Item 02: Arthur Henson Smith letters, 8 January 1917-19 August 1919 - Page 5
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[Page 5]
a pity that young fellow couldnt have seen his way clear to make a trip over here instead of to Balranald. It would be rather a coincidence if his destination was eventually to be Golpol.
Does it surprise you that any letter to you had been censored by Lt A.H. Smith? Had you been observant you might have noticed that all my letters for close on the last 12 months have been franked by that same gentleman.
You tell me that Syd had a whole day's leave from camp on Cup Day & that he gets ample leave. I remember when I was a miserable recruit at Broadmeadow for 2½ months I was granted leave I think 3 times from 6 pm til midnight & even then I had to fight hard for such favour. All through up till now it has been the same. The later people have been granted all sorts of concessions that have been strangers to us & the hard part of it is still continuing. Leave is more liberal in other formations when we are out of the line and, though very few of our formation which had not left Australia when we had finished up at Gallipoli have not had leave to England, only 15% of this Battery has seen London on furlough.
You tell me of a plague of mosquitoes at present raging in the country "- millions & billions of them, big slow & sluggish, black & white striped like Zebras, no buzz but a terrible bite -" It almost sounds like a brand of "frightfulness". Could you