also very happy today, happy because I received such a bundle of letters yesterday. Just the neat Dozen Mum, took me ‘till dinnertime to read them. Two from my Curly headed Sister Nell dated the 1/9/41 & 17/9/41 one from Dear Kind Ann her letter No. 3, one from my little Sister with the same name as my Mother, Date after she returned from her Western holiday, & the most welcome of them all one from your Darling old self 8/9/41. The rest were scattered from Brisbane- Boulia – Lake Nash – Camooweal & Dajarra. So Mumsie I have reason to be happy, & it looks like as if my mail is coming through all right at long last. This letter will have to do for the whole family for this time Mum, because I haven’t the time these days to write much, but will do my best to answer each letter when I go back for a rest.

Thanks for the stamps old Dear, & Nell old Sweetheart – don’t bother with the Canteen Orders, they lose their value about 1/- shilling in five. Just put a stamp in each letter for your reply, & if any one is ever sending a parcel, don’t forget, Paper, Ink and Pencil. I use a fair bit of paper scratching bits of poems out & this paper & pencil I have borrowed off young Jim Benham. We get an issue now & then – one pad to a section of 9 or ten men, & at times a letter card each but they are so small. We get a cigarette issue 5 pkts a week & they don’t last long & any lad that gets a tin of Tobacco in a parcel is very popular for a few hours.

Page 2.

The photos were all very nice – it is good to be able to have a look at all your faces once more. It is very cold here at night now Mother, & out at night it is Scarfs & all on.

Had the biggest dust storm I ever saw a few days ago, lasted all day, made things very unpleasant for all hands at the time. Cold weather don’t seem to affect the fleas unless to make them more affectionate. They are in every hole in the ground, & I can flea my blankets & clothes, & an hour after they are all back again, & invited their friends with them. It is hard to write today Mum, we should be all having a sleep, but the boys all received a crowd of letter each - & are all excited, we swap letters to each other – any lad that gets no mail still has letters to read. All the time I was getting no letters they all made me read their’s. They are all in love with my Western Home Mum, the Greenery of it, makes them all remember, also makes them home-sick. Had such a nice letter from Mrs Paine ‘Lake Nash’, she is a typical Squatters Daughter & Managers Wife & her letter is sprinkled with breezy news of Horses – Cattle - & Droving doings of the West besides bits of Station Gossip. They are finding it hard to get men on the Stations, & bush fires are causing a lot of damage. Beryl is making me a cake which I hope to receive some day. Haven’t met any of the Richmond boys yet – I don’t think any of them are in this Battalion. If not I may never meet them, although we may be in the one Country or for that matter in the one Battle . It will be just one big fluke if I happen to meet them on leave somewhere some day.

Unfortunately Page 3 is missing.

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