Pilots Archives - Pidgeon Post

August 17, 2023August 17, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 17 Aug 1943, Darwin; Back at the Correspondents’ Mess

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

Tuesday 17^th[17 Aug 1943]

Sweetheart,

Am back in the correspondents’ mess again. Arrived in this morning after a car trip of some 4 hours. The weather here is certainly to be preferred to that at the bomber strip¹ which I reckon must be the hottest blarsted spot in the whole N.T. Think I might have got a touch of the sun yesterday after setting out in the middle of a glaring road with no shirt on. Felt quite sick after ½ hour or so although I didn’t get burnt much. Possibly the glare of white paper with the sun shining on it may have been responsible. Anyway, I up & left. One of the yank officers reckoned I must have been a bit troppo to pick the spot in the first place what with the heat & thundering great trucks raising all smothering dust within 20 yards of me, etc.

At a water hole on a dusty Northern Territory road near USAAF camp, Fenton Airfield

Trucks parked at a water hole on a dusty Northern Territory road

Study for Smok – Transport men are seen at a halting place near a waterhole on one of the winding, dusty roads of the Northern Territory

Smoko – Transport men are seen at a halting place near a waterhole on one of the winding, dusty roads of the Northern Territory.” – the Australian Women’s Weekly, 26 Feb 1944, p9

Working out of doors in the middle of the day knocks you up alright. I feel positively exhilarated at the prospect of the cool Sydney spring. We’ll go out places together – eh? I’m practically certain to be down before your birthday. If I get transport accommodation OK. So when you get a telegram from me you’ll know to meet me at Rose Bay.² I’ll be looking for you – save up some juice. I won’t be able to tell you much in the telegram I shall send when I leave – It will be up to you to find out time of my arrival. Put some beer in the frige for us. Which reminds me to tell you I am happily having my weekly bottle at the very moment. It’s extremely good & most welcome as I have just finished doing the weeks washing & ironing 3 shirts 3 pants, handkerchiefs, underpants socks & towel. It’s hot work in these h’yar parts. The weather is getting warmer as the wet season approaches. Blarsted flies are banging about too – damn their wings. Don’t worry about me drinking a lot. There isn’t that much here! Even a few knocks everyone and I haven’t had more than 4 real hangovers in 6 weeks. I don’t suppose I have lost much weight really. Although one sweats to a prodigious extent water is consumed in replaceable quantities.

Have now taken up my pew in the sunshine as I must bring you back some visible indication of the tropics. One’s colour is said to disappear very quickly so I shall devote my last days here solely to the acquisition of a body tone you will really want to touch. Cunning little man!

Have also switched radio on and am listening to short wave transmission from the eastern states – whether Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane I, as yet, don’t know. Ah me – how I am suffering.

Have just heard it was from Sydney.

Am becoming quite benign in all my attitudes – the bottle is practically empty. My good intentions of a long letter weaken – my sole desire at the moment is to sit by radio and dream happily & nebulously about you. With the pilots I say “I’ve had this place” – but also I say – “I want to have you”

A week today to the 24^th. Oh dear! I wish I could buy you something! Some little permanent thing we could keep for remembrance of our tenth. After all it’s quite a while. If you should see anything buy it for me to you. Up the clothes, I’ll buy them for you anyway. But I guess there is nothing left about anywhere. Maybe King in his second hand snoopings will see something. However don’t worry pet, about it – one day I’ll find something. Your best present to me will be to look your prettiest & to be ever so pleased about my being back. I think of you such a hell of a lot now. Seems as if I’m back at the going out to Brighton stage in my love life. High time I changed the record – playing this old lonely note doesn’t help either of us much.

You appear to be living an extremely quiet life. For goodness sake honey don’t drive yourself nuts. I hope you are eating something substantial occasionally for there has to be something left for me to grab hold of.

I’ve just come back from the pictures – a waste of time sadly regretted – the Ritz Bros in “3 Roaring Romeos”³ – My God! What a show!

Have plenty cigs for you. Looks almost as if I have been receiving stolen goods.

I should be able to write you for hours tonight as I am (believe it or not) the only inmate at present incarcerated in the asylum. All the others are out on their job. There’s been quite a bit of plane activity about here lately and they are covering all the news angles from the pilots, bombardiers & so on and so forth. 3 of the fighter pilots I was staying with bagged a bird each.⁴ Nice going. You’ll read about it all in the papers before this letter reaches you.⁵

This particular aircraft is believed to be the wreckage of Japanese Mitsubishi ‘Dinah’ Ki-46 II reconnaisaince plane #2237, shot down on the morning of August 17, 1943 near Fenton Airfield by Sqn Ldr Ken James of 457 Squadron. Wep most likely encountered the wreckage when departing Fenton to return to Darwin.

Crashed Japanese Mitsubishi ‘Dinah’ Ki-46 II, NW Australia

Site of crashed Japanese Mitsubishi ‘Dinah’ Ki-46 II, NW Australia

Wish I had our coleman stove – I’d set down right now to hot toast & asparagus. As things are I would have to build a wood fire. That’s too much.

Still haven’t any butter. Altogether I’ve had it only a week & a half since arriving. Oh boy, will I make a hog of myself down south.

