ANZAC Sons

by Allison Marlow Paterson

  Well Mum we got into Cape Town at 2 oclock this morning and they took us off the boat at 9 oclock for a march. We marched out away from the town about 4 miles. We did not go near the town at all. It is a very pretty place. The town is between Table Mountain and the sea. Well Mum, I do not think I will be getting off at all. I am trying to get this posted on the pier, this is all so I will close hoping all are well.

  I remain

  Your loving son

  Albert

  Albert’s letter was posted in Cape Town and the newspaper was sent with the letter. Soldiers were invited to submit their writing to the Port Lincoln Lyre, a publication designed to amuse and entertain during the long weeks of travel across the sea.

  Albert continued his voyage to England and, on the day he turned 19, he began a journal-cum-letter to his family documenting his eventful passage up the west coast of Africa. The Port Lincoln had struck trouble but worse was to come.

  Port Lincoln

  26/11/16

  Dear Mother, Father & Jim,

  Just a few lines to let you know I am tip-top. We left Cape Town on Friday the 17th Nov. I wrote to you from there and sent you some silver leaves. I had to throw the letters over the side to get them posted. We got into Cape Town on the Friday morning. We were taken off in the morning for a march. I was disappointed because we were not given leave. It is very pretty around Cape Town especially Table Mountain. We have had a lovely trip since we left the Cape, but had bad luck last night. We were travelling at full speed, when a blade of the propeller broke. The boat must have hit something as there was an awful jerk, and it shook for hours after. They think it must have hit a boat that was sunk about here. A lot of the men thought their last day had come. We were travelling very slow today, on account of the blade being off. A lot of the men never slept last night. As soon as the boat hit. Some of the men rushed below and put their life belts on. We have to put our life belts on every Saturday. All the lights on deck are out at 7 p.m. and there is no smoking after dark. We are in the danger zone now. We are supposed to call in at a port called Dakar on Wednesday but we might not be there for a while now, and I suppose they will put a new blade on there. The tucker was rotten last week. We had a lot of S. African mutton on and it was as poor as bones, and half rotten, but it was not eaten. The tucker is better now. We get stew twice a day about 5 days of the week, but it is hardly ever eaten. We get porridge every morning. We passed a big boat an hour ago. There is a boat coming to tow us into port, so the yarn says. The boat is jerking like the devil. It is hard to write. Well Mum, it is my birthday today. It is Sunday, we had Church parade this morning. Well this is all this time. I don’t suppose this will be posted till I get to England. I sent you a paper from Cape Town, called the Port Lincoln Lyre, it was printed in Durban. They are getting another paper out next week. I will send one home. Don’t forget to keep them - Last Sat we were all paraded on deck in uniform to hear the sentences read out of the men that deserted at Durban. They were charged with desertion, striking an officer and N.C.O., swearing, drunkenness and resisted the guard. Three of them got 3 years penal servitude, and one got two years. We are duty company every Tuesday. I was on guard last Tuesday _______________

