Tuesday, November 9, 1943

I am at Camp Muckley on the outskirts of Brisbane in Australia. We arrived in Brisbane last Thursday on the 4th of November about 9 o'clock at night. We live in tents but the camp is very nice. There are trees all around and lots of natural grass. We have hot water showers and considering the camp plumbing facilities are excellent. The chow has been pretty good lately except that we haven't had quite enough to eat. I went to town Sunday and ate about four times. At night after supper we went to the town hall to the dance. The music was provided by a real American swing band that was really tops. Everyone was jitter bugging. I just watched as everything was quite new to me. We came back to camp pretty early.

The cars go down the left side of the street here - exactly opposite to what they should. We also use the Australian money system of pounds and shilling and pence. The first day in the PX was quite funny - but our boys were pretty used to it because half of our boat was filled with Aussies and they had some of their money along. The Australian soldiers don't seem to friendly with the American troops because of the fact that the American boys have all of the girls. At the dance the place was salty with Australian girls and there was hardly an Australian soldier in the place.

There are lots of B-24's and B-25's and plenty of them have seen action galore. The troops - a lot of them anyway - leave here for Guinea in large air transports. We go over nearly everyday and look the plants over - some of them are pretty badly shot to pieces. There are army camps all over Brisbane. We pass a dozen going into town from here. I am not going into town again until Thursday when I am going to try to go to the Mutual here in Brisbane. I want to go to the races here on Saturday too. It sure is swell now. I have had three letters from June and three from Beth. Of course June's are the ones I wanted and made me feel 100% better. We won't be here long. I expect to stay for a couple of weeks and then move up north to bigger and better things. Hope to be assigned now so that I can get to be something besides a Private.

Summer is starting here and the weather is beautiful. We don't do anything except eat and sleep outside of maybe a detail once or twice a week. We don't salute at all here. There is now guard to the gate. No fence no nothing. We go and come when we please except that it's best to get a pass - so long.