Charles
Allan also wrote of visiting Albert’s grave:
…Well dear mum Percy is away on leave in England & Charlie expects to go this week so everything is good oh. You don’t know what a few days holiday is to us especially at present. I don’t think I will be able to get away for awhile yet. Yesterday (Sunday) Charlie & I went up to where dear Albert is buried. We are erecting a cross over him. They are making a very nice cemetery of it. Well dear mum I am still at the school but will finish about next Saturday. Then I am afraid we will be going back into the line. Well mum you seem to be having a lot of visitors. Fancy that telegram you sent to Sharps ah what. You never mentioned any about the crops. I hope you have a good harvest. Well conscription never got through. I was afraid it wouldn’t you mention about that time I can tell you we was fair into it. I am hoping to get my photo taken one of these day but the Frogies never take a good photo so you needn’t look forward to it. Just wait until I get to Blighty. We have had a fair amount of snow lately. The winter is nothing to compare with last so far. I have been playing football these last few Saturdays and you can tell Jim I am getting back my old dash again and will stir them up when I get back. Note the underlined it makes me laugh. Tell Mollie G it is her turn to write. I am also writing to her. I say is N.G. & WJ married yet. They tell me er er er is doing good work too. I am afraid by the time some of us get back we will be pretty old don’t you know. Mum I must say I have received all your lovely parcels and I must thank [you]. Well dear mum, dad & Jim I think I have told you all the news so will close with best love to all.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Bro
Allan
While Allan is now amused by his earlier predictions of coming home soon, the following day, having heard of a mass mutiny by German soldiers, he is less sceptical. Perhaps he would be home by next Christmas after all.
Belgium
8-1-18
Dear Jim,
… Well Jim we had a very decent Xmas considering. I hope you all had a nice one. I know it would not be too happy. The winter is with us again but honestly it is nothing to compare with last. The good old snow just streamed down all day today. It is not at all cold when it is falling. To night after parade we had a lovely snow fight and by the time I was finished I was perfectly white. Well Jim by the war news we got tonight things are not to bad at all. There is a wireless came through that 25000 Germans have refused to fight on the western front. They reckon they wont be slaughtered. Percy is away in Blighty on leave & Charlie expects to get away this week. I don’t know when I will get away now. At present we are still at the officers school but we expect to finish our course next Saturday. I am rather sorry in a way because we are having a jolly decent time.
Last Sunday Charlie & I went up to the cemetery where dear Albert is buried. They are making a very nice cemetery of it. We are erecting a cross over Albert. At present it is a toss up whether we are going in the line or not. The other day I met Joe Cocking he looks the same old I think I told you in a previous letter that poor old Bill Street had died of wounds I can tell you I am very sorry. I often get letters from my old cobber Spuddy Kerr. He will be going home to Ausy soon. Well Jim you never mention anything in your letter about the crops. I do hope they turn out excellent. Jim I often wonder if you have still got Linker. I hope you have … You seem to have a lot of visitors. Keep your eye out for a nice girl. They say we will be home for next Xmas
Hurrah …
Having received Jim’s letter informing him of the death of George, Tom Alford wrote to express his condolences:
France
20/1/18
Dear Jim
Just a P.C. as I wrote to you not very long ago to say that I received your of Oct 21 containing the sad new[s] of poor old Geordie. It was the first I heard of it. Convey my sympathy to your mother & accept the same yourself. I wish I could have a bit of a yarn to you. It must be very hard on your mother & the anxiety of the others on top of it all. Tom Richards said he saw Alan & that he had a star up. Well good luck to him. It might help to keep him out of the line a bit as a young officer gets a lot of schools. I’m still on the same job, but have lost a lot of my old pals in this last smash up. Well good luck Jim old Man & bear up as well as you can. It is a -- of a time for everyone.
Your old pal
Tom
This is the only card I have. It seems rather a silly one to send to a man but expect I must have been a bit magnoon when I bought it.
On his return to France, Percy penned an unusually long letter to Jim:
In the field
Jan 21.1.18
Dear Jim
… Well Jim old sport. I have had leave to Blighty, fourteen days, it was good quite a pleasure to get away from the frogies to where they can understand what you are talking about. I went to Leicester first, stopped at Paynes, they were very pleased to see me, and treated me well [they are] very nice girls, saw Flo, she is in Leicester, I got there on the Friday, and Flo came down Sunday, so we had a nice afternoon and night, Flo is a real nice girl, and so lively Jim do me I took quite a fancy to her, I get some nice letters since say no more, Jim. Well Flo came over on Tuesday, gave her a kiss for you and I went away on Wednesday to Devon at 8.20 AM, and got to Lec at 7 o’clock PM. Grace and May were home, and the kiddies besides Uncle Auntie and Connie, I suppose you would not know who she is. One of Uncle Ted girls she is about 16 a very nice girl. There was quite a house full of us. They have a very big house Grace and May are very nice girls. Charlie came two days after I was there, so we were together a couple of days. Their place is out in the country, a pretty place, I would like to see it in the Summer time, it would look lovely. It is in among the hills. May went home the day after Charlie came. We had a good time there. Grace and Auntie did not like me leaving. I hope I get a chance to go and see them again, also to Leicester. Charlie did not leave till after me then he was going to Leicester. Oh Jim the coming back to France it was hard. It rained and snowed the day I arrived, a nice welcome it was not. We have had a fair lot of rain lately thank goodness we are not in the trenches. Yes Jim, this Mrs St____ amuses me, always got some tales, she put a good one into Mum, about Selina of course. Mum believed her. You were talking about coming to Blighty after the war, I think I will come with you, and we will live there, I ought to get a job as bootblack, I have had fair experience of that kind, since I joined the army. I would like to see England again before going back. I’ve got that what you put in the letter, you know, yes I dare say there is something in it, as you said “enough said”…
Charlie also wrote:
24-1-18
My Dear Mother Father & Jim,
… You seemed to think that Geordie was lying on the battlefield wounded, well that is wrong, he was taken out shortly after he was hit and I got a letter today from the Chaplain of the 3rd C.C.S. who said that he died a peaceful death and every thing possible was done for him, he said he wrote home to you the Captain of the Trench Mortars also wrote and said he wrote home to you and told you all about poor Geordie. Well I had a grand holiday in England, it was very rough going across to England but coming back it was grand. I wrote to you when I was at Devon. Well I will describe a little I got to London at about 5.30 P.M. and got to Horseferry Road got a new set of clothes and got paid next day I stayed in London and went down to Devon the following day Uncle met me at Boney Station at Water Farm I met Auntie Annie and Connie Marlow, Grace Hallam and May Maddaford and Grace and May children. I stayed there about 5 or 6 day and then went to Leicester. Devon is a very nice place I liked being down there very much and had a real fine time. Uncle John took me all round the farm it is a very fine one and in a very pretty place. I went up to Leicester and stayed there the remainder of the time, when I was at Devon they, Paynes sent word to Aunt Charlotte and she came to 33 Green the day after I did. I was going to Drayton but the trains are so awkward now but as they sent for Aunt Charlotte I could not go in any case. I sent Aunt Annie Edith Cha
rlotte Uncle Ted a photo of Geordie. I thought Ida had sent them home but she did not on account of so many ships going down. I am getting another dozen of another photo of Geordie later and will send some of them to you. I will say goodbye for tonight as I am tired after the trip. I had no sleep last night …
He added in a note to Jim:
… I have just got back from leave to England where I had a real good time I went down to Devon and to Leicester, none of the relations have received any of your photos from you, they are anxious to get them. I gave them all one of Geordie’s and will give them one of mine when they are finished and will send some of them home to you. I got another dozen of Geordie’s taken it was with his hat off, he gave Auntie one and I got it done off that. I thought it was very good. Mother seemed to think that Geordie was laying on the Battle Field for days well that is wrong, he was carried out by stretcher bearers soon after he was hit and taken in a motor to the dressing station where he [died] next day at about 10 P.M. I got a letter yesterday from the Chaplain of the 3rd Canadian Clearing Station he wrote a similar letter to you at home but addressed it Victoria New South Wales Australia so I doubt if you will get it. I will send you the one I got later…
The details of George’s death which Sarah had accepted as truth did not alleviate her distress. Allan now wrote to reassure her:
France
26-1-17 [1918]
My dear Mother & Father
.. Percy was well when I left him and Charlie was away on leave. Well dear mum in my last letter I told [you] I was going away to a bombing school and here I am sitting down by [a] nice fire writing this letter to you. I am billeted in a very nice building and just beside me is a very comfortable bunk absolutely the best I have had since I left that place called Ausy. We get splendid tucker and a good batman to look after me. Well now mum what better do you want than that. Now I had a pretty good time coming here which took me 2 days. I am situated in a camp on a famous battlefield where the Australians made the first push. Of course Fritz is miles back now. This bombing is very interesting work. I like it. Of course I have hundreds turn but this is a refresher course and when I go back to my battalion perhaps I will have to instruct the men on them. Well dear mum you seem to think that Geordie was killed by the bayonet because he attended a school. Nothing of the sort mum I guarantee that no Ausy will be beat with the bayonet. The germans wont use them. Well dear mum we have had quite a lot of Australian mail lately. I have got a lot of letters from home and Aunt Etta and Liz. Well mum I got that postcard of you, dad, Pearl & the baby. It is very nice, everything looks lovely, but I don’t think there is anything that touched me more than that postcard. Well I hope to get my photo taken in my officer’s uniform and I bet you a penny none of you will know me. Oh by the way you never said whether you got my photo which I sent you when I came back from leave. I do hope you got it but anyway it was very poor. My battalion will be in the line now but by the time I get back they will be out. This is the first time I have missed. You cannot believe the weather we are having now it is just like spring and I think we will have an early spring. This time last year it was brutal, but anyway that is over now. Well dear mum, dad & Jim I think I have told you all the news so will close with best love to all, and I do hope that you all are well.
I remain
Your loving son & brother
AS Marlow
Charlie wrote to Jim a few days later, describing further casualties:
I believe K. Haw is over here and in the battalion next below us I think R Hercus was wounded some little time back but only slight. It was hard luck for the Mullen’s losing the only two boys who came over here. I got a lot of letters from you but I think there is some more out yet … Allan is away at another school Percy is here with me. I told you in my other letters that I had been to England on leave Percy was over there part of the time with me. Those snapshots were very good that Crissie A took, will you send me Tom A address …
Rupert Hercus was born in Mologa and left the area to join the 37th Battalion in March 1916. He was wounded at Passchendaele on 4 October 1917 but rejoined his unit once his wound had healed sufficiently. He survived to return to Australia in 1919.5
FEBRUARY
Percy had returned to France by mid-January but, as his brothers explain in their letters, he became ill soon after. Army records initially referred to his condition as nephritis (inflamed kidneys). He was hospitalised on 2 February and was back in England 15 days later, admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital at Brighton. Percy was later diagnosed with trench fever, a common illness causing fever, headaches, muscle pain and inflamed eyes. In 1918 the cause of trench fever was found to be a bacteria carried by lice. Recovery could be slow and the illness often recurred. Percy spent much of his time in the trenches cursing the dreaded ‘chats’, but ultimately he may have thanked this tiny enemy for keeping him from the dangers of the front line. He had his ‘Blighty’. Percy was not to rejoin his unit until August 1918, spending some six weeks in hospital and, from late March until mid-August, in camp at Hurdcott in England while he regained his strength.
