Trotter Archives - Pidgeon Post

Public Relations
Field Unit
HDQ
N.G. Force

20^th Jan 44

Darling,

I am trying to write this in the correspondents dormitory.¹ Three or 4 of them lie about spine bashing – Others reminisce of their experiences in the area. It is about 4.30 pm & it is still hot – albeit not so bad as Townsville where on Tuesday the water out of the taps (when one was allowed to use them) was 92º.

Left about 6 in the morning & we here for lunch. It’s quite a treat to see land after flying over the sea for a couple of hours. There were lots of clouds about & occasionally you could get glimpses of the barrier reef below – not that its much to see from the air. Circled the town & landed amongst hills very little different from those down south. The foliage & earth are much the same colour as that around Darwin. However it is a picturesque spot as the mountains run fairly close to the sea & are an ominous blue under the clouds. Long long off above the clouds can be see peaks jutting through – I guess they must be plenty high!

Tried to ring Tommy²³⁴⁵ but they said they hadn’t heard of him so I suppose he has not arrived yet. I would have rung him in Brisbane but didn’t.

I don’t know that there is much I can tell you about this place without infringing security regulations. Letters take some time to get down to you from here & God knows how long from other areas. If you do not hear from me for a while don’t worry because it will be purely a matter of mail difficulties. I ……[torn]…….. will not be writing much under …………………….. I shan’t be able to get many ………[torn]………………d… 10 days so don’t bother ………[torn]………… feel like it.

Am leaving here tomorrow for more important spots. Have been issued with jungle green clothing – that beautiful aspidistra leaf trembling in the breeze over there will be me. I don’t feel like doing anything here – even writing – it’s such a dead end. When I move off I shall probably be too tired to send much.

There were 2 correspondents here who were at Darwin. Caught up again with Trotter yesterday but he moved out today. Bill Dargie official war artist⁶ called in on me yesterday & we passed the time of day. Roy Hodgkinson⁷ called this morning & I lunched with him at his mess up the road a bit. He and Alice are divorced. She is about to marry the Yank corpl (?) Roy seems quite happy about it all.

Saw a native sing song which was turned on for Stella Wilson⁸⁹ who is up here at the moment. It was interesting enough but somewhat scrappy around the edges. Not the real McCoy. Hardly get the best effect when the music consists of a boong banging a bucket with sticks and another playing a drum like the one we have at home.

Am going tonight with the rest of the gang to hear the final concert from Stella Wilson and Edwin Styles.¹⁰

Reg Harris who used to work in the office¹¹ has just stuck his head around the door & sends his regards to you & Petrovs¹², etc. You probably don’t remember him but what the hell! He is not a reporter. Has just returned from Shaggy Ridge after months of front line fighting. He very decently gave me aluminium mess tins to save on weight. Said you can buy him a drink when he gets back.

Later

I’ve had a rest – a shower – a shave, etc. Tea – & the rest.

All are getting ready for the show so bye-bye for the present dear. Hope you are well and are being careful with Junior. Not too much work – grog – travel – and contemplation.

Lots of love, darling,
Bill

Notes:

1
Colloquially known as St Percy’s Seminary by the correspondents, it was situated at Headquarters, New Guinea Force in Four Mile Valley on the main road to Port Moresby – See FOUR MILE VALLEY, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA. 1944-01-02. A VIEW OF THE MAIN PORT MORESBY ROAD AT FOUR …. (2024, January 19). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C54321
2
Frederick Thomas O’Dea was the former General Manager of Guinea Airways and life-long close friend of Wep’s. At the beginning of the war he joined the RAAF and flew in an out of remote areas in New Guinea with supplies but following a severe crash he was unable to fly again and transfrred to the RAN where with the rank of Lieutenant became a Naval Coastwatcher in New Guinea.
3
WABAG, NEW GUINEA. NATIVES SURROUND THE FIRST AEROPLANE TO LAND AT WABAG WITH SUPPLIES FOR THE …. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C255773
4
Myola 2, Papua, 1942-10-22. A crowd of Australian soldiers gathers around a Ford tri-motor …. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C319056
5
LAE, NEW GUINEA. 1944-06-02. VX65671 MAJOR J.T. TAYLOR, OFFICER- IN- CHARGE, NORTHERN ECHELON, …. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C64803
6
Captain William Dargie. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P65046
7
Captain Roy Cecil Hodgkinson. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P65080
8
Austral Groves Wilson. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austral_Groves_Wilson
9
New Guinea. Private M. Daly of Bendigo, Vic, offers Miss Strella Wilson a mug of Army tea after …. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C238355
10
Edwin Styles. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Styles
11
Reg Harris was also a fomer Smith’s Weekly journalist and later press secretary to several Federal Ministers.
12
Geoff and Molly Turton

