WW1 Letters home Molong “Express”

                                                                Western Mail Perth 16 Aug 1918



Molong Express and Western District Advertiser NSW.

19 August 1916

SOLDIERS' STORIES.

Sgt-Signaller Don. White, once of the Cumnock Post Office, writing from France on June 14th Mr. Jack Patterson, of Dilga, says:—

I'm still in the land of the living—due to more good luck than good management, I think I got hit for the second time a few weeks back, but fortunately each wound was slight A "Jack Johnson" lobbed in my dug-out and killed my mate, but just blew me out into the sap with a cut on my head and back, plus a hell of a shaking up. 

I was properly scared for a few days, but managed to pull myself together without going into hospital. Am quite OK now.

This France is a wet and muddy joint to be soldiering in; the trenches are full of mud and slush. And if you put your head up you're sure to be sniped, and if you bob down you get drowned, Dinkum! 

The Australians are properly established in France now. It's much easier than Gallipoli; that is to say, we do not have to endure as many hardships. Here we get good rations and plenty of water. 

Every eight days or so we get a hot bath and a change of underclothing. No such thing as having a shave, wash, and clean' your teeth in half a pint of water, and then having to go minus a drink all day on account of such extravagance.

When we first came into the trenches here Fritz tried all he knew to bluff us; but it didn't work. He used to paste us with three to four hundred 5.9 shells almost daily. Now if he tries the" dirty dog" act we return it hot and strong. I think Fritz has decided that we won't be bluffed.

I haven't run up against Joe yet. Would very much like to have a yarn with him. The other boys are still in Egypt, on the Canal. 

I did over two months on the Arabian Desert, looking for Turks; but they were very scarce. 

I see the Russians are doing some fine work. I wish we were on the move like them. 

This trench warfare is about the most monotonous game going, especially during wet weather. 

Ploughing isn't in the same street with it.

I'm expecting a week's leave to England very soon now. All the old hands are getting it. What a time I will have. I suppose you are still keen on dancing, Jack. I could do a waltz myself just now.

It would be better than squatting, in this little dugout of mine. I suppose you heard about poor old Ernie Merriman being killed. We got a terribly heavy bombardment that night. Remember me to all the boys.

***

Pte. Ern. Taylor, writing to the “Express" from the Australian Base, England, on June 19, says:-

We have shifted camp from the, land of sorrow, sand and sweaty; socks. This is a big change from the heat of Egypt, as it is very cold, and rains nearly every day. I think we have seen the sun about half-a-dozen times in three weeks. 

It is a much better camp here on Salisbury Plains than at Teb-el-Kebir. We have settled down to very solid training again.

On the way to England we had a couple of very close shaves coming through the Mediterranean Sea, through submarines. 

We were chased twice, but were doing about 17 knots, so we left them behind.

We are close to the towns of Tidworth, Ludgershall, Andover and Salisbury; but they are dead of a night—no lights anywhere. I am going to London on Friday for week-end leave. We are only 70 miles away. 

There are some very large farms here—about 5 to 10 acres a squatter has about 200 sheep.

The Australians are right in the boom here; but are called the foreigners from Horsetralia.  

Wallie Leathem came over on the boat to England with us. He belongs to the Cycling Battalion.

***

Cpl. C. Neville writes from 'France under date June 21, to his brother, Mr. F. Neville, as follows:—

Neither Uncle Walter or Cecil has joined us up yet. I don't know how they will like soldiering over this side. 

We are going, day and night, I won't be sorry when it is all over, for we have 'had a very miserable time in the trenches this last week or so, it has rained nearly every day and night, and there have been bombardments nearly every night. 

When the big shells are coming over, you are ducking down behind the trench as low as you can expecting every minute that one is coming over on to you. 

There is a place a few miles back from the firing line where we can get a bath and a change of clothes. The French women do all the washing of the clothes, so it gives us a bit of a chance to keep clean. 

It is very good after being in the firing line for about a fortnight to get back and have a good bath. 

Bert Starr is alright, Gordon is not back yet, and Paddy Reilly is alright.

***

Pte, R. Starr, son of Mr. R. Starr, of Copper Hill, writing from Egypt, on July 5, to Mr F. Neville, says:-

He had a good trip from Australia; but upon arrival in Egypt the contingent were put into isolation, and he had thus seen very little of Egypt. 

Since being released from isolation the squadron had been on mounted patrol and guard duties. 

He was camped at a place where nothing but desert could be seen, and expected to be removed about 16 miles further inland within a few days. He had not received any letters from Australia; but  a letter from Bert Starr, from Flanders, had reached him. “Old Jock (C. Neville), he says, has a couple of stripes now. I expect he has earned them. "Pte. Starr adds that he narrowly missed meeting Gordon Starr; on the same night that he arrived in Egypt Gordon left for ——(censored).

***

The Land   Sydney, NSW 16 February 1917 

Signaller W. Leathem, in a letter written from England on June22, says:—

Still alive and kicking, and things much the same as when I last wrote. All the troops in camp here were inspected by the High Commissioner for Australia (Andy Fisher) last week, and he was pleased with the state of affairs at the camp. 

The C.O. of the Cycling Corps was congratulated on the general conduct, etc., of the men. The only fault with this camp is that we are too far out of civilisation. 

The closest town is four miles away. I'm on a pretty soft job here now—instructing some of the men in signalling. I'm getting lazy on it already, and will soon forget all the drill I have learned if I don't look out. 

I struck Charlie Finch, Jack Betts and Ern Taylor on the boat coming from Egypt. Jack and Charlie are in the Field Engineers. They are in this camp and I see them every day. I think they will be moving shortly. I haven't seen Taylor since we left the boat. 

It's rotten not getting any letters or papers; we get hardly any Australian news except what we see in the English papers, and that's very little. I haven't received a single letter or paper since leaving Australia almost three months ago. 

We are being looked after well in regard to food now. At present the menu is:—Breakfast: Bacon or rice, tea and bread and jam; dinner: stew or hot meat and vegetables, bread and jam and tea; tea: bread and jam, butter, tea and cheese or potted ham. We are getting good food, and plenty of it.

     Image from 'The PUNCH Melbourne Vic. 9 Aug 1914 

Link to:-

WW1 Dinkum girls:http://leathemhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/ww1-nurses-verses-dinkum-girls-songs.html

WW1 poem MothersBoy: http://leathemhistory.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/ww1-mothers-boy-poem-written-for-molong.html

WW1 Two plucky Parsons: http://leathemhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/ww1-echo-from-front-poetry-and-two.html

WW1 Letters home, Wallace H Leathem:
http://leathemhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/ww1-letters-home-by-wallace-henry.html