I remain Your loving
Charlie
Allan also wrote a brief note from the trenches:
16-1 19 -18 [16.2.18]
Just a few lines to let you know that Charlie and I are splendid. Percy is away with trench fever he is lucky it is not a serious affair. Well dear mum I am back in the trenches and it is good. We are having magnificent weather. I expect to go to Blighty at the end of the month. I received 36 letters when I got back from the school also 5 parcels. I have not opened the parcels yet as I was hurried away up to the trenches but will have a good time when I get out. You must excuse this short note I will write a long letter when I get out. Trench life is as good as ever still. The weather we are having is magnificent. I can’t make it [out] at all. It is just like spring time …
Once he had further news of Percy, Charlie wrote to his family:
In the Field
20th Feb 1918
My Dear Mother, Father & Jim
… I got a letter from Percy two days ago, first he was at the Field Ambulance he was getting on alright and was sent to the Casualty Clearing Station, it is another hospital, he says he did not feel so well there and they sent him on to another hospital near where our base used to be from there I think he will get to England for some months. I met the Dr and he asked me if I heard from him he said he thought it was Trench fever but could not tell for sure the difference between influenza and trench fever for a few days. I told him that I heard and how he was it said it was fever but nothing anyway serious, he will be lucky if he gets to England. I have told you exactly how he is and there is no need to worry. I see I have his last letter here I will send it to you and you will see for yourself… I should have had my photos to send you but I am waiting for Ida to send them I got a letter from Auntie Wilson she said they turned out well I weighed myself in England and went 13 stone 3 lbs so you will see I am not doing too bad. We came out of the line last night and I believe we are going back for a decent spell …
A few days later Charlie was on his way to a training facility at Poperinghe. There he would have the opportunity to visit George’s grave which was less than an hour’s walk from the busy town. He wrote to his family assuring them that Percy was well; he was safer in hospital than in the front line.
Feb 25th 1918
In the Field
My Dear Father Mother & Jim,
Just a line to say I am quite well, you will perhaps have heard that Percy is in England with Trench Fever, I wrote to you last week saying that I thought he would get to England. Well he landed at Kitchener Hospital Brighton on Feb 17th I think you will get a cable to say that he is ill but it is not serious, the Dr told me it takes a long time to get over and they keep them in England for a long time as it is likely to come on again if they are sent back to the line, some of the men that get it bad are often sent to Australia for six months, it would be grand if he were to get home but he has not got it that bad, there is no need for you to be anxious he will be better there than in the line, I am at present at a school I will be here for five weeks, I am not doing a course but I have to look after the officer’s servants I have not done anything yet I landed here yesterday, our adjutant told me he was sending me there for a spell out of the line and said to be sure and have a good time out of it, I am about four miles away from where Geordie is buried I am going to see it one day this week I will not have much to do and will be able to get leave I am sending you my photo tell me what you think of it I wrote to Pearl last night. Allan is back from the school again he was away about a month. When I get to see Geordie’s grave I will try and find out anything I can about him from the nurses and chaplain I was very pleased when the adjutant told me he was sending me there, and will be able to go and see the grave. We just came out of the line a few days ago, they are in reserve now behind the line …
ENGLAND
With his symptoms showing no sign of improvement, Percy had been sent to England and admitted to Kitchener Hospital at Brighton. He wrote home to tell his family of his illness:
20th Feb
England
My Dear Mother, Father & Jim
Just a few lines to let you know I am going on well, I am in Blighty now good eh its to hard to take, I have Trench Fever, at first they thought I had nephritis, but now they find out I have Trench Fever, that is practically nothing I have pains in my legs now, they are fairly bad just now, but it will not last long. With Nephritis it’s a three month stunt at the least, I am under observation for it, for a few days, but I know I have not got it. I am quite different to the other patients. I had about two weeks in hospital in France before coming across. I have been here three days, it’s a Canadian hospital on the coast about fifty miles from London, a very nice place in the Summer time. I have not had any mail for a long time, there will be a lot of mail for me at the Battalion I have written to Charlie to send it across so I will be set in a few days. We have had good weather lately, for this time of the year this was our worst month last year. We were up round Messines way, when I left, they are supposed to go back for a spell when they come out this time …
A few days later Percy put pen to paper to provide Jim his rather candid impression of France:
22.2.18
England
Dear Jim,
