Mission station Archives

August 24, 2023August 20, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 24 Aug 1943, Darwin; 10th Wedding anniversary

From Friday, August 20, through to Monday, August 23, 1943, Wep was on assignment at a Mission Station on Milingimbi Island. Whilst absent, Wep penned a letter to Jess, of which the first 13 pages have been lost or misplaced.

At an Aboriginal mission station, Milingimbi Island, 20-23 August, 1943

WEP with two Aboriginal women at Milingimbi Mission, 20-23 August, 1943

Continuation of letter written 23 August

Page 14

…. but plain damn silly. I wish you hadn’t told me. Anyway I’ll be home within a week of you getting this letter. So expect a lot of things to look up.

Study for Interior – Cockpit, Transport Plane. The plane is a Lockheed Hudson.

Had a fair trip back. Couldn’t see much as we were flying blind in bush fire smoke for a hundred miles. Am glad to be back and have already made application for my return trip. Hurry up that new dress and look your damndest. Only the two of us together the night I come back.

Am getting tired as I have had to put off writing tonight until the typists gave up the ghost – which they unwillingly did about 10.30pm. Didn’t sleep to well over on the island. The nights turned out too cold for only two blanket over me and the sand fly itches gave me de woiks. Used to wake at 2 or 3am, or even earlier I imagine, & toss for the remainder of the night. No good.

And so to bed. – Goodnight my darling. I hope you managed the anniversary pleasantly & tolerably happily. I haven’t got to mine yet although I’m only about ¾ hour off the 24^th August. Lots of love sweet, save yours all up for my return.

24^th August
Page 15

Good morning my bride. Tis the wedding morn. Ten years removed. Got your telegram – Thanks a lot dear. I hope you got mine on the right day. I had to get the man mountain¹ here to send it for me on Monday as I was still away. They say that it would get there on the auspicious occasion. I hope so. Everyone has wished me happy anniversaries. To give the real domestic flavour to the day I have lit up the copper and am about to do the washing.

Am trying to get air transport to Sydney, but there seems to be some bother, a lot of the air services have been cut down. So, at the moment I’m still in the air (i.e metaphorically speaking) again. Give me the works when you dress up for the happy day.

XXX Bill

Little flowers for anniversary day. They were a frangipani & a pretty red wild bloom.

Postcript

Years later in a letter (2 September 1972) written to John Olsen congratulating him on being awarded a commission to paint his mural Salute to Five Bells at the Sydney Opera House, Wep recalled his trip to Millingimbi Mission.

“Was intrigued to see your bright shininess cavorting over the Arnhem Land – Fascinating! A lucky well deserved jaunt. What a place. During the war I made a trip (by plane) to Milingimbi – Never forget the swamps and Christ knows what we flew over to get there. The bloody beautiful birds in their millions! Nice, the indications of what you were doing about them. I can still remember the roar of the wings over the lagoons of Humpty Doo.”

Interior – Cockpit, Transport Plane, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 20 Nov 1943, cover

Sketch study for Interior, Cockpit Hudson Transport Plane

Further References

The camp for Army and RAAF personnel stationed on the island.

Story about the Planes that crashed in Milingimbi in WWII – Ganygulpa Dhurrkay and Jimmy Burpur and SImon Gaykamangu telling stories about the bombing of Milingimbi and cleanup of the crashed World War II planes by Milingimbi ALPA CDP workers. Produced by ALPA CDP media student Hazel Wanambi

Calls for northern Australia’s World War II legacy to be better recognised on the national stage

Notes:

1
Fellow corresopndent Jimmy Smyth from the Truth and Daily Mirror newspapers who stood 6′ 5″ tall

August 18, 2023August 17, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 18 Aug 1943, Darwin; It’s fun to stay at the YMCA

W.E. Pidgeon
DPR Unit
APO Darwin

Wednesday
[18 Aug 1943]

Darling,

Am just sneaking the use of one of the lad’s typewriter while he’s out on a job. Came to after a spot of spine-bashing to find the place empty. Have done nothing at all today except sit around on my arse and be bored – time I had a bit of a rest of sorts. The boys are on their way back so off with the machine and up with the pen.

Sitting around is soul destroying – I can’t settle down to working in this mess as there are absolutely blink-all in the way of facilities for such a comfort loving craftsman (?) such as myself. The moment of 5.20pm finds me sunning in the same spot as I occupied yesterday and pursuing the delightful occupation of considering your dear charms & graces. Sweet, what?

This is by far the most pleasant time of day – the sun seems stationary & shines with mellow warmth – the breeze, soft and sensuous, slides round every limb. I wish it were a little fiercer – this colour I’m after is anything but permanent – damn me if it doesn’t appear to wash off under the shower. Maybe it’s only red dust impregnated in the skin. In any case it is a highly impermanent pigment.

At dawn this week am off on the plane trip I spoke of. I’m supposed to be one of the crew – heh! heh! You won’t get any mail from me until I return from the island. I will be 2 or 4 days there – other than the planes there is no mail contact. So don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a while.

I’m getting a bit sick of the unsatisfying contact letters afford. I don’t feel like writing to any length. The novelty of things has gone – and I’m just anxious to get home – all very similar to the counting of days before vacation, only I’m in reverse.

Hours later.

