Hurdcott; February 23, 1918

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know I am quite alright. I came back from Furlough on Thursday after a most enjoyable and interesting trip.

When I got back I got 5 letters, one from Hilda Pohlner (Oct 14) one from Kath (Oct 14) 2 from Annie (Oct 14th & Nov 18th) and one from Nell (Nov 21st). In the last two you knew that I had been hit. I also got three parcels from home: one from Siss & George & one from Mt Bryan Red Cross circle. I was mighty pleased to get them as I had given up hope of getting them. I told you before that I had received the parcel with the waistcoat from the M.B.C. people. I wrote to Hilda thanking them but of course the mail route is a risky one now. I have sent you some books of views of Ireland & some Sinn Fien literature which I hope you get safely. I have got a lot of postcards and some little souvenirs to send yet but I don't want them to go on one mail.

I was very sorry to hear Frank Kelly and Charlie Burton were killed & I hope Ralph Thomas has been found alright. I think I will soon be going to Sutton Veney now as I told the doctor this morning that I was quite fit for France. You see I have had a real good time & I think it is nearly time I went back and done a bit more.

I will now give you a description of my trip through Ireland. I left Custon Station (London) Thursday night at 8.40pm and went right across England about 300 miles with only one stop at Crewe to Holyhead. I then got on the boat and went over the Channel in about 3 hours (it is 64 miles) and landed at Kingstown (Dublin), at 6 o'clock. I got in the train there and went straight to Killarney, arriving there at dinner time on Friday. Had a look over the Cathedral there. It has not been finished very long and I believe some priests went to Australia and collected a lot of money to help finish it. Saturday it was rather wet, so we went to see some lace at a convent in Killarney. They are on Red Cross work now as there is no market for lace. I got a couple of handkerchiefs or doilies which I am sending home to Mum. The lace is made by hand and the finer sorts are fairly expensive.

Sunday morning I went to Mass and then with another Corporal and a honeymoon couple, went in a jaunting car for a drive around the beautiful lakes of Killarney.

It is indeed lovely scenery. On Monday I went to a Fair at a little place called Killarglin (about 30 miles from Killarney). The people in this part are supposed to be the most backward and uneducated in Ireland but, I believe, as honest as could be. At the Fair there were cattle and people so thick in the street you could hardly walk through them. The crowd (girls & all) push and bump as bad as a lot of soldiers rushing for pay or dinner. There were a lot of cheap-jacks etc. They're much the same as a show in Australia. All the stock were bought and sold privately.

On Tuesday I went to Cork. It is a very old-fashioned town with about 100,000 inhabitants. There was a bit of a strike on there. A tobacco manufacturer there was paying the girls 3/6 a week for 10 hours a day and they struck. They had his place picketed and there were a lot of police there to keep order. The Irish police are very big, fine men and they do not want there to be any squibs either. I can tell you one afternoon they were escorting two or three fellows down the street and there was a mob of 200 or 300 chasing after them and boo-hooing something splendid.

At Limerick there was some trouble over a steam crane that was being put up. Some of the dock labourers thinking it would do them out of a job. One evening I was standing on the quay and a wagon belonging to the people putting up the crane was being escorted by about 20 police along the street. A yelling mob was following it. Some police who were guarding the yard rushed out with rifles and let the wagon in. Then the police rushed the mob and drove them off the quay like a mob of sheep. I take it that these are quite everyday occurrences in the poor misgoverned Ireland.



View Larger Map

On the Wednesday I went out to Blarney castle, about 10 miles from Cork, and kissed the Blarney stone. It is a very pretty place.

Thursday I went to Limmerick and then on to Dublin, Saturday night. I had not heard or seen much of Sinn Fein till I got to Limerick, but I went to a lecture there on the Dublin Rebellion by one of the men who was in it and sentenced to death, but was eventually released. I had my eyes considerably opened by what I heard and saw there. A good many of those present were in the uniform of the volunteer Republican Army. I did not think they would be allowed to wear that in public. They have officers and I saw a good bit of saluting being done by the privates. The Officers wear Shamrocks instead of stars on their sleeves. Some of the speaking was done in Gaelic and it is Sinn Fein's idea to get rid of everything English. Government, Language and all. I am afraid they are taking on a hopeless task. Any one of them would cut your throat for a rifle. So when the Irish soldiers come home on leave from France, the police take charge of their rifles till they go back. Of course everybody had their eyes on me but I clapped and hurrahed with the rest when they sang songs and gave recitations, some of which I have sent in a bundle of Sinn Fein stuff. It seemed a bit rich for me to be wearing a British uniform and cheering rank Sedition. I would have given quids to have had Uncle Jimmy with me.

Anyone I spoke to always wanted to know what part my grand-parents came from - but I do not even know what county they came from (terrible disgrace), you must write and tell me as it would be quite easy for me to trace some of my poor relations if I went to Ireland again. They also pointed out to me that it was on account of bad English laws that my people had to leave Ireland. But I don't bear England any grudge for that, seeing Australia has a climate more suitable for me to live in than Ireland. Dublin is a very nice little town with some lovely buildings and Phoenix park is a magnificent place.

The museum there has a wonderful stuff and I even saw some of our old South Australian stamps - it would take a week to go through it properly. The Art gallery is splendid too. I went over Guiness' Brewery - it is an immense industry. When you had had a look over the place they treat you to some of their stout, but I don't like any liquor much. Sackville street, which was knocked about a bit during the rebellion is still in ruins and the GPO is still the same.

I got back to London Thursday morning and went and saw the King's Guard change at Buckingham Palace (very smart) and then caught the train home after a most enjoyable fortnight.

The whole trip, fare and all cost me £14.0.0 and I came home with £11.0.0 in my belt as I did not intend to be short of money on my trip and I had everything I wanted and lived pretty swanky.

Well I must close now, hoping you are all well as I am.

I remain,

Your loving Son and Brother,

Tom

Dartford; January 6, 1918

No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital

My Dear People,

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

I am leaving here to-morrow & going to the Convalescent Camp at Hurdcott. I am not quite fit for Furlough yet as my wound is not healed up & I do not want to go on leave till that is quite right. I have got rid of my bandages now. I just have the dressing stuck on with big strips of sticking plaster.

I went to London with a theatre party on New Year's Day. We went and saw "Any Old Thing" at the Pavilion Theatre, in Piccadilly.

Piccadilly Circus

After the Matinee we were taken to the Y.M.C.A. at "Ciros" & given a very nice tea. "Ciros" was one of the most fashionable clubs in the West End before the war, where you paid a "fiver" for what was worth a "sprat". But there was so much gambling & "high" life there that the authorities seized it and handed it over to the Y.M.C.A. people & a very nice little place it is.

After tea I went out & strolled up and down the "Strand" till I was tired & then caught a train & came home, after spending a most enjoyable day. All this was free we only had to pay our train fare 1/6.

Last-night I went to a "Twelfth Night Party" at Slade Green. This was given by the Munition girls. They give two dances a week to our chaps from this hospital. About 70 of us went down & had a splendid time. I had a couple of quiet dances.

A sing-song in the YMCA- a female pianist plays for Australian soldiers. London, 1918.

The girls round these parts are very fond of our chaps & if anyone feels inclined for flirtations or "dinkum" courting, there is plenty of opportunity. Unless you want a girl looking after you, you have to be very careful who you give "glad eyes" to. Of course I am too old & steady for anything like that now. I suppose things will be a bit quieter at Hurdcott.

To-day is a special day of prayer for Victory. I have just been to Mass. I mentioned in my last letter that I had received your cable, but that letter might go astray. There has been no Australian mail in for a good while now. Well, I will close now hoping you are all quite well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

Portsmouth; November 27, 1917

My Dear People,

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

My leg is getting along very well. I go out every afternoon for a bit of a walk, & I find this "wounded soldier" business is the best "stunt" I have been on for a good while, that is, of course if the "crack" is not too hard. I was out walking the other day & I was "swinging" my leg so well that a young lady came & offered me a walking stick to help me along. I very very politely declined her nice offer. I do not know if you have heard the saying "swinging the leg, or "lead", but, it means dodging the "line" & it is a very common phrase this side of the world.

I went to a stock market the other day. Things were rather dear. Cattle, that would dress from 8 to 10 cwt were bringing from £30.0.0. to £40.0.0. Calves that we would knock on the head £2.0.0 and £3.0.0. and sheep that would dress about 70 lb £5.5.0. Meat is of course very dear & runs from 1/2d to 1/8d a lb. I saw a price list of Australian Jam in a shop window to-day. It was from 1/3½ d for plum to 1/8½ d for black currant per 27 oz. tin. Sugar is only obtainable on the card system. In the hospital we scarcely get any Jam but have plenty of bread & margarine. It is real good margarine, almost as good as butter. We have fish or sometimes an egg for breakfast & meat & vegetables & pudding for dinner & I do very well on it. I do not think Germany is at all likely to starve England out, but it may put a serious strain on us supplying some of our Allies.

I will be sent out of this hospital to another any day now. I may be sent to one of the Australian hospitals at Dartford or Harefield near London, or perhaps to some small place not far away. If it is no worse than this place it will do me.


I went to a Confirmation Service at a little Church not far from here last Sunday. There were a good many little boys & girls confirmed. When the Bishop was addressing them, asking catechism etc., he was very keen on their going to Church every Sunday at least - take note "all" boys who neglect Church.

We have not had any very cold weather yet, the winter being I think rather later than last year. It may not be so cold as last winter. I hope not anyhow. I had my "Phiz" taken the other day in my hospital "blues". I am enclosing one in this letter. It is a "Dinkum" likeness but, the blue shows up grey in the photo.

Fruit is very dear here. Grapes from 1/- to 2/- per lb. & other fruit in proportion. Apples being about the cheapest from -/4d -/6d per lb.

I saw in a Casualty list over here the other day where a C. Pohlner was wounded. I do not know if it was Charley or not but I think it was. I see they are having another go at conscription again but I bet No wins. I suppose you are busy hay-making now. I hope things are going alright home. Well I must close now. Hoping you are all quite well.

I remain

Your Loving Son and Brother

Tom

France; July 21, 1917

My Dear People,

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

We are still in the same camp, but had a trip of about 13 miles to a place the other day. Stayed away the night & came back next day. The whole Brigade was on this march; we carried full packs, & very few of the men fell out, although some of them had very tender feet when we got back. Marching does not trouble me much & I can carry my pack as well as most. There is some probability of us doing a fair bit of tramping directly.

We have not had any mail from Australia since 1st May, & I have not seen or heard anything of the other boys over here. We are still having leave to the town I told you of & I could go again if I wanted to, but I don't think I will bother.

Sunday 22nd.

We had Church parade this morning. We go to a little French Church about a mile away & have Mass before the French people have theirs. We had a thunder-shower yesterday but it is a lovely day to-day, & I think I will go for a swim this afternoon & get a few black-berries on the way, as they are nearly ripe now. We can also get a few strawberries if we like here as they grow wild in these parts.

Well I must close now as it is nearly dinner-time & there is not much news.

Hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

Later.

Bert Lilley came & saw me this afternoon. I was away swimming when he came, but he waited till I came back. I was very glad to see him. He tells me Mick Griffen is back with the Battalion again & Mat is fairly well. Frank Cahill & Alick Burton have gone to England on leave. Bert is quite well & wishes to be remembered to you all. They are camped about 15 miles from us, but he came on a bike. If I could get one I would go & see them all.

Tom

France; May 8, 1917

My Dear Mother,

I am writing to you for your Birthday. I hope this reaches you in time. Wishing you many happy returns of the day. I am going to send you a little souvenir, which I hope you will get. It is a String of Rosary Beads and in the cross is a piece of glass. When you look through this the right way you can see 4 views of the Albert Cathedral - 2 before being bombarded and 2 as it is now. It shows the leaning figure of the Virgin Mother and Child very well. There are some words in French - all of which I do not know the meaning other than Allemands, which means Germans. I expect you will be able to get someone who knows a little French to tell you what the other words are.

I have got 2 letters since I wrote last - one from Annie (Feb 12th) and one from Kath (Feb 4th).

We have had perfect weather here for the last fortnight. Quite hot in fact. It was lovely, but we had a little rain this morning. I do not know when I will be going in the line. We had sports a few miles away and concerts. They took us on a considerable route march to one sports day and they were very good. Well I must close now as there is not much news here.

Hoping you are all quite well as I am.

I remain

Your Loving Son

Tom

France; April 12, 1917

My Dear People,

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

We joined our Battalion to-day but have not been in the trenches yet. It was on Easter Sunday that I first saw the destruction of war & I can tell you it is impossible to describe the mess they have made of this country.

There has been some snow & rain here lately & things are pretty sloppy. I saw Harry Tralaggan & W. Arnolds. Harry had letters dated 13th Feb. & he told me Mrs. Dare was married also that George was going to be married "Ha Ha". I saw Noel Tiver on the trip up, he was quite well.

During my travels in France I have seen the figure of The Virgin Mother & Child on a Church. The statue is leaning right over as I had read before I came here. We can hear the guns going for smash not far away. There has been some big advances going on lately. But I think there is a lot of hard fighting to be done yet. They have more N.C.O.s here than they want, so I have reverted to the ranks & in future my address will be

No. 4245
Pte T.J. Quinn
A. Coy
32nd Batt.

Of course if I live long enough I will have opportunity of rising again. Our Batt is in the 5th Australian Division & has done some pretty solid work at times. There are practically no French people here, but the French ladies I saw coming here are rather good looking. A lot of them were working in the fields. Well, I must close now as the censor will not allow me to say too much, but as long as you know I am well & happy that is all that is necessary.

Hoping you are all well.

I remain,

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

Hurdcott; March 25, 1917

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well. I got back from Lyndhurst last night after a fairly successful course there. It was not the starvation place they said it was. I could live on the grub pretty comfortable, although some of the others used to growl plenty & go out & get their tea in the town.

We spent an hour or so in Southampton when we were coming back & we were in Salisbury for awhile. There is a lovely Cathedral in Salisbury.

Salisbury Cathedral

Most of the other chaps in the school secured girls in Lyndhurst but not me. I have not been able to find Frank Richards since I came back. They say he has gone to Weymouth but I suppose you will hear from him.

There has not been any Australian mail in the last fortnight. There is a sort of a scrambling pack up here to-day, with rumors of France etc. but I am taking it very cool & unconcerned as I think it is only a sort of a 'see how quick you can pack up'. But I hope to be on my way to France inside a fortnight & I will be very pleased to be going over.

I suppose you will soon be starting tilling now, they are planting potatoes & things every where here now, potatoes are very scarce in England.

After Tea.

Things are quietening down a bit now, but one company is standing by, ready to turn out at any time. I am not in it at all, but if I thought it was France I would be. The rumors we hear would make you laugh. Germans landed in England etc., but I think it is all smoke.

Well I must close now, hoping you are all well as I am.

I remain,

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom.

Hurdcott; February 25 1917

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know I am quite well & still here. We have not had an Australian mail for about 3 weeks. The last one is a good while overdue. I suppose it is shut up somewhere dodging submarines, which are pretty plentiful just now. So I have not heard anything of how you are getting on since Dec. 20th.

I went to Church this morning, our Priest's name is Capt. Chaplin Kennedy. He was awarded the D.S.O. for great gallantry, in bringing back wounded in an action in France. I saw an account of it in an Australian paper. He is a splendid preacher & knows men to an ounce.

This afternoon I went for a walk to a little village called Broad-chalke. We went through the Church there. Every little village here has a Church, mostly very old & some of them must have cost a lot of money. Some of the better ones would be classed as Cathedrals in Australia. The one we saw today was so old that I suppose one time it was a Catholic Church, but now it is C. of E. It was repaired & altered a bit in 1846, & is now in fairly good order. They have got a lovely pipe organ. One of the soldiers played it and it had a wonderfully strong tone. 

The weather is rather nice here now, it rains a fair bit, but generally at night. If it rains in the day time we are not kept out in it, but carry on with lectures in the huts, so it doesn't affect us much. 

Tell Nell her Frankie is quite alright here. I will close now, hoping you are all well. 

I remain Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

Hurdcott; January 31st 1917

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know I am quite well. When I got back from London Friday night there were two letters here for me, one from Nell and one from Mum & Annie, dated Dec 11th 1916. That is the last mail I have got. I was very glad to hear you were all well, but was sorry that you were worried about my pay.

Of course that is the usual course for reinforcement sergeants, but I did not know it when I left. The reason is this - the rank is only acting & any big bug can revert you at any time if you are not up to your job. So the C.O. of a troop-ship generally reduces a few of his N.C.O.'s on the way over. Our Colonel reduced a good many. Well you see, if they were paying out C.D. pay while you were on the trip they would not know of the reduction in pay till you landed here & it would cause a lot of inconvenience getting it back. So they wait till they get the news from this end before paying it out. But I suppose you have got mine before this. It would be about £14.0.0 for the trip over. After that you will get no more till I am gazetted a sergeant so that I can make a fresh allottment.

It is the simplest thing to get reduced here - if you lose a prisoner when you are Sgt. of the guard, or when in charge of an escort, they court-martial you & then take your stripes off in front of the parade of perhaps a 1,000 men. So it does not pay to take any risks with prisoners here, as some of them are pretty hard nuts. I saw one Sgt reduced here. He was in charge of an escort & got drunk & one of his prisoners got away. So they took his stripes off & he is in the clink now, doing 30 days detention for his carelessness. So you see you have got to be right on the mark here.

Yesterday I was sent to Marlborough with a man as escort for a prisoner - it must be about 60 miles away. We caught a train at Wilton, a small town about five miles from here (we always catch the train there if we are going London way) & went up the London line as far as Andover Junction & then we had to take a train going on the Cheltenham line - to Marlborough. We had about an hour to spare so had a bit of a walk round the town. It is rather a nice place. We had a look at an old water wheel flour mill - the first I have seen. It was a good wide wheel about 6 or 8 ft wide & the water was running under it & turning it around.

View Larger Map

Australian soldiers are pretty rare there - as we could tell from the remarks we heard - but they know you a mile off on account of our hats. You are not allowed to wear your cap here & all the

English tommies wear caps.

We saw a big college there & a lot of the boys playing hockey. Well, after a bit of a stroll we went back to the Police Station & got our prisoner. He belongs to our Coy & came over with the 7/32, the same unit as H. Tralaggan. He cleared out of camp about a week ago without any pass or anything & got caught up at this place. I knew I would have to do some rum jobs when I joined the army, but I did not know I would have to do police jobs. I had a pair of hand-cuffs in my pocket but he came quietly so I did not put them on him. He got 28 days clink today for being absent without leave for a week. When you are Sgt of the Guard here, which happens here fairly often, you are something like a head jailer, with a bunch of keys locking & unlocking cell doors to let prisoners in & out. There are about 3,000 Australian soldiers floating about England absent without leave. They came over for the trip not to go to the war & it is on account of them that it is almost impossible to get leave except the four days London leave.

I will now tell you about what is said to be the coldest snap they have had in England for twenty years. When we were coming home from London there was a dry frost on with an East wind. The air & ground was absolutely dry, in fact so dry that the dust was blowing. But it was some cold I can tell you! All the water taps were frozen & a good many of them burst. The only place we can get water is at the warm bath house. The water buckets in our huts were frozen solid & after we warmed them over the fire a bit we could turn the ice out in a solid block. I have not seen anything like it before. For ten days the thermometer has not been above freezing point & there is plenty of skating going on about England. A good lot of the Thames is said to be frozen over.

The cold is playing up terrible with our men. A lot of them get colds & pneumonia & a good many Australians are dying over it. I do not mind so much, except standing on the Parade ground while the Battalion does a flash fall in. Of course when you have a rifle it is cold on your fingers so I bought a good pair of leather gloves (lined) in London. But it is cold calling the roll & we are not allowed to wear overcoats on parade. While I am moving about I do not notice the cold & I sleep warm enough at night, you can get as many blankets as you like, but I appreciate your nice warm socks that I have, but I would not wear a scarf as your throat gets too soft.

The climate here is ever so much drier than I thought it was; there has been very little rain here since I came here though they say it rains a good lot here a bit later on. The ground, in England seems to be mostly a few inches of soil over a rocky bottom. The farmers here use single & double furrow ploughs & they plough very light "scratchings". They are always manuring it with rotten straw etc.

They are making great efforts to organize the production of the country & orders came through for P.C.s to cultivate every inch of ground they had to spare for potatoes etc. & the millers have got to put at least 5 percent of oats or barley crush in their flour. British people generally wake up a year or two after they ought to. They are also short of sugar here. We get plenty of tucker here. The sergeants have a mess here. We pay sixpence a day & it is well worth it the way we are fed. They say we live as well as the Officers.

Sunday Feb 4th.

I have just come back from Church Parade. We have mass here every Sunday morning. The Priest is the best preacher I have ever heard. I am sending you a bundle of Post-cards views of London. I hope you get them alright. I was sorry to hear Aunty Ada had been ill but hope she is well again. I will be writing to some of them soon but I have been pretty busy since I came here. I do not remember the Miss Tothill that died. So Mr Davidson will be leaving Mt. Bryan. I hope they get a "strict" teacher in his place, don't you John? There is a rumor going round here that there are so few men enlisting that they are likely to close Mitcham & send the men to Melbourne & that all N.C.O. & Officers Schools are closed. I don't care anyway as it makes no difference to me.

Well, I must close now & post this as the Australian Mail closed today. Hoping you are all well as I am, except for a bad cold which everyone has here.

I remain Your loving Son & Brother

Tom.

It is snowing lovely here now.