12th December 1916
Lark Hill Salisbury Plains
Dear Mother,
… I have not heard from Al or Percy but got a letter from Geordie he asked me to send him a ₤1 which I did next day, he has been on a few days leave and was in the town of Amiens, he said he was a Lance Corporal now so he will stand a good chance of being promoted when once he gets a start. I got a letter from Ida yesterday and was sorry to learn that the youngest little girl May fell in the school yard and broke two bones in her left for arm, they took her to their lodge doctor but he would not set it so they had to take her to the hospital to have it set and I believe she is getting on splendid she is I think 9 or 10 years old and such a nice little girl. I also got a letter from Flo Wilson last week. I have not got that parcel you sent but I will get it alright as they have not given out any parcels yet. Lark Hill is not as good a camp as Hurdcott it is nothing but mud here although it does not rain very much yesterday it was snowing, we have a nice fire in our hut and can get plenty of coal, we get good food here for breakfast we get stew about every second morning and bacon the rest, on Sundays we get bacon and sausages for tea we get bread jam and margarine which is just like butter in fact I cannot tell the difference, I have not heard anything of Albert yet I wrote again yesterday to the base in London to try and find out where he is, I also sent a letter there for him. I am getting on splendid and feel real well a lot of our chaps have got terrible colds so far I escaped. Wilsie Townsend was at Hurdcott camp also Bill Crossman and Jack Sinclair they were to go to France very soon I saw Alf Ferris at Hurdcott Wilsie Townsend and Jack Sinclair will be with him did you get the cable which I sent, the A.I.F. have a place in London where we can find out anything regarding the soldiers and their whereabouts. I wrote to Arthur yesterday and to Bernie Day. Tom Roberts is still with me. Also Les Cant, there is one of the Tailors from near Jim Cheynes place also in my company. There was one of the Humberts from Calivil with Wilsie Townsend he is such a nice fellow and has a brother killed at war. I suppose you will know that Charlie Fyffe was wounded, he was not far from Geordie when he was hit, it was in a bombing attack. Amos Haw was only about 100 yds from Geordie the first time he wrote to me, he has seen such a lot of the local boys over there. I suppose you will be finished harvest by the time this reaches you, wheat ought to be a good price as it is a good price here now I saw in the papers this morning that wheat was 80/- a quarter, I saw in the Bendigo paper which Pearl sent me, the fuss about conscription and the lads having to go and get examined …
17th Dec, 1916
Lark Hill
Salisbury Plains
Dear Mother, Father & Jim,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am quite well and got 7 letters from Australia and also your xmas box, I thank you very much for it the cake is real good also all the other things… They seem to be having some fun with the conscription, I was sorry it did not pass, it would shake a lot of them pro Germans up. I suppose you have heard of the germans offering peace to the Allies, I was surprised when I heard it, they must be about knocked out or they would never have offered it, at any rate I don’t think it will last much longer, we get some lovely frosts here it lasts all day and part of the next day, it has not rained much since I have been here but it snows fairly often, I heard from Lorrie Taylor that Eddie Cheyne had been discharged, was he called up or did he volunteer and how about those who were in the camps will they have to go now conscription has failed, George and Arthur had a debate in Mitiamo with Spencer and Wells the Methodist parson they gave him a bad time so I believe.7 Ida gave me a balaclava helmet and Flo Wilson knitted me a nice pair of mittens they will be alright this cold weather. Well I will ring off for this time. I write to you every week and hope you get my letters …
19th Dec, 1916
Lark Hill
Dear Jim
Just a few hurried lines to let you know that we are off to France any moment now, we have to train there, for how long I don’t know. I have not seen Albert but sent ₤1 up to Paynes for him I have not heard from Al or Percy but no word has come across from any of the 38 I have got 3 letters from Geordie since I have been here he is alright. I am with Tom Roberts from the Ox we sleep together there is a lot of chaps that I knew before are off with us, Lorrie Taylor told me Eddie Cheyne got discharged and Auntie Florrie said Bert Gibson was called up again. I bet he did not like it. Auntie Payne sent me a box of cake yesterday. I have got No. 10 boots 3 pairs of socks on Flo Wilson knitted me a Balaclava helmet, I never felt better in my life before and weigh over 13 stone, I do not think the conscripts will be wanted after all what do you think of the Kaiser wanting peace and in todays paper it says the French took 11, 700 prisoners we get the war news straight out here, no bluff, the Allies have them on the go now, there will be peace very soon Lloyd George gives his speech today on the peace proposed they will suggest their terms to the Germans and I think they will make up some terms for a peace. I reckon all those fellows you spoke of in conscription wants hanging head downwards, I will write as often as I can when in France, so hope all are well as I am at present as I said before Al and Percy are in France now well goodbye for this time
I am your affect brother
C.E.
Charlie’s optimism that the war would soon end was fuelled by newspaper reports of Allied successes and an offer of peace made in the German Reichstag. Moves to end the conflict would, however, come to naught. Belgium would not give up land currently occupied as Germany had proposed and what was an ambiguous and arrogant offer of peace was overwhelmingly rejected by Allied governments. In December David Lloyd George was elected British Prime Minister. He told the British people that he would not accept or negotiate the terms proposed by the Germans. The war would continue on its destructive path and Charlie’s hope for peace would be crushed.
Charlie wrote his next letter after arriving in France:
Boxing Day, 1916
France
Dear Mother, Father & Brother
As you will already know I suppose, that I am [in] France, we are in a training camp I have not seen the boys they have gone up to the lines some of the old battalion boys are here Jack McDonald from Pyramid is one of them I was talking to him, he is with us, Tom Roberts and all the boys from up about Pyramid are here. Les Cant did not come over from the old country he was isolated for mumps. I have written to the 3 boys since I have been here and wrote to Albert and sent the letter to Paynes for them to send on to him I also sent a ₤1 note there for him I have sent 2 letters to the base for him I also left a note with Les Cant for him he will join up with what was left out of our company. Well yesterday was Christmas day we had a very good dinner ham and beef, cheese, pickles and plum pudding, the pudding was a bonzer they also gave us dates, so you will see we have had nothing to complain of, we get plenty to eat over here and don’t work over hard. I said before I received your very nice parcel the pudding was about the best I have ever tasted, I also got a parcel of cakes from Auntie Payne a few days before I left for France. I got a mail from Vic 2 days before I came away, I have answered all of them, but now I will not be able to write to all of them as I did before, but I will endeavour to send you a line as often as I can. It is not near as cold over here as England, but rains often, there has been no snow since we have been here. Well I will ring off for this time, I hope you are all well at home and getting on alright, I am quite well. And I believe the boys are alright. I will say goodbye with best wishes to all.
I am your affect
Charlie
Charlie made the crossing to France but was soon isolated again as a result of the mumps epidemic that continued to plague the soldiers. He mentions seeing Jack McDonald of Pyramid Hill. Jack, who was married with eight children, signed up at the age of 39, leaving his job as an engine driver to sail on the Runic with Allan and Percy. Jack was awarded the Military Medal in February 1918 for his action in a raid in the Warneton sector in Belgium.8 Inexplicably, he wrote to authorities in May 1
919 requesting his medal, which he believed had been awarded for action at ‘Buere’ (Buire-sur-l’Ancre) in France on 4 April 1918.9 Perhaps Jack had been recommended for a medal on two occasions. On 29 September 1918 he was shot in the neck and shoulder which left him with limited movement. He returned to Australia but died soon after, another casualty of the war. The Pyramid Hill Advertiser reported:
… After long strenuous, and brave service in the great war, Signaller Corpl. J R McDonald, of the 38th Battalion, returned with his comrades who had survived the great ordeal and rejoined his family here and through suffering in health through being gassed he showed indomitable courage that marked his work in the war by setting up productive work, taking up part of the “Mangatt Hill” estate and growing wheat … Unfortunately his health continued to decline, and after a rather long illness, endured patiently with a courageous heart, he passed away on Monday night last at the comparatively early age of 46 years … He enlisted early in the war, and served for five years, three of which was spent in the field and marked by bravery and resourcefulness, a fact attested by his having been awarded the military medal for gallantry in the field…10
30 Dec 1916
France
Dear Mother Father & Jim
… I did not see Albert before I left but left a letter with Ida and a ₤1 for him I do not think they will take him into the firing line till the spring as he is too young … One of my mates got the mumps and was sent to the hospital and the rest of us were sent into an isolation camp and will be here for 25 days. I like France better than England for the cold it is not too bad over here at all, of course it is the middle of winter and out in Vic you will be dodging the sun. There is great talk of peace over here now and the Fritzs seemed to have turned Uncle Sam down I think that was a good thing, we get the English paper over here every day I saw by it there was to be a conference of premiers and Hughes was coming over. I think they will come to terms. I met one of the Piepers from near Clees he is in the same division as I am, I said before I got your parcel, I expect some more mail any day now. I have not got any letters since I have been here. I wrote to all the boys and told them I was over here, I will see them when I go up the line. I suppose you will be finished harvest by the time this reaches you I hope the crop turns out well, you can use that horse of mine any time. I was glad to hear that he looked so well it is very good of Mr Alford to leave him in his paddock. I have not heard anything of Tom Alford or Charlie Fyffe but I hope to see them, Tom Roberts from the ox is still with me also George Collison and Albert Sinclair I have not seen anything of Jack Sinclair since I have been here. I met young Gardner yesterday from Pyramid. How are they getting on with the conscription now. I suppose they will just have to rely on volunteers now to back up the Australians. Well I will draw to a close for this time hoping you are all well at home as I am at present so goodbye.
I am yours affectionately
Charlie
As Charlie awaited the end of his time in isolation, Albert was soon to arrive in England after a long and eventful ten-week journey.
AT SEA AND IN ENGLAND, DECEMBER
At Sea
Dec 20th
Dear Mother, Father & Jim,
Just a few lines to let you know I am well, and still on the water. Since I last wrote our boat ran aground on a sand bank, so we were taken off and put on another boat. This is a lovely boat. Plenty of room, better tucker and bunks to sleep in. We expect to land a day or two after Xmas, we have been a terrible long time on the water, and have called at more places than I thought we would. We are not allowed to say where we have been, or anything about the trip. It gets a bit monotonous at times. We don’t do much drill, but we get plenty of fatigue work to do. The sea has been very calm since I last wrote. I am still as fat as a fool, and feeling tip top …
Albert also continued his lengthy, uncensored letter to his mother, originally dated 16 November, as his perilous journey to England rolled on. On reaching Larkhill he was looking forward to being reunited with Charlie. He was bitterly disappointed to discover that he had missed his big brother by a matter of days.
… Well mum since I wrote that we have been shifting a lot. We had left Dakar two days, when the boat turned back and went back to Freetown, we got there on Saturday the 10th Dec. When we turned we were within 10 miles of a German armed merchantmen. We travelled back at full speed (20 knots) Two British and one French cruisers left Freetown that day and sunk the German boat. We left Freetown on the 14th with 4 other transports and a cruiser. We left some transports at Freetown. Two of them were taking nigger soldiers to France to do fatigue work. There were 32 boats in port when we left there. We have war news on this boat every day. The most important seems to be about peace. The Kaiser wants peace by Christmas. It was 8 weeks last Friday since we left, and I don’t think we will get to England for Christmas now. We are having an exciting trip. The C.O. told us to be thankful we are not at the bottom of the sea_______
Dec 26 Well Mum it was Xmas Day yesterday. We had Church parade in the morning and a concert in the afternoon. We do not get meat on this boat for dinner so we only had plum pudding for dinner, and it was plum pudding. For tea we had raw meat and bread and jam, so we had a tame xmas. We expect to land tomorrow or next day. It is nearly 10 weeks since we left and the trip is getting tame, especially as the tucker is getting short. It is very cold now.
Dec 31st – Well Mother, we arrived at Plymouth on Thursday the 28th and disembarked at 6 am on Friday morning, and went on the train. We had no dinner and got a bun and a cup of tea at 2 oclock, which was given by the Mayoress of Exeter. We arrived at Amesbury at 7 oclock and marched 5 miles to the camp. We have done no drill yet. When I got there I expected to see Charlie, 50 of the 3/38 were left behind, and they told me that Charlie had gone to France. I was never so disappointed in all my life. He left a note behind with Cant, a chap from Milloo, to write to Mrs Payne, so I wrote yesterday. I sent a cable home last night. I hope you get it. I got 6 letters the night we got here, one from you, 1 from Jim, 1 from Ralph, 1 from Myrtle Saville and 1 from Myrtle, and I was glad to get them. I have not received the tin yet. You say you are cabling me money. You need not have sent me any as we draw ₤5 tomorrow for the trip over. Besides I don’t spend much money. We expect to get leave soon I am going to Leicester. Well Mum I have no time to write any more so will ring off hoping all are well, as it leaves me at present.
I am Your Loving Son
Albert
PART THREE
1917
NINE
WE WERE FALLING IN SHELL
HOLES AND SHELLS WERE
FLYING ABOUT US …
THEATRES OF WAR
By the close of 1916, any celebration of Allied success had been tempered by the more sombre overall picture across the theatres of war. Under the leadership of General Robert Nivelle, the French had finally won ground at Verdun. In Egypt, the Allies were successfully defending the deserts from the advancing Turkish army. Allied forces occupied El Arish on the Sinai peninsula on 21 December and were now preparing to advance against the Turkish forces in Palestine. But elsewhere the situation looked bleak. Romania’s support for the Allies ended in December with the deaths of 250,000 Romanian soldiers and the occupation of the little country. Russia had also suffered huge losses; the country was starving and was now teetering on the brink of a disastrous revolution. If Russia collapsed, German soldiers fighting to the east could be mobilised to bolster the Western Front.
The British Navy had achieved some notable successes, its blockade effectively cutting Germany’s supply routes. Suffering severe shortages of vital food and supplies, Germany was struggling to produce the war materials to supply the demands of the battlefields. Over one million soldiers had now been killed and grieving families were also hungry. As Charlie had mentioned in his letters, American President Woodrow Wilson had attempted to negotiate a peace deal. But neither side could agree to the proposed terms and the talks failed. Wilson was soon to turn
from attempting to negotiate peace to a declaration of war.
With the German fleet trapped in port, submarine attacks against Allied shipping increased. On 31 January 1917, Germany announced that it would begin attacking ships of neutral countries that continued to trade with the Allies — including the United States (US).1 The final blow to American neutrality was struck in the early days of April when a cable from the German Foreign Minister was intercepted en route to Mexico. The Minister suggested that, should the United States declare war on Germany, Mexico should take up arms against its northern neighbour. Germany offered Mexico the sweetener of reclaiming Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The Americans were outraged.2 On 6 April, Woodrow Wilson declared war. The impact of his declaration would take time to be realised as the US army was small and ill-prepared to fight a war. With delays to mobilisation, it would be six months before American troops would fire their first shots on the Western Front and not until 1918 that the American policy of selective conscription brought troops in significant numbers.
THE WESTERN FRONT
On the Western Front, as a blanket of snow settled on the scarred land, the quagmire of previous months turned to ice and mud-filled shell holes quickly froze. Troops sleeping in their dugouts woke to find their sodden boots frozen solid. Dry blankets were more precious than gold and warm food just as valuable. Lambskin gloves, leather waistcoats and thigh boots were issued but did little to protect the soldiers from the bitter and relentless conditions. The men held the line during that dreadful winter while, in the warm, dry chateaus and around the negotiating tables in England, planning for a spring offensive was underway.
ANZAC Sons Page 28
