Didn’t expect a letter, now did you? Wasn’t it just too-too sweet of me to write you despite the knowledge that I’d be home before you got it? It has an ULTERIOR MOTIVE behind it all – you have to very very nice to me right away.
I felt awful on Saturday after Friday night’s party. At least that is what I anticipate at the moment. I’m afraid it will be too confusing for me to write in the past tense as what is yet to happen has already done so. I’ll get back to my state of mind on Friday Aug 27th
7.30 am
Had an interesting trip to the cattle Station “Humpty-doo”1The town of Humpty Doo was named after the cattle station which though comparatively small for this, is silly writing you a letter about something I’ve already told you. Consider this purely as a happy good day note and a reminder to you of my sterling qualities.
Just consider how happy I am to be home. And how I like to see your sweet little mug again.
Well what are you waiting for, I’m here aren’t I?
Or would you rather have a cuppa?
A big kiss
from
Willie
Notes:
1
The town of Humpty Doo was named after the cattle station
This I hope will be the last letter you get before you get me personal like.
Unless someone, or something causes a priority travel hitch I should be back home Monday evening. So get yourself polished up today my girl – I’ll be seeing you tonight down by the Bay.
Didn’t have a party on our anniversary. The lads here are saving up for a do on Friday night – farewell to some Flight – Loot who is going down on leave. Looks as if I may be included in the festivities – we, I hope, (not because of his company but because of the plane) shall travel down together. Had three glasses of beer on the great occasion. They drank our health and I drank yours.
Am going out to a cattle station1The cattle station called Humpty Doo was adjacent to Livingstone Airfield where No. 457 (Spitfire) Squadron was based for two days leaving after breakfast this morning. So won’t be writing you again.
Lots and lots of love dear
Hope everything in the garden is lovely – Freddie.
How’s my little pet today? Listening to Janie? Going to the pub? Reading to the Watsos? Or just thinking of Willie?
Am at another camp where I stayed last night.1Coomalie Creek Airfield Am moving up the road this afternoon where I shall pass the evening with the Sydney fellows from the Auto Club.2Believed to be Livingstone Airfield
Bristol Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.
The crowd of pilots fly Beaufighters,3No. 31 (Beaufighter) Squadron RAAF a twin engined job used for strafing the nips on islands 300 to 400 miles from here. They are somewhat older than the Spitfire boys but are all in early twenties. The Commanding officer4Wing Commander C.F. Read is youngish tall, dark & could easily pass for a brother of Good-O. Something about his face is remarkably like her. The air force COs are much more friendly than their counterparts in the army. I suppose this is so because they are much younger.
An Army Liaison officer attached to this unit came up to me last night and asked if I was Wep. Said he thought he recognised me. Asked if I recollected trying to cook sausages with a blow lamp in the main street of Tamworth. He was at the dance at Tamworth Golf Club. Fancy coming 2,000 miles to have that brought up! Wep, my girl, is a name to be contended with! – A young chap of 23 took me in tow last night & fed me with a few whiskies. At ten o’clock we suppered on toast, asparagus and SARDINES! Sorry I can’t bring you any down but I am not supposed to buy anything from their mess store. In case you get the wrong idea that I am wallowing in epicurean luxury I might add that the usual mess meal is only too often blasted tinned bully beef – (tasteless goddamn stuff) & margarine which no one I have so far struck is inclined to eat. Dry Bread is the standing order now. It’s 3 weeks since the troops have had any butter. You can imagine my sufferings.
Typical sketch made on the fly, possibly near Coomalie Creek, Northern TerritorySketch colour and tone notes; possibly near Coomalie Creek, Northern Territory
This is the best camp I have been in. Situated on the slopes of one of the few hills around this country it is sprinkled amongst delightful open forest. Beautifully green trees, plenty of palms – and birds galore. Dawn is a rare pleasure – you wake to the low and penetrating calls of the birds, and the air is as soft & cool as a whisper.
Possibly at camp near Coomalie Creek Airfield, north west Australia
The shower is the coldest I’ve had up here – dispersed my crumbiness in a trice.
Camp shower, north west Australia
Gave the old sand fly bites their necessary scratchings & offed to breakfast of bully beef rissoles and tinned bacon. For heavens sake get some sucker down there to eat ours. I’ve completely had it. Practically every morning since I arrived. I never want to see it again. It dished up like limp ham boiled in washing up water.
I’m afraid you and I will have a few guests when I return. So many of the lads have been very kind to me. I have asked them all to give us a ring if & when they are in Sydney.
Hope to see you soon sweetheart. Better get all beautified for you birfday5Jess’s 35th birthday, September 5th., 1943. & little Will. Lots of kisses. Wish I was at Darwin in case I get a letter.
Bye, bye darling
Bill.
Beaufighter EH-Y, A19-70, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.Warming up, Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.Colour notes for Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.Bristol Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.Bristol Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF, Coomalie Creek, N.T.Bristol Beaufighter, No. 31 Squadron RAAF Coomalie Creek, N.T.Coomalie Creek Airfield, 23 June 2023Coomalie Creek Airfield, 23 June 2023
Been quite an exhausting day. Plenty hot and plenty weak. However I pulled my gizzard up & got stuck into the work of drawing some fighter planes.
Clive (Killer) Caldwell’s Spitfire, CR-C, A58-484; Aug 1943
They’re sleek jobs and surprisingly small. You don’t get much idea of their performance when seen on duty flights around this district. Rarely are they flown flat out except in combat. After seeing them on the ground dirty dented & camouflaged you’d think they weren’t worth a plateful of cold tapioca pudding. But the boys like them.
The pilots are all hellishly young. The average age being about 22. The Squadron leader looks youngest of all like a bit of a school kid.
Believed to be Squadron Leader Ken James, commander of RAAF 457 Squadron
They have all had English experience & are a good bright lot. I get along very well with them as they are friendly & informal. The binge last night served well in breaking the ice. Almost all were as full as bulls. Incidently none of the crowd seem to like the journalists much. Being an artist makes everything so much easier. Tell Tommy there is a bit of a hoon up here – name of Pilot Officer Larry Alderson – says he knew him well in N.G. Gloria’s husband Flight Loot Newton isn’t a bad sort of bloke – Looks after me well. I still haven’t managed to buy anyone a drink. One is not allowed to – they insist on my being a guest.
Members of RAAF 457 Squadron join each other at the mess near Livingstone L-R: FLTLT John Sefton Newton of Beaufort Vic., FLTLT E.S. Hall of Quirindi NSW, SQNLDR K.E. James of Frankston Vic., FLGOFF I.S. Mackenzie of Orange NSW, FLTLT D. Maclean of Rabaul and barman LAC Fred Storey. (Photo: Harold George Dick, 11 Aug 1943, Department of Information Official Photographer)1Wep must have obtained a print of this photo with F/L Newton in it taken by official photographer Harold Dick a week after Wep’s visit. It is also reproduced in Darwin Spitfires; the real battle for Australia by Anthony Cooper 2022, pp132-133
A big crowd of bomber pilots were also down last night. The film was fast & furious.
There’s some blasted thing I should tell you but for the life of me I can’t remember it. Guess it’ll come later.
Yes! I’ve got it! Do you recollect the air force medical officers at that party of Tilly’s2Australian Women’s Weekly journalist Adele ‘Tilly’ Shelton-Smith was the first woman to travel from Australia in 1941 to report from an overseas military theatre in Malaya. at which Bill Brindle3William Brindle was a Daily Telegraph photographer & his wife were present. One of the crowd from up the road turned out to be one of them. He is now a Wing Commander. He was then a Fl. Lieutenant so he’s managed to step up very nicely.
Flash – last night two of the pilots after a sufficient steeping in the fiery juices set off on journey back to tent. One – hopelessly lost curled up on the floor of a brother officers tent. The other made the grade & work about an hour later with the tent in flames around him. Much hilarity whilst domicile was razed to the ground.
May be off to see “In which we serve”4In Which We Serve (1942) starring Noel Coward starring tonight – that is – if I don’t get sucked into the alcoholic vortex which is apparently about to swirl any tick of the clock.
I’m still not 100%.
It doesn’t look as if I’ll be down by the 24th.5Wep and Jess 10th wedding anniversary You will probably forgive me but it would be best for me not to dash down without properly doing the place over. I’d love to be there. However have a good dinner. Get that or the other casserole or what ever you like – go to £20. With love from your devoted, Willie.
Thursday [5 Aug 1943]
Bad show I didn’t mail the above pages this morning. I went up to the strip with a crowd of pilots at 6.30am and arrived by at 4pm. Consequently missed the bus, I mean the mail.
This blarsted country is full of things wot bite. Between the heat & the wogs I’m as knobbly as a mills bomb.
All day the fighter lads lounge about inside their dispersal hut (near the ‘drome) in attitudes crooked but horizontal.
