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<p>a4701811.html</p><p>2/&nbsp; veil, because the hardships &amp; heart-breaking lot of the poor unfortunate peasants does not tend to make pleasant reading to you folk &quot;Down Under&quot; who know not, nor can realise, the effect of shell-fire, bombs, gas, etc., as used in this terrible conflict.&nbsp; It is well that it is so, &amp; I can only trust that no such calamity as War will ever befall the &quot;Land of Sunshine&quot; &amp; Freedom.&nbsp; Even the few aeroplanes that hum &amp; [whoir?] above you @ Home cannot bring thoughts of War to you because they must seem so wonderful &amp; peaceful flying in the blue.&nbsp; What a contrast here tho&#39;&nbsp; We sometimes envy the pilots &amp; observers their hazardous job amidst the clouds, but our envy turns to admiration when we watch them over the enemy&#39;s region, calmly sailing thro. barrages of Hun anti-air-craft shrapnel or dodging the fierce streams &amp; hails of machine guns (from the ground) which are sent up to them as soon as they get within range.&nbsp; What a terrible pity that the knowledge obtained by those fearless air-men &amp; their marvellous control over the machines, (which, so few years back were still in the experimental stage) was not all used in peaceful pursuits!&nbsp; Such is the state of this part of the Globe today - War, &amp; war&#39;s effects on all sides! - &amp; what for?</p><p>Talking of &quot;birdmen&quot; reminds me that &quot;Jock Hawke&quot; (still in the &quot;Glorious First&quot; with me - HQ.Sigs.) rec<sup>d</sup>. a letter from Sydney saying that &quot;Snowy&quot; Stopford had obtained his commission in that branch of the service, so here&#39;s good Luck to him.&nbsp; Have heard nothing of Wally Preston &amp; his progress in air work, nor of Joe Dodd, hadn&#39;t a chance of looking the latter up while we were Billeted near the Aussie squadron&#39;s aerodrome&nbsp; Hope they are still &quot;jake&quot;.&nbsp; Will keep a good look out for them all over this side.</p><p>I&#39;m afraid that you&#39;ll have to experience another bit of a spasm between the receipt of letters from me, because our recent treks &amp; shifts from one part of the Front to another has temporarily upset the old routine &amp; there&#39;s no saying now when our mail will eventually leave us.&nbsp; I still have Letter No. 120 in my pocket &amp; this one looks like being deposited there also; till we go back to the rear</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>PTO</p>

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