Early in February, soon after Allan had been promoted lieutenant, 100 men were selected from the 38th Battalion to train with troops from the 37th for a raid on enemy trenches in the Warneton sector south-east of Messines scheduled for 10 February. It is unclear whether the raiding party included either Allan or Charlie. However, Jack Lockett vividly remembered the February raid some 70 years after he had crossed no man’s land to assault the German front line. He proudly described what he dubbed ‘the most successful raid of the 38th’. The enemy was deceived by the stealth of the soldiers and the ‘Chinese Party’, a contingent of dummy troops positioned half a mile to the north of the actual point of attack. With the pull of a cord, each dummy rose from the ground to attract fire from the German lines. As the enemy sprayed fire on the fake attackers, the soldiers moved forward under cover of fire from their own artillery, machine-guns and trench mortars. An estimated 100 enemy soldiers were killed and 30 prisoners taken. The Australians incurred 39 casualties; the unprecedented nature of the raid had taken the enemy completely by surprise.6
Prior to the raid, Allan wrote a letter home:
In the Field
Sunday
2-2-18
My Dear Mum & Dad,
… Well dear mum I am still at the bombing school and having a good time. To morrow I go up for my exam and I hope I get a good pass and on Wednesday I go back to my battalion and then I hope to get a lot of mail and parcels. Well dear mum & dad we are having magnificent weather one would hardly realise that it is winter time. This weather will do me to a tee and I suppose you all are saying those poor soldiers in trenches must be having a terrible time but that is not so at present. Well dear mum & dad by the time you get this letter I suppose I will have had my 14 days blighty leave. I will be going to Devon & Leicester. There is only one relative who I haven’t seen and that is Uncle Ted but I will see him this time. Now I wonder how the crops turned out. I hope they were the best we should be home for the next harvest. In fact you can tell dad to put plenty in and I expect to go straight in with the stooking when I get back, but I won’t guarantee to load the load on the wagon, but I will be up to time when the lunches come out. Just leave that to me. I am afraid everybody will be married when I get back in fact it will be a good job because we all will be to late for presents. Andy Blow getting married beats me.
Now dear mum & dad I don’t want you to worry over me in the least. I am enjoying this and [when] the time comes for the old Swan Hill Kerang train to pull into Mologa I’ll be there. I often get a letter from Ben Johnson. Well dear mum & dad Jim I think I have told you all the news so will close with best love & wishes to all.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Brother
Allan
Charlie will be back from Blighty now I have some views of towns that are just close to me and I have been in them.
While Allan wrote to his fam
ily of his eventual return home, Joe Stone, recovering in a convalescent camp in France, acknowledged with some pessimism in a letter to Jim that he felt resigned to an uncertain fate:
France
5/2/18
Dear Jim
Just a line in haste hoping it finds all in the Best of health as it leaves me at present. Well Jim there is nothing new over here to my knowledge things are very quiet where I am. I am still in Con Camp will be leaving shortly for the Base. Sorry to hear about Poor Old George it comes hard to think he was over here so long & then to go near the finish. But we never know what to expect here you never know when your turn is coming. But we are just hoping and trusting for the Best & are quite resolved to our fate. I am sending a parcel home with some walking sticks one in for Father they will send it across from home I made them here in my spare time. They are not very brilliant but are all right as a souvenir. Well Jim it is lovely weather here now & as news are scarce I think I will ring off.
I remain
Your Old Cobber
Joe [Stone]
Love to the Mologa girls
Charlie continued to answer his family’s questions over the circumstances in which George and Albert had been killed:
The Field
7.2.18
My Dear Mother,
… You asked about whether Geordie said anything when he died, well I have written to everyone who I thought would know but could get nothing out of them, he would get every possible attention especially at a Clearing Station. I wrote to the Colonel of the Station he said he died peaceful and received a decent burial. There is one thing we should be thankful for and that is that both Albert and Geordie are buried in decent cemeterys well out of the line of fire, and not like so many of our poor fellows, I told you in my letter this morning that I did not cable for that five pounds but thought the letter would reach just as quick as I was unable to cable at the time owing to shifting. I met Knowlson Haw two nights ago he looked well and said Amos was back here again but was at an N.C.O. school. I was very sorry to hear about Dave Mullens he was a fine fellow. I wrote a note of sympathy to his mother. I believe Bill Crossman was killed he came over on the same boat as I did. I was sorry to hear that he was killed he was a very nice fellow. I have never met Sam Crossman but if I knew his address I might be able to find him. I have not met very many of the boys I know over here except Wingfield. I told you that I got a parcel from Mrs Stone, Jim asked why I was sent to a Refts Camp well the reason was, to escape two “advances” or stunts as they are called, one was the one Bill Street was killed in the other Les Townsend was wounded in, it was a good thing for me and good of the Captain in sending me, they send so many every few months there were 6 others with me under Lieut Langley the Bishops son, he was a fine fellow we had a good time. Well dear Mother I will close for tonight with love to all I will say goodbye
ANZAC Sons Page 55