ANZAC Sons
Page 45
Charlie wrote from behind the line the day after the battle commenced:
1st August 1917
My Dear Mother,
I am sending you a few lines in a note to Pearl which she will send on to you I have not got many envelopes we are out of the trenches and have not been in since our dear Albert has been killed, I got a note from Percy he is getting alright again and will be back soon he got an awful shock when he got my letter about the sad news. I also got a letter from Geordie he was alright when he wrote Allan was made a Temporary Sergeant the other day, a lot of the N.C.O, have been hit and they were short of Sergeants I don’t know how long he will be temporary if some of the wounded sergeants return he will go back to Corporal. Geordie ought to be a sergeant now if he had been in the infantry like us and had good luck all through he would have went close to a commission of a second Lieutenant, but I think the trench mortars are safer and that is better, it would be better to come back a private than be buried a captain, we are camped close to where Albert is buried I often go and see his grave, there was a photo of the dressing station alongside where Albert is buried in the Anzac bulletin I think Al sent one home to you I have got one for myself I am sending it home to Pearl if you have not seen it ask Pearl for it his grave is the other side of the building. I would get a photo of the grave but the military will not allow you to take photos or have them taken by any one else. I got letters from them in England they are shocked to hear of the sad news of Albert Ida said she got letters from you at home I wrote to you the other day and sent it with a letter of Als, I said I got your letter also some from Pearl and them all up there. I got your parcel and Ida got the money you sent. I think we will be out of the line for a good while this trip, Geordie has been out a good while, I was surprised to hear that Archie Turner had returned also Fred King and Garnet Whitfield had enlisted I did not think his mother would let him go. I got a letter from Auntie Etta last night she said Bert was in South Africa, what is he doing over there is he a private or what. Auntie Etta never says what he is doing over there or anything about him bar that they have not heard from him for a long time. Well mother I have no news I have written to you a lot lately and hope you have got the letters alright. I hope you are all well and that you are not worrying your heart out over us I know that it is hard on you but let us hope for the best and that we are spared to return. I will say goodbye for the present
With love and best wishes
I will remain your
Loving son
Charlie
Percy was discharged from hospital and rejoined his brothers on 9 August at their camp at Neuve Eglise. Just 12 kilometres across the border in France, George had reached Bailleul. The mobilisation of the 1st Division in preparation for its role in the attack on the high ground at Ypres was now underway. The men had settled into billets where the threat of enemy aircraft fire was ever present. Fortunately, George found his way to his brothers and arrived the same day as Percy returned from hospital. The four young Australians spent an afternoon together, a reunion saddened by the loss of their youngest brother.
Percy wrote:
In the field
August 10
My Dear Mother & Father
Just a few lines to let you know that we are all well, I am out of the hospital now, came back a day ago, there was some letters for me, from you and Jim, which I was very pleased to get, it was the first mail we had for a long time, there were two mails sunk and I think there is another sunk since this last one came it’s a terror to see them sinking the mails. I put a little over three weeks in the hospital, it was a good rest. Geordie came over yesterday, he is not such a long way from us, I never saw him look better, his unit has been out for three months, he did not have much news he says Uwin Johnson is in Lark Hill Amos Haw got hit in the leg, he will be away for some time. We have had a lot of rain lately, it has done a lot of damage to the crops, they are knocked about a lot. We had a bit of a march today to be inspected by one of the heads, it did not rain as it generally does when there is anything like that on. Harry Street and Bill Stephens got wounded. Harry got hit in the elbow, I do not know where Bill got hit. Allan is a sergeant now, there has been a lot of stripes flying about lately. I saw Fred Smith and Dave Mullens after I came out of the hospital, Fred was saying he saw Alf Ferris the day before.2 I do not know why you do not get any letters, I am always writing. I mention in one of my other letters about getting the tin which we thanked you very much for, there has been one or two of the mail going to Australia sunk, so that would account for you not getting letters at times. George Johnston is hot on teachers, they must take up all his time. There is a terrible lot of marriages coming off over there, they will be all married by the time we get back …
The following day he added a note to Jim:
… Geordie came over day before yesterday, he looks real well, he is not such a great way from us. Alf Ferris, and Young Baker came over today we have saw quite a lot lately. I saw Fred Smith and Dave Mullens when I came out of the hospital. Allan is a sergeant now, there has been a lot of stripes flying lately. Well Jim, I see you are out at the bush, you have some company. I would have liked to heard you when you got the fox. You need not worry about the French girl. Jim, I have not too much time for them, so I am neutral …
In mid-August the 38th travelled west by train from Bailleul and detrained at Wizernes to the south of St Omer. There they commenced a long march south-west to billets in the small villages of La Calique and Senlecques, some 15 kilometres from the French coastline close to the town of Devres. Although it was midnight when they arrived, the villagers welcomed them and throughout August the 38th remained in the relative comfort of French barns with beds of straw. Training continued, sports days were held and the Australian soldiers endeared themselves to the locals as they helped in the fields and with the daily routine of farm life. It was a welcome touch of normality.
Allan wrote of meeting George and his delight that he had been granted leave to England:
In the field
18-8-1917
My Dear Mother & Father
… Well dear mum we are along way from the line at present supposed to be having a rest, well it is a rest compared with the line but we are drilling. We met dear old Geordie at last. He looks well on it. I spent one afternoon with him but he is a long way from us now. But when we go back we will be near him. I also seen Jim Baker & Alf Ferris Jim Grath. They all look well on it. Geordie has been out of the trenches 3 1/2 months. Well dear mum I am going on leave to England next Thursday. I am terrible delighted to get away for 10 days. I am going down to Devon first and then to Leicester. I have got about £20. We got a few comforts funds today and they were all from Bears Lagoon. We are billeted in a French joint now and the people are bonza. The best I have struck yet and we are having good weather now too. Well dear mum I think the war will end when I said. Well dear mum when I go to Blighty I will write you a good long letter … Geordie is going to see dear old Albert’s grave…
Two days later he wrote:
… Just before we left we met dear old Geordie he looks well on it. I can tell you we had an interesting talk and compared our battles. He has been out of the line for 3 1/2 months. Well Jim we got another Ausy mail last night I only got 2 letters. The ones from home. I don’t get many letters at all now I cant make out what has come over my letter writers. They seem to have gone to the dogs. Oh well if they don’t write they can’t expect any from me. You seem to be very busy over there. I hope the crops come up allright. Where we are now we are in a pretty spot in France, where everything looks lovely. Well Jim old boy I am going away to Blighty on Thursday. It will be a bit of a rest for me, but I won’t be able to enjoy it as is nothing had happened to dear old Albert. My word Jim we do miss him. I don’t know what it will be like when we get home. But Jim we must look at it on the bright side. These things are to happen. Well Jim old man I am going down to Devon when I get over to Blighty & am going to have my photo taken so I
will send them on. When I get over there I will write you a good long letter about things. I have a few postcards that I will send over. I am orderly sergeant today so I have a good chance to write letters …
While Allan was clearly looking forward to his leave, his letter also conveys how much the brothers missed Albert. Just prior to leaving for England, Allan was promoted in the field to corporal and then immediately promoted to temporary sergeant after Sergeant Burroughs was evacuated to England with shrapnel wounds sustained at Messines in June.
With Allan on his way to England, Percy jotted a quick note to Jim:
…Well Jim, we are out of the trenches now, having a bit of a spell, we are a long way back from the line, had a ride in the train some of the way, and a nice long march the rest. Allan has got his Blighty leave, he went yesterday, it was a lovely weather but it is raining today. I was mentioning in Mums letter about being lovely weather and so it was yesterday but it has taken a change like it generally does. We are in a farm house, its to wet to drill, so I am writing this. Charlie is cleaning his ammunition, for the sports, which comes off soon, there is a show platoon in it and Charlie is in it I missed it, no dam good to me I had a go in one the last sports that was enough for me. Well Jim, I would like to be in Allan place fancy 10 days clear in Blighty, Bon “eh” Bon means good well I will close now no more news hoping this reaches you …
Away from the line and at a bayonet fighting school, George found time to write to Jim:
France
August 26/17
Sunday
Dear Jim
… We have been having splendid weather but today was sultry and now it is raining like the devil, it is generally a sure thing to rain when it gets sultry here, it is a pity for us and a godsend to the Germans as it stops our attack, at present they are hammering at Lens and the French and Italians are making great progress, a little while back it rained for a week and the British had just started a big push then it started to rain so fritz got off lucky. You don’t seem to think we see much crop here well around here it is nothing else but crop and very good too, the people are working hard at their harvest now, it is hard to see them old men and women, they have been getting assistance from our chaps, plenty of them out in the fields working away, they cut all their crops here and do nearly all of it by hand very few reapers and binders here they thresh it in the winter with those old time threshers worked with a horse. I am glad you got that photo also those other things, that parcel mother sent I think went to the bottom we never got any of the mail either there has been a lot of mails gone down. I don’t think you ought to send any more parcels as I only get half of them. I am at a bayonet fighting school at present it lasts a fortnight. This morning we had church parade and this afternoon went into a village close by and had pork chops, eggs and chips for tea, it was a bit of a luxury …
Having received a big mail delivery from home, Charlie penned a letter in reply:
… I got the parcel you sent for my birthday and thank you very much for it. I hope you get all my letters I have written regular to you since Albert was killed, I told Geordie where he was buried he knows the place well and will go and see it, I said before that I sent a cable to you and hope that you get it alright. I wrote to you all last week and am sending this with Percy. The mice plague must be very serious over there and will make it bad for the wheat pool business, I hope that they have died out by now. I wrote to Auntie Florrie today and to Pearl, we are having a grand time here, today it is raining, so we have a half day off, we have a splendid Chaplain now. We are having sports shortly between the brigade, I am in a platoon (about 30 men) drilling for a competition there is a great keenness between the heads, if we win each officer in our company is going to give us 100 francs (a franc is 10d) and if we win in the divisional show, they say they will double it, we are doing our best, you should see my equipment, I have got a new tunic and it is a splendid one, I will let you know how we get on later. This is a very pretty place, the best I have seen for a long time. I think we will be here for a long time, we are camped in a large barn, and sleep on straw. Al and Percy got those tins you spoke about. Poor Albert got one a bit before we went in last time, I feel it very much when the mails come in and he is not here to get his letters, there has been a lot of mail come in for him. I feel sorry for you at home so far away and so long before you would get my letters, but I hope the rest of us will be spared to return. I will draw to a close for this time and will say goodbye with love and sympathy to you all
From your loving son and brother
Charlie
While Charlie wrote of the grief he felt when letters for Albert arrived he was all too aware of the impact of the communication gap on those at home. It was just six weeks since Albert’s death. It is likely that the letter Charlie wrote to his family on that fateful day had only just arrived in Mologa.
