LETTER: Happy Birthday

I just want to tell you a true story, it happened to me, no blood or guts, only a gentle happening.

Now here is the basis of my story!

When a serviceman finished his training, he is given final leave which is for time to say farewell to his family and friends before being sent overseas – farewells over, back to my Unit in Dubbo.

Meanwhile my mother had baked me a 21st birthday cake, put it into a willow tin? (check with your mum), sealed the lid, wrapped it in Hessian, and addressed it to Army Reinforcement Camp, El Cantara Egypt, which is where all Army Reos were directed.

As it so happened, when we arrived in Brisbane from Dubbo, on the wharf where we were told to take off our heavy uniforms and were issued with light weight camouflage uniforms, we quickly realised we were not going to the Middle East but to New Guinea.

The rub was, that nobody had bothered to tell the birthday cake, and it travelled all the way to Egypt, and thanks to the efficiency of the Army Postal unit, it was delivered, albeit very, very late to me in New Guinea. Unfortunately my mates got onto the cake before I could and they judged it to be in perfect condition, but travel weary. I arranged for those three mates of mine to be tried, found guilty, and shot by a firing squad at dawn the next morning… Really they only got the strap.

They say that comparisons are odious – Not so!  Just fast forward 72 years and we are still receiving the same high standard from the Yass Post Office 2582, as we received from El Cantara Egypt. Thanks to Rod Nash and his front counter crew and room distributor crew. Well done Rob – Good Job.