Correspondence relating to Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Gray Marks, 1916-1919 - Page 18

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[Page 18]

( C O P Y ).

A.I.F. Administrative Headquarters,
130 Horseferry Road,
LONDON, S.W.1,
7th June, 1918.

My dear Marks,

     It is rather a task to write this letter  - for I want to offer you my very hearty congratulations on the award of D.S.O.
given you. I have watched your career very closely and with growing interest since we first met at Heliopolis, and I have gained
a very high regard for you, for I have seen you go through all kinds of temptations, difficulties and dangers, and I thank God
they have served only to bring out and make more complete the manliness of your character. You have climbed steadily up from
sub-lieutenant to C.O.,through posts of responsibility more than trying for your youth and inexperience, and in each of them you
have gained in judgement and in the faculty of dealing with and understanding men, until you carried with you in the C.O.'s position the confidence of officers and men in a degree quite unusual for one of your years. You have never failed, and you have kept your head through it all. I am proud of you, my boy, and proud to think that in over two years fairly close association perhaps my influence may have helped you somewhat, at any rate not hindered your upward progress.

And so I am more than glad you have gained this distinction, for I am certain no one has better deserved it during the last 3½ years. Keep your high ideal, lad, for yourself and the glorious 13th, and may God grant that it may be your right and place to lead them back soon to the dear home land. And I want also to assure you - tho' I am certain it is not necessary - of my deep sympathy in the loss of Bob Henderson, Dick Wallace and poor old Bono. I know from my own feelings how keen your grief has been. One feels one has lost three more friends - fine sterling fellows all of them. We have gone through this sad experience several times now, Marks, but one never grows used to it. However, "c'est la guerre," -- and you must just carry on. The tradition and the esprit de corps of the old battalion will pull it through.  Others will come along, and live up to the reputation of the 13th.  It is hard to mingle sympathy with personal congratulations, but both are very real.

With kindest regards to yourself, Harry Murray, and those who are left of the "old Brigade," and athe best of good luck in time
to come,

Believe me,
Yours very sincerely,
F.W. Wray.
(Senior Chaplain).

 

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