{"id":354,"date":"2023-08-02T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T22:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=354"},"modified":"2023-08-11T15:47:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T05:47:20","slug":"war-letters-darwin-mon-2-aug-1943-barbers-shop-in-a-forward-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wepidgeon.com\/pidgeonpost\/?p=354","title":{"rendered":"War Letters – NW Australia: 2 Aug 1943, Darwin; Barber’s shop in a forward area"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Monday Aug. 1 or something
\n[2 Aug 1943]<\/p>\n

Darling,<\/p>\n

Sorry I growled about there being no letters from you.\u00a0 Very little mail arrived for anyone last week.\u00a0 Must have been some hitch.\u00a0 Happily I received two this morning and was thereby much delighted.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

You seem pretty lonely poor darling \u2013 it is obviously sickening to have to either stay home alone or still see the same faces & the same chatter.\u00a0 It\u2019s lonely here as a rule when I\u2019m not working.\u00a0 That is why I like to get out each week to some camp down the road and settle in to steady effort.\u00a0 There is\u00a0 a great deal round about here I want to get on to, moreover the general atmosphere of this mess is slow.\u00a0 At the moment all the correspondents are spine bashing.\u00a0 Apparently there is bugger all for them to find in the way of news with the exception of raids.\u00a0 Now that would be exciting if I didn’t catch a bomb.\u00a0 And the food up here is bloody awful.\u00a0 Margarine, dried eggs, macaroni pudding, stewed tea & leathered meat.\u00a0 That wouldn’t be so bad if the cook thought of something besides going on leave.\u00a0 Believe you me, I’ve been criminally spoilt.<\/p>\n

On the beach again yesterday1<\/a><\/sup>Most likely Mindil Beach<\/span>.\u00a0 Water really wonderful \u2013 the sunshine and Freds bountiful.\u00a0 I’m losing the lolly pink \u2013 changing chameleon like into tiger stripes owing to a little semi spine bashing of my own the other day.\u00a0 Curled up in a deck chair & came to with pink bands across my belly skin where the creases between folds of fat had been retained it lily white line.\u00a0 Got sunburnt on the flat yesterday \u2013 result \u2013 pink & brown now instead of original barber\u2019s pole style.\u00a0 Nerves not much better \u2013 worry a bit about the job as I don\u2019t know how I can remember all the different colour & tones of the scenes I have ideas of portraying.\u00a0 Most of the stuff I want to get down is of the rapid impression type \u2013Much too quick even to get the drawing let alone tone, etc. The only painting I do is to note down appropriate backgrounds & incidentals to the job.\u00a0 Have written these blue lines while waiting for a haircut in a military camp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Barber’s Shop In A Forward Area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He\u2019s a hell of a little barber about as short & thick as a fart.\u00a0 An ex-ladies\u2019 hairdresser from Farmers, or, some say Borrowmans \u2013 anyway he cuts a pretty hair.\u00a0 The charge is 1\/- of which he gets 6d<\/sup> & his unit comforts fund 6d<\/sup>.\u00a0 You sit on a sawn off log in a parlour of the most delicate hessian.\u00a0 Whilst outside in the ante-room grim faced & spare witted troops purse lips and pen handle heads in the agonising concentration of writing the dear ones at home.\u00a0 I draw.\u00a0 Somebody asks how to spell Americans.\u00a0 I oblige.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Have returned to Happy Messy.\u00a0 This mail is due to go off in 10 minutes.\u00a0 So lots of love dear & keep on writing even if it kills you.\u00a0 Won\u2019t be very long before I see you again.\u00a0 Thanks for the lipstick \u2013 tasted good.\u00a0 Love<\/p>\n

Bill.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 29 July 1944<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Barber Shop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Barber Shop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Reading and writing letters whilst waiting for a haircut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Reading and writing letters whilst waiting for a haircut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Reading and writing letters whilst waiting for a haircut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Reading and writing letters whilst waiting for a haircut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Notes:<\/h3>