as I.

Only those with a set job to return to

over /

                                6

seem to know exactly what they intend to

do. The Lt who travelled with me

back to the unit said himself to haven't

the faintest idea what he'll definitely do

Maybe you cannot understand that, it will

be hard, I know but being absolutely

frank with you I know you'll at least

bear with me. I dont consider for one

moment this attitude will continue for I

know I shall find the opportunity to settle

down and concentrate solely on this very

essential task.

And so of you yourself can grasp my trouble

I like you to explain, your way, to both

Mum xxx and pop for my interests are theirs

to my advantage.

I shall refer to this from time to time

honey and would be pleased if you would

discuss it freely with me. As only

this way ^only, I feel I will find something on

which I can consentrate, forgetting all

other possibilities.

I have written this because my attitude at

home must surely have puzzled you all.

For you honey I must assure that if

I or we, not if when I have decided

I will move leave very few stones unturned

in an effort to gather knowledge of 

                         6

that particular job, and I know you

believe me, if you could only see my

mind in this regard.

Well now dear wife I've pretty well caught

up with my thoughts during the trip and

am more or less up to date. So I'll turn

to Your No 3 letter - I love you darling xx

This No 3 was opened when I got it, opened

at one end, don't know why, but as it

was No 3 I wasn't worried, if it had been

No 1 now, well!! Whats my guessing like

and thats another reason for my impatience

there.

I expected you to be amazed at the contents

of my letter from Melbourne, there were

some red letter events happening while I 

was there.

And how would I have known if the water

had broken? tell me that CD, according

to Mrs Young, She had a splendid time, so

there you are, I dunno.

Well honey today being Thursday it works

out You'll be back from Pirie about the time

this gets there. I certainly hope you've had

a good holiday. You were lucky that George &

Mrs H were town. Such a long way to

travel on your own.

Hear'a- hear'a - say me, just read again

Your chapter on Bet her letters from Snow

                        7

etc, and her being on tenderhooks, good for

you honey, takes will power to do as you

do, anyhow - You're pretty sure of me aren't

you - is she of snow?'

You send me the snaps I hope, all of them now

I want to judge for myself what they're

like -

Yes that might be arranged (re stretchers etc)

I'll wait a little while then write,

What's this on your page 4 you want to

be a good wife,!!? Wake up girlie, You are

a good wife and will be a good wife

Darling, I will close for today I must say

that your page four could have been

written by me, it applies to you every 

line of it.

Cheerio, then really hoping "You are well, our 

babies? I miss them so and long for

news of them both, I was wondering

if Eleanor is growing out of her bath

fitters. You say she wasn't too bad

in your letter.

Regards to all home and fond love

to everyone,

Billions of Kisses for you, my own 

dearest darling wife.

Yours for always

 to love

 Col

PS have collected 

four old letters

including 1 from Mum

CD Simper XXXXXXX