No 3 Battalion
Overseas Training Brigade,
Sandhill Camp. Warminster
My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let You know I am quite well. I came down here Thursday & have been fitted out with a full set of fighting equipment, rifle, steel helmets, & gas mask etc. & things are beginning to look very like France again. I am supposed to stop here for 3 weeks training, but if they will let me go I will get put on the first draft for France.
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We have had very cold winds here the last day or two. I went to Warminster yesterday. It is a nice little town, but crowded with Australians as there are a lot of camps about here. We are about 20 miles from Salisbury. One of the Earles boys is in the same hut as I am here. He was in the 32nd Transport. It was his brother you had working for you last year.
I sent you 2 parcels from Hurdcott. One books of views & the other a little box of souvenirs. I hope you get them alright as I sent something for each one of you - all little trinkets of Ireland. I have got four parcels, one with the leather waistcoat from M.B.C., one from home with a tin of pudding which I like very much, one from Siss & George with some very nice preserved fruit & a parcel of woollens from Mt. B. Red cross circle. I was very pleased to get all these parcels and of course am writing to thank the societies for theirs, but the mail route is a bit risky now.
I am enclosing a photo of myself taken at Hurdcott just before I went on leave. You will notice that I am wearing two stripes. I was a Lance Cpl in the Battalion for a good while and about a fortnight before I was hit was promoted Temporary Cpl and of course was being paid for it, but as soon as I was hit my pay stopped, though I still wore my stripes. When I go back to the Battalion I may be paid again but if I am not then I will hand in my stripes altogether as I do not believe in having charge of a section and get no pay for it. I do not care very much about my position in the photo and prefer my stand on the donkey cart at Killarney. They are cutting down the rations a bit for home service men here, but men under training for France still get plenty & I am in pretty good condition. I do not think my leg will give me any trouble.
I see by the papers that they are sending soldiers to the part of Ireland I was floating about in, to enforce law and order a bit. I thought that would happen.
Well, I will close now, hoping you are all well.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Brother
Tom
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
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.
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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
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
Dublin; February 20, 1918
My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let you know I am quite alright.
I am leaving Dublin for London to-night. I should get into London at 6 o'clock to-morrow morning & will be back at Hurdcott tomorrow night. My leave is up at midnight to-morrow.
I have enjoyed my trip immensely and find Ireland a very nice place. You see they hardly know there is a war on over here and in England things are pretty different. In English towns you can hardly see your hand in front of your face at night, but here there are no lighting restrictions.
I am enclosing a P.C. with a packet of shamrock seed. They tell me they will not grow out of Ireland, but try them and see.
I am also enclosing an account of a breach of promise action. I have been told that during Shrove-tide it is often the custom between farming families to arrange weddings without consulting the wishes of the chief parties at all. The father of the girl paying £200 or £300 to the father of the boy, who must have a pretty decent farm and stock etc. If there is more than one boy in the family, the money is, I believe, divided among them and helps to start them in life. I expect Mum and Dad would have heard of this from their parents, but I did not know about this before. They also tell me that the priest's wedding fees differ according to your means - a poor man paying £5 or £6 and a wealthy man perhaps £20.
I have collected a nice lot of views and souvenirs of Ireland which I will pack and send them to you when I get back to England. I will try and send them by different mails so that some of them should reach you.
Hoping you are all quite well,
I remain
Your Loving Son and Brother
Tom
______________________________________
Newspaper clipping
A £400 Nest egg
Limerick Breach of Promise Action
Deal for a fortune
A commercial transaction says counsel
***********
Today at Nisi Prills, before Mr Justice Moore and a city common jury, a case of Reeves vs Kennedy was heard. The plaintiff, Mary Reeves, an infant, suing by her father John Reeves, a farmer of Ploughlands, Croom, Co Limmerick, sought to recover £700 damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage from the defendant, James Kennedy, a farmer of Ludden, Ballynesty, Co. Limerick. The defence was that the promise, if made was subject to a condition which was not fulfilled - namely the payment of a fortune - and that the promise was mutually rescinded.
Mr Serjeant Sullivan and a Mr Patrick Kelly (instructed by Mr P. G. O'Donnell) appeared for the plaintiff and Mr P. D. Fleming K.C. and Mr James Comyn (instructed by Messrs. W. Leahy and Son).
