Monday 20 Nov. 1944

Still at Brisbane

Dearest Kitten:

I have neglected you disgracefully and am duly ashamed of myself. Things have been in more or less of an uproar around here and my time has been very much occupied.

Yesterday, I grabbed my supply sgt., Nicholson, and we went to the seashore and enjoyed ourselves. It is the first time that he has been in swimming and he got a wonderful sunburn. We got back to camp at 8:00 in the evening and I had hopes of writing to you but no, my good luck had forsaken me and it was necessary for me to take care of my little chick-a-dees. It seems that they are always hungry and it being one of my sad duties to see that everyone eats, it was too late and I was too tired to write when the mess got straightened out.

For some time to come my mail will not be all that I would like to make it and not the way that you like to receive it. You see that at some future date my APO will eventually change. But there is something that will never change and that is my love for you. There isn’t a day goes by but that I think of you and home with all that the word home implies.

There are times that I get very lonesome but the majority of the time I am too busy to get too lonesome.

Oh there are times when I wonder where and when this separation will end. It seems that the longer I am in the Army the longer it seems before I will get out.

By the way, your husband can now wear a gold bar on his left sleeve, denoting six months overseas. Marvelous isn’t it? I only hope that they do not reach my elbow before I am repatriated to the states. As one 1st Sgt. who sports six of them put it to his company commander, “Sir you will either have to break me or allow me to wear them on the other sleeve.”

There is a drought over here at present. It is quite hot and has not rained for almost a month. The air is full of dust & smoke. The dust is so bad that in three hours time I have to dust off my desk again as it feels gritty to the touch. The smoke is from wood fires - they call them brush fires over here and let them burn as long as it does not endanger buildings. At four this afternoon, I could look directly into the sun with my naked eye. That is from the dust and smoke and is no exaggeration.

The Aussies over here have a habit of always carrying something. I guess they do not feel dressed without a basket, bag, or pack.

If my mail has been delayed it is because the Post Office over here has been changed and it may be some time before they get properly settled. There are a lot of Aussies employed in the Post Office and they take a month of Sundays to get anything done.

Letters #140 -1 & 2 came and also a package from you and Mother. I wrote to Estelle, thanking her for the peppermints that she sent. I tried to make it as funny as possible and I hope that she likes it.

Of course there were some sheilas around at Coolangatta - what-a-name. Sheilas to the left of me, sheilas to the right of me, right in amongst them rode the brave amphibian. Hmm-m was that me? Immodest women - bare legs clean up to their shoulders. Try as I could, I couldn’t get any of them interested in me. Better luck next time. The swimming was good anyhow.

What a couple of scrappers we are going to have with Bobby & Barbara. They must keep you hopping.

I enjoyed reading about Blanche. She looks good in her uniform. They certainly gave her plenty of publicity.

There you go talking about snow when I am dying from the heat. At night I go to bed with my pajamas only. I tuck my mosquito net in nicely around my blankets that I use for a mattress, go on a skitter hunt inside with a flashlight. After killing all the skitters that I can catch, stretch out and go to sleep. We have used our net ever since we came over practically. The mosquitoes go around in dive bomber formation over here. We have already lost one man that way. The last time he was seen was one night he was headed for the latrine. The only thing that we can figure could have happened to him is that he couldn’t hold himself and dropped his pants. That is all these mosquitoes need around here. I suppose that somebody someday will find his dog tags because I can not imagine these mosquitoes leaving even the skeleton. They don’t only take your blood, they take blood, flesh and bone.

Glad to see that you had some company to break the monotony of things.

Sorry but I must close. Regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me. I love you Sweetheart.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob