22 March 1945 (Thursday)

Dearest Kitten:

Here it is Thursday and I had been planning to write to you Monday. Such is life in the Army. One can never be certain of anything at any time.

Do you know that I love you from the bottom of my heart? Well I do, despite the fact that I neglect you so horribly. There is only one girl in the world for me, and that is you. How I wish I could tell you so personally. On top of loving you so much, I am terribly lonesome for you. How long will it be before I will be allowed to live the way that I want to?

Your poor Dad, he certainly has the toughest luck of anyone I have ever seen. I hope that he is much better by the time this letter arrives home.

By the time that you receive this letter you will know that Sunday I managed to write to all the folks except you. By the time I got through Sunday night I just could not write anymore so I planned to write to you Monday night.

Enclosed you will find some pictures. Now do not go into a panic when you see me & my Australian wife. She is only a Red Cross girl from the states, is married and very much in love with her husband who happens to be an Air Force Officer & Pilot. At the time the picture was taken, we were waiting for a truck to pick up the empty case of Coke, blankets & umbrellas. She is not very good looking but has a wonderful personality. The small pictures were all taken at Coolongatta.

The two large pictures were taken a long time ago by one of the cooks and he sent the pictures home and had his wife make up a couple of prints so that Sgt. Troise & myself could get a set. Directly behind us is the kitchen & dining room. The walls & roof are made of Fibrolite the same as our barracks.

Robert Brousseau has my sympathy. He may not realize the job that it is going to be for him to get his wife to the states. I hope that he is lucky enough to get his wife over without too much trouble.

I can imagine Julie telling you about her honeymoon experiences. She is a natural comic anyhow and when you add a speck of sex to it, you have a burlesque.

You guess very close - I did go to Coolangatta but that was only recently and after my period of not writing.

I can believe that Arthur had a good time in Paris on his furlough.

So Norman finally wound up in France. I hope that he does well because Auntie & Uncle depend on him a great deal. It would be a terrible blow to them if anything happened to him.

Just keep having the feeling that I am on my way home to you Sweetheart, because it is true. With each passing day I am just that much closer to home. Of course it may be a few months before I do reach home, but keep your courage up, I will eventually make it.

My new allotment to the bank is made out and the bank will start receiving the check for $35.00 the first of May.

I am sorry that you were so worried because you did not receive any mail for so long, but it is something that you must expect from a man in the Army. See, you had all your worrying for nothing and I am still in Brisbane.

Sorry, I do not know or neither remember a Mr. McGrath at So. Lowell. I might recognize him if I saw him but the name does not strike me as familiar.

Yes, Sgt. Nicholson received Connie’s letter and he finally answered it on Sunday or so he claims.

Your mother should take it easy but she never will as long as she has some of her children around to take care of. It is a shame that your sisters do not do more for her. They are too selfish to realize that your mother should not have to do any of the work at home. They may be salting a lot of money away but they are taking it out on your mother. She is not young and her health being what it is, they should be taking care of her.

It is about time that they changed the pipes. It must be funny to have a lot of water pressure for a change. It must have been quite a mess the plumber made.

Never mind Beautiful, I hope that as soon as I return I will be able to buy you a real nice fur coat. There are so many things that I want to get for you and the children that I only hope that I may be able to get them for you.

Yes you have grown up a lot since we first got married. I think that our separation has taught you a lot too. You will be a better wife for it I hope. Not that I ever had any reason to kink in any way. You always were and always will be a good wife, in fact the best.

You wanted to know if I call out in my sleep to you. The answer is yes. Quite often in fact. I crave to be able to see you, touch you, and smell you. Your letters have a nice smell that makes me feel very lonesome for you. Golly what I would give to have one of our quiet evenings at home. The radio playing softly and you sitting on the hassock at my feet. The only light is from the pilot light on the radio, soft music and you.

I only wish I knew the answer to your question as to when I will return to my Kitten. Maybe it is just as well that I don’t.

So you enjoyed Sigmund Romberg. It makes me happy to know that you get out and enjoy yourself. We will have to go to more performances like that.

You always did stand me on my head Sweetheart. And as for glamour, you always were and always will be tops with me.

Well Sweetheart, as much as I hate to leave you, I must. If at times I appear to be neglectful of you, please forgive me. Fortunately or unfortunately, I am saddled with a big job which at times almost gets me down. There is a good deal of humour in this serious business of fighting. Thank God for that, because it is the main thing that keeps me going.

I must say goodnight Sweetheart. I love you.

Give everyone my regards & kiss the babies for me. I love you,

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob