From your loving son
Percy
As the brothers settled into weeks of training, thoughts of home were never distant. Persistent rain did little to alleviate their longing for the familiar countryside of Mologa, although Second Lieutenant O’Donnell, Commanding Officer of the Machine-Gun Section, did his best to ensure that his men were satisfied with their new environment. Regular leave on Saturday and Sunday afternoons provided opportunities to catch up with old neighbours and friends in nearby camps.
Lark Hill
Amesbury
20-8-16
Dear Albert
We were all through these buildings they are of course very ancient but very interesting when you have a guide to tell you all about them. We seen some lovely scenery in London but would not live here for anything I have posted you all a lot of letters I received yours but was not at all pleased, you would know that too.
Goodbye Albert
Brother Allan
On 23 August Allan sent a number of postcards home which his cousin had given him in Leicester, using some to write his news:
Amesbury
Lark Hill Camp
Wednesday 23.8.16
Dear Old Albert
Well Albert I hope you and all at home are well. I never felt better in all my life. The other boys are well too. I got another letter from you yesterday I was so pleased to get it. This is the only one I got from home. I also got one from Lily Sharp and one from Ida Payne and Flo Wilson. I have not got the paper yet, but I believe they are in London.
By hell skins are a big price now, couldn’t we play hell with them. I am pleased to hear you are having a good season over there. I thought Charlie would enlist, but I think he should have stopped at home, as we are well presented. There is one thing about it when he sails they are bound to send them here somewhere, and it is a good home compared with Egypt. I don’t think the war will last much longer now. You must be having a good time out at bobs.6 We will have a good time out there after the war. The rabbits will get hell I can tell you. We get splendid tucker here now and plenty of it. We have got a bonzer officer. He is the boy to stick to you. I like our new machine gun. With the Lewis Gun we have to go into the front line of trenches. The Vickers machine gunners go in the 2nd and the maxim gunner go in the 3rd line. We have to drill a treat here, it is not a pleasure trip we are on. We have had a good deal of rain since being here. We might go into the trenches anytime now. Has conscription come in yet. I am always wondering if you got my cable from Cape Town and also my letters from here. I posted the parcel over. The brooch is for mum, pipe for dad, cigars for Jim and cigarette case for you. I don’t know whether Percy sent anything or not. Well Albert old cockie, I don’t care how soon we go to the trenches. I do hope mum is getting my money. Tell her she can have what she likes of it and one of you can have what you like. I am sending you some postcards what Ida Payne sent to me, they are no good to me here. Oh Albert I have wrote such a lot of letters. I will also send you over some English papers. I have a few farthings in my pocket. I will send them over. Jim will be playing hell with that new plough now. I suppose he is singing better than ever now. How much crop have you put in this year; considering being a good one you will have your work cut out in the harvest time. By hell you all miss me at the bag sewing. Too true says you. Well Albert that was a good rumour about us being back at Campellfield. As I said in my other letters we had a terrible lot of sickness coming over. We buried 2 at sea and had over 200 cases of measles etc…
To his mother Allan added his thoughts on the upcoming harvest and the lunches she always prepared that he knew he would miss.
… Well Mum I believe you are having a good year over there, and I am pleased too. I wouldn’t mind being there for the lunches, as that was the place where I could shine isn’t that so A few hot scones and tea was what I liked, anyway we will still get them after the war. I put all Sunday in in writing letters so I hope you get them. Also the little present. I hope you like it mum. Well dear mum don’t worry over us as we are enjoying ourselves and I don’t think it will be long before we are home so goodbye mum till we meet again.
I remain
Your Loving Son
Allan
To his father he suggested:
… I can tell you I might get leave to go home and sew the bags … I like the climate over here it agrees with me. Everything looks lovely here. After the war dad I will take you over this way and show you around, But I told you I would not live here, Australia for me. It was the best move that ever you made to go to Australia. Well Dad I am writing such a lot of letters to you all, as you will excuse the writing. Well dad goodbye till we meet again I hope you like the pipe. I thought it was the best thing I could buy you so I hope it suits. It is supposed to be a good one but they come the bluff on us …
I don’t think the war will last much longer …
At Larkhill, the reports from the battlefields were finally bringing hope. In Europe, news that Romania had joined the Allies was met with jubilation as was the news that Australian and New Zealand forces had repelled the Turkish advance on Romani and that Egypt was, in the short term, secured. Allan wrote home of the positive news from France. Ironically this was the same day that the 4th Division was forced to retreat from Mouquet Farm. The ‘latest in the paper’ was a long way removed from reality.
Amesbury
Letter no.1
Lark Hill Camp
29th-8-16
Dear Albert,
… You are having some bonnie rains over there you will have a great harvest no doubt. It is just the same here raining practically every day, and it makes everything so miserable. On Saturday we went around to Salisbury to see the town, it is a place a bit bigger than Bendigo but not as nice a place. There are some terrible old place[s] there. There is a beautiful cathedral there, It is the oldest one in England. We were all through it. We also went through the gardens. We got back to the camp about 1 oclock that night. Well on the Sunday Les [Townsend] Percy and I and 2 other chaps went over to see Charlie [Fyffe], Tom[Alford] and Hughie [Johnson, also referred to as Ewen and Uhun] at Perrim Downs. We motored over after church parade and came back in the trains. The boys look well. Hughie was off to France this morning [Tuesday]. He seemed to be glad to get away I only wish I was getting away too. Today they have taken 45 men out of each company to make reinforcements up. I really think there will be no 38th Battalion soon. I think it will be split up into reinforcements. Things seem to be going well over in France now. Roumania will shake the huns up. In todays paper things are good. We always get the latest in the paper here. To morrow we are going out on the rifle range, the next day we are going out on a route march, so you can guess we will be going some but it doesn’t matter a dam we know it is all in the game. Tomorrow night I am going over to see Dave Glass. I think they are moving off soon. If I only knew how long it would be before the 38th went into action and I knew it would be long, I am off into some reinforcements, buggar it all I think I am fit now to have a cut. I have no letters from Georgie but I had 2 or 3 from England. Well Albert old boy you must be having a lovely time out at bobs. Tom Alford showed me a photo of Pearl Saville to me on Sunday he had just got it. It was some stile too. She just looked tip top. Well Albert I hope you get my letters all right … Don’t forget to tell me how all at home are. Though I am a long way away I never forget you all. Well Albert old boy I will say goodbye.
I remain
Your loving brother
Allan
Frustrated with training and anxious to get to the front, Allan was willing to forgo the brotherhood of the Bendigo battalion for the chance to show his worth. Percy’s main concern however, was the monotony of the wet English autumn.
Lark Hill
29 Aug
Dear Charlie
I received your ever welcome letter yesterday and glad in a way to hear you have enlisted although, I think there is enough of us in it. We have not heard from Geordie lately, I don�
�t know whether he could have got our last letters. It is terrible wet here lately, it seems a buggar of a place for rain. I don’t know what it will be like in winter time. We went to Salisbury last Saturday afternoon, we could only get leave for the afternoon it is not a bad place, it is bigger than Bendigo. On Sunday we went over to Perron Downs, where Charlie Fyffe and Tom, Johnson, it is about twelve miles from us, we went in a motor, it was a wet day. Uhun is leaving for France this morning, Charlie and Tom are not going, Tom has been a bit crook. We get plenty of drill now, it is a sticky place here when it is raining much. Well Charlie I suppose you had a taste of the stew by now, its good isn’t it. We have not had any shooting out of the Lewis guns yet. We will have an idea of the trenches before we leave here, B Company had 48 hours in them, it is raining a lot of the time. We got inoculated yesterday it was a buggar for about 24 hours, it was ten times as strong as we [had] in Australia, Well Charlie I think I have told you all the news so I will remain
your loving brother Percy
Allan wrote to Jim of his discontent but also his pleasure when Albert’s mate from Mologa arrived at Larkhill:
30-8-16
Dear Jim
Well Jim old boy how the devil are you … I am getting fat as the devil and ugly with it. I am getting my photo taken so I will send them over to you … The lads don’t know when they are going but they are sending them away in hundreds now. I wish to God I could get away. We are being going some lately. This is the place where you [get] it rocked into you, but it is all in the game. They tell us all the more work we get, will help us to get back to Australia, anyway that is their b- tale. We went out to the range on Friday and went through our musketry. We all done pretty good shooting. We will be going down to the range any day to do our shooting with the machine guns. I am dying to shoot with them, According to our paper here the machine guns are doing good work at the front and I hope we hold our end up with them. The boys are doing some big route marches lately, but we have missed them up to date and I am sure we don’t want any either. We have had a terrible lot of rain here lately and it makes everything so miserable. They are having a very wet harvest here but they seem to work away just the same. I am finishing this letter on Sunday 3rd Sept. Well Jim we all went down to a little village called Andover on Saturday. It is not much of a place, but I thought it might be a nice little place. Percy and W. Street got leave to go to London so they can come back tonight. Anyway Jim I was busy writing letters to you today when Jack Price came along we did get a hell of a shock. Anyway I put the afternoon in with Jack and I am a little bit behind with my letters now. Well Jim Jack does not look to well. He has been in the hospital for a month and has just came. He put a week in Egypt but did not think to much of it. I am going to try to get him into the 38th Battalion and I think I can do it too. He does not think too much of the reinforcements he is in. You can tell his people about that but don’t tell them about him not looking too well. Well Jim Charlie Fyffe came over to see us on Saturday but we were down at Andover. He never sent us any word to say that he was coming or we would have stopped home. Well Jim I hope we [are] over in France by the time you get this letter. I have not got any more letters from Geordie. I hope I soon get some more letters from home. Don’t forget to tell me if you got my letters and cable from Capetown. I am anxious about them …
I remain your loving brother
Allan
Charlie Fyffe has gone to France this morning. Don’t forget to tell Mrs Price and Mrs Fyffe Alford and Johnson that we met the boys.
Hurrah Jim
Writing home to Albert, Percy remarked on the surfeit of nice girls in London. Many dominion soldiers found new friends, girlfriends and lovers during their English leave. While the intentions of many of the ladies on the streets of London were not always admirable, there were others who were genuinely concerned for the welfare of the soldiers who were so far from the comfort of their homes.
Lark Hill
31 Aug
Dear Albert
… We are still in England and will be here for a while. It has been raining like b- here lately, I don’t know what it will be like in the winter time. You have had bad luck with the rain, not been able to go and see the girl, you will be able to have a good time now, that I am not there to watch you. Well Albert I see a few girls now and then, they are easy to get in London some nice girls there …
Your loving brother
Percy
THEATRES OF WAR, SEPTEMBER
In France the Battle of the Somme continued into its second phase. On 15 September at Delville Wood, east of Pozieres, Haig’s secret weapon, the tank, was used for the first time. While initially terrifying the enemy troops, the tanks were slow and largely ineffective with only nine of the 49 ‘Willies’, as they were nicknamed, reaching the German lines before breaking down or becoming easy targets for artillery fire.
British, Canadian, Scottish and New Zealand forces advanced towards Bapaume, taking Courcelette, High Wood and Flers, then later Thiepval, Combles, Morval and Gueudecourt. The ultimate objective of Bapaume was not reached before the dreadful Somme winter began to descend. Incessant rain began to fall, the shattered ruins of villages and fields turned to mud and shell holes filled with putrid water. The Battle of the Somme was grinding to a halt; the stalemate had not been broken. While Allied forces had gained some 11 kilometres of ground, the cost was beyond comprehension. Over one million Allied and enemy soldiers had become casualties. Of these, 146,000 Allied soldiers were listed as killed or missing.
In the east, the mobile Russian offensive had gained much ground while the German offensive at Verdun had stalled. The optimism of the brothers that the Allies were wearing the German forces down is evident; however, as the September rains turned the battlefields to mud and the European winter set in, the enemy position strengthened. Russian forces were demoralised by an influx of German reinforcements, Romania struggled and the Italian front, like the Somme, was deadlocked.
BELGIUM, SEPTEMBER
The Australians had withdrawn to the relative quiet of the Ypres sector, the 1st Division rotated through the trench line north of the Ypres-Comines Canal, in the vicinity of the infamous Hill 60 site which was to become well known to the Australians in 1917. Here they were told to prepare for the winter and this is where the soldiers expected to remain during the approaching cold months. They began digging and fortifying trenches and raiding enemy lines while reinforcements, fresh from training in England, began to arrive to boost the division’s depleted numbers.
Writing home, George addressed his letters as ‘France’; however, he was now positioned just over the border in Belgium. George may have been attempting to inform Charlie of his location as he mentions that the trenches are ‘noted for one thing here’. Perhaps George is referring to the Ypres salient, notorious for the first use of gas by German forces on 22 April 1915.
France
Sept 6th 1916
Dear Charlie
I received a letter from you, mother and Albert yesterday also one from cousin Ida telling me about Al and Percy going to see them and what a surprise she got when her mother sent her a telegram saying that she was coming home with two Australians. You say you have enlisted and passed, you will have fair idea of camp life by now, it is about time some of them you mentioned woke up and enlisted. You ought to try to get in some reinforcements to the second Brigade, I don’t think there is much chance of me seeing the others as they are in a different division to me I could claim them and get them in my Brigade but as they have such a lot of mates from home I wouldn’t think of it. I don’t think they will see much fighting this year as it is coming on winter, it has been raining here this last few days they say this month is generally very wet and we are into the winter by next month and last till about march. We have had some good news lately that Roumania is fighting on our side and that the Russians are taking prisoners in ten(s) of thousands and where we were fighting last month we advanced a good bit, my word it was ve
ry lively on the Somme the fighting was the fiercest since the war broke out talk about shells every bit of the ground was ploughed up you wouldn’t believe it. Archie Bailey and Harry Burrows were wounded in the first stunt that we were in there, Amos and I are alright. Tom Alford and the others are in England, lucky aren’t they. You seem to be having a lot of rain over there. I am getting the letters regular now I wrote to them at home last week, don’t send any more papers as I haven’t received one yet they don’t bother about them. I saw a letter in the Bendigo paper from a chap over here. He wrote just after we arrived here, he had in it that it was a picnic here to the Dardanelles I bet he don’t think so now the fight we just came out of was worse than any fight at the Dardanelles. We are on a different part of the firing line now the trenches are good here but it is noted for one thing here. Well Charlie I have no more news so will close hoping you are well as I am at present
ANZAC Sons Page 17