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Makan – No. 24
1st November, 1948

Official Organ of the 2/30th Bn. A.I.F. Assn.
Box 56,
BROADWAY

Dear Dig,

Membership is increasing again with this month. Harry Maurice, A. Coy, is one new member and Fred Arnett is another. Harry has done well in everything except the housing situation since our return. He is living in a Military hut or "flat" as it is called at Herne Bay. The hut is weather proof but has such thin walls that he was forced to stop beating his wife because the tenant in the flat next door was charging admission to all those who enjoy hearing a free for all at a reasonable price.

Fred Arnett is a carrier at Moobal and has built quite a flourishing business. As Fred is now totally blind it speaks well of him that he is rising above his great loss. Fred was in Sydney for the Anzac March last year and will probably march himself with the Unit next year.

The Association sends its congratulations to Sluggo Jones, D. Coy., on his recent marriage. According to the local paper Sluggo's wedding was quite an affair and if you could see the printed photo of the now Mrs. Sluggo you would understand why. Those who have since examined the photo have said that Sluggo must have stumbled on to a gold mine or at least allowed his hair to grow.

Ron McLean of Black Mountain is back on the land again and is enjoying good health. During a recent visit to Inverell he ran into "Padre” Eric Mills who is shearing up that way.

Ned Keleher and Bill Lawson are still at Lady Davidson's home at Turramurra. They have been drifting from one hospital to another since we arrived home and the end of their hospitalisation is not even in sight. Neither of them growls about it but it should make the rest of us realise how lucky we are when we could quite easily have been in their place. Both these lads are enthusiastic association members and follow your doings with great interest.

Stan Larkin, married to George Linter's sister, is working for the Tick Department in the north coast district. We are not sure whether he catches ticks or kills them, or whether he is just on hand in case anybody is bitten by a tick. But he enjoys the job and this is all that matters.

Roy Douglas is doing rather well, banana bending on the Tweed. Banana bending is as much a mystery to us as tick watching, but the North Coast boys understand all about these things.

Ron Montford is a big shot builder round Casino and Lismore.

George Lister is a prosperous share-farmer near Casino and is as contented as a bachelor can expect to be. To help him become a much happier man we are sending him, at the Association's expense, the latest books on "Why Every Young Man Should Immediately Slip Into Double Harness", together with a couple of dozen testimonials from happily married members of the Unit.

We mentioned last month that Ossie Jackson was recently married but didn't realise until we heard from other sources that it developed into a Don Coy. re-union. Joe Johnston was groomsman and there were present J. Newman, Ben Pearce, Ernie Stratford and Alan Moses. Alan is a brother of Ted Moses who was killed at the 41 mile peg. The wedding was held in the Bangalow Theatre (Theatre on Saturday, Slaughter House on Monday, Dance Hall on Thursday) and Os and his wife are to live at Binna Burra.

We have had information from the Australian Trade Commissioner in Singapore that a Chinese, one BILLY LOH is a patient in TAN TOCK SENG hospital, suffering from T.B. This chap is a married man and is the Chinese who presented all his athletic medals, which he himself had won in his youth, to the winners of events in an impromptu sports meeting held by Australians at Caldicot Hill on Thompson Road. Some of our boys must have been at the camp at the time of this sports meeting because he produced an autograph book to the Commissioner, containing many of your signatures. Jimmy Cooper still has a medal, on which is engraved the words “P.O.W. Camp Singapore 42", presented to him by this chap.

Billy Loh is in financial difficulties and has appealed for help. The 2/15th and 2/29th are making a show of collecting something for him and if you would care to dab in then send it to us and mark the cash BILLY LOH. If you actually ever met this fellow then here is a chance to make a modest return, If you did not meet LOH personally then anyway plenty of his brother Chinese must have either helped you at some time even if it was only to raise your hopes by that perpetual V for Victory sign.

Billy Loh contracted T.B, while a prisoner in the later war years, at Outram Road Gaol.

Ted Watt has left the Tatler Hotel to take up a block of land at Gundagai. His luck in winning the ballot didn't last very long as he broke a bone in his shoulder the day after he arrived on his block.

We congratulate Ron Chips and Bob Morrison on the birth of new daughters and Dick Tompson for a baby son. The supply of new babies is not diminishing and we know of lots more people we will be congratulating within the next few months.

Harry Maurice has even bobbed up as one of our few grandfathers.

Hylton Collins, B. Coy was married a few months ago and has been lucky enough to find a cottage. He is luckier than most of our newly-weds. Bluey Paget and Doc Wilson are two of our worst cases of one roomers, at the moment.

Here are some more addresses of the lads:

G.J. Bridgwater, J.W. Brooks, C.W. Brouff, K.A. Broughton, L.P. Brown, R.J.T. Brown, A.G. Buckingham.

Reg Ellis is pottering around with glasses pasted over with brown paper. He has just come out of Yaralla after eight or nine weeks during which he had a serious operation performed on one of his eyes. The outcome of the operation is not yet known and in the meantime he is led around like Tommy Williamson's blind pit pony by his wife. The entire issue of the last couple of Makans and all issues of receipts and letters has been carried out by Reg's wife.

It is not new to her because she was Secretary of our Comforts Fund during the war. We thank her for this service though, because this Association is too much work for one man and we couldn't have carried on without her efforts.

Now the last word.. Don't forget to be at Sargents Market Street on Friday night, the 19th November for the biggest and most smashing re-union we have held yet. It will cost you half a note, we supply the makan and the grog and you do the rest. Bring along an 8th Divvy cobber if you wish.

Cheerio until then,

STAN ARNEIL

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