Qantas Empire Airways Seaplane Archives

January 15, 2024January 13, 2024

War Letters – New Guinea: 15 Jan 1944, Brisbane; Sitting around waiting

“Among “Wep’s” admirers abroad is President Roosevelt” – Interesting People (1944, February 12). *The Australian Women’s Weekly (1933 – 1982)*, p. 20. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47219220

Brisbane
Aust Army
Officers Club

Sat [15 Jan 1944]

Sweetheart,

I’m still sitting around waiting to get out of the damned joint. Twice a day I have to ring the transport people to discover what’s cookin’. Have just been told that I’m to phone again tomorrow – I may get away by midday. I hope so, as there is little to do in this h’year town. I shall probably sport myself to a show tonight. This morning I caught a bus out to Hughie Dash’s¹ place & picked up the blankets and gas mask. Took them round to the station and was told I couldn’t send them down without a permit. Lord love us! I’ll have to find somewhere or someone to pick them up from on my return. Washed a shirt this afternoon – ironed same and indulged in a little excellent spine bashing. The beer position in this town has not improved, although I am told the officers can get a drink at night in this club which occupies an hotel next to Lennon’s.²³

The City Hall bells have just tolled 5 P.M. the hour of le grand pub opening. I shall totter down and water the wasted tissues. It’s plenty hot up here and old Will loses an awful lot of his distinctive sweaty juices.

There’s an enormous number of troops in the city – all causing a great shortage of ale and theatre seats. I’ve had beef for every meal so far so I think I chew up a little chop for a change tonight. I shall stagger to the lift down barwards now and will write you a great length tomorrow of my doings Friday.

Had a pleasant enough trip on the Flying boat – unfortunately I had a centre seat so could not see much of the coast. The ship itself is extraordinarily spacious you can roam around and stretch the legs to your heart’s content. We had cold stewed prunes – cold ham & cold boiled egg for breakfast. All quite nice.

Landed on the Brisbane River at 10.30 so the trip was not extra fast.

After seeing the D.P.R.⁴ I oozed (that’s the word for it, my God was I hot in that winter uniform. What with that on & the bright green C⁵ I was somewhat conspicuous) up to the Officer’s Club & changed into trousers & shirt and rubbed copious quantities of cigarette ash into the brilliance of my cap. It helped a lot – I can walk around without people giving me the goggle eyed stare. Called into a pub near the “Mail” office & run into Jackie Finch.⁶ I think the heat has sent him Troppo. He gave me £2-10-0 owing from 1927. Practically restored my faith in human nature. After a few drinks he invited me round to his Hotel for Dinner which he paid for! Left him after lunch and walked (or rather swam in my own sweat) for miles trying to find where Nan Mills worked. Located it at last near the Art Gallery. She was very pleasant to meet me. Said Brisbane was a hell of a hole but was saving money by living cheaply in the barracks nearby. She looked very well – has lost weight & is a good brown colour – altogether a great improvement.

Came back tired out – wandered into a bookshop and in the desire for something in a soothing vein bought a cheap edition of New Testament! Meet Jackie Finch again and fought sadly for 4 drinks after which I said bugger this It’s not worth it. Went back to his room – drank two bottles (iced) & had dinner with him again (on him too). Wouldn’t let me pay. Tried to get seats for a show but failed miserably – consequently we sat under a fan & just sat without thinking – just sitting & sweating. I was about to come back here for bed when two fellows staying at his hotel asked us to their room for a drink. On hearing I was Wep nothing would please them but I draw them & so it went on. They had rung Diana Parnham⁷⁸ & she had said yes come out by all means. However one of the lad’s car (a £1200 Alvis) wouldn’t go and as we had polished off nearly all the grog the trip was abandoned. Sorry I was, for I’d have liked to have had a gink at the famous Di. Got back here about 12 midnight & got into bed without waking my room mate. At 6.30 am I am awakened by him sloshing about the room. Of all people it was Yvonne Todd’s husband.⁹ He will in all probability be travelling in the same plane as myself (i.e. at midday today Sunday – I hope).

After I went to the bar last night, I was having a few with a bloke next to me when a dainty paw strokes my balding top. This was Tommie Thompson. So had a few words with him for 3 or 4 minutes. Saw one of those captains Arthur Mailey¹⁰ introduced to us at Romano’s in the bar but did not speak to him. Had a few in the lounge here & went to bed. And that my dear is the history of Pidgeon’s peregrinations in Brisbane. Did not go looking for dear Madge.

