[MANUSCRIPT] A naval cadet on HMAS Tingira writes a troubled note to his girlfriend. Rose Bay (Sydney), 1912-14.

Manuscript in ink, 2 1/2 pp. on octavo bifolium of notepaper with illustrated letterhead featuring a fan with a Japanese view; headed ‘L Mess, HMAS Tingira, Rose Bay, Sydney’, without date (but almost certainly just prior to WW1); addressed ‘My Dear Hazel’, and signed at the foot ‘George’, with a postscript initialled ‘G. H. D.’; original folds, light creasing and some staining on the last side.

‘Mum went off crook a treat …‘ 

So what happened the night before?

A fascinating, secretive love letter – or perhaps ‘problem letter’ would be more apt – written by a young cadet based on the training ship HMAS Tingira to his friend Hazel.

Transcript of the letter (with punctuation and spelling errors corrected):

‘My Dear Hazel,

I cannot help thinking over what you were talking about last night. More than that, I do not know what you mean by saying that you are not decent, I can’t make out what you mean. Please Dear let me know, for you can put more in writing than you can say. I hope you did not get into any row when you got in last night. I got home at 1.30 am this morning and mum went off crook a treat. I told her that we went to a party and that you went sick and I took you home and as no-one was in I stopped until your mother came home, so if she asks you, you say that was right won’t you Hazel.

Aly will bring a reply back for me and tell me if I have to come down home to meet you or not.

With best love,

George

P.S. don’t let anyone see this. G.H.D.’

HMAS Tingira (formerly the passenger ship Sobraon) was re-commissioned as a Royal Australian Navy training ship in April 1912. She was moored permanently in Rose Bay until 1927, during which time more than 3000 boys aged between 14 and 16 received their training for naval service o board the vessel. A search of naval records will surely reveal George’s full name, although Hazel’s identity is likely to remain a mystery – unless the two married!?