France; April, 28th, 1918

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know, I am quite well. We are still on our good job & having a Bonza time.

We have been living on roast & fried meats & plenty of potatoes, jam tarts, (I am pretty good on pastry cooking) but I am getting short of flour now as these Froggies buy bakers bread & unless
I souvenir some more flour, our tarts will come to an end. We had some nice fresh fish which we caught too. One of my lads got possession of a fowl to-night so the troops will likely have poultry for dinner one of these days.

Most of our lads are collecting little souvenirs to send horse '& you can get plenty of nice little ornaments too, but I do not bother anything like that. (I believe the leaning figure of the
Virgin I sent home has fallen at last).

You can get anything you want here, from a frying pan, to a grand Piano, & my word these Frenchies have some lovely furniture. To look at most of the houses from the outside they do not seem very flash, but inside the furniture and decorations are beautiful. There must have been some wealthy people here, & it seems such a pity that they should have to leave such nice homes. It is also quite possible that if there was any heavy fighting about here the houses would be levelled to the ground by shells.

We have a fair amount of sport when we are looking for food owing to the language on the labels but, we can generally pick out what they are by the look or taste. One of my men reported a large find of flour but, on examination I pronounced it plaster of paris (what a sell). The best of the joke was that he gave a sand bag of it to some other chaps & they carried it about a mile, but I found out & told them about it before they tried to use it.

The war seems to be going on with a good swing & though we have lost a bit of ground I do not think Fritz can stand the pace he has been going for long. He has had a little go or two at the Aussies but does not get on too well with them.

I hear that poor old Tom Dearlove was killed. He was one of the best soldiers in our Battalion, He never growled or grumbled no matter what happened & had been with the Battalion right through everything. These sort of men do not get much in the way of decoration but I think they are real "dinkum" heroes.

I expect by the time you get this you will be pretty near finished tilling. I see the Governmentis guaranteeing 4/- a bushel for last seasons wheat so that is not so bad, as you have had pretty good returns.

I suppose Annie will be nearly finished her course at T.T.C. by the time you get this. And Kathie's leave will be up. Of course she will find that keeping house is not all sugar & honey & I
suppose she will be glad to get back to her teaching again.

I have not seen or heard anything of the other Mt. B. boys since I came to France this time as I have not been near their Batts. I guess those chaps who have returned home are doing some swank, but I am sorry for those who have lost a limb.

Well I must close now hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

France; April 9th 1918

My Dear People,

Just few lines to let you know I am getting along alright.

Since last writing I have received a Burra Record & 3 letters - one from Mum (Jan 9th) & two from Annie (Dec 2nd & 12th). I told you in my last letter that I had received 2 letters before that, so I think I have got just about all my letters now.

We were up near the line for a day or so but are back in fairly decent billets now. It has been raining a lot lately. Things have been a bit sloppy at times.

April 22nd

I am still quite well, but, have not been able to get any letters away since I started to write this. I hope you do not worry if my letters are a bit straggly now as we are likely to be fairly busy for a while. Just at present we are having the time of our lives in a village which the French have left and this soldier has never been on such a good job in the army before, it would do me quite well for the duration of the war.

When we came here last night I got six letters. Two from Mum (Jan 27th & Feb 5th) 1 from Kath (Feb 6th) 2 from Annie (Jan 29th & Feb 9th), one from Siss (Feb 10th) & one from Hilda Pohlner. I was very glad to hear you were all doing fairly well & that you had received my Photo etc. from Portsmouth. I told you in my last letter that I had received the 10/- note Kathleen sent me.

I would like to be able to tell you about the things I see in this village. It is a terrible thing to have to pack up & leave your home at very short notice & I am very sorry for the poor people who have to do it. There are some beautiful homes here & the soldiers are sleeping on feather beds with eider-down quilts & generally living like lords, as of course the French did not have time to take their stores with them. I have got some flour & intend having fritters for breakfast in the morning, the first since I left home.

All this comes strange after being in the line & I am afraid the troops will be ill, having such a good time. It is however a terrible shame for the people who have had to leave it & war is a rotten thing.

April 24th

We are still in the same place & I am doing quite well, although Fritz annoys us now & again with nasty things that go bang. Ralph Thomas is indeed lucky to be exchanged as a prisoner of war & I suppose he will soon be back home now. I guess his mother will be pleased to have him home again.

Well I must close now, hoping you are all quite well,

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

France, March 29, 1918

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am quite well. I joined my old Battalion 10 days ago and went into the front line the same night. We did a few days in the line and then shifted out. I suppose you know that Fritz has made his big attack and it is quite likely that I will be having a bit to do with stopping him during the next few days.

I had a very good trip to France this time, but have not had an opportunity to write owing to the shifting about. I sent a couple of field cards which I hope you get alright.



Since joining the Battalion I have received a Burra Record and 12 letters - 3 from Mum (Nov 4, 8, and 15th) 4 from Annie (Nov 11th, Oct 28th, Jan 13th and 21st) 2 from Siss (November 20th and Jan 16th) and 3 from Kathleen (Nov 2nd and 29th and Jan 20th), one of which contained a 10/ note. I appreciate Kathie's kindness but I am glad to say I do not need the money. I think this is just about all my letters now. The only thing that I have not received is the parcel with Siss' wedding cake and the parcel of gloves Kathie sent me, so I have been pretty lucky.

Harry Tralaggan is still going, but I think his shoulder is pretty weak. He tells me there is a rumour going around at last Burra Show that I was killed. I do not know if you heard it or not. It was supposed, in the Battalion, that I would not get over my "whack" as the man who dressed me did not give me much of a chance, but it will take more than that to finish me.

Wally Arnolds is quite well and has got a stripe now.

March 31st.

Still quite well and resting in billets, must close now.

Hope you are all well,

T. J. Quinn

Belguim; September 29, 1917

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well.

I am writing this in the front line on some ground that has only just been taken. Except for a few odd shells we are having a fairly quiet time as Fritz is considerably frightened of our artillery barrage & does not care to expose himself to it.

Yesterday morning, about a 100 Fritz's came in & gave themselves up to the people just alongside us. It was funny to see them coming in in little parties of about a dozen & our chaps taking charge of them, getting souvenirs & giving them cigarettes. They have had their hearts knocked out by our artillery which is something terrible up here when it opens up & I do not wonder that Fritz is getting tired of it.

Since last writing to you I have received two letters. One from Kath (July 11th) & one from Annie (July 16th) & was glad to hear you were getting on alright.

I saw Mat & Mick Griffen last Sunday they had just come out after being in one of those big attacks that have been going on here. They both got through alright, but Mat had a narrow escape. A piece of shell whizzed past his face & just took a bit off his nose. Pretty close I reckon. Sgt. Lackmann I believe was killed, but, the other lads we know are alright.

Lyall Bell came & saw me the other day. He is quite well & had a hand in the Messines stunt. He told me he was nearly buried by a shell there, but little trifles like that don't count much in this part of the world.

2nd October.

We are back from the line again & having a quiet spell for a few days, when I think we will be going back for a bit more "stoush". When I got back I received two letters one from Mum & Annie (July 24th) & one from George Dare (July 18th). I was sorry you had not received any letters from me but they must have been sunk because I write fairly regularly & you should hear from me every mail.

I do not know how much longer the war will last but I think it will go at at least another twelve months although Fritz is a beaten man. If the Russians had done anything this summer it would most likely have been over by this time. The weather is still keeping good but the nights are getting chilly. I believe there were some heavy floods in S.A. in July, especially down Adelaide way.

Well I must close now as I have to go on guard directly.

Hoping you are all quite well as I am.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom.