Eric Steven's Diary (Parma 1936)

16.

I've got everything you sent except the newspaper cuttings; noth-ing like that arrived yet. Very many thanks indeed for the £1 note it will be very useful & it was good of you to send it from your own account in anticipation of Roy sending it to you, I hope he has done so, long ere this. I forgot when he last wrote to me, I think Leura was the last; he never answered my letter to Adel-aide. I think he misunderstood me for why-oh why would I post the letter to him if I expected to sail next day?

I can't make this Phoebe's mother out at all. Why does she ask about me, whom she's never seen, & put my photo on her mantelshelf? Phoebe's married isn't she? Why does her mother keep chasing after you? It all sounds very fishy to me. Why did you think I couldn't cash Ma's Australian money over here. Of course the banks in all English ports will change any British currency. How otherwise could I cash the £1 you've just sent? Did you look up Adelaide directory for Colonel's address? Good of Mrs Fulton to write you as she did. Many thanks for the new stamp and 1st day cover, OK & very nice. Don't forget to save me all Aussie or USA or others used stamps will you? Oh yes I know when old Mrs Read died the place would soon be broken up - I suppose Robinsons now live at Glen Waverly. Re the bugs & decent hours you mention, my earlier pages of this

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(by now) long manuscript have dealt with that. I didn't learn much Swedish but they all speak English. I had many disagreements with some & a short fight with one when we were just off the Azores.

Am glad you enjoyed your Easter meal; it must be nice to eat off a clean table with cloth & set properly - I haven't done that since leaving Adelaide. You mention no change of address so you must still be in Wilson St. I hope you didn't have a very bad winter & that the job you mention is still satisfactory but what miserable pay. Did you do anything about the invalid pension because of your arm? Yes, you mentioned before that you lost the mother's day brooch but never mind, it couldn't be helped. I did notice, though, that you wore it the day I returned to Melb from Canberra & Sydney.

Thanks for the photos but am returning a few I won't need - the rest all O.K. I could really do with all my underwear that's there & the grey pullover but postage must forbid me getting you to send them yet and don't take money from your account for it, please. From the Cape to the Scilly Island I practically only wore boots, trousers, & pullover but now for night watch I add flannel & grey overcoat and sometimes oilskins so you see washing was cut to the minimum but now, 1 flannel is dropping off me (almost) the other I haven't worn since the Indian Ocean. Mrs Roy's knee by the way & and if he cares to write I'd be

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glad but its certainly his turn not mine. And would you ask him to get the negatives that I left with him when I left Sydney? He promised to return them but never did - I particularly want 2 of them. Oh yes many of us had beards but they've all gone now; I'll send you photos later when I can afford to get them printed. No I had nothing to pay on anything you sent but as I said, I haven't got the cuttings yet.

Well there now, that seems to be the lot. What a letter! 18 pages! But then, its several letters together really. I've done 14 to Mrs Wilson and 10 to Fultons, the only 3 letters I wrote this way. So now, as I write these last few lines, we are waiting in Falmouth for orders as to where to proceed to discharge but within a fortnight I should be signing off from "Parma" & that may or may not be too late for Vienna. I must get work by the winter for travelling thru' Europe then would be just impossible. I'm seriously thinking of joining the Royal Air Force as it seems easier to get into than the R.A.A.F., I'm making enquiries. By the way, Moa's note to you (enclosed) is unreadable don't you think. What does she mean by "moss". [line illegible too faint to read] an old fashioned saying anyway. Re your letter returned by Mrs Fulton & sent on to me here, I don't think there's any need to reply to it is there?

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Everything is cleared up now I think. You say a terrible time for a sailing ship to load. I'll say it does - and how! They load too slow & travel too slow & belong to last century - certainly not in this age of speed.

Well as my doings for a while will still be uncertain I think you'd better write to Aus. House again & in about 8 or 9 or 10 weeks from now I'll make enquiries. You must be just about fagged out by now with nearly 19 pages & my arm is aching - believe me!

So for the present I will finish with heaps of love from

Your loving son Eric

PS. Just before sealing. C. B. Pederson just arrived. 117 days. Only Killoran to arrive now