Alan and Nancy Hooper WW2 correspondence, 1945

QX62238 Lieut AE Hooper Angau, Lae July 27th 1945

[Australian Comforts Fund]

Nance Darling, Everyone here - the whole fourteen of us, are a mass of aches & pains. After 5 days we're finding concentration just a little less difficult. Life here is one continuous push. Believe it or not lent I even save time by studying some odd handbook while I'm sealed on the privy. Someone even went so far as to share there - made a fair job of it too. The braining isn't thorouogh like it used to be in the good old days & the instructors are so raw they make their own rules quite ofet. So I've got to forget as well as learn in our course there is quite a bit of talent. One student is a Doctor of Music amongst other things. I don't hope to emulate Jummy & help this school - if I tried that hard I'd be a mental wreck, but I do hope to equal his percentage

2/.

I awoke with an awful headache. This afternoon I revived enough to prepare & memorise a 5 minute lecture for tomorrow. That takes talent to prepare & 600 words require a lot of composing.

I confess I didn't do brilliantly in the first half of the exams, but I'm not running last either. I wish they'd give marks for Bren & Rifle shooting. I topped the school in all weapons.

My 1939-43 ribbon has arrived & I'm to sign for it tomorrow. The Pacific Star we get at some later date.

Bill Wort goes on leave direct from Sae so he'll beat me home.

DX63348 Lt AE Hooper Angau Sae Yo N.S.Jrg School, Galu 6th Aug 45

[The Salvation Army] [Australian Comforts Fund] [YMCA]

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Darling honey, Oh what a day of days! The world is at peace at last. The more I think of it the more incredible it seems. The school cheated me of the profound day of celebrating today with you. Instead, we were discussing the differences of enemy weapons to our own as a radio blared out a broadcast of the Victory procession in Brisbane. Needless to say we hadn't our mind on our work. To hell with woodpeckers & knee mortars! The day begun with a final exam & for the life of me I couldn't concentrate. When the good news was announced officially yesterday we had to make a ritual of a formal dinner. We drank to the king & to our fallen comrades. That ensuing 2 minutes meditation & pledge towards their families made me feel strangely. I for some obscure