(Adaptation: Note from the transcriber, Dad’s writing has always been notorious. Only one area not left deliberately blank owing to lack of deciphering and that is wherever Uncle Jack was stationed. The rest of the blanks are areas where I couldn’t fathom anything sensible. Margret, October 2002)
868 Dnr F A Fenton
HQ NZASC
MEF 19 October (1943)
Dear Tuppence
By Jove, fancy me getting a letter, after all these eons of waiting, patient resignation to the whim of you all at home.
Yeah, yesterday was the day. As I gazed fondly at the pile of mail on the floor, alternately sighing and lamenting all letter writers in general, on the side of a bundle, I saw something, which struck a remote chord in my now diminishing memory. The familiar post mark of Waitara.
Hence this effort. A letter from the Mater and Rita. Needless to say, very welcome.
In Mum’s letter are references to the _____ of life in a daily upsets in Rita’s ____or in the use, and is very much married woman.
I am very glad to hear you are all in good health and enjoying piharau, whitebait and a cup of tea, which must be ‘a good thing’.
Lank is a bit _____ plenty of brown (pen _____) or him.
So Ematini has not ____ home much or just a duty call – ‘dictate of conscience’. OK. When I see him, he’ll have some explaining to do.
Has he ever remembered £50 or Velo?
Us kids had to slave and help old Pop and milk cows to further his interests and result in gentle forgetfulness.
Such is human nature. Verily a man’s life is his own, but for the women who ____ him, he owes a debt which even in a lifetime he could not pay in full, but to his best ability _____.
With the ‘Home Front in such good spirits there could be no regrets for sacrifices over here. Both parties are one, separate in distance but united into one body is the effort to avert a ___likely world tragedy ____.
With regard to correspondence from home its limited to, on average, tri-weekly, couple from Tuppence, Mum and Rita or Dinah occasionally. Oh pardon me. Plenty of mail you ____! But don’t worry. What gets here is bloody welcome. And it reminds me of the tales Mum used to tell, around the fireplace on a cold frosty night of her letters to or from the brothers. She wrote and sent money and now is twenty nine years has followed her own, she is sending ‘faloose and mail again.
After all this ‘mail sob’ once more to the thoughts worries anticipations, trials tribulations impositions ____ bonds, games, privileges, ____ (not much) fears, hates of one mind.
I am fit for a good couple of pig bones and spuds - forests of watercress, oceans of soup, tons of bread, boxes of butter, dear me, here it is again, bottles of beer.
Whenever I get started on some topic my figures of speech simply ran away with themselves.
Now let’s look at things. I am here. Tui is over here. Lank is in Senior Service. Jack is _____ Ralph is in camp somewhere in France in June. Sorry there I go again. Ike is on ops in Blighty flying Hurricanes. I wonder if he is in a tank buster they turn on ships.
Not bad for the tribe, eh on the other hand Billy is hitched to a wife and kid. Who? Ina is about to be hitched to a wife and countless kids. Who?
So where are all the who’s’? Who are, where and how and the other who’s and where are they with the other who are who is who too. Sorry, ___ here I go again.__. Joke. Marj is hitched to who and countless! Kids. All that is minus ___ Plus follows.
Persons who are mentioned are stock of the world’s most advanced socialists.____ The Maori, of whom let it for be said and made known to those of ignorant and flaccid cerebrum (brain, Tuppence, so don’t whip out Rita’s old dictionary)
“A Maori’s furtherest removed cousin is welcome as his own brother.”
I personally, for reasons of personal experience and observation will not forget the open door of Auntie Polly’s home inside which anyone may find refuge from the stormy crossing of life without.
So what lacks on one side is amply compensated by an unwritten law of hospitality which give the Maori first place in world prominence.
Give my regards to Uncle Bill, Auntie and all the kids Beepo, Boo Beep and Humpty Dumpty, Auntie Bub, Bub Bub, Boo hoo has __ you ___ legged little shrimp of a a man. (something else) Get the Sure ____ kid its in the bag! (Bob Hope).
Yeah, I could rewrite a ______ in what line not ____ by Zane Grey.
Don’t, repeat, don’t send any dough to me unless I cable for some.
And for the love of Mike, pull a bit out for yourselves especially Tuppence who has to wear man’s pants to fit her six foot 11½ frame.
I do all right on 3/- a day, real well, and I’ll be sending something back ________
Ronald Taylor is a POW in Italy I hear.
Now to the request session.
Priority one
Books, papers, Digests, magazines (Poppys Paper no good) “Puck Sunny Jim’s Rainbow, oh damn sorry) are wanted, really wanted.
Soap (if unrationed)
Bootlaces, ah! Thick pad and envelopes, with 5/- of 3d stamps. Tin of Cuticura ointment.
Lay off tinned foods, just a cake now and again, letters and ok with me.
The Lancaster was a work of art, eh. Good crates all right. Refer you to Ike.
You must have been at altitude 2000 when you stood up on the truck Tuppence.
So with war _______ Hudson Tiger Moth and Lancasters, NZ must be up and coming.
There are a lot of lads around who come over recently. Don Puke, I have seen at a distance, Tip Tamati, I saw in a passing truck and I don’t think I am very far away from Ralph’s brothers (of Mollie Cole question) location. So there you are all the locals and one Waitara boy. Put that into your pipe and smoke it well, chew on it think it over, dwell on it, ponder over it, examine it (Gosh done it again)
You’ll see by my address that I had changed location.
As I was with a company before now I am well _____ head of all companies ‘command’ as we are called.
Now the childrens session, Rita tells me of the rapid growth rise and fall of her boys. Hell I wanted to coax Hughie to take my position at school. I ____ bully Coster, largest long distance runner, and champion hockey player.
Well it appears that things are looking brighter now than ever before. Sorry to digress but ____ without paper is short. So.
Regards to one and all, all in one, (impossible) everyone at all who asks and look out for parcels good real hot news and watch the road Tuppence and as Rita said Keep ‘em rolling.’
Love to all
Hip Fenton
Family code names:
Hip,
Lank is Ike and is Thomas
Ematini is Jack
Tui is Tui
Fred is Fred
The Pirikahu kids' nicknames, children of Polly Billy Pirikahu, include:
Beepo, Boo Beep and Humpty Dumpty, Bub Bub, Boo Hoo, Ina
Another GrandAunt is Aunty Bub aka Margaret Wi Toto nee Adlam
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