In stating the case Serjeant Sullivan said that the plaintiff was a very charming girl her parents occupying a good position as substantial farmers. Then defendant occupied an equally substantial position and was a most eligible partner for the lady. He had a farm absolutely unencumbered with supercilious relations (laughter). Not only had he a fine farm in the Golden Vein, but he was the owner of about 20 milch cows. He was a young man between 30 and 35 and well fitted to become the husband of the young lady. The parties met at Croom Races in 1916 and met frequently afterwards.
Although he was taken with her charms, there was a certain element of economy about him, because, before he finally committed himself to proposing to her, he ascertained that there was a little nest egg of £400 in the bank which he would get. The grey heads in the parish would say that the defendant was foolish in breaking away from tradition and select a girl after his own heart, with a comparatively small fortune, for he could have done much better from a monetary point of view.
The girl's friends were not going to take a pig in a poke and her father and some others went to inspect the defendant's place and they came to the conclusion that she was making a good investment for her £400.
On July 3, everything was arranged to the satisfaction of everybody. Defendant bought the wedding ring and six guineas present for the bridesmaid and the event was fixed for July 17. On July 11 plaintiff wrote to him to make arrangements with the priest and he replied breaking off the match because of certain things that did not please him. He thought that he would not waste the ring so he married another lady.
The plaintiff a young lady of attractive appearance gave evidence bearing out the statements of her counsel. She added that she had bought the trousseau in preparation for the wedding.
Mr Fleming suggested in the course of cross-examination that it was a commercial transaction and that the match was broken off because the girl's father was "shifting" in reference to the fortune.
Evidence was given by plaintiff's father that when he offered the defendant a fortune of £100, the defendant replied "Oh you will give me another hundred". Witnesses remarked "you are a long time after the girl and you are getting enough. The defendant then consented to take £100. In cross-examination, witnesses denied that the £ 100 was to be paid in a solicitor's office by a certain day.
The further hearing was adjourned until tomorrow morning.
Just a few lines to let you know I am quite alright.
I am leaving Dublin for London to-night. I should get into London at 6 o'clock to-morrow morning & will be back at Hurdcott tomorrow night. My leave is up at midnight to-morrow.
I have enjoyed my trip immensely and find Ireland a very nice place. You see they hardly know there is a war on over here and in England things are pretty different. In English towns you can hardly see your hand in front of your face at night, but here there are no lighting restrictions.
I am enclosing a P.C. with a packet of shamrock seed. They tell me they will not grow out of Ireland, but try them and see.
I am also enclosing an account of a breach of promise action. I have been told that during Shrove-tide it is often the custom between farming families to arrange weddings without consulting the wishes of the chief parties at all. The father of the girl paying £200 or £300 to the father of the boy, who must have a pretty decent farm and stock etc. If there is more than one boy in the family, the money is, I believe, divided among them and helps to start them in life. I expect Mum and Dad would have heard of this from their parents, but I did not know about this before. They also tell me that the priest's wedding fees differ according to your means - a poor man paying £5 or £6 and a wealthy man perhaps £20.
I have collected a nice lot of views and souvenirs of Ireland which I will pack and send them to you when I get back to England. I will try and send them by different mails so that some of them should reach you.
Hoping you are all quite well,
I remain
Your Loving Son and Brother
Tom
______________________________________
Newspaper clipping
A £400 Nest egg
Limerick Breach of Promise Action
Deal for a fortune
A commercial transaction says counsel
***********
Today at Nisi Prills, before Mr Justice Moore and a city common jury, a case of Reeves vs Kennedy was heard. The plaintiff, Mary Reeves, an infant, suing by her father John Reeves, a farmer of Ploughlands, Croom, Co Limmerick, sought to recover £700 damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage from the defendant, James Kennedy, a farmer of Ludden, Ballynesty, Co. Limerick. The defence was that the promise, if made was subject to a condition which was not fulfilled - namely the payment of a fortune - and that the promise was mutually rescinded.
Mr Serjeant Sullivan and a Mr Patrick Kelly (instructed by Mr P. G. O'Donnell) appeared for the plaintiff and Mr P. D. Fleming K.C. and Mr James Comyn (instructed by Messrs. W. Leahy and Son).
In stating the case Serjeant Sullivan said that the plaintiff was a very charming girl her parents occupying a good position as substantial farmers. Then defendant occupied an equally substantial position and was a most eligible partner for the lady. He had a farm absolutely unencumbered with supercilious relations (laughter). Not only had he a fine farm in the Golden Vein, but he was the owner of about 20 milch cows. He was a young man between 30 and 35 and well fitted to become the husband of the young lady. The parties met at Croom Races in 1916 and met frequently afterwards.
Although he was taken with her charms, there was a certain element of economy about him, because, before he finally committed himself to proposing to her, he ascertained that there was a little nest egg of £400 in the bank which he would get. The grey heads in the parish would say that the defendant was foolish in breaking away from tradition and select a girl after his own heart, with a comparatively small fortune, for he could have done much better from a monetary point of view.
The girl's friends were not going to take a pig in a poke and her father and some others went to inspect the defendant's place and they came to the conclusion that she was making a good investment for her £400.
On July 3, everything was arranged to the satisfaction of everybody. Defendant bought the wedding ring and six guineas present for the bridesmaid and the event was fixed for July 17. On July 11 plaintiff wrote to him to make arrangements with the priest and he replied breaking off the match because of certain things that did not please him. He thought that he would not waste the ring so he married another lady.
The plaintiff a young lady of attractive appearance gave evidence bearing out the statements of her counsel. She added that she had bought the trousseau in preparation for the wedding.
Mr Fleming suggested in the course of cross-examination that it was a commercial transaction and that the match was broken off because the girl's father was "shifting" in reference to the fortune.
Evidence was given by plaintiff's father that when he offered the defendant a fortune of £100, the defendant replied "Oh you will give me another hundred". Witnesses remarked "you are a long time after the girl and you are getting enough. The defendant then consented to take £100. In cross-examination, witnesses denied that the £ 100 was to be paid in a solicitor's office by a certain day.
The further hearing was adjourned until tomorrow morning.
Killarney, February 9th, 1918
My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let you know I am quite alright.
I arrived here yesterday. I left London at 8.40 p.m. & at dinner-time next day I was here - about 600 miles by sea & land. The fare cost me £2.7.0 return but soldiers on leave travel at half rate.
I have not had time to look around much yet, but intend to have a few days here sight-seeing. It is not the best time of the year to be here as it is a very wet place in winter. But it is not very cold now, though it is raining a little this morning. If it fines up I am going for a drive around the lakes this afternoon.
I am staying at Park Place Hotel tariff 6/6 per day. Kept by a Maurice Collins & it is a very nice place. There are practically no food restrictions in Ireland, in England some things are very scarce.
I am sure I will enjoy my stay here immensely as the people interest & amuse me greatly. The women all wear shawls and the jaunting & donkey carts are all very queer to me.
I will be sending you some little souvenir which I hope you get alright as I know how much you will value them. I wish you were here & could see the beautiful country round here & the real Irish style of the people.
I am enclosing a little Blarney stone for John. I will probably go to Cork on my way back to Dublin & if I do will go to Blarney Castle.
There are a few Australians here & of course plenty of Colleens for those who like them. I am enclosing a P.C. with some views of places which I will probably see before I leave here.
Hoping you are all well.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Brother
Just a few lines to let you know I am quite alright.
I arrived here yesterday. I left London at 8.40 p.m. & at dinner-time next day I was here - about 600 miles by sea & land. The fare cost me £2.7.0 return but soldiers on leave travel at half rate.
I have not had time to look around much yet, but intend to have a few days here sight-seeing. It is not the best time of the year to be here as it is a very wet place in winter. But it is not very cold now, though it is raining a little this morning. If it fines up I am going for a drive around the lakes this afternoon.
I am staying at Park Place Hotel tariff 6/6 per day. Kept by a Maurice Collins & it is a very nice place. There are practically no food restrictions in Ireland, in England some things are very scarce.
I am sure I will enjoy my stay here immensely as the people interest & amuse me greatly. The women all wear shawls and the jaunting & donkey carts are all very queer to me.
I will be sending you some little souvenir which I hope you get alright as I know how much you will value them. I wish you were here & could see the beautiful country round here & the real Irish style of the people.
I am enclosing a little Blarney stone for John. I will probably go to Cork on my way back to Dublin & if I do will go to Blarney Castle.
There are a few Australians here & of course plenty of Colleens for those who like them. I am enclosing a P.C. with some views of places which I will probably see before I leave here.
Hoping you are all well.
I remain
Your Loving Son & Brother
Hurdcott; January 19, 1918
No. 3 Command Depot
No. 5 Camp
My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let you know I am doing alright.
I have been here nearly a fortnight now and according to my own opinion, I am nearly fit for active service again. This camp is only a few hundred yards from where I was living here last year.
