Airgraph No 6 Duck shooting

 Airgraph No 6

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces

17^th  Dec ‘43

 

Dear Mum,

                  Some time since I wrote last but news is scarce. Nothing of interest has happened over this way.

The last three nights two of the boys & myself have been out duck shooting. The first night we went out we had good luck. One of the boys had a shot at three ducks on the wing & the lot of them came down. A bit later one came over on its own & he came down too. I got second highest score with one duck & one night hawk. The third fellow got nothing. It was the firt time I have ever had a shot with a shotgun & I came home quite pleased with myself. The last couple of nights it has been a different story. The other two have got a couple each & all I’ve succeeded in doing is filling the sky full of shot. That first duck must have been very, very unlucky.

The weather for the past week has been a bit better than usual. We have only had one wet day but the camp area is still a sea of mud & it’s just as cold as usual.

No more now but will write again soon.

Much love to Dad, Bet & Leo,         Lovingly Yours     Frank

 

Letter 111 A parcel with Horlicks, boned rabbit & sweetbreads in parsley sauce

  Letter No. 111

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces

11^th Dec ‘43

 

Dear Mum,

                  I sent you an airgraph yesterday & I said I would write when some more mail arrived. Well, to-day I received letter No 90 & an airgraph No 7 written 17^th Nov. Letters No’s 91, 94 & 96 that I said I was expecting have already arrived. They were airgraphs.

Just the same the letter, you said, that Betty had sent, containing photos of the wedding, has not arrived yet. I received a birthday telegram from Betty this morning. That’s the first I’ve heard from her for ages.

                  A good few parcels came in this morning. I didn’t get any from you but I did get a good big one from Lovelocks. It had been ordered & packed by David Jones & contained a large tin of Horlicks, steak & kidney pudding, boned rabbit, sweetbreads in parsley sauce, Globex, soups & jellies. Very nice of them wasn’t it.

                  Fancy John Day leaving Lovelocks. He had a good job there & must have been offeres a good wage by Qantas to make him change.

                  As you say, I’ve certainly fallen down on my letter writing. The main trouble is that there is not nearly so much to write about as there was in the desert. Something of interest happened nearly every day in the desert because we were on the move all the time.

                  Every time a parcel arrives I let you know. I don’t think I have missed any yet. I wrote & told you that I had received the parcel containing the mittens which were made by Ethel Harris. As a matter of fact I wear them all the time. Unfortunately I lost the address which was attached to them & didn’t write to thank her for them. The tin of shortbread also arrived as I wrote & told you a long time ago.

Fred is certainly stepping out with his beaut car. It’s good to be some people isn’t it? I may even get myself one after all this is over & I collect my deferred pay, which, by the way, is now worth over £95.

                  Thanks very much for the snaps of the wedding. Betty looks very nice. Can’t say I like your hat very much. It sits on your head like a pimple, Maur is certainly tall. You said that she had grown since I left home but I didn’t think she had grown that much.

                  Well, Mum, that’s all for the present but I will write again soon.

Much love to Dad, Bet & Leo

                                                      Lovingly Yours

                                                                        Frank

P.S. Enclosed money is what we are using now with exception of Tripolitania 10 lire. 50 lire is worth 2/6 sterling (3/1 ½  Aussie).

 

 

Airgraph No 4 So cold...

 Airgraph NO. 4

AUST. No 34171 

LAC Cooney, JF 

No. 3 Squadron R.A.A.F.,  

Cent. Medit. Forces

4^th  Dec ‘43

 

Dear Mum,

                  It’s only a couple of days since I wrote to you last but it’s so cold these days that we spend every spare moment in the tent.

                  Yesterday morning I was out of bed before daylight & all the surrounding hills were covered in an extremely heavy fall of snow & was it cold. I thought I’d never be able to get warm again. This morning I was out of bed about the same time &, if anything, it was colder. Every pool of water was frozen solid & I had on every piece of clothing I could find & I was still cold. When my pilot took off he gave me his wool-lined flying jacket & it was only then that I was finally able to thaw out.

Yesterday we were all issued with heavy oilskin coats & rubber knee boots ‘cause our tent area is just a quagmire & we walk around in about 10 inches of mud.

There’s no doubt about it, Italy is a lovely place.

Three months comforts arrived a couple of days ago & this afternoon our Christmas issue arrived. It contained Christmas cake & pudding,tin of fruit, tin of cream, ½ lb chocolates, pkt lollies ,pkt dried fruit, shaving cream, toothpaste, writing paper & envelopes. The other issue was tobacco, papers, cigs, soap, writing material, chewing gum, razor blades & a few other items. The eats were the most acceptable & I doubt if any of it will last more than a couple of days.

That’s all at present but will write again soon.

Much love to Dad, Bet & Leo,         Lovingly Yours     Frank