The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

More or less grounded; rumours emanating from the top, a dire shortage of paper and a bolt disappears into chest hair.

Posted on October 25, 1942 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Max Hickman

33rd Platoon

25th Brigade

Carrier Group

AIF NG

21st Oct 42

Dear Mother & Dad

Strange as it may seem the address is the same as on my last letter and incidentally I too haven’t moved far from the same spot as I occupied when I last wrote – we’re more or less grounded just at present but having spent some time and quite a lot of energy making ourselves comfortable – rigging tarps and making bunks and establishing a kitchen of sorts – may expect a move at any time now. The old saint hasn’t been behaving the best lately but she’s done a lot of work and copped a power of abuse so we can’t expect too much of her.

The postal services continue to be very good up here and apparently the mail is getting home too. I’ve had quite a lot this week – the home budget and youngster’s regular epistle – always the most looked for – one from Jack – a very interesting and amusing letter – and a surprise packet in the shape of a letter from Evelyn Anderson – the girl who bought that scotch rig for Anne when we were in England.

After your reports of last week it’s good to know that the weather is getting better. Up here we’re just getting the beginning of the rains. Every evening there’s a thunderstorm and it certainly rains.

I’m glad one packet of snaps have made the grade and that you liked them. The other lot should be along any time now. A camera would be very handy up here – there’s quite a lot of places and things that would make good photos but of course they’re taboo now.

I’m afraid I can’t give you any information about Dick. He came up here and as far as I know is with his unit. I saw him the day before they sailed and he looked very fit. The padre was with him at the time and wanted to be sure of getting on the same boat as Tiny as he had great faith in Tiny’s luck. I said you’re pretty right he’s got enough arse to save the ship and all the RAP staff were of the same opinion. One fellow said I wouldn’t need to see the rats leave the ship – if Tiny missed it I’d go through.

Old Claude should be home now because it’s nearly a month since Mrs Toomey wrote that he’d called there on the way south.

Vegetables seem to be attracting a lot of attention on the home front – Youngster mentioned a few prices in her letter and said everybody with two feet of ground was growing something. We’re getting a fair bit of tinned stuff – cabbage, parsnip, peas, beans and potatoes. Not like fresh stuff of course but better than none. We never got any of those at all in the Middle East and the fellows up at the range are only getting hard tack.

Jack said in his letter that the wise guys at home figure that the war may end in about eighteen months and goes on to point out that reaching our objective (Tokio) via the many islands and things will necessitate travelling fourteen miles a day and in the backing and filling of campaigns that fourteen would probably become a hundred and forty miles a day. I only hope that is not the idea of those who work out our grand strategy – like you at home I’m living for the day when we can resume normal lives and often plan new homes though of course a lot may happen to change one’s plans between now and then. Speaking of houses I’m glad Tom’s place is finished at last – he’s certainly had a long wait, hasn’t he?

I had a pretty good idea who Mick was working for. The little piece was cut out of the letter he wrote me. I think the censoring powers must have been tabbed (?) because every letter I got from Tassy is censored.

There was a crowd of chaps attached to the platoon the other day for MG Instruction. They were all fellows who spent a fair bit of time in the army boob (?) when we were back in Aussie and had developed a sort of inferiority complex. There’s certainly a lot in the saying that the army either makes or breaks a man. Quite a lot of responsible men are ready to give a man a kick if he’s on the down grade and once they hit the down trail they seldom get the breaks. But this mob are the keenest crowd I’ve had to instruct yet.

Well Mother & Dad I have to go out on a job tonight and want to get a swim before I go so cheerio for the present. Give my love to May, Anne & the baby and regards to Laurie & the boys.
Your loving son

Max

The old saint – has done a lot of work.

AWM 025888

A carrier in thick bush during manoeuvres in New Guinea.

Postal services continue to be very good

AWM P01035.005

Spotters from the New Guinea Air Warning Wireless company read their mail, sitting in a clearing.

Cameras…are taboo !

Many of the photographs in the AWM collection were taken by members of the forces, so clearly not everyone complied with the ‘taboo’.

25th Oct 1942

TX 1004

Max Hickman

33rd Platoon

25th Brigade

Carrier Group

AIF

Dear Mother & Dad

Your welcome letter of the 19th arrived yesterday along with a very interesting letter from May. She doesn’t write often but she makes up for it when she does write. I guess five days from Hobart to here is just about a record especially as that time included censoring.

The new arrival continues to hold the interest on the home front. Both May and Anne seem obsessed with her – Anne in particular is most enthusiastic and May says she attends to the various chores with wonderful interest. There’s no doubt (about) Anne she’s an intelligent kid and knows a lot for her age.

I mentioned in my last letter that we were more or less grounded and as we’re still in the same spot must consider ourselves completely so. The place is fast becoming monotonous. We’ve become so used to moving from place to place in the last three years that any more than a week in one spot and we look for a change. I suppose it will be very hard to settle down when it’s all over. Incidentally there’s a rumour floating around that it we get the Japs out of here by Christmas we’ll be going back to Australia but that’s hard to swallow and probably has less credence than the all powerful furphy – probably the most believed of all the wild stories we’ve heard – of fourteen days’ leave before we left Australia. Toward the end there wasn’t one in a hundred didn’t believe it and this story has so much the same ring in it that I think it probably started in pretty high quarters. It’s surprising how many rumours emanate from the top – with deliberate design. If it were possible to do so I would sooner keep going to the end now. Going home only makes you discontented, but when you’re away it’s surprising how easily satisfied you get.

There’s been nothing of much interest happen here. Jim Mc’s ear is nearly better but it’s left him a bit deaf although I don’t suppose that will affect his swallow. I guess if anything happened in that way it would just about kill the Hon James J as he styles himself. Peter McCowan has caught up with the show – full of beans of course – but Ray Ross is till back in Aussie. I think Rossy must have clicked an ITB job – he’s a good instructor and since getting married has been keen in that direction. I wouldn’t fancy that game at all although I’ve had to do a fair bit of it.

Apart from routine work and a few patrols things have been very quiet. A couple of funny incidents though – we were working on a carrier the other day and had some trouble getting a small (bolt) out, eventually using the persuasion of a hammer. Then of course we had to look for it and twenty minutes search and a certain amount of abuse failed to locate it. Then when we had practically given up hope Smudge Smith happened to run his hand over his chest and found the bolt among the thick hair. Smudge’s hair is as thick as a mat on his chest – but it was one of the funniest things I’ve seen, to look for so long and then find it in the hair of a man’s chest and he to be one of those looking for it.

The other night I got a bit of a shock too. I’d done my picket and was just dozing off. I sat up suddenly – something was scurrying around and while I’m looking for the cause a squirrel jumped onto my head. It frightened five years’ growth out of me. It had got in under the net and couldn’t get out, but I lost no time getting it out. I remember one night in Ikingi Matru, Wattsie was just getting into his blankets when an asp slid out and everyone except Wattsie thought it was a hell of a joke.

There was a comfort fund issue here a few days back – the second in three months – things are looking up – but unfortunately in each case they didn’t quite stretch the distance and after the privates had got theirs the NCO’s drew for what was left and of course yours truly missed out. Not that I needed anything but writing paper. I’ve got plenty of toothpaste and shaving cream but paper is as scarce as scarce, as tobacco is at home. As a matter of fact I had (to) borrow this from one of the drivers – however the OC is trying to get us some paper.

I forgot to mention earlier that I had a parcel from Mother on Thursday – some toothpaste and shaving cream, a packet of blades and some PK’s. Thanks a lot Mother but really there’s no need to send things because we’re well catered for in those lines and I’ve built up quite a good reserve of most necessities and I know how hard they are to get at home and a cake or parcel of eats goes nowhere among the mob and with Austerity the ruling force on the home front it doesn’t justify the trouble and expense.

There’s no doubt about the future of this country. There’ll be some money made here after the war. There’s plenty of gold back there and the way the Yanks are opening the place up it’ll be much more accessible than before the war and there’s quite a lot of rubber too although neither industry has been developed.

Well I must say cheerio now. My love to May, Anne & the baby and best withes to Laurie & the boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS Jim sends his best wishes and says to send up a barrel of the brew.

PPS Will you send me some stamps.

Peter McCowan has caught up with the show

McCowan had been in hospital in Brisbane but the fact that he has just ‘caught up’ confirms that the person in the foreground of the photo at Ioribaiwa (blog post dated 5 October 1942) was certainly not McCowan.

A squirrel in the tent!?

Certainly not an actual squirrel, but there are several possibilities for what this intruder might have been, including the sugar glider, although the glider only rarely descends to the ground.

