TX 1004

Sgt Max Hickman

2/ 33rd Btn AIF

25th Nov 44

Dear Mother & Dad

This may be only a hurried note as we expect to move out on an exercise some time today.  Don’t know much about it yet though I suppose we’ll be roaming the ridges for a few days and most certainly won’t get a chance to write for a while.

How are things at home.  Hope you’re both happy and well and enjoying life and that May and the children are well too.  See by the local rag it’s been raining brown mud down there through the dust from the Mallee.  They say it’s also affecting New Zealand.  Must be a terrible thing for the people and animals in the drought stricken areas – must be the worst in history.  Australia is going to face some tremendous problems when the argument’s over – money will have to continue to flow to stop soil erosion and all that.

Have had an easy time here the last few days – guess we were due for it after that last exercise.  The weather has been particularly good too.  We had a bit of a turnout at the Mess a couple of nights back as a farewell to old Frank Allshorn – Battalion RQ and Mess President.  Frank’s been promoted to civvy life.  He was a very popular man and the show was one of the best we’ve had – a steady session, a couple of toasts, a few cornet items.  The cornet player in the band holds various Australian championships and can put over some good stuff.  Everyone got happy but there were no blues – a rare thing when the mob hit the grog.  Was rather surprised to see Ray Ross settle in to a session – thought he looked worried and when we’d been talking a while he told me his father had been killed in an accident a week or so back.  Didn’t know what had happened – he’d applied for compassionate leave but it was knocked back so he was trying to be manpowered out.

Had a letter from Marie during the week.  She said Bill was in strife in the Council again – must be a bit of a stormy petrel that fellow – didn’t say what he was on.  When does the state election come off do you know Dad?  Is it next year or forty six?  If I’m out by then I might give it a fly.  If you can see anything of Joe Lewis see what you can find out for me will you, as to when nominations are going in – they usually have them arranged nearly twelve months early.

Had better say cheerio now Mother & Dad and pen a few lines to Youngster.  Give my love to May, Anne & Carline and best wishes to Laurie and the boys.

Love

Max

Raining Brown Mud ?

Report in the Hobart Mercury 20 Nov 44, p2 – Dust Storms Raging  (in Victoria, NSW, SA)- mentions ‘showers of muddy rain’ making conditions more difficult in Ballarat   https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26025058  

Thinking of nominating

Max had stood as a ‘Progressive Labour’ candidate for the Tasmanian division of Denison in1937. His approach to sharing political questions and his performance in Battalion debates may have resulted in mates encouraging him to try his hand again at the next state election which was indeed held in 1946. He stood again, but was again unsuccessful. After marrying in December 1951 he had a third attempt – this time standing for election to Tasmania’s upper house, the Legislative Council, in 1952. On that occasion he and 5 other male candidates could not match the dynamic president of the Housewives’ Association, Mrs Phyllis Benjamin who retained the seat of Hobart for 24 years until her retirement.