  Dec 6th Well Mum since I wrote that we have had some shifting about. On the 28th Nov the boat altered her course 3 times and then stopped. It seems we were chased by submarines and had a narrow escape. We started again next morning and went for Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone – At 10 am the ship ran into a sand bank about 5 miles from the harbour, and they tried all day to shift her. Next day the 3rd after a lot of messing about we were taken off the boat and put in barges and taken to the pier for 3 hours and then they marched us up to the Barracks on the top of Mount Aureol. We had our water proof sheet and two blankets to carry up. It was the stiffest climb I ever had. It is a lot higher than Pyramid Hill, and as Freetown is in the tropics, it was almost too hot to walk. We got to the top at dark, and wet through with sweat. A lot of the men fainted before they were half way up. We stayed up there two nights and had a good look around. The niggers were selling oranges, bananas and cocoanuts, almost for nothing. By hell, we ate some fruit. The oranges were a lot bigger than cricket balls, and were just lovely. The bush is called jungle and is the prettiest place I ever saw. All around the barracks grow shrubs and flowers and some lovely roses. I never saw such lovely coloured leaves in my life before. There was dozens of different kinds, they grow wild. I packed up a lot to send home, but when we changed boats I had to leave them behind. The bush around the garrison would beat any Australian garden for flowers. I will never forget the lovely scenery. On the 2nd Dec we marched back to the boat, got all our equipment, and then went back to the pier and left all our kit bags in the goods shed. We marched up to the barracks again before dinner with our web equipment on which weighed about 50lbs, we stopped the night at the barracks and then got up at 5 next morning and marched back to the pier, then we went on board the New Zealand transport [Willochra] and left Sierra Leone that afternoon. We got a great reception on board. It is a lovely boat, and the tucker is great. There are 1 000 N. Zealand troops on board and they are all fine fellows. We reached a port called Dakar on the Wed 6th Dec where we took on a gun and some coal, left there the same day, and are now on the way to England. I forgot to say that Freetown has very few white people in it, as it is so hot. It was over 120 in the shade when we were there, and that was supposed to be cool. A lot of the men got a heat rash there, and I think a lot would get malarial fever if we stopped much longer. No doubt it is as near hell as I have ever been, the sweat just ran out of us there, and we were not sorry when we left there. We did not get off at Dakar, it seems a nice little place and not as hot as Freetown. I got some post cards of Dakar which I am sending to you. We have been 7 weeks on the trip now, and I don’t think we will get to England before a fortnight. This is a fast boat, but she is altering her course a lot, and is going south now and instead of north. There are submarines about, and it is rumoured there is a naval battle and that some of the German ships got out. I was on submarine guard today. We had a rifle and ten cartridges. There is 120 men on guard with rifles, there must be something doing. The officers say that this is the most adventurous trip that troops ever had. We had a rough time on the Port Lincoln for the last fortnight. The tucker was awful and we couldn’t eat it. It was no use making complaints they never took any notice of us, so we were all glad when we got on this boat. She has been a passenger boat, and is fitted up lovely. The tucker is fit for a king, and I don’t mind how long the voyage takes. We can get hot baths on board, we have our meals dished out to us, and it seems just like home. We have lime juice for dinner instead of the tea because of the hot weather. We are going to get soup when the weather gets colder. The New Zealanders are the finest lot of soldiers I ever saw, no kids among them. They are printing a magazine on board. It is going to be finished in London. I am sending one to you. Dont forget to keep it. We came on the boat too late to get our names printed in it. When we left the Port Lincoln there were 50 men in the hospital with the measles. That young Ross I told you about in another letter was left behind in the hospital at Freetown. He was very bad when I last saw him. Well Mum I think this is all this time so I will conclude hoping all are well as I am at present. I have been tip top ever since I left. I will write when I get to England, so goodbye

  From Your Loving Son

  Albert

  Remember me to all the Mologa people

  Continued …

  Albert did not finish the chronicle of his experiences on the Port Lincoln until his safe arrival in England. It would be at least another fortnight before the reinforcements would sight the mother country.

  ENGLAND, NOVEMBER

  Like his brothers, Charlie was immediately granted leave and quickly took the opportunity to meet his English relatives for the first time:

  33 Green Lane Road Leicester

  Nov 30th 1916

  Dear Dad,

 
I am sending you a few lines, well I have got my four days leave, I was at Hurdcott Camp, Salisbury we took the train from Wilton to Waterloo, then I caught the train at St Pancras, London at 3.40 pm for Leicester I had written to Ida to tell her I was coming, the train took about 2 hours to get to Leicester from London, when I got out at the station a Y.M.C.A. man came to me and asked me if I was a stranger here and told me he would show me where I wanted to go. I told him I had a cousin coming to meet me, and all Australian soldiers wear their felt hats in England and the Tommies wear caps so it was easy for Ida to find me as there was only another Australian soldier there. I was walking to the gate and we recognised each other she said I was so much like Allan, we walked home it is not far and I saw Auntie and Ethel and May, May is a very pretty little girl she is ten years old, auntie has a nice place and is very good to me it is just like being home I have to go back tonight by 12 oclock. I have written to all the aunties and got letters from them all. Ida took me to Drayton yesterday I saw the following first of all I saw your father’s grave then saw the church he used to go to, and the place where he always used to sit. I am sending you a photo of the church which you can have till I come back, as I could not buy them here this time so auntie gave me this one for you, this church was built by the Romans it is called St. Nicholas, the name of the parish is Bringhurst. Another card is the bridge at Great Eastern [Easton] you cross over this bridge to get to Drayton, also a photo of where your father lived and another where Auntie said you used to go through going to work. I saw Auntie C. Wilson Auntie E Patrick, Cousin Flo Wilson Cousin Alice Marlow 2nd cousin Grand uncle Ted’s girl, Uncle Walter Patrick Grand Uncle Ted Marlow Uncle John Wilson, Cousins Annie Marlow and Grace Marlow you brother’s two girls. I also saw another little church at Drayton, but your father did not go there very often it was called St Leonard’s. I also saw Grandfather’s old bible which he said was for you, Auntie Wilson told me I was to bring it back with me, he has all the dates when all the family were born, also when Jim and I were born. Your father lived next door to where Auntie Charlotte lives and I saw his old armchair. Ida sent word to Aunt Charlotte that we were coming and also to Flo Wilson and to Aunt Edith and Aunt Charlotte sent for Alice Marlow and Grand Uncle Ted Marlow they all came to Drayton to Aunt Charlotte’s place. Uncle Ted Marlow was very pleased to see me I think he is about 73 but he looks real well and is a grand old chap. Al and Percy did not see him Flo Wilson is a very nice girl and very good looking she got a letter from Jim that day it was dated Oct 15th he said I sailed 3 weeks and told her Albert was up on final leave, so he cannot have been long in camp, so when I go back I expect to get letters from home and from Pearl, as I have had no mails from Australia yet. I was afraid the mails went down on the Arabia but I think they must have saved them. I told them in another letter that I saw Al and Percy and gave them 3 pounds and sent a sovereign to Geordie as far as I know Al and Percy are in France I saw them on Sat Nov 18th and they were to go on the Wednesday Nov 22. I got a letter from Percy on the 20th Nov he said they were to go in the Wednesday they were camped 17 miles from me I have written to Geordie but so far have not got an answer as I told him to send the letters to the base as I would be sure of getting them there I sent him some cake and cigarettes and a pair of socks Pearl made for him and a handkerchief and some matches. Al and Percy hear from him regular. I am leaving some money here with auntie to send a tin of cake etc to Al and Percy before Christmas, she says she will only be too pleased to do anything for us … Your father is buried about two chains away from Bringhurst Church which I enclose. You can see just the top of a tree by the back of the church on the right hand side that is the cemetery it is very small covers about ¼ of an acre.

  If at any time you want to know where we are or anything about us write to.

  To

  The Commandant

  Administrative Headquarters

  130 Horseferry Road

  London S.W.

  … Auntie Lizzie gave me a silver tie pin which your father used to wear as a keepsake. I will leave it here to when I come back

  * * *

  ENGLAND, 2011

  In May 2011 we travelled to Salisbury and drove through Larkhill, today the home of the Royal School of Artillery and surrounded by green, rolling hills. It is a stunning albeit chilly day, the birds are singing and, in contrast to Percy’s description, there is not a drop of rain. This is where the sons of Charles and Sarah prepared for their time in France. We had come from Salisbury where the boys visited the magnificent cathedral. Only a few minutes further from Larkhill, we arrive at Stonehenge and wander there for a while, contemplating the significance of the site as had our forebears before us. Among Albert’s possessions which arrived home from the war was a copy of Stonehenge: Today and Yesterday by Frank Stevens, Curator of the Salisbury Museum in 1916, in which Albert had carefully recorded his name and company details. We stand at the ancient site; in the distance beyond a ridge is Larkhill.

  We then travel on to Leicestershire, to find the tiny villages in which the sons of Charles and Sarah sought refuge in their brief moments of respite. With Charlie’s letter in hand, we drive the narrow lanes of the English countryside to follow in his footsteps. We have previously found relatives living in Leicestershire and they meet us for lunch in the small village of Medbourne from which we know many of our relatives originated. We visit surrounding villages and the churches mentioned in family documents, the sites of weddings and of funerals and eventually we find Bringhurst, the tiniest and prettiest of villages on a gentle rise in lush green fields. It is here that Charlie writes that his grandfather was buried in 1910. There is no headstone; perhaps there was once a simple wooden cross, but it exists no longer. The local curator lends a hand and a few days later we discover the resting place of my great-great-grandfather in Bringhurst Cemetery. A headstone has been erected to honour our ancestor. At various times the sons of Charles and Sarah stood here and reflected on their heritage. They travelled by train from London to Leicester and trekked the lanes we drove along to find their family during their short periods of leave. They sat in the village churches and contemplated the history of the family that lived here centuries before. It was their footsteps that brought us here and incredibly, it felt remarkably like coming home.

  EIGHT

  … ONE GOES UP TO HIS

  HIPS IN MUCK AND WATER

  MOLOGA, NOVEMBER

  Despite his earlier attempt to enlist, Jim now sought an exemption from the compulsory home service enacted by Prime Minister Billy Hughes on 29 September. As the demand for men to take the places of the fallen had increased, the physical requirements had been relaxed and Jim is likely to have been considered fit for service. But he was fully aware that Sarah and Charles could not manage the farm on their own. He may also have decided that six sons at the front was beyond the call of duty for any family. Sarah’s eldest son appeared before the local Exemption Court seeking release from compulsory home service — he was destined not to fight on the battlefields of Europe.

  Three days later, the Pyramid Hill Advertiser published the long list of applications for exemption from the district. Jim, incorrectly named John in the report, was one of many who stood before the Police Magistrate.

  EXEMPTION COURT

  The court at Pyramid Hill continued its work on Friday, Saturday and Monday, and had completed the business at noon on the last named day. It was presided over by Mr Bevan, Police Magistrate and Lieut. Josephs represented the Defence department. Of the 109 cases heard, 81 were allowed temporary exemption, 11 absolute, 6 refused, 5 adjourned, 3 withdrawn by applicants, 3 struck out …

  Marlow, John W., 27, Mologa – Five brothers at the front, he being the only one left to manage the farm. Charles Marlow, the father, confirmed the statement. Lieut. Jacobs withdrew the objection. It was a good thing, he said, to see a family who had sent sons as in this case. The P.M. – You’ve done well, Mr Marlow. – The application was granted. 1

  In 1916, publi
c pressure to enlist was enormous. The more sons a family could send to the front, the more accolades the fathers received. Those with similar family situations to the Marlows also received exemption. Most applicants were granted a temporary stay until 28 February when crops would be harvested and there was no excuse to keep men from home military service and, perhaps, ultimately from the fields of France. Very few letters remain of those sent from home to the front. A Christmas postcard from Sarah to George, who was often referred to as ‘Ten’, is among the few. While wishing her son a bright New Year, Sarah acknowledges that such brightness would be unlikely in yet another year of war. The distress she felt at Albert’s rapid departure is clearly evident.

  My dear Ten

  Just a card Wishing you a Happy C and a bright New Year, but I don’t suppose there is much brightness there, hoping all are well, Albert sailed without a minutes notice

  Mother

  Charles, Sarah and Jim were kept busy with the harvest. Fortunately, the family’s relationship with Pearl had thawed following the wedding, as the letters between Sarah and her daughter-in-law indicate. It is unclear whether Pearl had yet shared her secret with her new family — she was carrying Charlie’s baby.

  Postcard Sarah to Pearl no date

  Dear Pearl

  I got a letter from Charlie, and he wished one to tell you in case you did not get one but I suppose you did he is well I am in a hurry to catch the mail

  From mother with love

  C/o Mrs A Rackham

  South Morang

  Post office

  December 16th 1916

  Dear Mother

  Just a line I am sending you a letter that I received from Percy it was addressed to me, he must have made a mistake in the letters and sent me yours. I also have received one from Allan and Percy they are getting on fine Allan said “they would be going to France about the middle of November” so it will be only a chance if they see Charlie.