Austerity at home

Prime Minister John Curtin’s “maximum effort” required that most of the resources and means of production be directed towards winning the war: “Austerity calls for a pledge by the Australian people to strip every selfish comfortable habit, every luxurious impulse, every act, word and deed that retards the victory march.” Australians had to adjust to life in which even the most common commodities in peacetime became rationed or simply unavailable. Most Australians embraced recycling and made do with what they could buy, find or scrounge. The austerity campaigns encouraged Australians to work longer hours and consume less, reuse rather than discard, and invest any spare cash in war savings certificates. (source https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/underattack/mobilise/austerity.asp )

Two of the posters that were part of this campaign:

AWM ARTV02452 AWM ARTV07860

Posted in Carrier platoon, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, Food and Drink, organisation, Papua New Guinea, parcels, The course of the war | Tagged censors, DIck Schultz, MG instruction, paper shortage, Pete McCowan, post war New Guinea, rumours, vegetables | 1 Comment

One step removed from a base job… two letters

Posted on October 16, 1942 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Max Hickman

33rd platoon

Composite Carrier Group

New Guinea Forces

New Guinea

11th Oct 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

Your welcome letter of the 27th arrived today along with one from Mae Menzie and one from Mrs Toomey. All three very cheery and interesting but I was surprised to know you hadn’t had a letter from me since we came here as I had a letter from Youngster some days back in reply to one written about the nineteenth and I wrote home about the same time. Although if I remember rightly I think I made a bit of a tilt at a certain godly fraternity that may have caused a bit of a hold up.

The weather report certainly sounds very Septemberish. Youngster’s report of Melbourne weather was very similar. That’s one thing about this place – the weather is very constant. I am glad to know that May and the baby are both doing well. I’ll bet Anne is looking forward to them coming home. You certainly broke your fast in a big way with that whisky, with cigars and full strength cigarettes I can imagine how you felt next day. Jim Mc said it serves the old bastard right. That was bad luck about John (?) Young – he was the pick of the crowd.

I knew Geoff Harrison had pips – Jack Verrell told me when we were home. He’d cut a good figure in an officer’s uniform. He seems to have hit the high road pretty well – married Les Crozier’s daughter too, so a place in the sun seems pretty well assured – good luck to him anyway, he’s got plenty of ambition.

Mrs Toomey told me in her letter that Claude Hill had called there on his way south. I wonder whether he struck the leave or is getting a discharge. I think I told you in an earlier letter that Ted Fleming reckoned on getting a discharge – well, Viv Abel had a letter from him yesterday and he’s in the postal corps stationed at Sydney and expects to be home on leave at Christmas – nice going eh.

We’re still being buggered about up here. I think the worst thing that ever happened to me since I’ve been in the army was being dragged back to this platoon from the sloggers halfway through the Syrian show. I thought I was lucky getting the extra few days in Brisbane but if I hadn’t got them I’d have been with the mob now, instead of this show – I can’t tell you much about it except that it’s only one step removed from a base show and although generally speaking conditions are good – plenty to do and good tucker and not much regimental baloney and there’s no doubt they’re doing a necessary job – it doesn’t suit me at all.

I thought you might have mentioned in your letter what price they want for Catoes. It should be a good proposition, although not comparable with Ashton Jones’ place but I want to have something ready to jump into when the show is over and at present we look to be holding a good betting hand – unless something very unexpected happens another year should finish it.

Well Mother & Dad I’m afraid there’s absolutely no writeable news so with love to May, Anne & the baby and best regards to the boys I’ll say cheerio.

Your loving son

Max

PS Can you send me some writing paper and stamps – stamps are particularly hard to get.

TX 1004

Max Hickman

33rd Platoon

25th Inf Brigade

Carrier Group

AIF New Guinea

16-10-1942

Dear Mother & Dad

I received your welcome letter of the fifth today – a much more interesting and newsy letter than I can hope to return but I’ll do what I can. I’m glad to know that mother, May, Anne and the baby are well and sorry to hear that Dad has a cold but hope that’s soon better too.

Jim Mc was quite interested in the photo although he says it’s not very like her. Incidentally Mc is not very happy in the service just now. He’s got something wrong with one of his ears – a big lump like an abscess – it makes his ear ache all the time and he’s nearly deaf too. Several of the chaps have had trouble with their ears – some germ affecting them – like Palestine there seems to be something here that affects and festers any break in the skin so the slightest scratch festers up and has to be painted with iodine. Jim wanted to know if you’d broken out again since the whisky turnout and when I told him you were a definite victim he said to tell you, you ought to live the life he lives – total abstainer.

While on the subject of photos you might look out for a couple of packets of snaps. Johnny’s sister is sending a set together with my coupons and Joe’s girlfriend is sending some too – there shouldn’t be any trouble with them because there’s nothing that won’t pass the censor. I haven’t seen Joe’s but the others are mostly camp scenes back in Australia and Joe’s are life scenes on the old Pundit.

That Hobart Gaol turnout was a smart piece of work. They caught some old campaigners too – well any of the three you mention could stand it. There’s many an ill gotten quid passed through their tills, although pub business is probably pretty light on these days. There can’t be too many working men about Hobart now if the reports we hear of comb-outs are right – what are they doing with all the chaps out of the building trade? Mae Menzie told me in her letter last week that Ben was carting stuff for a hospital but she didn’t say where it was.

In the course of our travels up here we’ve struck quite a lot of Yanks in many and varied types of work and they seem very true to type to our chaps. The infantry blokes seem a very different type to the base fellows we struck back in Aussie. The farther away you get from the front, the poorer the type as men and the bigger the blow hards and the more officious the heads. We’ve had a yarn with some of their airmen- they seem a good bunch too. There’s no doubt abut it they certainly can turn out blitz (?) methods. It would amaze you to see the way they do things. We happened to mention about them taking over hotels and garages and things at home, and one of the pilots told us that when they want a place in the states they assess the value of the place, give the owner twenty four hours notice and take over. Imagine the amount of red tape and negotiations there’d be at home. Another chap said that when he went to school early this year he stayed four months at a fully staffed hotel where the normal tariff was fourteen dollars a day. That’s doing it, isn’t it. Their pilots get seventy five pounds (dollars?) a month. One particular crowd we struck told us about a job they did and a General came up and told their CO to put in the names of everyone who took part for decorations according to their role. The mass decorations business rather amused us. I fancy some RAF chaps would have to have a special tunic for decorations. But there’s one thing about them I think any man who did a job would get recognition.

You’ve probably noticed the change of address and although it conveys little but confusion to you we’re hoping it means a lot to us – at least most of us are. Of course it may be only a compromising gesture, a play of words, but it’s like a bright star in a clouded sky at present.

I received a very nice parcel from Ivy this evening – crystallised fruits – very tasty too, but I know it’s damn dear and Youngster can’t afford it.

It’s amazing how rumours get about. There’s a wave of them at present, each vying with the others and I suppose if I wrote half of them they wouldn’t pass the censor.

Well Mother & Dad I must say cheerio. there’s tons of news but you’ll have to read about it in the newspapers. Give my love to May, Anne & the baby and best regards to the boys.

Your loving son

Max

‘One step removed from a base job’

At some point during the second half of October, the carriers of the 2/33rd were transferred from NGF Composite Carrier Group to the 25 Brigade Carrier Group. Dad was clearly hoping that being under Brigade command rather than NGF might make some difference to the sense of ‘being buggered about’! The Brigade Carrier group was tasked with airfield defence – of the Bomana, Laloki and Waigani aerodromes.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1026042/ Area Command Moresby 6 Base Sub Area October 1942 – June 1943: Defence scheme, defence aerodromes, work and progress reports

The Army hierarchy were clearly concerned that there might be an attack on Port Moresby carried out by paratroopers, as the Germans had done on Crete. This (Defence scheme…) diary details the anticipated phases of such an attack, and instructs commanders on preferred methods for ‘preventing enemy penetration into aerodrome area.’ Carrier platoons were specifically tasked with providing security patrols in specified areas, dealing with enemy troops landing in specified areas, harassing fire as directed, and preventing the enemy approaching the dromes

Aerodrome sectors of defence – see diary above p.144

The Waigani drome was also known as 17 Mile and later Durand. Bomana (12 Mile) was later known as Berry Drome, and Laloki (14 mile) later became Schwimmer Drome.

AWM P03664.003 Aerial view of Berry Drome (previously named Bomana Aerodrome) with the Laloki River winding through the background. The airstrip, situated approximately 20 kilometres north-east of Port Moresby, was used mainly by fighter and medium bomber aircraft.

AWM 150517 Port Moresby New Guinea. August 1942. Ground troops and natives prepare to unload another Douglas C47 Dakota transport aircraft bringing urgent supplies from the Australian mainland. Note the low cloud over the airstrip.

Japanese air supremacy

Gunner Laurie Ward who later joined the 2/33rd made the following remarks in an interview (http://indicatorloops.com/pm_ackack.htm)

There were quite a few air raids because the Japanese had complete control of the air. We had no fighters and very very few bombers, our fighters having been shot down in the Darwin region in the early part of the New Guinea campaign, and up around Rabaul. The Japanese having air supremacy just came and went at will. Our job was to protect both the harbour of Port Moresby and the airfields, which were Ward’s and Jackson’s airstrips.

That Hobart Gaol turnout

I can’t be certain, but this might have been the ‘turnout’ referred to ….can’t help laughing!

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/91506249

We’ve struck quite a lot of Yanks

Many US Air Force units were based at the Port Moresby dromes. This is a link to a film – A Day in the life of a GI at 7 Mile Drome https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/F03478/

Posted in organisation, pay and conditions | Tagged buying land, carriers, censors, decorations, Hobart Gaol, Jim McDonnell, red tape, regrets, Yanks | Leave a comment

Dick’s kept pretty busy; we find a marvellous swimming spot

Posted on October 5, 1942 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Cpl M L Hickman

33rd Platoon

Composite Carrier Group

NGF New Guinea

5/10/42

Dear Mother & Dad

As Mail has now become our only connecting link with civilisation you can well imagine how pleased I was to get three letters this evening – yours and May’s and one from Jack. Each letter I’ve had lately I’ve expected to hear of the new arrival and am very glad everything turned out alright. May seemed very cheerful too. It’s not before time – she’s due for a run of luck after the run of outs she’s had. I must give the baby a present but as I can’t do so myself will you give her ten pounds for me.

So Mrs Walker’s estate has cleaned up after all. They’ve been a long time haven’t they. I’ll bet some of the beneficiaries were nearly worried to death and kept the lift at the Insurance building running very frequently. Mrs Len is not a bad old scout. How are things going with them these days? I suppose young Len can’t do much work. That wood should come in handy too even though you have a good stock in.

Although I know roughly where Dick is there’s not a chance in a thousand I’ll see him. As I suppose you’ve already gathered there’s been a lot of buggarising about done, and of course I can’t explain it but Dick’s still with his old show and kept pretty busy too I think. Some of his mob are with us but they’re not likely to see him either. I’d like to see him for personal reasons but am not in the race. Jack’s letter was as usual very cheerful. He told me of his visit to Hobart and Pottery Road ‘to show our infant to our friends and relations’ and seemed very interested in your efforts at temperance. He said ‘I think Henry’s fair dinkum – he’s sold the casks’. He said Len Saunders had been in Deloraine recently and told him that Weddie is in England. Good luck to the old Wedd I’ll bet he’s telling some rare tales. He’d probably make our kangaroo forces look silly when he told them of the jungle and things up here – he could tell a hell of a good story by sticking to facts but I hesitate to think what a man with Wedd’s imagination could tell – Gulliver’s travels would be child’s play in comparison. But by jove I’d like to be with him. As I’ve just mentioned in May’s letter, if Wedd can’t talk his way into Buckingham Palace, well nobody can.

You remember what I told you a couple of letters back about Peter McCowan and Ray Ross. Well we had a letter from Peter the other day. It seems that when he was taken back to hospital he was charged in the usual way, reprimanded and fined two days’ pay. He was always a bit pleased with the fact that he’d managed to evade crime sheets and didn’t have a red mark in his book and it was a bit tough to cop a red line after three years and then for trying to get away to do the job. I rather fancy he’ll be shooting for a base job – one extreme to the other – he’s a pretty good instructor and might click a good job. We’ve not heard anything of Rossy but I’m inclined to think he’d be flat out for an instructors job too – he was pretty sick of it and you can bet Peg would back him to stay back if he could.

We struck a marvellous spot for swimming the other night. Of course we might not strike it again but it was perfect – a fairly fast clear stream with enough depth for diving and just perfectly warm. We struck it in the evening when the sun was setting and making play on the water and reeds through a coconut. The scene was so true to picture book that Snow Lewis (who incidentally got back the other day – I think you’d be mighty crook to get a homer now) couldn’t take his eyes off it and proceeded to write a lyric to his girl friend on it, and Shortie Wright wanted to take some the river with us. Shortie is already carrying enough junk his struggle to fill a good sized trailer. There’s no doubt about them, there’s some rum ‘ens in this outfit.

Well I must say cheerio now – give my regards to Tom if you see him and the boys – I hope they’re well.

Your loving son

Max

PS Jim Mc sends his regards

Censor – Todd

Dick’s still with his old show…and kept pretty busy

Dick’s old show was the RAP for the 2/31 Bn so at the time of this letter, he would have been ‘up on the track’…. This photo shows the RAP of an unidentified Battalion at Owers’ Corner – AWM P02424.012 September 1942. NX70195 Captain Alan Victor Day (right), a Medical Officer (MO), stands in front of the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) that he runs. Two soldiers (centre) who may be receiving first aid treatment are sitting inside the RAP tent. A rough sign mounted on two poles (centre, right) identifies the tent as the RAP, while its medical function is more generally indicated by a small Red Cross flag or pennant attached to a pole standing outside it in front of the large tree (centre, left). A rolled-up stretcher leans against the trunk of the tree behind the pennant. A large YMCA sign emblazoned on an outline map of Australia (left) distinguishes the tent used by the philanthropic organisation’s representative. Owers’ Corner marks the limit of the motor road from Port Moresby on the southern section of the Kokoda Trail.

Some of his mob are with us: Carriers from the 2/31 were also part of the Composite Carrier Group and later the 25th Brigade Carrier Group.

Pete McCowan : in two places at once!?

Pete McCowan was in hospital in Brisbane when Dad and the carrier platoon embarked September 6. Somehow, between writing the letter mentioned here and that letter being received by Dad, McCowan seems to have travelled to Papua and joined the Battalion at Ioribaiwa: see this photo taken there on October 1.

AWM026829 : Tired but happy Australian soldiers of the 2/33rd Battalion at Ioribaiwa Ridge. October 1, 1942…(many others identified)….Peter McCowan (front)

Weddie is in England

Dad’s friend Rex Wedd (408200) had joined the Air Force and trained in Canada. All his missions were subsequently flown out of England.

A marvellous swimming spot – with enough depth for diving

AWM 025639 Relaxing after a long route march, Australian troops enjoy the freshness of a New Guinea mountain stream.

Posted in Papua New Guinea, The course of the war | Tagged DIck Schultz, Jack Chandler, Peter McCowan, Ray Ross, Rex Wedd, Shortie Wright, Snow Lewis, swimming | Leave a comment

Meeting fearsome mosquitoes and Yanks with Frigidaires

Posted on October 1, 1942 by felicityh54

1st October 42

Dear Mother & Dad

After quite a flood of rumours about complete suspension of mail and all that sort of thing it was a relief when Ack brought a bunch of mail out today and more pleasing still to me to find there were two for me – yours of the 14th and one from Youngster written the same day.

The news about Bluey Brooks is not really surprising. He was always a past master at scheming and probably acquired a little finesse in diplomacy in his role of Batman – anyway good luck to him. Like everyone else or at least everyone in infantry units I’d like to be out of it too but not that way – having been buggered about for nearly a thousand days we’d like to see it through now. Which one of the Dowds is a postman – the one who was a carpenters labourer at the zinc works or the mechanic chap?

The balance sheet of the AIF Club certainly shows she’s a little goldmine run rightly but it would be hard to imagine any show not making money these times. There’s a lot of people have made fortunes out of the war – Lennie Woodlock (my driver) had a letter from his girl saying that the League were batting to have soldiers’ pay raised to £1 a day but I can’t see that ever happening. It would only hasten the decline of the pound to dollar level and it’s really only single men that are worse off than on pre-war pay and even a lot of these are getting their money made up – quite a lot of married men and married women too were never as well off in their lives as they are now especially the men in base jobs where stars and stripes are as common as dirt.

So far as I am concerned very little has happened up here. We’re still on the move and still enjoying new sights and new experiences. On patrol one night we struck the heaviest concentration of mosquitoes I think I’ve ever seen. Not as noisy as those at Fidar in Syria but much more fearsome – mosquito nets were nothing to them – they’d suck a pint of blood, then drunk with satisfaction trample you to death as they taxied for a take off. As one bloke said we should be equipped with rabbit traps to catch them. Things were so bad on this particular occasion that Joe – the most unconscientious soldier in the world – got up half an hour before his time to do his piquet. May not sound very convincing to you but to those who know him it answers all doubts. On another occasion we met an old nigger who was quite different in type to the natives we’d struck at the shore villages – a really primitive being armed with a spear, a bow and a sheaf of arrows. He had a high forehead and much less hair than the others but like all the natives we’ve seen very bad teeth. He was accompanied by two gins carrying big swags of stuff on their backs.