DPR Unit
Townsville
Tuesday, Midday
[18 Jan 1944]

Darling,

How’s my little lonely honey? As hot as I am? Boy that is plenty. It’s much hotter here than in Darwin. I’ve done nothing but sweat & replace it with a noggin of beer. I didn’t get away from Brisbane on the midday plane as I had anticipated, consequently poor Willie had to be wakened at 3.45 am on Monday to get an American Navy plane to Townsville. We arrived at the aerodrome at 4.45 but the plane was not due to leave until six so we just sat around on our bums in the darkness for about an hour. Couldn’t get booked through to Moresby direct – hence the above address.

Douglas C47 transport plane with US serveice men

I was the only Australian aboard the big Douglas. One of the fellow yanks was an artist from the Chicago Tribune. An elderly kind of Carl Shreveish looking guy with a long upper lip & untidy dress. We left just as the sun was coming up over the sea, the whole vision was a blend of purple & red gold slashed and scored by brilliant reflected light from the rivers & pools. Couldn’t see much after that as the sun brought the mist up and obscured most of our vision. Arrived here about 9.30am which is a pretty fast trip considering its nearly 700 miles. We flew mostly about 10,000 ft – about 400 feet above the clouds which looked like wads a kapok methodically sprinkled over the earth below.

Townsville is a most picturesque place to approach by air. The town itself nestles beneath a huge rocky mass called Castle Hill & fringes the big bay which is blocked towards the sea by the mountainous Magnetic island. The airport here is an hellishly busy place – planes of all descriptions come & go every few minutes.

It is lousy with troops. 2 to every 1 civilian. The beer position is acute in the town’s hotels – they charge 2/- deposit on the glass. Fortunately for us pukka sahibs there is an Officer’s Club – much bigger than that in Brisbane.¹² It is situated in a pleasant hotel on the beach front which is fringed with coconut palms.

Met Trotter up here. We went for a swim during the afternoon. The water is quite warm and we diddled around for about an hour – did ½ half non-fishing & got somewhat burnt. Drove back and bathed in 2 inches of water (the supply is cut off during the day because of the shortage). Dressed & returned to Officer’s Club & drank nice cold beer in comfort. Trotter left at 4 am this morning.

Edwards³ caught the midday plane from Brisbane & arrived yesterday afternoon. We both leave at 4 am tomorrow. Moresby is only 4 hours flight away so I’ll be there for lunch. This weather is enervating so forgive me if the letters are both short and dull. I haven’t been dry since I arrived – the nights are just as warm. We were going up the mountain in a friend of Edward’s jeep but someone pinched it from outside the Officer’s Club last night, a pretty kettle of fish! The major in charge here is a most amiable fellow & is taking us up there this afternoon after which we proceed swimming-wards. This house is well up on the hill and is surroundedby most pleasant shady trees. The enclosed flower for you is from a poinsiana⁴ (it sounds like that) tree. It’s a delightful thing with great long pods like 2 ft peas hanging off the limbs. The general appearance is something like a jacaranda except for the profusion of brilliant red flowers.

Will write to you tomorrow darling. Hope you are looking after yourself well and are eating up your ration of meat.

Lots of love to you darling from
Bill

Notes:

1
Wep was most probably billeted at the Seaview Hotel on the Strand (cnr Gregory Street), Townsville, which was the wartime home of the Australian Officer’s Club. Personnel from the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) staffed the club. In a Report on civilian morale, the picture was painted that the Officer’s Club was the scene of regular “drunken debauches” and “depraved orgies”. The report details several supposed incidents which gave the Officer’s Club this reputation – 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
2
THE HOTEL SEAVIEW. (1930, July 26). Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 – 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 13, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60783220
3
Reginald James Edwards, photographer; Yvonne Todd’s husband
4
Poinciana

Tag: Trotter

War Letters – New Guinea: 20 Jan 1944, Port Moresby; Catching up with colleagues

Notes:

War Letters – New Guinea: 18 Jan 1944, Townsville; Lousy with troops

Notes: