I will write again shortly.
I remain
Your loving
Charlie
While Charlie promises his family that he would take care of himself and ask God to spare the brothers, he knew that such promises and prayers were no defence against the destructive might of artillery and machine-guns. A sense of regret also pervades his words; they had done their share, yet without an end to the war in sight, the Marlow family would not be immune from the threat of another casualty.
Soon after Charlie wrote his anguished letter to his family, the men of the 38th were informed that their ‘rest’ period had come to an end. On 10 November Allan and Charlie were again on their way to the front line near Ypres, this time to hold the Warneton sector near Messines from 13 to 21 November. On the darkest of nights they made their way along broken duckboards through the network of damaged and waterlogged trenches to the front line where they began repairing the defences, a task they continued for eight days until they were relieved. They then made their way through the shattered remains of Ploegsteert Wood and camped a few kilometres to the rear at Romarin in reserve.15
A week after receiving the letter that brought the dreadful news, Charlie wrote to his family from the trenches near Messines.
Trenches
Thursday 15 November, 1917
My Dear Mother Father & Jim,
I received two most welcome letters from you today and your bonzer parcel. We are in the line again near where Albert is buried, dear mother I got the very sad news about dear Geordie only last Wednesday, you will have heard at home before I did, I wrote to the Captain of the Trench Mortars and I got the very sad news I wrote a short letter to you but since then I have been unable to write as we were on the march and then we came in the line. I did not think we would be in so soon. Ida wrote to the War Office about poor Geordie and I got her letter the day after I got the word from the Captain on the card she got was that Geordie died of wounds on Sept 21st that was the day after he was wounded, he died at the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station so he will be buried there, I will find out where that is and will let you know, I had no idea that the poor fellow would die from what his mates told me, it is terrible hard luck to lose and I feel it very much it breaks my heart to think that that we have lost both Geordie and Albert I feel it very much and cannot get it out of my mind I would dearly loved to have seen him before he died, I would have liked to have got both Geordie and Albert buried together, but there is no chance, I sent a cable home to you about a week ago, I also got word from London that there was money there for me I will get it alright, Percy is still away at a school I am with Allan he has got his commission as a Second Lieutenant so he has got on well he will be a First Lieutenant in 3 months they always get their second star after 3 months on Active Service. I am a Corporal as I told you before. Al called home to you that he was a second Lieutenant. He has got on well I think Percy will get a stripe when he comes back from the school he should have had one long ago but they put someone else over him, he should have got one before me as he has been in the army longer than I have and had a lot more training. Well Mother I got your Christmas box, that cake was the best I have ever eaten it was not dry or broken up it was just splendid George Collison and A. Sinclair were with me are in the same dug out I gave them some they said it was splendid Allan also got his box from you, I gave him some of my cake he thought it was very good, the parcel could not have come at a better time than now as we were in the line. Abe Sinclair also got one so we are well off today, living high, I got a letter from Bill Roberts and a letter came from Miss Roberts for Collison [and] Sinclair and I [think] she is sending a parcel each to the 3 of us for Christmas. Abe Sinclair said to tell you that we had quite a picnic today, dear mother do not send tea as we cannot get hot water very well what is best of all is cake lollies and cigarettes … Well dear Mother I know how you will be when you heard about dear Geordie it is terrible beyond words. I am writing this in my dugout I have plenty to do now as a Corporal I have to take a party out each night for rations and plenty of other work to do I will write again shortly. Well dear Mother I will say goodbye I share with you all in the sad loss of our dear Geordie, but hope that we may be spared to return to you once again. I will say goodbye with love and sympathy.
I am your loving
Charlie
While the field postcards were dashed off in haste, a week later, when the 38th was withdrawn from the front line, Charlie finally had a chance to write at length:
Nov 22nd 1917
My Dear Mother, Father & Jim,
I got a lot of mail again tonight, we came out of the line last night after 8 days, we are close to where poor Albert and Tom Roberts are buried I intend to go to Albert’s grave, so far I have not found out where dear Geordie is buried, beyond 3rd Casualty Clearing Station I think it is near Ypres I cannot help thinking about the poor fellow, it is awful to lose him and Albert I feel it terrible I wrote to you when I was in the line, of late I have not been able to write much owing to marching and being in the line and then being a Corporal I have a little more to do … you asked why A.S. was out of the machine Gun he was taken out as to get promotion I am now out of it they took me out to make me a corporal, but we are all still in the same platoon and company Percy is in charge of the machine gun section I am in charge of a section, but when we were in the line this time I was in charge of the rations when they came up the line, I had to see that it was dealt out to the whole company fair and square it was a good job, but next time I suppose I will have a different job, as we have different jobs at times and it does not make any difference to our promotion, when I was at the school I believe I got a good report so that goes a long way. Al will be going to an officers school, I believe soon. When we came out last night, about 3 miles from the front we got a hot drink of cocoa a packet of biscuits and two cigarettes, I think it was given by the YMCA and the comforts fund, it was like giving me £1, I can tell you I did enjoy it. I got your parcel for Xmas mother I thank you very much for it the cake, pudding and all the rest was splendid if you had seen us when we were eating it you would have thought the same. Percy got yours tonight also one from Auntie Florrie and a small one from Mrs G. Mahoney Percy’s cake from you was just like mine, bonzer, he has not opened Auntie Florries yet, Al got his parcel too we all thank you very much for the very nice cake and all the nice things, it must have been hard for you in your sad trouble to get them ready. I do feel sorry for you all at home at our sad losses for I know and feel it myself I know what it is over here and then Geordie has done so much it is hard luck, as he was an ideal brother without doubt, when I saw him he was just the same as he always was, his mates told me he was a fine soldier without a doubt I am trying to find out all I can about him, if there is anything you want to know about Albert or Geordie let me know and I will try and find it out, I will only be too pleased to do anything I can to relieve your anxious feelings I will write again soon, this is two mails in a fortnight but this has been delayed I will write to Pearl tonight, I will say goodbye for tonight with love and best wishes to you all, I share with you the loss of our dear Albert and Geordie.
I am your loving
Charlie
Back from the front line and housed in huts, each son had time in between unloading ammunition, repairing tracks and carrying supplies to the front to think of home, to unwrap parcels and to reply to letters. Allan wrote of his initial refusal to accept that George had gone. He complained to his mother that he would like his father to write and that there were some with whom he would rather not communicate. His letters reveal a sense of bitterness towards those men remaining in Australia and his views on conscription are abundantly clear, the death of his brothers fuelling his anger. In the chaos of battle, the capture of prisoners was not always the preferred option. After the death of two brothers, Allan had decided it was no longer the option he would choose, as he wrote to his parents: ‘I never intend to take any more prisoners.’ He proudly re
ports being commissioned, the first in his battalion to have risen from the rank of private to officer, and describes a watch ‘given’ to him by a Prussian Guard officer. Australian soldiers were notorious for collecting souvenirs from German prisoners, a pastime that, for some, proved quite profitable.
Allan delighted in the parcels that friends and family packaged and sent to the line, also mentioning Eva Jones, his neighbour across the paddocks, who was now a young lady and frequently referred to by the brothers in their letters to Jim as one of his latest love interests. Eva would watch for Sarah’s washing day from high on the hill and traipse across the paddocks, through the fences and down the dirt track to lend Sarah a hand. The boys never forgot her generosity and her support for their mother.