The Yanks certainly do things in comfort. Passing through one of their working camps we stopped for a drink of water – everything on the struggle buggies was boiling – gawd blimey they had frigidaires and wireless sets in their tents, camp stretchers and goodness knows what. They said Churchill had broadcast that the war would be over by Easter – well we’ve been sold so many pups by furphy wireless that we took it with a grain of salt. A Tokyo broadcast was on while we were there – a woman counterpart of the great Lord Haw Haw was saying her piece and spitting venom in great style – classifying the Australians as snakes she hissed with excellent realism – so good in fact that you instinctively took in your surroundings without taking your eyes off the wireless.

Although we’ve just had a thunderstorm the heat is very severe. The humidity is worse than the actual heat – we had a very enjoyable swim just after dinner today.

Well Mother & Dad I must say cheerio now. Give my love to May & Anne and best regards to the Boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS I haven’t had a letter from Mrs Toomey for about a month now but had one from her friend last week.

Censor – M Todd

It seems that Dad’s section had at last caught up with the others of the Battalion who had been ‘Left out of Battle’ under Lieutenant Todd when the bulk of the unit moved up to the Owen Stanleys on September 10. (see blog entry of Sept 19)

Monster Mosquitoes

Dad didn’t ever contract malaria, so presumably these were not ‘malaria mosquitoes’. It is clear however from this letter and others that orders regarding covering arms and legs between dusk and dawn were not necessarily followed.

AWM 026343 One way to combat the mosquito menace in New Guinea: This Australian soldier reads mail from home over a fire of dried coconut shells which gives off a very pungent smoke. (The caption does not identify the soldier or his unit)

Despite the experience with malaria in Palestine, the potential impact of this disease in New Guinea was initially underestimated. An irregular supply of quinine contributed to high infection rates among Australian troops. In Jungle Warriors, Adrian Threlfall speaks of the ‘disastrous delay in issuing quinine tablets to the militia units – 30th Brigade at Port Moresby and 7th Brigade at Milne Bay’.

By November 1942, an epidemic of malaria had broken out, with rates of incidence increasing from 33 men per 1000 per week to 82 men per 100 per week by December of that year. A recognition of the importance of reducing the rate of malarial infection led to the establishment in June 1943 of the Land Headquarters Medical research Unit in Cairns. (ref https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/194/8/war-malaria-and-nora-heysen-s-documentation-australian-medical-research-through)

One of a number of US army posters re malaria prevention : others can be found at http://flashbak.com/japs-japes-and-dr-seus-us-anti-malaria-warning-posters-from-world-war-2-36536/

Yanks – doing it in comfort

Image…not a US army tent – but an example of a kerosene refrigerator. AWM 070401: Sister L Rae (AANS) 2/3rd Casualty Clearing Station, examining the contents of a kerosene refrigerator….

The Yanks in question were presumably officers. This extract is from a personal account by Major Bernhardt L Morternson of the US Fifth Bomber Command, in particular in PNG – see http://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/morternson.htm The officer’s area was being given first consideration on much of the detail program. Many of the tents were pitched high on the bluffs near the office quarters. Paths were constructed to these lofty points. It was a tremendous physical effort to help carry the large-size electric refrigerators up the steep bluffs in order that some of the “wheels” may enjoy a cool, refreshing drink of water or a suitable wash for a highball while the rest of the proletariat struggled on in thru chain-gang fashion earning the full and appropriate right to chant the lusty strains of the “Volga Boatman” had they enough strength to do so.

The first mention of refrigerators in an Australian Army facility in New Guinea that I can find, is in Colonel Joan Crouch’s account of the 2/9 Australian General Hospital at ’17 Mile’. http://userweb.eftel.com/~cantwell/files/9thAustGenHospDFJ.pdf From August 1942 – January 1943 this was the only General Hospital in the territory dealing with huge numbers of both medical and surgical cases. It was a great relief when, in January 1943, the 2/5th AGH arrived to set up a hospital at Bootless Inlet near Port Moresby…..A general all round improvement occurred ….Grass roofs and floor boards were installed in the acute wards, and the dysentery ward was flyscreened. Best of all, kerosene refrigerators were installed in every ward…..

Japanese propaganda

As well as broadcasts claiming sweeping victories, the Japanese produced propaganda leaflets such as this one, which were dropped in areas where Australian troops were fighting or based. Other examples can be found at –

http://www.psywarrior.com/JapanPSYOPWW2b.html

Posted in Papua New Guinea, pay and conditions, The course of the war | Tagged army pay, frigidaires, mosquitoes, Yanks | 1 Comment

Moresby not a bad little place but the jungle an incarnation of hell

Posted on September 25, 1942 by felicityh54

TX 1004

Max Hickman

33rd platoon

Composite Carrier Group

NGF

New Guinea

25/9/42

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a few lines to let you know I’m still happy in the service and quite fit and well and hoping this letter finds you both in the pink and May & Anne too.

Since I last wrote you we’ve seen quite a lot of country and some good examples of American organisation – ‘behind the lines’. There’s no doubt about them in industrial matters they take the palm. We’ve had an opportunity to have a look at Moresby and its immediate surroundings – not a bad little place at all. The Militia certainly let their imagination run away with them when they compared it – even before there was any fighting in New Guinea – with Tobruk and called themselves ‘The Mice of Moresby’. Even since the evacuation of civilians it’s a veritable paradise compared with the desert and when it was only a garrison station I guess they never went short of anything.

The jungle of course is a different proposition – we haven’t seen much of it but what we have seen leaves nothing to the imagination. It is impossible to describe the almost homogeneous mass produced by the dense growth of trees, shrubs, vines, roots, in fact everything that challenges man. Thorns and prickles and every pest known and feared by man abound in it. Everything that squirms, swarms or crawls finds its home in this incarnation of hell – and hot – well it’s like a Turkish bath – you can’t see the sun but just sweat. The New Guinea Police Boys – ‘Weddies mob’ – are doing a marvellous job getting the wounded out. How the hell they get through defies imagination. This crowd I’m with haven’t contacted the enemy at all yet but I have no doubt we will. The war being fought up here makes 1914 – 18 look like the days of chivalry.

I think Snow Lewis will get home soon – he hasn’t been wounded or anything but got a bad attack of flu or something of the sort and has gone to hospital and once they get him in a hospital I fancy they’ll send him home. His ticker is pretty bad. He did all sorts of things to trick the powers that be in the early days but he’ll be a damn fool if he tries to buck this time.

We camped a while on a beach under a coconut grove – a delightful spot that must once have been a native village. Remnants of their thatch and basket ware houses are still there and a missionary church – incidentally one of the chaps found an old registry of marriages.

We’ve been quite close at times to native villages – all built like the one where we camped – in coconut groves. The New Guinea blacks are the best type of coloured race I’ve seen. The men are nearly all slight of build with wonderful heads of black unruly hair. They carry a wooden teaser – a three pronged fork like arrangement for stirring the fleas up. The women are more heavily built and wear grass skirts. Little kids that can scarcely walk climb coconut palms and swim like fish.

The life up here suits Jim McDonnell perfectly. He wears his hat pork pie style and affects all the mannerisms of a beachcomber. He’s grown a long moustache and is as brown as a berry. He’s asked to be remembered to you. Old Ack has grown a moe too and looks like the Terrible Ming in Speed Gordon caricatures.

Well I must say cheerio now Mother & Dad. My love to May & Anne and regards to the boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS How much do they want for Catoes place

Censor unknown (signature indecipherable)

The Militia

Much has been written in recent years about the lack of training and equipment provided to the Militia forces sent to New Guinea. At the time this letter was written, Dad was probably typical of many in the AIF who looked down on the Militia as men who didn’t have the courage to volunteer to fight overseas, but as we now know this was a very long way from the truth.

The New Guinea Police Boys – how they get through defies imagination

The indigenous people who acted as carriers, guides and stretcher bearers were later to become known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. See for example this image from the Australian War Memorial P02423.016

This is a great article about a ‘former police boy’ who was waging a very successful one man war against the Japanese: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/11999437 This photo depicts a man of the same name: AWM 127566

Port Moresby: Not a bad little place

Image – AWM 025876

From the website – indicatorloops.com/portmoresby.htm – The following is an extract from a Japanese intelligence report made by Major Tetsuo Toyofuku on the basis of personal observation in March 1941. The study known as “Military Data on British New Guinea” was reproduced by (Japanese) General Headquarters, Southern Army, in 1942 for use in the New Guinea operations. The assessment of Port Moresby’s harbour was very accurate:

General Condition of Harbor and City: Port Moresby has a good, wide harbor, and the bay is entered by passing between Hanudamava Island (at the mouth of the harbor) and Bogirohodobi Point, approximately 1.5 miles (2400m) to the east. At the beginning of 1940 there were approximately 800 Europeans, approximately 20 Chinese, and no Japanese residents. The natives (approximately 2000) have built their village over the water and live apart from the white residents. The city is situated between Tuaguba Hill and Ela Hill on the eastern shore of the harbor, and is the center of the government, military affairs, economics, transportation, communications, etc. of Australian-controlled New Guinea. There are various offices, including government offices and branch offices, a radio station, a government-managed electric power plant, church, school, European and native hospitals, an ice plant, bank, hotels, etc.

We’ve been quite close at times to native villages

As he gives the impression of travelling around, it seems Dad may well have been accompanying Major General Morris. (see photo in post of Sept 19)

The first image shows indigenous children and their homes (AWM 069228), and the second, the 7th Brigade command post built in ‘traditional native style’ surrounded by coconut palms (AWM 148994)

Snow Lewis…has gone to hospital.

AWM 107160 Interior of a tent ward at the 2/9th Australian General Hospital. Nurses stop for a tea break. Note the earth floor.

This was the only General Hospital in the territory at the time so is probably where Snow Lewis was sent for treatment.

The Terrible Ming

The character was actually known as Ming the Merciless…image from Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (ref Wikipedia) film made in 1940.

Posted in Carrier platoon, Geography and Culture, Papua New Guinea | Tagged Ack Hallam, Jim McDonnell, New Guinea natives, Snow Lewis, the Americans, the jungle, the Militia | 1 Comment

Don’t take too much notice of what you read in the papers

Posted on September 19, 1942 by felicityh54

19th September 42

Dear Mother & Dad

After nearly a month without news it was good to get the mail today. Your letters of the 31st and seventh and two from Youngster written on the 1st and 8th of the month and surprisingly enough one from Mrs Laird written on the eleventh of April. They were all very cheerful epistles and particularly welcome just now. The time Mrs Laird’s letter took probably accounts for the fact that you haven’t heard from the Bank although I suppose they would write air mail.

By jove that property was certainly cheap wasn’t it. From twenty five I never dreamt it would go that cheaply or I’d have had a go for it when I was home. Catoes is certainly a good property but it would be out of my reach. Still there may be other land about.

I wrote you last week when we were anchored off a northern port but as I haven’t much confidence in the mail arrangements under such circumstances have no idea whether it would make the grade and as there’s a very consistent rumour that the airmail service has been suspended it will probably be some time before this one makes the grade.

When we got within sight of this dump we were quite surprised at the number of aircraft in the air. It was quite a bright spot. They lost no time getting us ashore and into a makeshift camp where we had a meal of bully & biscuits and curled up for the night. Just to remind us that there’s a war on, the Japs put on a small scale raid early in the evening and all night the drone of our planes filled the air but didn’t disturb our sleep unduly.

Whilst awaiting orders yesterday some of the chaps did a bit of reccy and acquired a case of beer which worked out nearly two bottles per man for the mob. Beer is a much sought after commodity in these parts, in fact to all intents and purposes this country is a temperance stronghold. But canteen prices for dry stuff are very reasonable. Of course once we get away from the canteen everything will be as scarce as gold but tobacco is 1/2 a two ounce tin and cigarette papers a penny a packet. Most of our bunch (the crowd who were left behind) made provision against being caught as they have always been caught before and went to amazing extremes to procure tobacco at 2/6 a tin. Still even at that it was good insurance to a smoker.

Four of us – Ned Turner, Snow Lewis, Harry Cassells and myself – located a shower which turned out to belong to an airforce crowd. They’re not airmen but something to do with the business – a good crowd of blokes – they invited us to dinner and we lairized with plates etc and tables. Quite a good meal too compared with army standards. We got the only news we’d had for a fortnight from what they call the ‘good guts sheet’, a printed page of foolscap distributed by the airforce.

Mrs Laird said they’d had a terrible winter and even in April it was still very severe. It’s certainly not wintery at all up here. In fact it’s powerful hot. Not the dry heat of the desert but a humid heat and of course it’ll get worse yet. Incidentally in other matters don’t take too much notice of what you read in the papers.

Well I’m afraid there isn’t any more news that I can write you just now. There’s a flood of rumours and I think some of them are pretty solid. We expect to join the unit tomorrow so letters may be very irregular. I’ll say cheerio now. Give my love to May & Anne and regards to Laurie and the boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS If you happen to be down that way Dad will you get Rex Wedd’s address for me, and while I think of it do you happen to know whether Max Phillips has left home yet?

New address:

33rd Platoon

Composite Carrier group

New Guinea Forces

New Guinea

Anchored off a northern port

This comment seems to confirm my suspicion that the convoy stopped at Townsville, en route to Port Moresby. On the day he wrote that letter – September 10 – the rest of the Battalion was starting to move onto what has become known as the Kokoda Track (or trail). From The Footsoldiers: Initially 25th Brigade had been alerted to land, opposed or unopposed, at Milne Bay and assist in destroying the Japanese. By the time we were at sea Milne Bay force had gradually gained control of the situation. The Kokoda trail, on the other hand, was being lost to us, and the Japanese were in fact well down to the south-west slopes of the mountains and presenting a grave danger to Moresby. As a result our 25th Brigade was diverted to either attack or stem this Japanese onrush – as it turned out, none too soon. (p147)

Convoys to New Guinea

Laurie Ward (NX 113404) was with the 32 A/A Bty for about 15 months before joining the 2/33 in the Lae campaign. He sailed from Townsville to Port Moresby in early September on the Katoomba – so may well have been in the same convoy as Dad. Some of his wartime recollections are shared on http://indicatorloops.com/pm_ackack.htm and include the following:

I have no idea how many men were on the ship, but it was very crowded. They had quite a few decks and we were right down on a lower deck and you just slept on the bare floor or on the hammocks. You were allocated a place to sleep and swinging above you was a hammock to accommodate double the quantity of men. As we went down the stairs to that deck it had a sign above our heads at the bottom of the stairs ‘Cattle Deck’.

We were on the ship for three days in a convoy of 7 ships. The journey doesn’t normally take that long but in convoys during wartime their speed is governed by the slowest ship in the convoy and we had one that could only do 4 knots. We were guarded by a warship called a corvette and overhead from daylight to dark, a Catalina aircraft flew over, for spotting enemy submarines. During the voyage there was a submarine scare. The Catalina circled the warship and waggled its wings. The Corvette turned around very sharply and raced slightly to the rear and both the Catalina and the warship fired many depth charges. The result of this we will never know. We were never told any results of this action.

No time lost, getting us ashore

Image – AWM 026703 – Troops of the 25th Australian Infantry Brigade disembarking at the wharf from naval corvettes, having been ferried by those from troopships anchored in the harbour.

On arrival in Port Moresby things were very grim and serious because of enemy aircraft and the Katoomba pulled into the small jetty but before our arrival there we had been drilled on how quickly to evacuate the ship. Before entering the harbour all troops were lined up with their full equipment on and we all doubled very smartly, which was a run, off the ship, down the gangplank, clear of the wharves, mounted what few trucks there were and we were very quickly removed from he harbour area because of the danger of Japanese aircraft coming over. (reported by Laurie Ward – see http://indicatorloops.com/pm_ackack.htm)

Surprised at the number of planes in the air

From The Footsoldiers – Since February, Port Moresby had been bombed by up to eighty Jap bombers, and nearly every other day and on many nights, raids had taken place. Vessels were sunk in the harbour and some days before our arrival seven of the only ten Douglas transport planes had been destroyed on the strip at Ward’s Field at the Seven Mile. Two squadrons – the RAAF’s 75 squadron and an American Kittyhawk squadron – were all that constituted the air defences of Moresby (p 147)

The destruction at the Seven Mile airstrip was a disaster for the men of the 2/14th Battalion who had set off along the track in mid August and first engaged the Japanese at Isurava on August 26. They were relying on supplies being dropped at Myola – but the bombing of the transport planes at Seven Mile meant none arrived.

Image AWM 026271. Papua 18 August 1942 View of Seven Mile aerodrome near Port Moresby after a raid by 24 Japanese bombers. The casualties were one killed and thirteen injured. Four planes were destroyed and several damaged. In the picture are several transport planes which should have been dispersed.

Image AWM P05876.001

Bomb damage at Seven Mile Aerodrome near Port Moresby following a Japanese air raid.

Left out of Battle

The following extract from The Footsoldiers suggests that on arrival in Port Moresby, Dad’s section may have joined the others of the Battalion who had been Left out of Battle (LOB): Following 25th Brigade orders, the CO ordered that one warrant officer (the CSM, HQ Company) and twenty nine men were to be left out of battle, plus all the Carrier Platoon (less one Vickers gun) and all the Mortar Platoon (less one detachment) – a total of fifty six men under Lieutenant Matt Todd, all to be used for Port Moresby defence. (p145)

However, dad’s letters were not censored by Lieutenant Todd until October, so it is possible his section was otherwise engaged until then …perhaps they were accompanying Major General Morris on his tour of areas under his control –

Image AWM 069227

Native children taking a keen interest in a Bren gun carrier, manned by Australian troops who were present as a cover patrol during the visit of Major General B M Morris, DSO….

The ‘good guts sheet’

Most likely the Moresby Army News Sheet (MANS) -which evolved into a 4 page news sheet called Guinea Gold : see http://www.ozatwar.com/raaf/whisperer/september2003.pdf

Don’t take too much notice of what you read in the papers

His parents were probably reading reports such as these :

‘The most serious threat to Australia since Japan entered the war’ – Hobart Mercury Sept 11, 1942 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25931981

‘World’s Worst Battleground’ – Hobart Mercury Sept 18, 1942 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25893574 ….Australians are fighting in these appalling conditions because if they do not fight in front of Port Moresby there will be no positions to fight the battle for Australia outside of Australia itself. The battle for New Guinea is on, and everybody knows it……

Posted in Carrier platoon, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, Food and Drink | Tagged Moresby Army News Sheet | Leave a comment

Separated from the unit…and a glorious end to our stay in Queensland

Posted on September 10, 1942 by felicityh54

5th September 42

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a few lines hoping to find you happy & well and enjoying life to the fullest as I am at present. Our Section has been detached from the unit for a few days and will probably not catch up for some time – a week or ten days. We’re representing the battalion on a bit of a stunt – not in any competitive manner but just that it was this section’s turn to do it so of course I’m not getting any mail at present. The job we’re on has been very varied covering field work in several phases and it has also taken us over a lot of new country.

The other night Monday to be correct there was a lull in proceedings and we got leave from five o’clock till midnight – midnight in this case being the administration parade next morning. Mick O’Brien and I got away a bit ahead of time – in fact we were in Brisbane twenty minutes before our leave officially started and thirty five miles from the place we had leave to, having got a lift with with an air force officer in a staff car – a hell of a nice chap he was too. He’s been to Canada, England, down through the Middle East and home. Nothing snobbish about him at all, although he told us that the relationship between officers and other ranks were much the same in the airforce as they are in the army. We had a couple of drinks with him and went on to the canteen for a feed and then to a picture show – “Smiling Through” – not a bad show but not what I’d expected. On the way to a suburban station (where we had to go to catch a goods train – there’s no passenger trains after nine o’clock to our joint) we met a couple of Yankee merchant seamen. They were going our way and we got into conversation with them. It was their first visit to Australia and the talk went round to the question of pay. They told me they get seven dollars a day plus a bonus of a hundred and twenty five dollars for every port they make – those that get through will certainly have a roll when it’s over.

Johnny McGrow’s sister is getting a set of snaps printed for me – they’re just camp snaps but some of them are very good. She’s going to send them on to you together with my coupon book. I don’t see that I’ll need coupons for anything. Although there’s only twenty five they might be some use if not to you I guess May will find use for them, but whoever uses them may have to get someone in the service to get what you want or else to go to the shop with you.

I saw Tiny on Monday for the first time in four months. By jove he’s got fat – fatter than he’s ever been since I’ve known him. Of course he should do, he’s on a good run but he never seemed to be the fattening type – but he must be close on thirteen stone now – he wished to be remembered to you and to Tom Cooper. He told me young Jack is going into the office at the Zinc Works at the end of the year – that should be alright. The other boy Les has been called up but Tiny is hoping he’ll get exemption because of the trade.

The train line runs right past our camp and the other morning when we went down to the creek for a wash, found a ten gallon barrel of beer. It must have fallen or been pushed off the train – a couple of the blokes seemed to know quite a lot about it – anyway we put a tap in it and did it over in the approved way. It was quite nice too.

Well Mother & Dad I’m afraid without discussing the war or politics there’s not much I can write you so with very best wishes to May & Anne and regards to Laurie and the boys I’ll say cheerio.

Your loving son

Max

…Will probably not catch up for a week or ten days.

The battalion had in fact sailed with the others of the 25th Brigade, for Port Moresby (via Townsville) on September 1. There is no information in either the battalion or the brigade diary of the reason for a section of carriers being detached for other duties, and Dad’s service record gives no information about this separation. However the Movement Orders (awm.gov.au RCDIG1024949 ) do show that the initial plan was for all 21 carriers from the 2/33 to be loaded with the troops while later appendices specify (p90) ‘2/33 Bn less det’ and (p91) 2/31 – 21 carriers, 2/33 – 17 carriers, 2/25 – 15 carriers.

Smilin’ Through : 1932 movie

10th Sept 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

Just a few lines to let you know I’m still enjoying life though in much different circumstances than when I last wrote you.

A simple order last Sunday night brought to an end the best break this unit has had since its inception and I think the best break any of us have had since we signed the spotted line for the duration and twelve months after. A series of manoeuvres and stunts kept my section back after the rest of the unit had left and as a glorious finale to our stay in this state we were camped – or at least we dumped our gear – within twenty minutes’ tram ride of the GPO. Although we were under orders to be in camp over night we arranged with a chap living near the camp to contact the officer in charge each morning and give us the dope when we reconnoitred each day at eleven o’clock and in this way we had an open slather. Four glorious days – absolutely carefree. I stayed two nights with Johnny McGrow’s people and two with Peter McGowan’s and lived on the luxuries of the land. We saw several good picture shows and on Saturday went to the races.

It was a great leave and one that will find a place in every man’s “days to remember” and presently when we get back to Bully & Biscuits and a blanket and ground sheet will think back on those baked chickens, steak & eggs and pork chops, and the luxury of soft beds. One bloke drank three cups of coffee to keep him awake so that he could appreciate the soft bed.

I met Roy Jilley one day. Dad may remember him . He was a member of the club for some time but I think he was barred later. He was flashing a couple of pips so I asked him what season’s jam they came out of. He said they were quite new. Last time I saw him he was a gunner in the artillery – the equivalent rank of a private in the infantry. That was in Palestine early last year. He made no bones about the method employed. He said he was getting nowhere in the old outfit so transferred over where he had some influence working for him. If the truth were told that’s the story behind most commissions. On Friday night we had a few drinks and supper with Heatley Roy. He’s certainly a great spender and quite amusing in some ways.

We met Peter McCowan on the Friday. He’s been in hospital and thought we’d all gone. He was due to leave for a convalescent camp but decided to take the risk and try and go with us. However they caught up with him on Sunday and he was taken back to hospital and is on a charge of being AWL from that institution.

Rossy – I think you’ll remember him – I’ve often mentioned him – was particularly lucky. At the psychological moment his carrier wouldn’t start so Ramon got orders to take it to a depot that is only a hundred yards from his home so he may be home for a week or ten days or even more (Ray has been in the Army three years)

Meantime we’re with Bill’s cobbers once again and so far are living pretty well. The weather’s glorious and the food quite good considering and as on all such occasions the pack of cards is our greatest standby although we had quite a good concert last night.

There’s no doubt about it that “on your feet” order that I mentioned early in this letter has had a wealth of meaning in the army. I suppose it was the same in Dad’s day. It was the cautionary before everything we did and has a chain of memories for every one. Those Battalion moves when after a two or three o’clock reveille we’ve sat for hours with our packs and gear ready to move sometimes twelve or fourteen hours – then again at the end of a ten minute halt during a route march or a bit of a break during manoeuvres in the sand or the zero hour to move again after the artillery have put down their barrage in the real show. I really think it would be a good title for a book and if things work out right I may use it as a contemporary to “Bastards I have known”.

Well Mother & Dad I must say cheerio now. Give my love to May & Anne and best regards to Laurie & the boys.

Your loving son

Max

censor – A E Hayne

It was a great leave

Clearly it wasn’t actually leave, but they knew how to work the system! There were Australian Army staging camps at Tennyson and Kalinga Park, both of which might have been within twenty minutes’ tram ride of the Brisbane GPO but I haven’t been able to find any information about them. There are aerial photos of the Tennyson site at http://www.ozatwar.com/locations/1australianstagingcamp.htm. American camps are documented in more detail eg Ascot Camp http://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/campascot.htm

On Your Feet

Image – State Library of Queensland 108396 – Troops with their kitbags at Brisbane Railway station

We’re with Bill’s cobbers again

In the context of not being able to speak about the war or his specific movements, this was Dad’s way of telling his parents that he was once again at sea. His brother in law Bill Drysdale was an officer in the Navy. There would have been in no doubt as to where the men were heading. Dad’s service record shows that he left Brisbane on the Jason Lee on September 6 and arrived in Port Moresby on September 17. Presumably there was a stop in Townsville en route. His record also shows that while on board (11/9/42) he was ‘detached for duty to NGF Comp Carrier Gp’. A month later, he ceased to be attached to this group and was detached to 25 Aust Inf Bde Carrier Gp 14 Aust Inf Bde. I take this to mean the carrier group from the 25th Brigade came under the command of the 14th Brigade. The diaries of the 14th Brigade have not been digitised at the time of writing (January 2016) however I have discovered that Dad’s section was primarily employed in airfield defence around Port Moresby.

Posted in escapades, relaxation, fun and games, leave, training | Tagged Bastards I have known, Johnny McGrow, living in luxury, Mick O'Brien, Peter McCowan, Ray Ross, Roy Jilley, Tiny Schultz | Leave a comment

I’d like a drink myself but won’t be in this queue racket: back in ‘doover’ bivouac, awaiting movement orders

Posted on August 28, 1942 by felicityh54

SALVATION ARMY paper

28 August 42

Dear Mother & Dad

It was pay night last night so tonight nearly all the mob are at the canteen (camp canteen) on the hops and except for the occasional crackle of the fire my section domicile is in complete quiet. I’d like a drink myself but I won’t be in this queue racket. I walked over and bought some shaving cream a while back and there must have been two hundred in the queue – you have to line up to buy a ticket and then get in another queue for your drink. Even Irish (Jim McDonnell) turned away tonight.

I received your letter today and am very sorry to hear of Anne’s fall and certainly hope she’s alright again now. By jove I’ll bet May was in a frenzy. As you say it was very hard on her at the present time – she’s not in a condition to stand too much strain. Give her and Anne my love will you.

Ack told me yesterday that Gwen had had afternoon tea with Mother at the Windsor. She’s a jolly nice girl isn’t she? I suppose she told you why I sent my wallet and things home. Well, the expected developments didn’t develop and after a certain amount of shimanacking we’re back in an old camp – not a bad spot but nowhere near as good as the one we’ve been in, between times. I hope that doesn’t sound too double Dutch but I guess you’ll work it out.

I can see now where Tiny reckoned he was going to get home leave. I think I mentioned before that he was sweating on convalescent leave but he must have fallen for the furphy that we were going to get another seven days leave. It was the most consistent rumour we’ve heard for a long time but I wouldn’t wear it from the start. I see the sixth Divvy mob are getting fourteen days and travelling time but I’ll bet there’s very few of them had as much overseas service as we have had. I guess it was the dissatisfaction about our lot that got them the extra time. Still good luck to them. We’re probably living better than at any time in our army lives but I’m terribly sick of it and can’t stir up much enthusiasm.

I can well appreciate your remarks on the cost of living and the relative value of money. The men who are in the swim today, collecting the dough on today’s values – will be all right when it’s over but the values are certainly changing. Building of private homes seems to have stopped everywhere now. By jove there’ll be a building boom when it’s over. You know that bush property behind May’s place – it used to belong to Ashton Jones – what about seeing what they’ll take for it. It’s estate property I think and might be bought pretty right and building is definitely going that way – at a price it would be good holding.

There’s no doubt about Jim McDonnell – he’s got some tin that bloke. I told you about his escapade a couple of weeks back. Well for certain reasons he hasn’t been charged till today and when they told him he had to front the OC this morning everyone expected he’d go for a row of sixes. I don’t know what the charge was but he got off with a fine of a day’s pay – we all thought he’d cop a spell on the inside or at least a fiver but he got away with it again on his good record. But if the Irish B had been crimed for his misdemeanours his paybook would have been well decorated.

One of our blokes has had a funny experience – when we were in England he fell on his wrist. The RAP treated him for a sprain and to all intents and purposes his wrist got right. Lately it started to swell and eventually achieved very noticeable proportions and he wasn’t able to use his fingers so he went to the MO who sent him on to an ambulance crowd where he was examined by quite a number of doctors. I forget what they called it but the crux of the story was that he’d cracked the bone and the marrow had leaked out – took two years for enough to get out to upset the blood system and cause the swelling.

You know how our fellows winge. I suppose they winged in your day too – well the best effort I’ve very heard was early this week. Since we left the last camp and lost our platoon cook, tucker had been a bit light on. Well on Tuesday night the QM put on a hell of a feed – cold meat, lettuce and beetroot with tinned fruit to follow. When everyone had eaten their fill and there was still quite a lot left, some of them started winge-ing (quite seriously too) because they weren’t hungry enough to eat all the grub. Well that’s an all time champion.

I must say cheerio now and climb into the blankets. We’ve got a bit of a stunt on tomorrow and reveille is at half past four. My best regards to the boys.

Your loving son

Max

Afternoon tea at ‘The Windsor’

I suspect this was in fact at the Hallam residence in Windsor St Glenorchy.

The expected developments didn’t develop

From The Footsoldiers: ….”the landing of the Japanese at Buna on the north coast of New Guinea on 22 July had necessitated the placing of the Brigade on instant alert and warning for a move. We knew the 18th and 21st Brigades were embarking and were on the move. For ten days we sat about Petrie. All of our tents had now gone, our gear was all packed, ammunition issued and we were living in our groundsheet ‘doovers’. Our kit bags had gone to the Kit Store – and we waited and waited. On 12 August we were stood down from alert, and orders were issued for the battalion to move to Toorbul Point on the coast to carry out amphibious training……From 19 to 26 August the battalion exercised in the boats both by day and night. All enjoyed this sea interlude as something different from the hard three months of training we had jut had. By 1600 hours on the 27th we were back in ‘doover’ bivouac at the old Caboolture site, and on 24 hours notice to move……”

‘Doover’ was a term that generally referred to a makeshift shelter, but those referred to in this extract were constructed from groundsheets, as in this photo. (AWM 081848)

Photos: amphibious training (a different battalion, a year later – but on the Queensland coast – no doubt there were similarities) AWM 054698 and 054707

A bit of a stunt on tomorrow

The approaching ‘stunt’ was a major tactical exercise/ demonstration that had been in the planning for 3 weeks. The objective was “to demonstrate a method of dealing with minor opposition on the axis of advance by infiltration, envelopment and by passing.” (ref 25 Bde diary August 1942 – AWM RCDIG1024949 p73). A sketch map appears on p 76 of the same diary, and on pp 93-94, a report by Lt-Col J R Wolfenden. Point 4 of the report indicates that over 300 officers viewed the demonstration: “Comds and staffs and unit representatives of the following formations attending- 1 Aust Motor Bde 3 Aust Div Units attd to 25 Aust Inf Bde 32 U. S. Div 41 U. S. Div Representatives of LHQ, First Aust Army and 2 Aust Corps “

The other Battalions of the 25th Brigade participated in another demonstration the same afternoon. The Brigadier was sufficiently impressed with the performance of all involved that he sent a congratulatory message: (image) “ Senior officers present were very pleased with work of the troops and spirit in which demos carried out. Brig 25 Bde wishes to congratulate all ups taking part.” (ref 33 Bn diary August 1942 AWM RCDIG 1027237 p78)

Posted in escapades, relaxation, fun and games, Food and Drink, leave | Tagged Gwen Hallam, Jim KcDonnell, pay day queues, punishment, Tiny Schultz | Leave a comment

The colonel gets a surprise dunking and laughs with the rest

Posted on August 24, 1942 by felicityh54

24th Aug 42

Dear Mother & Dad

I received your welcome letter of the seventeenth on Friday. Sorry to hear that dad has the gout again – did you try McDevitt’s cure? He reckoned the only thing that did him any good was Epsom Salts. Of course in those days he was very fat and didn’t get much exercise but I guess exercise is not your trouble.

There’s no doubt about what you say as regards easy money. There are thousands who are making fortunes that didn’t know where to get the next meal before the show. They’re living like princes now and when it’s over the blokes who have been in it will be working for them. It’s a queer show and we’re certainly the clowns of the circus.

You needn’t have any worry about seeing Tiny home on leave. He’s got my chance of getting leave and I’ve got no chance. The bludger sent me a parcel containing a bottle of blue stuff like ink with a note saying it was a good hair restorer. And of course Ack Hallam who is acting CSM got it first and passed it round the mob so I copped another blitz from the ‘Bloody no hopers’ as Haigh calls our mob. Still I’ll catch up with him one of these days.

I was quite surprised to hear of your decision about Rennies, but it’s your business – I suppose they’re paying my ten pounds a year.

The weather is getting a real punch in it now. It’s really perfect at present but will get very hot soon I think. We’re doing some route marches lately and they certainly drive the sweat out. The other day on a march we stopped for lunch near a river and of course we all sat along the bank to eat. You know the quiet that follows a meal in the open like that when everyone lays back and dozes. Well there wasn’t a sound at all, then suddenly there was a hell of a splash and everyone jumped to their feet. The piece of bank where the colonel and his offsider had been sitting had given way and the Trump and others were in the drink, floundering round in full marching order. You can imagine how the boys enjoyed it. He took it very well though and laughed with the rest when he got out. A feature of the incident was when the battalion dogs dived in, in sympathy. We’ve got three or four regulars here – OC dogs is little Woodside, a vey small foxy some of the fellows brought with them from Woodside South Australia. Of the others, a big Alsatian and Bluey are regulars and follow us on all out marches.

The same day as the swimming incident Bill Collis – you remember Basher: I’ve mentioned him in despatches before – got sconed with a limb of a tree and to use his own expression (an expression that caused a big laugh among the mob) he went quite silly for a while – but he’s quite recovered now.