Have just turned on short wave radio to some oriental station broadcasting some indescribably mournful dirge which suits my present mood like a tight collar. It’s really wonderfully glum. One of these days I must get me a short wave set – an amazing variety of stuff comes over – surely sufficient to suit every mood.

I’m still trying to make up my mind as to whether I should or should not, wolf the asparagus. The betting at the moment is two to one on that I do. May as well get something inside me – you can’t tell but that the yellow men may not be over later tonight. The moon is still perfect – they have had time to rest their bomber crews after the last raid – and they a getting a bashing from the yanks here – which sort of thing tends to make them a little angry. Perhaps I should remain awake a while – with no one in the house I may stay asleep at the wrong moment.

Only 14 or 15 days before I clear off. I’m beginning to count them. I suppose you will too, now that I have told you what I hope to do.

Asparagus is out in front turning into the straight – it’s no race folk – Asparagus wins pulling up, 3 bellyfuls in front of Some Bread and NO Butter.

So lots of love and kisses
from yours
as ever

Freddie
XXX

Notes:

1
Fenton airfield
2
Arriving via sea plane
3
“3 Roaring Romeos” (1939) was originally titled in the U.S.A. in 1939 as “The Three Musketeers” starring Don Ameche and The Ritz Brothers
4
2022 Cooper, Anthony; Darwin Spitfires; the real battle for Australia; “The triumph of 17 August”, pp477-486
5
1943 ‘AUSTRALIAN PLANES IN N.-WEST THRASH JAPS.’, The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954), 19 August, p. 3

August 7, 2023August 10, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 7 Aug 1943, Livingstone Airfield; Heading back to the Tap-house

W.E. Pidgeon
C/O DPR Unit
A.P.O. Darwin

Sat morning
[ 7 Aug 1943]

Darling,

Am going back to the tap house this morning & am in great dither to get a letter once more. It’s an isolated sort of life the folks live up here – each day rapidly becomes the same as another when one stays at the camp for any time. Yesterday I’d just about had enough – I couldn’t draw – I was damned hot – I was full of ants – I wished I was home.

This morning it’s a bit cooler. Naturally I’m somewhat stronger.

I haven’t written to the boys at the office yet but I suppose you give them some information at times.

Have found out some more details about Paul¹ which I can tell you when I return.

A pleasant little item you can tell the lads. A notice on the routine orders board –

“Advice has been received from the A.P.M. N.T. Forces that an aboriginal – Mary – has been apprehended in the [censored] area. On being examined by the Medical Authorities she was found to be suffering from leprosy (advanced). Any person having had contact with any native in the [censored] area is to report to the Squadron medical Officer immediately.”

A pretty thought.

There is not a great deal to do about a fighter squadron – one plane is the same as the rest of them. Main concentration has been on the dispersal room which I indicated in drawing to you last letter.

Waiting for the mission, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 12 Feb 1944, p6

There is much uninspired letter writing done from here as after the first month all novelty is gone for the pilots. For 3 or 4 months their routine is exactly the same every day. Up early – arrive at dispersal hut – then lounge in deck chairs all day waiting for a raid which seldom arrives. Must be colossally boring. Their reactions come occasionally when they get roaring drunk. Leave every 3 or 4 months which is much more than anyone else gets. But these lads need it alright.

Be nice if I could work in some comfort. Disabilities & heat have just about buggered me this week. And yet I don’t care for Darwin – it’s too far from any of the material I want & there’s also the bloody typewriters.

The steward at the bar here is an amazing replica of Ron Bennett (emaciated) complete as to hair, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, etc. Face a trifle narrower. Ron’s old man must have been around.

Don’t need eye-drop prescription. A drop a day doesn’t take any away.

Attached are life like drawings of press correspondents at work and play.

Lots and lotza to my lil’ honey chile

from the celibate

Will

Think I’ll come down in the Flying boat instead of wearying my way overland through Alice Springs. A great squeeze for you.

Flash

An officer just came in with an official message. Speaking of inter area personal communications over telegraph line. Requested to cease. Instances communication between air signals man & WAAF Signals women. “———-“ We could do with some WAAFs up here.” Official comment is – This sort of thing must cease – if message such as this fell into enemy hands they would naturally surmise that a shortage of manpower existed in this area.

Notes:

1
Maj. W.M. Paul? commander of 1st Reserve Motor Transport Company. An Auxilarry was formed to work for the uniot of which Mrs W. Dalziel was Hon. Secretary. Dalziels were related to Jess’s mother’s side.

August 5, 2023August 1, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 5 Aug 1943, Livingstone Airfield; With the boys of a Spitfire squadron

W.E. Pidgeon
C/O DPR Unit
Army Post Office
Darwin

Wednesday
[4 Aug 1943]

Dear Jess,

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)

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’s² at which Bill Brindle³ & 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”⁴ 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 24^th.⁵ 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.

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.⁶ Also the damned old Ponty.⁷ You poor darling I dare say Jane⁸ has been giving you the real works. Is Tommy⁹ 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?¹⁰ 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.¹¹ 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 1^st 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

Believed to be members of RAAF 457 Squadron, Livingstone Airfield

Dispersal room at a fighter squadron, Livingstone Airfield

Snooze in the sun for a weary pilot, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 20 Nov 1943, p9

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
4
In Which We Serve (1942) starring Noel Coward starring
5
Wep and Jess 10th wedding anniversary
6
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