{"id":1351,"date":"2023-08-14T18:00:51","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T08:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=1351"},"modified":"2023-08-12T12:22:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T02:22:34","slug":"war-letters-nw-australia-sat-14-aug-1943-japanese-air-raid-interrupts-the-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=1351","title":{"rendered":"War Letters – NW Australia: 14 Aug 1943, Livingstone Airfield; Jap air raid interrupts the party"},"content":{"rendered":"

W.E. Pidgeon
\nC\/O DPR Unit
\nArmy Post Office
\nDarwin<\/p>\n

Saturday
\n[14 Aug 1943]<\/p>\n

Darling,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still here.\u00a0 I suppose you gave me a little thought when you read that N.T. area had been raided by 18 Jap planes on Friday night.1<\/a><\/sup>Four raids occurred on the night of Friday 13th August and the early hours of Saturday morning. They were aimed at Hughes Airfield, Fenton airfield (9:45pm), Fenton & Coomalie Creek airfields (11:12pm) and Long airfield in the early hours of Saturday, August 14th (Japanese Air Raids in Australia During WW2<\/a>, Dunn, P. 2013, Australia@War). The raid which Wep refers to was most likely the attack at 11:12pm on Fenton and Coomalie Creek where he had been staying two nights earlier.<\/span>\u00a0 Well, your little Willie was right out of it.\u00a0 It occurred during the middle of the party I spoke of in my last letter.\u00a0 We were all gathered around some tables in the middle of the bush not far from one of the air strips (as they call the aerodromes here) when the warning came over.\u00a0 Some of the pilots had to dash off to their Spitties.\u00a0 The lights went off and we continued our drinking in the bright moonlight assisted by the light of a parachute flare which one of the Jap planes dropped over the area.\u00a0 Old deafie didn\u2019t hear the planes \u2013 there was so much alcoholic conversation being broadcast.\u00a0 A moment later ack-ack fire started \u2013 booms & flashes split the night.\u00a0 Shrapnel from the bursts fell in the camp where I stayed last week.\u00a0 Fortunately for us the Japs weren\u2019t after the fighter planes \u2013 they flew past & dropped their eggs near 2 bomber fields.\u00a0 One of these I described to you as being situated in the hills. I stayed there on Wednesday night.2<\/a><\/sup>Coomalie Creek Airfield<\/span>\u00a0 The yellow boys might just as well have saved their time, petrol and bombs as neither damage nor casualties (so far as I have heard) were inflicted.\u00a0 So \u2013 a miserable flare is all I\u2019ve seen of the war up in this front line.\u00a0 There appears to be an expectation of another bash tonight \u2013 it being a magnificently full moon.\u00a0 Perhaps it is just as well I\u2019m not in Darwin or staying in a bomber camp, although they tell me that even a poor bloody Allied Works Council camp stopped a stick of bombs last night.\u00a0 The only physical stress I have collected is plenty of bites \u2013 and then some.\u00a0 I scratch like a lousy old dog.<\/p>\n

The party was pretty willing while it lasted.\u00a0 Met a Spitty pilot from one of the squadrons who asked how both you and I were keeping.\u00a0 We met him outside St James theatre with Paul Brennan and some others just before they left for Canada two years ago.<\/p>\n

Have just been asked if I\u2019d like to go down to an American bomber field tomorrow.\u00a0 Think I\u2019ll go down & see what sort of holes the bombs made.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know that it would be terrible healthy to stay down there \u2013 I\u2019ll see about that later.<\/p>\n

Cripes I\u2019m missing you honey.\u00a0 Am really looking forward to getting home.\u00a0 This life of celibacy is not what it\u2019s cracked up to be.\u00a0 You\u2019re in for a torrid time my chicabiddy when the bronzed old boy gets back.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know that you\u2019ll go much on my colour\/pattern \u2013 I\u2019m getting browned as far as the waist only, from there down snow white takes over.\u00a0 Have been letting my mo grow a pace \u2013 perhaps you should buy me a moustache cup.<\/p>\n

How are the Watson family coming along?\u00a0 How\u2019s the concrete idiot child?\u00a0 And Bib & Bub?<\/p>\n

Very quiet night \u2013 we are all sitting round like little goody boys \u2013 all writing to our dearests and sweetests.\u00a0 All of which refers me back to wimmimck(?)\u00a0 How\u2019s Tommy\u2019s Art for arts(?) sake?\u00a0 Has he had the animated Selina out again?\u00a0 Did you see her stripped \u2013 is she still much the same?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sunday morning [15 Aug 1943] before breakfast<\/p>\n

I get up early \u2013 as a rule before the sun.\u00a0 The night passed off without incident which is all very well.<\/p>\n

Called at a Sergeants\u2019 tent before going to bed.\u00a0 They were all on the jungle juice \u2013 a potent and horrible brew of their own manufacture made out of anything they can lay their hands on \u2013 prunes, dried fruits \u2013 potato peelings, jam \u2013 sugar & old boots, topped off with a liberal dose of yeast.\u00a0 It looks like milk bar washing up water and tastes and smells like old yeast.\u00a0 It is alleged to turn the mildest of men into maniacal dervishes.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have any.\u00a0 The conversation was still on the dames and what they would do to them on return to the flesh pots of our fair city in the south.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all for the moment, dear Willie is signing off.\u00a0 Get your squeezing muscles ready my sweet for the old boy won’t be long now. (I hope!)\u00a0 Love in bundles for Jessie.<\/p>\n

Bill<\/p>\n

Answers:<\/p>\n

No 1.\u00a0\u00a0 I live in tents \u2013 i.e. at different places \u2013 not in tents at one time.<\/p>\n

No 2.\u00a0\u00a0 A pilot wrote that on your letter \u2013 he was in his cups \u2013 I\u2019ll decipher it for you later.<\/p>\n

\"afield2<\/a>
Fighter guide map of airfields near Darwin (from Peter Dunn’s Australia@War). Wep was probably camped just north of Manton Dam near Livingstone airfield which had Spitfires from 457 Squadron along with 452 Squadron at Strauss airfield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Notes:<\/h3>