France; November 19th, 1918

My Dear People

Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well & doing alright.  Since last writing to you I have received three letters one from Nell (Sept 10th) one from Kath (Sept. 2nd) & one from Mum (Sep. 1st). I was very pleased to hear you were all well & I hope the top paddock turns out well so that Will can get his motor-bike. I suppose he is pretty sure to want a side-car as well, I have heard over here that machinery is very dear in Aussie, a chap was telling me that a 20 hoe Sun drill cost nearly £100 now & a six foot harvester about £140, of course I do not know if that is correct or not.

I am enclosing a little calender that was given to me at a little concert that some Aussies gave, with the assistance of some French people, in aid of the Red Cross at a village not far away. We had some very severe frosts the last few days & it was very cold, (our first taste of winter) but it is fairly warm again now. There is some probability of us being sent in to Germany to occupy some of the territory Fritz has to hand over, but, that may be cancelled.

Well I will close now, hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & 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

Dartford; December 30, 1917

No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital

My Dear People,

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

I received your cable of 21st, the day before yesterday and I expect you would get some of my letters from hospital shortly after you sent it. There is no need to send me anything as I have everything I want.

I went to the entertainment yesterday at Crayford given by some of the Vickers workers. I was a first class affair. They gave us what they called "Tea" but was more like dinner and some very good singing. I enjoy these affairs immensely.


View Larger Map

It has been raining a little here today and is fairly cold.

We have Mass here 3 or 4 times a week, but the priest was away at Hurdcott for a few weeks and only came back here a day or so before Christmas.

Hurdcott is the convelescent home and they do massage work there now. I think the 8th training Battalion is shifted to Codford now. I will not go through the 8th Battalion, but will most probably go to the Command Depot at Sutton Veney and from there to France.

My wound is not healed up yet but is getting along very nicely. I go for a good long walk every afternoon trying to get back into a bit of form again. I am a bit afraid my leg will not stand the route marches like it used to. One of the big nerves was cut by the piece of shell and I have a strip of "dead" flesh in my leg which will affect me for a long time and I don't suppose I will ever be quite the same again.

Hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your loving Son and Brother,

Tom.

Dartford; December 13, 1917

No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital

My Dear People,

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

My leg is progressing very well but it will be some time before I am fit for furlough. I will most probably be in a hospital for Christmas which will do me very well. I do not like this place as well as Milton, but, still it is very comfortable and we get plenty of good food. I hit the scales at 12st 4 lb so you can guess I am not doing too bad.

This is a big place and there are hundreds of Australians here. They come from hospitals all over England. Those who are fit are sent out on furlough and anyone who required massage treatment is sent to Hurdcott. This is a very cold place, quite close to the Thames but the wards are heated with steam pipes and are quite warm enough. There are a lot of factories about here but the town of Dartford does not seem much of a place.


View Larger Map

We have had some frosty weather lately but I have not seen any snow yet. We had a polling day for the Conscription Referendum yesterday but, as I did not feel interested I did not vote.

Anti-conscription leaflet 1917

Well I will close now as there is a concert on and yours truly loves a bit of music or a good song.

Hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son and Brother

Tom

France; September 4, 1917

My Dear People,

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

I received a letter from Sis (June 19th) & one from Nell Simmons & Pat (June 26th). Sis said she wrote me a letter but thought she put the wrong number on it. I have not got it yet but it may have been sunk.

Things are very quiet here at present we are having lovely weather. Our concert party are giving us some concerts here now. I went last night & enjoyed it first rate.

Harry Tralaggan put his shoulder out again, it is very weak & I tell him he had better get boarded & go home. Mick got a letter from Augie Pohlner. He was getting along fairly well but there is some probability of his going home. Wallie Arnolds heard from Frank Richards. He expects to come to France any time now, but he may not come to our Battalion now as some of our reinforcements are going to other Battalions now. Nell Simmons tells me that Charlie Dare gave his young lady a bonza engagement ring. I suppose they will soon be married.

By the way it's quite time Len "Almond" got busy & made a bit of a move of some sort.

Well I must close now as it is time for letters to go in. Hoping you are quite well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom

France; April 28, 1917

My Dear People,

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

I have just got a letter from Annie & Nell (Jan 14th) it was sent to the Batt before I joined it & was returned to England. I do not get my Records now as they do not worry very much about papers. I have not received my parcel of woolens yet, but it is getting nice & warm here now.

We had a football match here on Anzac Day between the boys of the Batt & yesterday we had our Batt sports & they were not too bad. To-night we are having a concert. We are doing a little drill now to keep us a bit fresh.

Harry Tralaggan showed me a photo of the M.B.C. Honour List & I saw a list of names in a Record of those who were to be put on the Burra list. We are going to vote here on the Commonwealth elections in a day or two. It seems rather strange to be so comfortable here & a few miles away they say there is a war on. We can hear the guns going all the time, they never stop.

Harry Tralaggan saw Lyell Bell the other day, he is just the same as ever. Well I must close now to catch this mail.

Hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother,

Tom.

 

Click to view