Going on well Jim, got up yesterday, quite a change to being in bed. I have only got pain in the legs now. I am still on light diet, I have not had meat for three weeks, so you see I have had a few meatless days, I won’t be sorry when they give me a bit of meat. When I came here I was supposed to have Nephritis, suppose you have never heard of it, its one of the army names, I think it’s a kind of kidney complaint, well you get three months hospital, at the least, and if lucky discharge. But two mornings after I had been here, a new doctor came round and he says I have not got Nephritis, but Trench Fever, they are not certain about it, so they are waiting for a few days, so Jim you see I am unlucky in one way perhaps lucky in another. Have not heard from Charlie yet, he will get a surprise when he gets my letter. I am anxiously awaiting the mail to come across from France, it ought to be here any day now. Well Jim, how are things going on, pretty same I suppose. I would like to hang out here in the spring, to miss the races in France, not a bit anxious to go back to sunny France, as you hear about, do you know I hate the people, it’s a dirty place. In the farm places their stables, pigs cows are right joining the house, in a kind of a square, and they put all the manure in the centre of the yard, about ten yards from their door, just fancy that in Australia. If they had found out in France I had only Trench Fever I would never had got over here, its round a lot Jim, but it isn’t really much, nothing like any other fever. This is a Canadian hospital, its not a bad hospital, its on the coast at a place called Brighton, about fifty miles from London, a very nice place in the summer and spring some of the patients go down the town, you have to be up a certain time, they get a pass from 2 to 5, and late pass till seven. The bread is very dark we get here, you know it is all like that now, the Government has ordered it so. Out in France the bread we get is very white and always good, never seems to alter. I have heard from Flo and the others since I have been here, the letters go very quick from here and they are not censored. My word Jim the people are rationed down very light here now, you could not believe it; you would wonder how they live. Its been very good weather considering the time of the year, this was our worst month last year …
25.2.18
England
My Dear Mother, Father & Jim
Just a short note to let you know I am getting on well. I am feeling all right. I will be able to go for a walk in a few days. I am still in the nephritis ward, they must think I have still got it, as for me I feel sure I have not it will mean a longer spell if they keep me in here. I have not got any mail yet, been expecting it any day now, it takes a fair time for letters to go and from France. Another nice day, the weather seems to change so quickly, the mornings will be nice and sunny and the afternoons cloudy and cold. We
have blue clothes, long trousers, seems like a civilian again. Well Mum, did they notify you I was in hospital they did so with another Australian, that is in this ward, they said he was a lot worse than he realy was. Mrs Stone had any more tales, she ought to have been an author. There were some visitors in here yesterday, there is one lady comes in about twice a week, I think she is on behalf of the church, for she has always some nice little books as she calls them, the one I got yesterday was “how you can be saved”…
Percy appears to have enjoyed the irony in the title of the book left by his regular visitor.
As the ground thawed and the mud dried on the Western Front, the spirits of the Australian troops began to lift after the relative quiet of winter. There was an air of expectancy, as Percy commented from across the English Channel. With the arrival of spring they were waiting for the ‘races’, an event he had no desire to attend. A German attack was imminent and the brothers felt sure that their contribution would be vital to the Allied defence.
On leave in England, Allan wrote home of the expected German offensive. Only three months before, he had written: ‘think the only way we will end the struggle is by peace’. His attitude reflected the revival of the flagging Australian spirit — his bravado had returned and honour and glory were paramount once again. He admitted for the first time that he did not describe his battle experiences to his family so as to protect them from the tough reality of the war.
The Alexandra Hotel
Hyde Park Corner, S.W.I
3-3.18
My Dear Mum & Dad
I am writing you a few lines to let you know that I am in Blighty I came over 4 days ago and I went up to Brighton to see Percy. I stayed the 4 days with him, he does look pretty well but I feel sure you [will] have him back in Australia. I reckon he will get his ticket. Such a lot are going back with it. To night I am going to Devon and will stay there 5 days and then go back to Brighton and see Percy before I return to France. I have not time to go to Leicester too but I think I will be over England again within a couple of months. Well dear mum I received such a lot of letters from you all before I came over. I can tell you I was delighted to hear from you again. I trust that the crops turned out well. I think we will have a decent harvest here too. I mean the hun. The wretch is going to push and oh mum we will have such fun. He will get such a doing. It will do me for a bit of sport. It is the only way to end the war. We have had us most glorious weather over in France. The winter will soon be over. When I left Charlie was going away to school for 4 or 6 weeks to look after batmen. It will be a beautiful rest for him. It is not the best weather here to have but it is a pleasure to get away from the battlefield for a few days. Dear Mum & Dad you seem to be having a lot of worry. You don’t need to worry yourselves so much. It is hard to loose two brothers but mum they have died for King & Country. It is a glorious death compared to the cold footers who are remaining back in Ausy [who] are not game to risk their lives for King & Country. Those fellows will not be able to [look] a soldier in the face when they get back and what must the people think of them. So dear mum & dad do not worry so much I find it hard to enjoy myself here but one must think that he is away from the front. You said you were disappointed in not getting a good letter from me about the battles. Well mum it will do you no good if you were to hear it now but you will hear it all when I get back and if Percy gets back he will be able to tell you where we are and where we have been. I suppose Charlie Fyffe & Frank Dee were glad to get their discharge but mum I would not like to get mine to [till] the job is over. I am not anxious to get home till it is all over but all the same I would like to see Charlie & Percy out of it. I have plenty of clothes and money if ever I wanted money I would send for it, Well dear mum I will write again before I go to France so Cheerio.
I remain
Your Loving Son
Allan S M
XXXXX
Never publish any [of] my letters in the paper
Allan wrote to Jim the same day:
… I think we will have some fun soon with the hun … Well Jim I cant tell you anything about the fighting in France only that it is pretty hot. I came straight out of the trenches to go on leave and I can tell you I appreciate It …
Percy wrote from Brighton where he was content to remain for the present. Reading about the expected offensive was preferable to engaging in battle:
March 3rd
England
My Dear Mother, Father & Jim
Received your welcome letter 26 Dec, and am sorry to hear Grandmother has not been well, the hot weather makes it bad for her. I am feeling pretty well. I have been going out this last day or two, it’s a very nice place here; yesterday was a very cold day a cold wind blowing, being so close to the sea accounts for it. I got a parcel from you before Xmas, there are three or four parcels in France now for me, I must ask Charlie who they are from. I got two little parcels since being here. I wrote to London to the Base Post office to send all my mail here and I have had a good few letters come here, and two parcels. One of them from Auntie Florrie sent had about five pairs of socks. I notice some of them have been knitted in Bendigo, so I [have] a few more letters to write. It puts in the time here, writing letters, and reading. I am hot stuff at making beds Mum, got a certain way here to make them. Had a letter from Nelly Gamble, she was saying she never heard from me for a long time, well a lot of others have said the same, there must have been a mail or two sunk, for I often write to them. Got a letter from Eddie the other day, it’s the first one he has put the right address on generally used to get hold of somebody else number then Machine Gun Section, France, the letter I got before this was written 23 of last March, and I got it a month ago then he could not make out why I was not answering his letters. Eddie must be in a bad way with that girl of his, its hard to tell whether he or Hilda is the worst. Today, is Sunday, just two weeks since I came in, it looks very much like rain. I have some mail to come from France yet, expecting a letter any day now from either Charlie or Allan. Charlie was expecting to go for six weeks to a school, he just got back in time to go to the trenches. We get paid ten shillings tomorrow, every month they give you that. By the look of the papers, there will be something doing in France soon, it will do me to read about it, not a bit anxious to cross the channel again …
Percy was soon moved to Harefield Hospital, a country manor home near London that had been converted to a hospital for Australian soldiers for the duration of the war.7 Initially, Harefield had been modified to accommodate 150 convalescent soldiers, but quickly burgeoned to a 1000-bed hospital. The children of the village liked to gather flowers for the wounded soldiers, a tradition that continues today with villagers gathering flowers to place on the graves of Australians at the local cemetery each Anzac Day.8
From Harefield, Percy wrote to express his hope that his illness would mean that he had seen the last of France.
Harefield
England
15 March 1918
My Dear Mother Father & Jim,
Just a few lines to let you know I am going on good you will see by the top I am in a new home. I came up here two days ago, I did not like leaving Brighton, it was a nice place. This is an Australian hospital, ten miles from London, seems a fairly good hospital not near as warm here as Brighton. The doctor came to me today, he did not examine me just asked how I felt, he says he will wait for a few days to see if anything comes out of it, that is one of the main symptoms, I have. I will get a board and very likely get back to Australia, or not see France again, its not good looking so far ahead. I had a couple of letters from you they were sent from France so they are old letters, one had a photo of you Dad and Pearl, poor photo of Pearl I would hardly know her. Allan has been over on leave, he was at Brighton with me for four days, then he went to Devon and came back to me, before he went to France he did not go to Leicester it was not worth his while, half of his time left, would have been taken travelling. Well Mum, its been cold this last two days, raining last night, the si
sters here are very good, all Australian. Had a letter from Charlie, he is at a school near Ypres, about four miles from where Geordie is buried, getting a cross put up over him. There seems to be a good few going back to Australia from here. Spose you are finished with the harvest now …
Within a few days Percy was disappointed to discover that a return to Australia was unlikely. He was on his way to a convalescent camp at Hurdcott, a further step in the process of rehabilitation prior to returning to the front line:
Harefield
England
19 March 1918
Dear Jim
Well Jim old man, very short note this time, feeling pretty good on the b_ move again, we might not have much money Jim but we do see life, it’s a dam nuisance just get the mail coming to one place and then got to go, they do not keep you here long, a lot go to Aussy and a lot going to camp for France, I think I am very near one of them. I am going to a convalescent camp, at a place called Hurdcott, a most delightful place “I don’t think” not a great way from Lark Hill and that is the last place God made I am going there under observation, will most likely get a board, to see if I am fit for France, the doctor here has not examined me much. I know I am not right yet, caught a bit of a cold shifting this being a lot colder than Brighton, I seem to be a little worse, but it has not proved in, the doctor tests; pain across the back. Had a letter from Charlie, he was having a good time at the school. I told Mum in the last letter Allan was across. I am expecting to hear from him, spose there will be a few of those words you often use when you are driving the team. I have an idea what it is like to go back from leave. Getting a few shillings in the pay book, we can draw 3/6 a week here, its very handy. I am putting in a photo of the ward taken a few days ago, turned out very good for the price threepence, you will notice my hard face there, in the blues, not a bad uniform Jim, it would do me to fight in them this spring, in the hospital. I should not say that, ought to be breaking my neck to get back at the hun, course I am “I don’t think”. Well Jim, will close now hoping it finds you all well
ANZAC Sons Page 56