Well think this is all this time, so will close, hoping you are all well
From your old pal
Tom Alford
Wilson Townsend was a farmer from Mologa who had enlisted in May 1916 at the age of 22. Wilson had joined the 60th Battalion while his cousin Leslie was serving with the 38th. Wilson’s battalion was later amalgamated with the 59th in which Tom Alford served. Wilson was hit in the back by shrapnel and returned to Australia in June 1919. His mother had passed away 12 months earlier.8
On 20 May Allan sent a photo postcard to Eva Jones, the young lady who lived near the Marlow homestead at Mologa and was often mentioned in letters home to Jim.
The now damaged photo that Allan sent to Eva Jones.
France 20-5-
Dear Eva
Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope that you all are too
We are having magnificent weather … and of course things are all terrible willing
The hun is getting a very rough time [though] not as rough as I would like to see him. Percy is still in England and I hope [he stays] there. We lost dear old Charlie a few weeks back and I do miss him. It is awful … loosing 3 brothers. Well Eva on the other side you will notice somebody you may know. Cheerio I remain your loving friend Allan
Joe Stone, brother of Myrtle, who was now staying with and assisting the Marlows on the farm, wrote to Jim from hospital in France. He was recovering from a gas attack in May. He, too, shared the fatalistic attitude of the hardened soldier.
Hospital
France
24/5/18
Dear Old Sport
Just a line in haste hoping it finds all in the best of health. Well Jim I suppose you will know long before you get this I got a whiff of Jerry’s Gas I have had it 14 days I cant talk yet but I suppose I will make up for lost time when I start. I met Harry Street as I came through Field Ambulance he had a poisoned finger. He was telling me about Poor Old Charlie that was the first I heard about it. My word Jim your boys are having hard luck But one never knows when his turn is coming in this game. Well Jim there is practically no news here only it is like Spring at Home plenty of Grass & Flowers and [censored] to eat it.
Well Jim I think I will ring off
I remain
Your Sincere Pal
Joe
Love to all Mologa Girls
Now back in the line, Allan wrote to his family:
France
25-5-1918
Dear Jim
Just a few lines to let you know that I am well & I do hope that you all are the same. We are situated in a most beautiful part of France and the weather is magnificent so what is wrong with that. Well Jim we are back in the line about [not completed – near Blangy-Tronville eight kilometres west of Villers-Bretonneux]. We have just had about 10 days rest after over 50 days in the line. It is pretty strenuous going still but we are winning so that is the main thing. Well Jim you will have heard of the bad news about dear old Charlie. It is a terror and I do miss him. It is a terrible blow to me. Percy is still in England and is doing well I don’t think he will ever come back here. I have done my best to get him home and I think it will work. Let us hope so anyway. Well Jim I heard from H Haw that you was very bad. I have not had any letters about it and I hope it is not so. I sent you all some photos of mine a little while ago and I hope you got them alright. They were not much good but still they were better than none. Well Jim I suppose you all are up to your neck in work again now as you would be busy with the crops. I received a very nice parcel from Dolly Mahoney last week and a parcel of socks from Miss Opie it was jolly good of them. Well Jim old boy I think I have told you all the news so will close with best love to all
I remain
Your Loving Brother
Allan
All the Mologa boys are well.
I am writing this in a dugout and the shells are flying about.
Never publish any of my letters.
Allan wrote to his father on a series of postcards of the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London:
France
25-5-1918
My Dear Dad
I am writing a few lines to let you know that I am well and am glad to hear that you all are the same. I received your welcome letter tonight and I was so delighted I got 6 from you all and one each from Aunt Liz & Etta and no doubt I will get more to morrow. Well dad I am always pleased to get yours. I know how difficult it is to always write. Well dear dad it is awful losing dear old Charlie & I do miss him. I have had a nice cross put up over him like dear old Geordie & Albert. Dad it is awfully hard. But we must expect someone to go. No one knows what things are like. I can tell you we have had a terrible ruff spin this last few months and [the] boys fight gallantly. We have gained a high reputation amongst the French people. We get great letters of praise from the French people. We just finished a 50 day tour in the front line and then we had 10 days rest and now we are back in it again. We are fighting in a most beautiful part of France and the weather is magnificent. All the Mologa boys are doing well. All leave has been stopped since the Bosch opened his little stunt up. But as soon as it opens I am off to Paris for a few days leave. Well dear dad you seem to be having pretty wet weather over there again. It is very nice of M. Stone to come over and stay with you. She is a jolly good girl. I often get letters from her and she has sent parcels beauties too I can tell you. I do appreciate those sort of people kindness. I got a parcel of socks from Miss Opie and a parcel from Dolly Mahoney. I get letters regular from all relatives in England. What a bonnie welcome Spuddy Kerr got. He deserves every bit of it. Well dear dad the views are some I got while on leave in England and I have all the places & people concerned. I have a number of them so I will send them along to you. I have also some Fritz souvenirs which I will also send along. Well dear dad I think I have told you all the news so will close with best love to you all.
So goodbye dear dad
I remain
Your Loving Son
Allan XXX
Percy is still in England and have a decent time. He has been there about 5 months now. I am doing my best to have him returned and I hope it works. Goodbye dear Dad
Allan XXXXX
The 38th was bivouacked on the Somme River at Blangy-Tronville between Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux. The men were involved in the dangerous task of laying cable to forward areas under cover of darkness. Between spasmodic enemy bombardments, they also took the opportunity to bathe in the cool water of the river and go fishing, which usually involved throwing grenades into the water and gathering the stunned fish.
Postcard of Royal Footman & Letter
France 27-5-18
Dear Jim
Well old boy I wonder how you are now. I am in the best of health and we are just waiting for the hun to attack. Yes that is true about the Aussies anxiously waiting for him. I never seen the boys more anxious. Our lads hoe into line right and left. It is a beautiful day and at 4 oclock I am taking my boys down to the river for a swim. Remember the days when we used to swim in the old creek. We are fighting beside the French now and I met a couple of French officers the other day. They asked me out to tea so I went and I had a royal tea. The French soldiers are splendid fighters. Well Jim if you don’t get plenty of letters from me well I don’t know what is wrong. I have wrote about 12 letters & postcards this last few days. I sent home a little parcel of souvenirs again I hope you get them. Do you ever get the Anzac bulletin I send you. I send one every week. If you don’t get [them] well I will cut them out … Percy is still in England having a decent rest. I am doing my best to have him sent home & I hope it works …
The following day Allan wrote again to Jim:
… I received a most beautiful parcel from [home] last night. It was addressed Charlie but worst luck dear old Charlie is not here to receive it. The cakes arrived in splendid order and they are beautiful. Last night the Adjutant of the Battalion and I were asked out to tea to the 59th Batt. and I got a very pleasant shock
when I met Tom Alford by jove I was pleased. He looks well and is going to have tea with us to night so we will have some of mums cake. He told me Wilson Townsend was wounded. I am sending you a letter I got from M Forsyth it is the first and I don’t know her at all. Percy was writing to her and I put a footnote on his letter. Well Jim old boy I have told you all the news so will close with best love to all.
I remain
Your Loving Brother
Allan SM
Myrtle Forsyth had written to Percy and to George prior to his death. Her earlier letter to George and the following to Allan suggest that it was in her nature to write flirtatiously to those soldiers with whom she corresponded. Allan was amused enough to enclose her letter with his own to Jim.
“Brookleigh”
Milloo P.O.
Via Prairie
Australia
Jan 30th 1918
My Dearest Ducky Darling Allan,
Beg Pardon, Hardly the way to address a real live Lieutenant, that, I’ll make a fresh start,
“To Lieutenant Allan Marlow, I.D.”,
Dear Sir
Don’t quite appreciate that style either so I shall try again by addressing you as “Dear Allan”, First of all please accept my congratulations on your promotion, not on your promotion to Censor though, for I consider that is just a little too much of a promotion, well when its my letters you are censoring anyway. Talk about girls being inquisitive “they are not in it” when compared with you. No doubt you quite enjoy reading the poor old boys love letters, “thank goodness I don’t receive such things”, or know what they are, just imagine you knowing all my secrets, it would be too awful to think of. Tell me? Do you always add a postcript to all the letters you censor. At anyrate Allan you should be well versed in the subject of love letters when your present role is over. I presume you find not a few love letters amongst the correspondence. And you should be an adept at the game of writing them when “occasion” demands them, but a little bird whispers you are not a stranger in that respect. But oh I do think you are an “inquisitive” little “devil” to go and read your brother’s letter to me (You will no doubt “comprey” the meaning of “I.D” after your name) And if ever I have the chance of reading any of your letters I shall certainly avail myself of that pleasure. Now to answer your question, I certainly do wish they were real and I know it is only a case of “sour grapes” with you and as I am sending Percy a few paper ones and expressing a wish that they were real ones. I shall also send you some and express the same wish so as you won’t be jealous of your little brother. You inquisitive devil. But I spose I had better cease my nonsense as not being very well acquainted with you I may offend you but it would serve you right (I don’t think). I believe I have met you once may have been twice at Mahoneys, I remember I was playing football with you one Sunday, but it is hardly likely you will remember such a thing as that now (too high up in the world). I am enclosing this in Percy’s letter, not knowing your number, and am going to ask him to deliver it to you (I hope he reads it first). Now I think I have told you just how mean I think you are so will close with
Best Wishes and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
From your sincere friend XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Myrtle Forsyth XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I wish they were real also that there was room to add a few more Allan
