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22/3/42
A.I.F. Abroad.
My
Dear Mother & all the family,
Here I am old Dear, writing you once again from
Syria
& I will begin by telling you I am fit &
well. I sincerely hope this letter will find you as well as I am this
rainy Sunday over here. Gee, have I been ever so lucky with my parcels
Mum, two from you lately, the beautiful big Cake with my name on top
which you parcelled on Dec 28th, & the other you mailed a
few days after,
31/12/41
. Well they arrived together & everything carried
very well over their long trip. I was able to give my Section Cobbers
their first tast of Aussie Cake for three months. They all send you
kisses. It was so kind of Nell to think of me & for her gifts I am
ever so thankful. Pity is the Air Mail paper is no use any longer, but I
will keep it all for a better time that must surely be coming.
I
have just received a letter you wrote on 6th Jan & I am
so glad to hear all the home town news, if it is ever so old. I guess
you will be looking & waiting for my letters now also.
2. I should land a packet of letters one of
these fine days. I will have to stay up all night to read them all. How
are the two little Boydies going? Oh; Mum I had a short note from Hamie
Boyd the other day. He was in
Aleppo
& although I wasn’t far away, we missed each
other. Perhaps we will meet yet. Although we are in different Units, we
are in the same Division, 9th. Met a chap yesterday, a Cpl in
my old D.?.N. Coy, I have talked to him dozens of time before & who
do you think he married? The tall girl Turner from Ingham, forget her
name, she is now Mrs Noel Ferris, & she does good work while her
husband is Overseas, catering for the the fighting forces, in the Town
Hall Brisbane. There it was that Brother Bob met & talked to her
& so she wrote Noel to look out for me. Did I ever tell that Frank
Burns from A.J. Smiths had a nasty accident? He will most likely go
home. I never saw him myself, but Bobby Scarr told me he had his both
ankles broken in a road accident. So although they christened him The
Avenger when he left
Richmond
, poor lad never saw much.
3. Had a lovely letter from my little Lake
Nash Cobber Beryl yesterday, written shortly after Xmas, & gave me a
fair picture of the West & all the old mob. Also one from my
Adeline, she was very excited. She has met Nell & Bob & Ford. I
am anxious to hear their opinion. Do you think she is a good sort Bob
old boy? She will do me anyway. Did she give you a nice cup of tea &
cake Fordo? Glad to hear you are collecting those stripes brother,
just as well you are in the Air Force, might have to bung you a salute
one day. What did you think of my Maroubra Phyllis, Nell? Am waiting to
get your report. According to Adeline, the rains are late over in
Aussie, they are late finishing over here. Just as well I am web toed
Mumsie, it is much easier on me than the other chaps. I am wondering if
you have seen anything of Bill Mathers, or Puet, or Ginteys. If you do
tell them to have a foot of Aussie beer for me. Well Mother I have heard
& read all about the Jap’s successes in the Pacific, & the
bombs they have dropped in our Coastal towns. I have been in Darwin
& Wyndham, & they won’t hurt much there. But they will get
their wind snapped shortly. Now old Sweetheart, I have no idea
4.
how long this will be reaching you, I guess about six weeks by Boat. It
is just a Bugger now waiting weeks for letters, they are as good as a
big meal to me, & now as I tramp around this Syrian soil, & feel
the swish of the half grown Barley on my trousers, & as I jump
across clear running streams, I am thinking there is sure to be mail
tonight. I hope Sister Ann goes out to you for a while, how is that Dear
old kid anyway? Mother Mine & all all my Sisters & Brothers
& Nephews & Nieces, Aunts & Cousins, I will conclude for
this time, it is Sunday’s Dinner time, but I won’t be sitting down
to no Rooster Dinner with egg puddings to follow, but whatever is on, I
am hungry to eat it & enjoy it. So now Mother mine, do not worry for
me, I am big & ugly enough to look after myself, you keep on smiling
& wishing me well, & so in time you will find me back home with
you some fine day soon.
Cheerio Mother & fond love Always,
& many kisses.
From your loving son
David John
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