On a couple of the marches we’ve had lately we’ve finished up at a beach – there’s some marvellous beaches here – and had some good swimming and at one place got a fair stack of oysters.

You never mentioned in your letter whether you’d got my wallet. Of course I may have told you about it in a letter that hasn’t arrived yet. I have it to Ack’s wife when she went home.

Well I’m afraid there isn’t any more I can write just now so with love to May & Anne and regards to the boys I’ll say cheerio.

Your loving son

Max

PS Jim & Nuggett send their best wishes. Jim had been a sick man for a couple of days – he had a week on the grog and an enforced abstinence upset his digestion and he got an attack of diarrhoea.

“Bloody No Hopers”
Lieutenant Haigh was the Headquarters Company CSM in Syria (see post dated 24 September 1941). I assume ‘our mob’ in this context is the Carrier Platoon.

Trump in the drink

Lieutenant-Colonel Buttrose’s accidental dunking was commemorated in the top right quadrant of his shield .

Carrier in the drink

Neither the caption nor Dad’s letter divulges whether the carriers ran into trouble on the same day as the colonel, but this photo was definitely taken by Dick Lewis during the time spent at Petrie.

Posted in Carrier platoon, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, leave, training | Tagged baldness, Bill Collis, hair restorer, Lieut-Col Buttrose | Leave a comment

Scarce writeable news – of food, friends and a variety of rackets

Posted on August 16, 1942 by felicityh54

6th August 42

Dear Mother & Dad

I received your welcome letter of the third last Wed, together with one from Ivy and a parcel from Anne – two tins (scallops I think) – there’s no labels on them but the tins conform in shape and size and a goodly quantity of chewing gum that is going to be very handy.

By jove property must have taken a jump in Hobart (I thought when I read your last letter that you meant the brick place). The clergyman bought it for six fifty or seven fifty didn’t he? It’s certainly been a good bet. The Rayners who bought it wouldn’t be the Tower Road people would they?

I think I mentioned in one letter that some people named Cramb had given us a lift into town one evening. The wife has inherited quite a lot of building land in and around Brisbane and is very anxious to be quit of it. I haven’t seen any of it but there’s some blocks on Riverside Drive that ought to be interesting. I might look them over if I happen to get into town in the daytime – with a depreciating currency money in banks doesn’t look too good a bet to me.

Youngster told me the story of Bill’s mishap and as you say it was quite a coincidence that Laurie should have had a fall at the same time. Youngster was quite upset about it. Incidentally a brother of one of the sergeants – an air force chap – has just called in. He was in the same area as Bill’s brother but didn’t know Drew by name.

The platoon cooking arrangements continue to give great satisfaction. The oven is a great success and we’ve had some very nice baked meals as well as scones and first rate puff pastry. Like nearly all the blokes except a few who can’t, I’m getting as big as a house. I was weighed the other day and tipped the scale at twelve stone ten. I guess if I were home now you wouldn’t think I’d ever been off my food – we’ve got back into form alright. It’s still got me beat how Tiny’s getting home. There’s been a strong stream of rumours for some time now about fourteen days’ leave – he may be working on them or he may have got sick leave but I think he’d be up hill getting out just now. A few of our blokes have got away with boards. I wouldn’t be surprised if they board old Claude Hill. It’ll be a bad day’s work for them if they do – he was never better off in his life. He works making his money up and they’ll never put him into action – and he’s made a power of money running two up games and SP Bookie-ing. He was back at base in Palestine and banked nearly five hundred quid. He’s as cunning as any man I know – he can play Tiny on a break.

Ack’s wife is coming home next week and I’m sending my wallet. She’s taking a few things home for Ack and he asked if there was anything I wanted to send so as this wallet is starting to wear and has quite a history to me I thought I’d send it back and get a new one. Gwen will probably ring you when she gets home but in any case Dad if you’re out that way any time you might call and get it. The address is 17 Windsor St Glenorchy. There’s a little general store on the corner.

Writeable news is very scarce so with love & best wishes to May & Anne and regards to my friends and the boys I’ll say cheerio. Your loving son

Max.

PS Jim McDonnell sends his best wishes (but objects to your spelling of his name*) – he’s still on the grog

* Jim McDonnell : I assume Henry used the ‘Scotch’ spelling of MacDonald – and Jim as a patriotic Irishman would certainly have objected!

16th August 1942

Dear Mother & Dad

There’s no doubt about it – it’ll never do for me to commit a crime. I was having a cup of tea at the Railway refreshment rooms this morning when a girl came over and said excuse me are you Max Hickman? Although her face seemed familiar I couldn’t quite place her. Anyway I said Yes – that’s me. Then she said ‘Do you know Graham Watts?’ and I dropped to it straight away. It was Wattsie’s girl – you know of Wattsie – he was with us in England and Syria – got his ear drum busted during the show and went back to a base job. His crowd’s not home yet. He used to rave about this girl and she certainly is very nice – quiet type but very genuine. Anyway I said how did you know me? She said from a snap Graham sent when you were in Scotland. Well Gawd Blimey that’s picking them isn’t it?

I struck a day’s leave yesterday and went out to Albion Park races with Ted McGoldrick. Had quite an enjoyable day, cleared exes about two bob to spare. Mc was betting pretty heavily and struck a ten to one pup in the last race. I think he won pretty well. We lobbed back in town and went to the Windsor – you might remember it. It’s quite an old place on the corner of Roma Street and Anne Street. As soon as we got inside we were greeted with the familiar voices of Jim McDonnell and Viv Abel singing some Irish lament. They were as full as googs. They went through yesterday morning in shirts and shorts and had been on it all day. Old Mc perked all over the floor. How the devil they ever got home without being picked up by the Provosts beats me. They’re on it again this morning – once those two get the taste of it they certainly go for it. Neither of them remembers much about yesterday but they’re quite sure that they either borrowed money from someone or robbed someone. Reinke said he saw them with a sailor, threatening to do him over.

I think I mentioned in my last letter that Johnny McGrow had taken me out to his sister’s place. They told me if I got any leave they’d like me to go up and stay there. Johnny was up there the night before and he told them I was going in and yesterday before I went he said they’re expecting you up tonight. So I stayed there. They’re a jolly nice crowd too. Johnny’s brother – won the MM in the 9th Battalion – was there. He’s a great scout too – the ideal soldier.

Peter took me out to his place too one night last week for a McGowan reunion. Several of his uncles were there as well as his brother and his mother who’s been down from Sarina on a holiday. She’s still very Scotch – much more than Peter or Maurie. She said she’d often thought of writing you and probably will when she gets back home.

Your letter of the tenth has just arrived. By jove you’re certainly copping some winter down there. The wood position is quite different here to what it is at home or in Melbourne. You can get your wood at two days’ notice but you must take at least a ton. Wouldn’t the Melbourne people like to be able to get a ton at a time!

As you say there’s quite a lot of people were never better off in their lives than they are now and up here it’s even more noticeable. The rackets that are going here make the place a regular Chicago. Taxi drivers trade on the petrol rationing and won’t do runs over a mile – and they’re kept going all the time too – no meters on them either. They get anything from five shillings to seven and six a mile – before the war they got eighteen pence for the first mile and sixpence a mile afterwards so you can see what they must be making.

That letter you mention of Tom’s arrived alright. I got it on Friday and wrote back straight away.

Well I must say cheerio now – give my love to May & Anne and best regards to the boys.

Your loving son

Max

PS Don’t do anything about Worbeys place for me dad – I’m not interested in that sort of thing at all.

A race meeting at Albion Park

Photo : race meeting at Albion Park (AWM 059800)

“A regular Chicago”

In March 1942, Queensland police were claiming success in curbing over-charging by taxi drivers. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/50144289

Posted in Australian, Food and Drink, gambling and drinking, leave, parcels | Tagged Ack Hallam, Claude Hill, investments, John McGrow, money, petrol rations | Leave a comment

	felicityh54 on The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels
	Lisa Clegg on The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels
	felicityh54 on Bigger the Bastard, Better the…
	Gary Traynor on Bigger the Bastard, Better the…
	BestJasmin on Roll call of bottles and a wil…

The Blog that might have been – 70 years on

More or less grounded; rumours emanating from the top, a dire shortage of paper and a bolt disappears into chest hair.

One step removed from a base job… two letters

Dick’s kept pretty busy; we find a marvellous swimming spot

Meeting fearsome mosquitoes and Yanks with Frigidaires

Moresby not a bad little place but the jungle an incarnation of hell

Don’t take too much notice of what you read in the papers

Separated from the unit…and a glorious end to our stay in Queensland

I’d like a drink myself but won’t be in this queue racket: back in ‘doover’ bivouac, awaiting movement orders

The colonel gets a surprise dunking and laughs with the rest

Scarce writeable news – of food, friends and a variety of rackets

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Meta

Tags