Public Relations
\nField Unit
\nHDQ
\nN.G. Force<\/p>\n
20th<\/sup> Jan 44<\/p>\n Darling,<\/p>\n I am trying to write this in the correspondents dormitory.1<\/a><\/sup>Colloquially known as St Percy\u2019s 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<\/span>\u00a0 Three or 4 of them lie about spine bashing \u2013 Others reminisce of their experiences in the area.\u00a0 It is about 4.30 pm & it is still hot \u2013 albeit not so bad as Townsville where on Tuesday the water out of the taps (when one was allowed to use them) was 92\u00ba.<\/p>\n Left about 6 in the morning & we here for lunch.\u00a0 It\u2019s quite a treat to see land after flying over the sea for a couple of hours.\u00a0 There were lots of clouds about & occasionally you could get glimpses of the barrier reef below \u2013 not that its much to see from the air.\u00a0 Circled the town & landed amongst hills very little different from those down south.\u00a0 The foliage & earth are much the same colour as that around Darwin.\u00a0 However it is a picturesque spot as the mountains run fairly close to the sea & are an ominous blue under the clouds.\u00a0 Long long off above the clouds can be see peaks jutting through \u2013 I guess they must be plenty high!<\/p>\n Tried to ring Tommy2<\/a><\/sup>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.<\/span>3<\/a><\/sup>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<\/span>4<\/a><\/sup>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<\/span>5<\/a><\/sup>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<\/span> but they said they hadn\u2019t heard of him so I suppose he has not arrived yet.\u00a0 I would have rung him in Brisbane but didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know that there is much I can tell you about this place without infringing security regulations.\u00a0 Letters take some time to get down to you from here & God knows how long from other areas.\u00a0 If you do not hear from me for a while don\u2019t worry because it will be purely a matter of mail difficulties.\u00a0 I \u2026\u2026[torn]\u2026\u2026.. will not be writing much under \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.. I shan\u2019t be able to get many \u2026\u2026\u2026[torn]\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026d\u2026 10 days so don\u2019t bother \u2026\u2026\u2026[torn]\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026 feel like it.<\/p>\n Am leaving here tomorrow for more important spots.\u00a0 Have been issued with jungle green clothing \u2013 that beautiful aspidistra leaf trembling in the breeze over there will be me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t feel like doing anything here \u2013 even writing \u2013 it\u2019s such a dead end.\u00a0 When I move off I shall probably be too tired to send much.<\/p>\n There were 2 correspondents here who were at Darwin.\u00a0 Caught up again with Trotter\u00a0 yesterday but he moved out today.\u00a0 Bill Dargie official war artist6<\/a><\/sup>Captain William Dargie. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.awm.gov.au\/collection\/P65046<\/span> called in on me yesterday & we passed the time of day.\u00a0 Roy Hodgkinson7<\/a><\/sup>Captain Roy Cecil Hodgkinson. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.awm.gov.au\/collection\/P65080<\/span> called this morning & I lunched with him at his mess up the road a bit.\u00a0 He and Alice are divorced.\u00a0 She is about to marry the Yank corpl (?)\u00a0 Roy seems quite happy about it all.<\/p>\n Saw a native sing song which was turned on for Stella Wilson8<\/a><\/sup>Austral Groves Wilson. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Austral_Groves_Wilson<\/span>9<\/a><\/sup>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<\/span> who is up here at the moment.\u00a0 It was interesting enough but somewhat scrappy around the edges.\u00a0 Not the real McCoy.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n Am going tonight with the rest of the gang to hear the final concert from Stella Wilson and Edwin Styles.10<\/a><\/sup>Edwin Styles. (2024, January 16). Retrieved from https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Edwin_Styles<\/span><\/p>\n Reg Harris who used to work in the office11<\/a><\/sup>Reg Harris was also a fomer Smith’s Weekly journalist and later press secretary to several Federal Ministers.<\/span> has just stuck his head around the door & sends his regards to you & Petrovs12<\/a><\/sup>Geoff and Molly Turton<\/span>, etc.\u00a0 You probably don\u2019t remember him but what the hell!\u00a0 He is not a reporter.\u00a0 Has just returned from Shaggy Ridge after months of front line fighting.\u00a0 He very decently gave me aluminium mess tins to save on weight.\u00a0 Said you\u00a0 can buy him a drink when he gets back.<\/p>\n Later<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had a rest \u2013 a shower \u2013 a shave, etc. Tea – & the rest.<\/p>\n All are getting ready for the show so bye-bye for the present dear.\u00a0 Hope you are well and are being careful with Junior.\u00a0 Not too much work \u2013 grog \u2013 travel \u2013 and contemplation.<\/p>\n Lots of love, darling, 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 \u2013 I guess they must be plenty high!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1656,62],"tags":[2198,2199,1785,1778,1782,633,1777,1759,6,1025,1783,1779,1784,1781,122,939,1775,65,1764,988,1984,1877],"class_list":["post-3285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-guinea-jan-feb-1944","category-war-letters","tag-80yearsago","tag-otd","tag-alice-hodgkinson","tag-bill-dargie","tag-edwin-styles","tag-geoff-turton","tag-great-barrier-reef","tag-molly-turton","tag-petrov","tag-port-moresby","tag-reg-harris","tag-roy-hodgkinson","tag-shaggy-ridge","tag-stella-wilson","tag-tommy-odea","tag-townsville","tag-trotter","tag-war-correspondent","tag-war-correspondent-uniform","tag-war-correspondents-mess","tag-war-letters","tag-william-dargie"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nBill<\/p>\nNotes:<\/h3>