I hope things are alright with you, sweet, and that you don’t feel too lonely.

If we get this plane today we shall probably stay overnight in Townsville or some place as I don’t think they can get up to Moresby after leaving at midday.

Lots and lots of love from weak limp Willie.

Lordie it’s sure I’m hot.

Will drop a swift note from wherever we stay tonight – love Bill.

Notes:

1
Hugh Dash was a friend and colleague of Wep’s at the Daily Telegraph. After the war he was appointed Press Secretary to Prime Minister Robert Menzies. HUSH DASH DIES SUDDENLY (1960, June 28). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995), p. 1. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137117090
2
Wep was most probably billeted at the Lennon’s Hote. The new Lennon’s Hotel (also known as ‘Bataan’) on the corner of Queen and George Streets Brisbane was opened in July 1941. A hotel of the same name had operated on the site since at least the 1880s. The most modern hotel in wartime Brisbane it offered the best service and visiting celebrities frequently stayed there. From July 1942 it became the residence of the Macarthur family and many of the senior officers working at the SWPA headquarters. – Register of World War II historic places – World War II historic places in Queensland – Open Data Portal. (2024, January 13). Retrieved from https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/world-war-ii-historic-places-in-queensland/resource/cbd1aa53-38f3-414d-9ed2-29623047ac23
3
Lennon’s Hotel, George Street, Brisbane, Queensland used by the military during WW2. (2024, January 13). Retrieved from https://www.ozatwar.com/locations/lennonshotel.htm
4
Department of Public Relations
5
Wep’s War Correspondent uniform cap had a large ‘C’ emblem in the centre above the peak
6
Jack Finch was a well known Sydney journalist
7
Diana Parnham: Actress. (2024, January 13). Retrieved from https://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/articles/603
8
Diana Parnham Married To U.S. Pressman In Brisbane (1943, May 22). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42019408
9
Yvonne Irene Todd (1916-2010) married Reginald James Johnston Edwards (1900-1981) in Sydney, 1941 (Ancestry Family Tree). Reginald Edwards was a photographer.
10
Biography – Alfred Arthur Mailey. (2024, January 13). Retrieved from https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mailey-alfred-arthur-7464

September 1, 2023September 1, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 1 Sep 1943, Brisbane; Arriving home Friday 3rd at dawn

Stamped Telegraph Office Sydney -1 SP 43
Stamped Telephoned 8.55P

URGT J 35 BRISBANE 21 8- P

PIDGEON
85 NORTHWOOD RD LANE COVE
SYDNEY

UN PLANE ARRIVE FRIDAY DAWNISH CENTRAL DON’T CALL WILL SEE YOU HOME LOVE … BILL

( 85 UN )

This is the last of Bill’s letters home during his assignment to North-west Australia. Much of the material Bill gleaned from his assignment appeared in works reproduced in The Australian Women’s Weekly throughout the rest of 1943 and well into 1944.

He would next travel to New Guinea in January-February 1944 and then to Morotai in January-February 1945 and Borneo in July-August 1945. These letters were all originally published online in 2013, 2014 and 2015 on the occasion of their 70th anniversaries. It is similarly planned to update and repuplish them in recognition of their 80th in 2024 and 2025.

– Peter Pidgeon, September 1, 2023

August 29, 2023August 17, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 29 Aug 1943, Darwin; Back (home) again

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

Sunday 29^th Aug [1943]

Darling,

Am making another attempt to have you receive a letter while I am home.

Too bad I missed out on the previous effort. I guess the suggestion I made in the last will still be met. Yes?

Goody! That makes me one you owe me.

How it is having me back?

Nice and noisy after the years of foodless solitude?

The waiting around for transport home near drove me dippy – now I’m here all is well.

& now How’s about it, sweet?

Note: Bill departed for Sydney via air on 31 August 1943
(Ref: DVA File No. X336636)

August 25, 2023August 20, 2023

War Letters – NW Australia: 25 Aug 1943, Darwin; Heading off to a cattle station, ‘Humpty Doo’

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

Wed 25^th August 1943

Darling,

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 station¹ 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.

Notes:

1
The cattle station called Humpty Doo was adjacent to Livingstone Airfield where No. 457 (Spitfire) Squadron was based

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