So
There they remain, with but slight variation waiting for the call to arms. One morning early at least 4 of them were asleep when an alert came over. Like trains through a station they were off & in the air. Fortunately the aircraft responsible for the alarm was identified as friendly.
The weather seems to be getting hotter. Myself more enervated. Sweat rolls off me – thirsty ants swim up my cascading body & quaff the salty juices. Beaut-O!
There’s been quite a lot of feeling that it’s near time the yellow men come over. They sunk a ship a few days ago & have been fairly active. A couple of months have passed since they did anything and the fighter lads are anxious to have a crack at them to relieve the boredom.
Hope Harold Coy has been behaving.6Harold and Bassie Coy ran the Hotel Hunters Hill, a favoured drinking spot of Wep and Jess Also the damned old Ponty.7Wep’s 1935 Pontiac 8 You poor darling I dare say Jane8Mary Jane Graham (nee Wray), Jess’s mother has been giving you the real works. Is Tommy9Tommy O’Dea was the former General Manager of Guinea Air in Papua New Guinea. He joined the air force but following a major crash in New Guinea he transfered to the Royal Australian Navy as a Coast Watcher up north indefinitely?
Hope Dossie’s little girl doesn’t have 6 tits – it’ll be awful hard to find a beau with 6 hands.
Some bear bandit or other has got down on my bottle whilst Iwas away. That’s the sort of thing that leads to lynching in this h’yar country. You can as King from me – Where is the Ethics Committee of the A.J.A?10Australian Journalists’ Association What are they doing about it all? When are they going to send a missionary up here?
That there smudge is sweat.
Which reminds me you mentioned Turkish Baths. Haven’t you had any? Why don’t you go away somewhere for a couple of weeks? It’s getting right hot, mu chickadee. I’m afraid this climate would suit you down to the ground. I can’t see how one could stay very flat what with all this here perspiring going on.
Don’t get too morbid, honey. It won’t be long before I’m home. How’s the houses for sale? Why don’t you go around and have a look at a few just to get an idea of value, etc.11Wep and Jess moved to 85 Northwood Road, Northwood in mid 1940. They were initially renting the property and ultimately purchased it in August 1944 from Harry Charles Allan, Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Navy I can’t think of anything for the flairs.
When its winter
Way down yonder
It’s a pint’er
Beer I ponder
And a bit er bread
An’ butter an’ a sponge
Which reminds me how’s frige behaving?
Lots of love from yours meltingly,
Willie.
[On top of 1st page is a note written by another person]
Hello Jess you beautiful thing I love you despite all absences(?).
Yours
(?) x [indecipherable]
That goes for me too
Willie
Spitfire maintenanceSpitfire maintenanceSpitfire colour notesSpitfireSpitfiresSpitfireSpitfireSpitfireSpitfireSpitfireBelieved to be members of RAAF 457 Squadron, Livingstone AirfieldBelieved to be members of RAAF 457 Squadron, Livingstone AirfieldBelieved to be members of RAAF 457 Squadron, Livingstone AirfieldSpitfire pilot’s parachuteDispersal room detailsDispersal room detailsDispersal roomDispersal room at a fighter squadron, Livingstone AirfieldDispersal Room at a fighter squadron, Livingstone AirfieldSnooze in the sun for a weary pilot, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 20 Nov 1943, p9Dispersal RoomDispersal RoomDispersal RoomDispersal Room detailsSpitfire pilot in Dispersal RoomSpitfire pilotsSpitfire pilotsSpitfire pilots
Notes:
1
Wep must have obtained a print of this photo with F/L Newton in it taken by official photographer Harold Dick a week after Wep’s visit. It is also reproduced in Darwin Spitfires; the real battle for Australia by Anthony Cooper 2022, pp132-133
2
Australian Women’s Weekly journalist Adele ‘Tilly’ Shelton-Smith was the first woman to travel from Australia in 1941 to report from an overseas military theatre in Malaya.
3
William Brindle was a Daily Telegraph photographer
Harold and Bassie Coy ran the Hotel Hunters Hill, a favoured drinking spot of Wep and Jess
7
Wep’s 1935 Pontiac 8
8
Mary Jane Graham (nee Wray), Jess’s mother
9
Tommy O’Dea was the former General Manager of Guinea Air in Papua New Guinea. He joined the air force but following a major crash in New Guinea he transfered to the Royal Australian Navy as a Coast Watcher
10
Australian Journalists’ Association
11
Wep and Jess moved to 85 Northwood Road, Northwood in mid 1940. They were initially renting the property and ultimately purchased it in August 1944 from Harry Charles Allan, Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Navy