I noticed it as a bit cold here in the huts after the steam-heated ones at Dartford, but it is not nearly so cold as it was last winter. We had a little bit of frost and some heavy falls of snow & a lot of rain. Last year it was very cold & dry at this time. We have practically nothing to do here in this camp. Every few days we are classified by the M.O. & as you improve you are sent along to other camps & have to do fatigues, drills & guards. I will stay here as long as I have nothing to do. But as soon as I am sent drilling etc. I will put in to go to the overseas depot & then to France. Our boys are having an easy time in France now & I guess they deserve it.
We wear our uniforms here so I have finished with "blues" for this trip, in Milton & Dartford you were not allowed out in uniform & if you wore your overcoat, you had to have a blue band on the arm. This is so you cannot get the good and joyful liquor which makes the boys sing. There are a lot of "pubs" in England and a lot of drinking is done here. The women drink a lot too & come into the bar to drink it. Of course I know there are plenty of "hussies" who drink in Australia, but they do not generally go into the bar to drink it. I have got a very nice uniform & will look fairly decent on leave.
I wrote to the Australian Hospitality Bureau & got a very nice letter from the Secretary. She tells me she has plenty of invitations for men on furlough to spend a few days at private houses, & as I think it would be very nice to stay a few days at a private house. I will go & see her when I go to London.
I intend to go to Ireland & it will not be my fault if I do not get some fun out of my fourteen days. I hope the Sinn Fieners do not hang me when I get over there.
It is not much of a game stopping in London, as the place is fairly swarming with Australians. I want to get away where we are not so well known.
We have a fairly decent time here - concert parties at the Y.M.C.A.s and the old Picture show is still going. I am enclosing a card of some of the badges on the hills here they are made of white
stone. There are a lot of them on the hills here of different Regiments. There is a big map of Australia & I will send it to you. I saw a pack of hounds out the other day & a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen after them, but they did not stir up any fox while I was watching them.
Well I will close now, hoping that you are all quite well.
I remain
Lour Loving Son & Brother
Tom.
P.S. We got another parcel from the Red Cross the other day, more tobacco & Sweets. I swapped my tobacco for chocolate.
No. 5 Camp
My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let you know I am doing alright.
I have been here nearly a fortnight now and according to my own opinion, I am nearly fit for active service again. This camp is only a few hundred yards from where I was living here last year.
I noticed it as a bit cold here in the huts after the steam-heated ones at Dartford, but it is not nearly so cold as it was last winter. We had a little bit of frost and some heavy falls of snow & a lot of rain. Last year it was very cold & dry at this time. We have practically nothing to do here in this camp. Every few days we are classified by the M.O. & as you improve you are sent along to other camps & have to do fatigues, drills & guards. I will stay here as long as I have nothing to do. But as soon as I am sent drilling etc. I will put in to go to the overseas depot & then to France. Our boys are having an easy time in France now & I guess they deserve it.
We wear our uniforms here so I have finished with "blues" for this trip, in Milton & Dartford you were not allowed out in uniform & if you wore your overcoat, you had to have a blue band on the arm. This is so you cannot get the good and joyful liquor which makes the boys sing. There are a lot of "pubs" in England and a lot of drinking is done here. The women drink a lot too & come into the bar to drink it. Of course I know there are plenty of "hussies" who drink in Australia, but they do not generally go into the bar to drink it. I have got a very nice uniform & will look fairly decent on leave.
I wrote to the Australian Hospitality Bureau & got a very nice letter from the Secretary. She tells me she has plenty of invitations for men on furlough to spend a few days at private houses, & as I think it would be very nice to stay a few days at a private house. I will go & see her when I go to London.
I intend to go to Ireland & it will not be my fault if I do not get some fun out of my fourteen days. I hope the Sinn Fieners do not hang me when I get over there.
It is not much of a game stopping in London, as the place is fairly swarming with Australians. I want to get away where we are not so well known.
We have a fairly decent time here - concert parties at the Y.M.C.A.s and the old Picture show is still going. I am enclosing a card of some of the badges on the hills here they are made of white
stone. There are a lot of them on the hills here of different Regiments. There is a big map of Australia & I will send it to you. I saw a pack of hounds out the other day & a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen after them, but they did not stir up any fox while I was watching them.
Well I will close now, hoping that you are all quite well.
I remain
Lour Loving Son & Brother
Tom.
P.S. We got another parcel from the Red Cross the other day, more tobacco & Sweets. I swapped my tobacco for chocolate.
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