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Len and Cyril Bills were brothers who enlisted in the army at the same time and sailed on the Queen Mary in February 1941. They both wrote to their sister Mary on a regular basis.
Len was first to write to Mary while on the ship travelling between Sydney and Fremantle. Like many before and after him, Len put the letter in a bottle which he dropped into the sea at Fremantle, asking the finder to forward the letter to his father living in Leichhardt, Sydney, but not holding out much hope.
However, the letter eventually made its way to Mary via her father. It read: Fremantle 11th Feb 1941
To Dear Mary,
I am letting this go over-board in a bottle at Fremantle 11.2.41. So heres hoping you get it, Mary.
We are all well. Cyril is in the band now so has a good job but don't know if he will stick to it. How are you Mary, hope you are all well. Well Mary, this is short as its most likely you will never get it. So keep your heart up. Love to all from Len and Cyril.
Just received your letter & glad to hear from you. Write often & send the papers won't you.
Also inside the bottle was a note asking whoever found it to deliver it.
Will you please deliver this to Mr Bills
74 Foster St
Leichhardt
Cheerio Dad
Best of luck
From Len & Cyril Len Bills was taken prisoner by the Japanese and eventually died at Sandakan on 14-2-45 just over four years after writing to his sister.
Len's brother Cyril fought in Malaya. He was wounded and evacuated to hospital in Singapore from where he wrote to his sister Mary, not long before the island fell to the Japanese. Singapore
2-2-42
Dear Mary,
I'll try & write a bit of a note although there's really nothing I can tell you from over here other than that we're just waiting patiently now for them to try & take this place.
They never will though, although I'm not speaking for myself because I'm nice & comfortable in bed just now. I got a bit of a wound up in Malaya about 10 days ago & I'm OK again now & I can certainly take a lot of this. Don't get up for meals & nothing to do all day only read & lay about & watch air raids every hour or so. But they're not doing much damage yet thank God. We haven't heard from home now since Christmas so there must be a heap of them about somewhere.
I haven't seen Len since then either but he's still alright other than that his head is not the best yet. I nearly forgot Mary, but did you get married last month? Anyhow, remember me to Joff will you? I received your telegram Mary about 10 days after Xmas. Its no need I suppose to tell you that it's still hot over here & we've had a terrible lot of rain up to the past couple of weeks. It would be fairly hot over there too now I suppose.
Well Mary I can't think of anything else just now so give my love to all there & wishing you all the best I'll close from,
Your loving brother
Cyril.
Having been so sure that the Japanese would never capture Singapore, Cyril Bills must have been somewhat disconcerted to find himself as a prisoner of war and sent to Osaka at that.
Like most prisoners he wrote and looked forward to receiving letters from the family, in particular his sister Mary who was always glad to hear from him. She also kept his letters. Osaka POW Camp
Mrs M. McBeth
7 West St
Nth Sydney
Australia
Dear Mary,
I've received three letters from you lately also one from Jack and Evelyn and was very pleased to hear that you are hearing from Len too and that he is doing well. I'm still in the best of health and the work seems to make the time go fairly quick. Also we've just got over a very good Christmas, Give my love to Dad, Lorna, Ruth, Les and family and all at home and all my love and best wishes to yourself and Joff from,
Your loving brother
Cyril. When the war finally ended and Cyril was released, his return to Australia was something of a holiday after his years in confinement. Once again he wrote to Mary with his news. Formidable
5/10/45
Dear Mary & Joff
First let me congratulate you on the good news I had from Dad the other day. Gee I was glad to hear that it was a son. Anyhow I'll be able to have a good look at him on the 13th.
We're having a great time on this ship Mary. You've got no idea how the crew are treating us. We had a great time in Manila too. I don't know why it is but people seem to be more civilised now generally than up to 1942. Even the QM pulls all his stocks to pieces to give you the best fit in clothes that he's got. That was something unheard of a few years back.
Dad says there's no word of Len yet but maybe by this you've heard something. The last I saw of him was in about June 42. He went to Borneo then. But I received a letter addressed to him in Osaka last year. So I'm hoping he was sent there. The letter was from you Mary so I'm hoping you didn't address it wrong & that he was up there.
I'm surprised at Bennie not being married by this. I could have been sure she would have landed one of those Yanks. By what they tell us, they certainly had a good time in Aust.
Mary give my love to Les & Alice, Joan and Noeline & tell them I haven't time to write just now. I'll bet Noeline is a big girl now. A great day it must have been for Mrs Prentice & all the day Hec arrived home. I can imagine Mrs Prentice would make a day of it. Well Mary & Joff, I'll close now so accept my best wishes & all my love to all & I'll be seeing you on Sat 13th.
Joff its bad about the hotels only open for a couple of hours, but we'll jump that hurdle when it comes,
Cyril.
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