Be good
MF
Though a playful letter from Myrtle was not what Allan had expected, he looked forward to the parcels and letters that Eva Jones and her family were sending and continued to write to Eva at Mologa — letters she chose to keep:
France
29-5-1918
Dear Eva,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still going strong and in the best of health and spirits. I received a very nice Ausy mail three nights ago and was delighted with same. All at home seem to be pretty well although Jim had been sick, but I heard that unofficially. Well Eva we are having [a] very strenuous time since the Hun offered up his offensive we are kept very busy in the front line since the opera opened. Now we are anxiously waiting for him to attack again. He has had quite a number of minor attacks at us but between the artillery, machine gun and rifle fire he finds it impossible to succeed. Last night was the most anxious night we ever put in. He was supposed to attack on the whole front but unfortunately he never. We put a tremendous bombardment down on him and I’ll bet there was a good number of huns gone west. We are fighting down in a most beautiful part of France. The scenery is glorious and the weather is glorious so there is nothing wrong with that. Well Eva you will have heard by this time that dear old Charlie has been killed. It is awful to think that 3 brothers have gone. Poor old Mother will be in a terrible state again. There is one thing that Percy is out of it for awhile he is still in Blighty and has had 5 months of it now. Well Eva I have no more news to night so will close with kind regards to all.
I remain
Your Sincere Friend
Allan S Marlow
TWENTY TWO
HE WAS A GALLANT
YOUNG SOLDIER
THE WESTERN FRONT, JUNE
By June, the German forces were exhausted. To the north in Flanders the Allies had held the line, beating back the German offensive. South of the Somme, American forces had arrived and fought off a German attack on the Marne and there were now more American troops arriving daily. Australian battalions, usually at around 1000 men, were now down, in some cases to 300; there were no reinforcements arriving from Australia.
Allan’s war records indicate that he was appointed Battalion Lewis Gun Officer on 8 June 1918. Two days later he was seconded for duty with the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot at Le Havre on the French coast for duty as censor. Three weeks earlier, the commanding officer of the 38th Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Davis, had been promoted colonel and appointed to a leadership position at Le Havre. It would be interesting to know who made the decision to remove Allan from the line. Was it Davis, the commanding officer who had been with his men from the battalion’s inception, or Major Maudsley who, in his letter of condolence, had promised Sarah that he would do his best to keep Percy from harm? For Allan the decision was met with mixed emotions; to leave the family of his battalion and his cobbers from D Company was difficult as they had been through so much. But his parents had lost three sons. The Marlow family had sacrificed enough.
Allan did not reveal the reasons for his base duties in his letters home. Years later, Jack Lockett provided an explanation when he described the order ‘Akers’ received to leave the front. Allan had almost certainly been posted as a result of the losses to the family. With three brothers killed, the AIF moved to limit the chances of yet another Marlow death. While Allan’s attempts to have Percy repatriated had yet to bear fruit, he now found himself removed from the line. His duties presented a stark contrast to his earlier role at the front and, despite the safety of his position, his later letters reveal his eagerness to return to the line and to his ‘boys’. His frustration is clearly evident.
During this period, the 38th Battalion had been moving in and out of the line around the shattered village of Villers-Bretonneux. Good friend and neighbour, Peter Owens, was wounded on 4 June, along with George Collison, whose wounding on 11 June resulted in the loss of his leg. Ewen Johnson of the 60th Battalion, who had married in England only a few weeks earlier, suffered his third serious wound. Despite the severity of this wound, he survived to return to Australia.
From June there are few letters, perhaps because a number of ships were lost from June to August 1918. HMAT A69 Warilda, carrying wounded soldiers and emblazoned with the red cross of a hospital ship, was torpedoed and sunk while crossing the channel on 3 August with the loss of 123 lives. HMAT A43 Barunga was also torpedoed and sunk on 15 July while en route to Australia with 855 invalided soldiers, all of whom survived. It is highly likely that Australian mail was lost as the family at Mologa did not receive any correspondence f
rom Allan during the months of June and July. Writing to Jim in December, Allan could not provide a reason for the failure of his letters to reach home. I suspect they were lost somewhere in the North Atlantic.
But the family at Mologa did receive a letter from Percy in England dated 23 June. This letter provides some clue to the movements of the brothers, but nothing of Allan’s experiences as he made the transition to Le Havre. While Percy does not mention the death of Charlie, he is likely to have received the letters from Allan informing him of the death of their brother.
ANZAC Sons Page 62