I’m still mooning about the house – gawd help me there’s nothing to damned well read in blasted place. I’ve been through all the magazines more times than the covers can stand up to. I can’t be bothered with newspapers a week old. The books (what there are of them) are dull – I’d ever write one if I wasn’t so languid – It’s a wonderfully lazy joint. Haven’t seen anyone sitting down to a good solid think since I left the zero regions. If & when I go away again something long & heavy in the way of literature will accompany me.

Cheerful, breezy, letter, yes? Voted today – i.e. 3 days before election day. An enormous amount of work is involved in army polling. Every vote has to be sealed up in an envelope with the soldiers name, address & army no. on it – posted down, unsealed, counted, etc. Probably take longer in this election to get final figures than is usually the case. I hope you didn’t give Old Billy your approval.¹

Later again – have been out for a walk round the town & called into the YMCA² – quite a decent place 3 full sized billiard tables – piano – books & all the what have yous. Borrowed 2 books – may keep me quiet for a while.

YMCA facilities, Inter-Church Club, cnr Smith and Peel streets, August 18, 1943

Still restless – have suggested some supper. Approval has been expressed. We shall sit down to a frugal snack of cold boiled eggs, tomatoes, sliced tongues and hock.

That operation was efficiently taken care of – we are all now in advanced stage of pre-spine bashing somnolence – the brains of many have already gone to sleep. Mine included. Will retire to my cot in which I sleep with only a sheet & the old man Fred.

Lots of love darling – hope to get a letter tomorrow – seems a bloody long time since one arrived.

And so to bed

Bill.

Enclosed find some local blooms of Bougainvilleas – press them to your heart.

[Then all crossed out.]

Would you please write out a cheque for 28/- payable to Hugh Dash & put this accompanying letter with it & mail it to Hugh Dash, c/o “Courier Mail”, Queen St, Brisbane. I tried to send it direct from here but there are no postage notes available until Sunday on which date I will be away.

Skip it!

Love to my
Darling.

It’s fun to stay at the YMCA, Darwin, 18 Aug 1943

Notes:

1
The 1943 election was won by the Australian Labor party lead by John Curtin with 49 seats, a gain of 17 seats. They defeated the coalition of the United Australia Party and the Country Party who won 19 seats, losing 18. Interestingly, the coalition was lead by Arthur Fadden who was the leader of the Country Party, the minor partner to the United Australia Party, lead by Billy Hughes (a former Labor Prime Minister) who had taken over in 1941 after Robert Menzies resigned. Following the Coalition’s crushing defeat, Fadden handed the leadership of the Opposition back to Menzies who had resumed leadership of the UAP.
2
The YMCA was situated at the Inter-church club, corner of Smith and Peel streets.

August 13, 2023August 12, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 13 Aug 1943, Manton Dam; Inspecting Darwin’s water supply

W.E.Pidgeon
C/O DPR Unit
APO Darwin

Friday
[13 Aug 1943]

Darling,

After posting yesterday’s letter I had a most welcome surprise. One of your letters was delivered to me via the good graces of an Officer who had been in Darwin. It was quite a treat.

I have a box of 200 cigs put away for you. I can’t bring anything else much down because I will still have weight limits to consider on the place trip.

See if you can buy some poultry shears. I don’t know what I want – leave till I come home – it won’t be long. Whacko the dinner – and after?! Your letters ar’nt [sic] censored. So speak freely. Am back now with the crowd from Sydney. Amused them all last night with mad sketches of them waiting for a shower and straining at the stool. They were well received. Prior to the padre’s (there is one here at the moment) departure last night the drawings were strictly on the up & up.

One of the Captains here took me for a run to the dam which supplies Darwin with water.¹ It’s a pretty big affair and water is held back for about 7 miles. The Manager of the plant there lives in a delightful cottage overlooking the river which flows from the foot of the spillway. Tall and gracious ti trees intermingled with pandanas palms and eucalypts shade the languid water lilies. His house on the hillside is surrounded with the greenest pawpaws, bananas, jacarandas and gums. A rustic fountain plays amid tropical lilies speckled like coleus. Bush orchids hang on the trees, citrus fruit, chrysanthemums, flocks and tomatoes add variety to the pattern. Hanging baskets of purple backed leaves complete the picture. The dam itself is full of fish which we could quite plainly see – perch – garfish – & one tiny snake swimming on the surface – a boat is moored nearby. It’d make a wonderful weekender. Apparently anything grows at any time during the dry season. The ground is extraordinarily indulgent when supplied with plenty of water.

Sort of

The climate is getting one a bit lazy now. Also I am becoming somewhat rattled as time is drawing to a close – there are so many odds & ends I want to check on. I suppose I’ll find I haven’t half enough stuff or have overlooked something – when I start in re drawing it all.

Next weekend I am flying over to a mission station² where are plenty of blacks etc. Should be a wad of material in it. Native dances, tropical scenery. Air force base, shipping scenes, crocodiles – in fact – the whole works.

You can’t help but be amused at the conversation in the territory. Only 2 basic topics – women & beer discussed ad infinitum. Lurid speculation precedes the arrival of the Tivoli ballet. I shudder to think of the boys’ conversation after each performance.

Have borrowed a pair of shorts from the Loot at Darwin, hoping to get my legs a bit sunburnt – so far all I have collected is several hundred sand fly bites. A microscopic fly with a Gargantuan bite.

Am due at the big do tonight so cheerio whilst I am still whole & healthy.

Lots of love sweetheart

from your Willie.

Notes:

1
Manton Dam, about 70km (43 miles) south of Darwin was constructed by the Department of Defence and completed in 1942.
2
Believed to be Bathurst Island