Hollandia
Saturday 20th Jan 44 [45]
7.20 am
Darling,
Am writing this whilst sitting safely & placidly on a comfortable bed in a comfortable camp. As you observe I have at last got this pen into some semblance of working order. I hope it stays like this. Jack Hickson is still asleep – he’s been asleep ever since we left Sydney.
We got here about 6.30 pm yesterday after a strenuous 11 hour trip from Townsville. And what a trip! 5 hours over the bleeding ocean, through rain squalls & bumps and vague (at least to us) turnings. Sometimes only a 100 ft or so over the sea & at others 8000. A dirty trip which caused your old man a certain amount of mental distress. Landed at Moresby drome where there was only one other plane on the field – that place is plenty dead these days. Took ½ hour to climb high enough to cross the Owen Stanleys which were covered with enormous clouds. We then turned up the Ramu Valley but were forced back by cloud before we got near Shaggy Ridge. Climbed to about 15000 ft & passed over the bottom edge of the Bismarck Range & so to the Finschhafen coast to the accompaniment of more mental agitation. Took us about 4 more hours flying time to get here which is just over the Dutch border. Was I glad to land? Was it good or bad? No one wanted us as no one had heard of us. After 1 ½ hours bum warming we managed a frugal meal at an air force camp & finally made our way up to the American Public Relations section of this huge US camp. We slept here in some luxury. Was introduced to the major in charge [Richard (Dick) Brewer] who asked me my Christian name. His reaction to my weighty information was “I am married to Ilma” [Ilma Brewer nee Pidgeon, Wep’s first cousin]. So you see I am living with relatives namely my cousin-in-law. He asked me how our chee-ild was. And how is the little pet? Does he miss dear old da? Drop me a letter (one only) c/o RAAF Public Relations Morotai – but do it straightaway. I’ll probably miss it anyway. Breakfast is due in a few moments. I’ll try to write to greater length when we settle down some place.
Lots of love dear. Look after yourself, Graham, and Mum. Giver her my love.
Poppa
(alias Daddas
alias Weppie)
[Richard and Ilma Brewer went back to the US after the war but returned to Australia a few years later to settle permanently. Dick became the General manager for Parker Pens Australia and Ilma earned a PhD and became a Lecturer in Botany at the University of Sydney]