Throughout the wettest August in 30 years, a series of pointless, desultory attacks and counter-attacks continued in the Ypres sector on the Gheluvelt Plateau and at Langemarck to the north. Haig’s grand plan was stalling, his move to push through now becoming a matter of wearing down the enemy. Australian troops moved up to help break the stalemate. The 4th Division, some 2000 men below strength, was justifiably unhappy to be sent back into the line. For the Australian soldiers, the welcome rest had come to an end.
MOLOGA
In Australia, the congregation of St Luke’s Church at Mologa gathered in August to farewell one of their youngest, a likeable young man who had gone to war with youthful idealism and enthusiasm and whose life had been cut short. Reverend Plumtree decided that Matthew 26.8 ‘To What Purpose Is This Waste?’ would represent the most fitting tribute to Albert.
August 24, 1917
Last Sunday a large congregation assembled in St Luke’s Church at an In Memoriam service to Private Albert Marlow, who was killed in France on July 19. The church was draped in black and white and the service was most impressive.
I doubt the Reverend Plumtree’s words provided much comfort to Albert’s parents who had permitted their son to go to war:
It is the spirit of love for country, home and dear ones, which makes such men as Private A. Marlow say “Here I am, send me; and neither father or mother can hold him back …”3
While in the churches the tributes flowed, letters and messages of condolence were choking the postal services all over the Western world. They now flowed to the Marlows of Mologa:
Argyle St
St Kilda
1.8.17
Dear Florrie
I was very upset, on reading in the “Argus” this morning, the account of the death while on active service of one of Mrs Marlow’s sons. Please convey to Mr & Mrs Marlow & Family my very deepest sympathy. I would write to her myself but feel that I do not know her well enough. This war seems dreadfully cruel, doesn’t it?
[Author Unknown]
ENGLAND, SEPTEMBER
The time had passed too quickly for Allan who had enjoyed visiting his relatives in England. They were a tangible link to the rest of his family so far away in Australia and provided some comfort at this dreadful time. For a brief period Allan had returned to something akin to normality and he had delighted in the peaceful serenity of the English countryside. On 2 September he crossed the channel to return to his battalion. On arrival, he reverted to the rank of corporal as reinforcements had arrived.
London
1st Sept 1917
Dear Jim,
… Well Jim I have just had 10 days Blighty leave which was just tra bon but the time flies. Well Jim I went down to Devon and had a glorious time. It is the prettiest little place ever I seen, but it rained pretty well all the time I was there. I saw Uncle John auntie Grace May & all the children. They are all splendid. I think they are in a fairly comfortable way. They have a very nice home. They are bonnie people. It takes a day to get down there & a day to get back after spending 5 days with them I went up to Leicester and seen all the Paynes bar Clem & Fl
o Wilson. It rained while I was there. I go back to France at 5 o’clock in the morning. So I will be with the boys again on Monday night I don’t think it will be long before Percy will get away now I was the first out of our company to get leave so I consider myself lucky. All the boys were well when I left them I don’t think they are in the line. Geordie has been out of the trenches 4 1/2 months now. I believe there has been another Australian mail in so there is something to look forward to when I get back … The people seem to think that the war is going to end about the end October. Things are jolly lively up the line now. The last place we were at was Messines and it wasn’t fit to live in there. I never saw anything like it in my life. I hope you got my souvenirs alright I am sending you home a few postcards what I missed last time. I have still a beautiful revolver but how to get it home I don’t know. I think I had better wait until I go myself. Well Jim old man this is all the news this time so I will close with best love & wishes to all.
I remain
Your loving Brother
Allan
Never publish a letter of mine unless I say so.
Allan added in a note to his parents:
… I wish my leave was starting again. One loses so much time getting across from France and then it took me a day to get to Devon and a day to get back. I hope there is an Australian mail for me when I get back. We are having an awful lot of rain over here. The people are held up with the crops and the biggest part of them are ruined. Well dear mum I believe the war will end about the end of October well every body says so …
Perhaps the death of Albert had crushed some of Allan’s earlier confidence. His predictions of the war’s end are now qualified as being those of ‘the people’. He also insists that his letters not be sent to the local newspaper for publication without his approval. His bravado appears to have been shaken. Nevertheless, he had lost none of his good humour and charm as Allan’s cousins explained to his brother; his visit to his relatives was enjoyed by all.