France [Belgium]
23-11-17
My Dear Mum & Dad,
… I have just come out of the trenches but things were fairly good there. Well dear mum there seems nothing of trouble lately. We got word the other day that poor old Geordie has died of wounds. It is awful to think that he is gone. I cant believe it yet not until I see his name published in the paper. Mum you people over there would [have] heard more about [it] and when he died than we did. It [is] no good mum I cant believe it so I will say no more about [it] not until I hear further. I have most tremendous mail to answer. I got 35 letters this mail practically all were got when I was in the line. Mum dear I got your lovely parcel. I must thank you it was a beaut. It was absolutely the best parcel that ever I got and once more what makes one appreciate it more was because I was in the trenches. Percy has been away to a school and he just came back in time to put a few days in the front line. That parcel was lovely next time you send me anything mum send a parcel like that, with plenty of smokes in it to. You don’t know how I appreciated that parcel. Well I said I got about 35 letters and then of them I would not give a tenny if I never got. I have not got any time for them. I wont mention any names but guess for yourself. Somebody is always hitting me up for not writing they forget what conditions we are living under and I reckon they think we do anything but writing and a man ought to send them a line saying never expect a letter from me. I am not so much terribly obliged by their letters. They might think I am but that’s not what I think. Now dad never writes to me he writes to Charlie and sometimes Percy. I cant make it out at all it has me absolutely beat. Mum do tell him to write to me I have had only two letters from him since being on service about 20 months. Mum when you write again do tell me why Mick Grant got the sack. I cant make it out at all. Dear Mum you seem to worry a terrible lot but give it up. Look as best you can on the bright side of things. Well dear mum it is 10 oclock so I think that I will go to bed so goodnight dear
Best love to all
I remain
Your Loving Son
Allan XXXXX
(I have no pencil so I am writing this with a very bad pen)
Allan wrote twice on the same day — the death of George had now been confirmed. In his second letter, Allan writes of his acceptance that another brother has been taken from them:
Belgium
23-11-17
My Dear Mum & Dad
… Well mum I received your welcome parcel about a week ago and it was lovely you don’t know how much I appreciate it and once more I got it when we were in the trenches. That cake of Eva was lovely Mollie chocolate also. Eva put a short note in. It was very good of her. I will write to her to night also Mollie. Well dear mum & dad also Jim poor old Geordie is gone alright it is awful I cant help thinking about our two boys, yet others will stand back, the cowards. We are terrible short of men at the present time. Us lads that are here are doing about 3 mens work & what thanks will we get when we get back. I do hope conscription comes in. No body in Ausy can credit what operations have been put before the Australian lately and such a lot of them too. The ground we have had to take lately was most difficult & when we have done it, they say well done you brave lads, but how many are in it? If I was some of those fellows over in Ausy I would feel ashamed to poke my nose out of the door. I could not tell any one that I was Australian born. The cowards. Well dear mum I have some good news to tell you & that is I am a 2nd Lieutenant now. I was promoted to that rank on 3-11-17. I am simply delighted I cannot offer my allotment for awhile. I am the first one in my battalion that left Ausy as private to become an officer. Each officer has a batman & he cleans the boots look after my clothes and bed etc. It is tra bon. Well mum my next move is to become a 1st Lieut and I reckon within 3 months I will get it I hope so anyway and then after that it goes by seniority. Some few letter back I was talking about cabling for money but I will not now. Mum one of these days I will send you home one of my stars for a keepsake and if I get [more] I will get them made into a brooch. I do hope you get my souvenirs that I sent a long time ago. I have another German watch which a Prussian Guard officer gave me. I took him prisoner he was a bit close to shoot. I never intend to take any more prisoners. I will [bring] the watch home one of these fine days. We are close to dear old Albert’s grave again & we are going up to see it one of these nights. You ask if Mr Gollan is still going strong. Well mum he was pretty badly wounded in first stunt he is over in blighty. I am glad you are going to have a good harvest. Fancy such a lot of floods. I would enjoy them if I was there I will never forget the big one. Everybody seemed terrible disturbed and one thing & another but I was having a time of my life. I often think of the good old time we used to have together ah what Mum remember that pretty little thing I bought at the Δ [Pyramid Hill] show and dad went crook. Wasn’t it funny. I could tell you lots of little things I say mum do you remember the quilting I got for swearing. Well mum I have to get up at 6 in the morning to take a party out on fatigue very nice aint it. She seems to be getting a bit breezy again. I think we will have the winter on us again before we know it. Yes mum you seem to be having a lot of visitors. I will be writing to Stones again. How’s Bobs that a jolly fine place. Well dear mum & dad I think I have told you all the news so I will close with love to all.
I remain Your Loving Son
Allan XXXXX
ANZAC Sons Page 51
