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[Page 54]
bombard you, so they believed in a peacefull war before we came. Hear that, 14 spies have been shot since we arrived, many women amongst them, I cannot say I like the Belgian people, they are terrible mean; too much prussian in their blood to be trusted, The true Belgian rushed at the first to save his country but these left are loafers. Took the horses out for swim, they did enjoy it, they are look well; Poor Bent Childs was killed, he had both legs
blown off, other btys lost heavy, but we have been lucky. We are now pulling out & going down to Ypres. Arrived at Dickebush after a few days travell. just feed horses up when a squadron of 20 big German Gothas came over bombing. Three men were killed & several horses. I methinks this is going to be a hot show.
Took guns over at Zillebeke had a devil of a job to shift them to new position at half way house, We get shelled every time we take up ammo., so I suppose he must get some of us if we keep going. Two guns blown out six men wounded, shifted guns further ahead, a terrible bombardment going on our troops pushing him back slowing & losing heavy as he is in concrete pill boxes with ample machine guns to defend. Shifted guns to new position off the Mennin Road, our ammo dump is at Hell Fire corner & its name applies just what it is. He has chased us many times from the dump with his fire & he also has the range of the Menin Rd to a nicety, he kills some here every day now, many of the old hands have gone west since we came to this possie. Its the worse hole I have been in, the Infantry is losing heavy here, the 60th Battalion came out with 300 out of a 1000. I met my brother Jack a Leuit in the Engineers going up the line with his men, its the first time we have met since he came over in June 1916. I have also met my other brother Harry in the 4th Coy. Engineers many times since I have been here. All the Aust. Divisions are in this sector & it is the first time they have all been together. Left Dickebush on leave for England. Went home to old Weymouth & had a good time, Norman Lees a friend of Harry's came down to spend a few days with us & went back with me, I was a few days over leave. He took a big parcel for Harry.
Arrived back at Hazebrock where I left him to find his unit which he thought was out for a spell. I soon settled down to the old work, but two days later I had letter from Mother to say that Harry had been killed on 24th Oct. at Zonnebeke, next day I saw Harry's coy. coming out for their spell & saw Lees who also told me the sad news, Harry had hard luck after going through the Peninsular war up to now then getting outed but there he went once too often. He was struck in the heart with a piece of shell so he had no pain, his officer & 3 other men were badly wounded & the Officer died later. We shifted down to a place called Kemmel, very quiet after Ypres sector. I heard that my good friend Wallace Lee was killed also on the 24th poor lad he was blown from his horse, while moving guns at night; he was taken to hospital & died. I am not feeling too well lately & I shall have to see the Dr. The Dr. sent me to hospital with heart trouble, went to Clearing Station, there a couple of weeks then put on train for Boulogne. Taken to 83rd Dublin General Hosp. stayed three weeks too bad to move to Blighty, again put on boat for Blighty taken up to Ipswich Hospital. Treated fine being run by V.H.D.s. Up feeling better, all Aussies sent to Dartford a barren looking place stayed a few days then to Hardcott Camp nr Salisbury, Dartford is the worse hospital camp I want to see. Hardcott was a training camp to get fit for France again. After seeing many Doctors there I was marked for six months in Australia & sent to Weymouth to wait for a boat to carry me out to the sunny land. I was in Littlemoor 2 miles out from Weymouth town so I was at home with the mother & sister nearly every night in the week. I meet my brother Jack in the camp Littlemoor & he also is bound for Aussie he got the M.C. the day I meet him going into the line. My brother Sid came down from Sutton Veny to see us before going back he will soon be going to France. Put on boat roll, went home to say good-bye left next morning for Plymouth; on boat the Marathon bound for Aussie via America, landed at Newport News, had fine time landed at Tahiti Society Iles peoples treated us well. Landed in Melbourne 13th June, 1918, had a good reception through the streets to Buffet, met the old friends again. Received treatment for 3 months at Randwick Hospital. Discharged on September 21st 1918.
This little book ends the sumary of my travels to the war & back to Aussie again.
[Transcriber's note:
Pg 6. Mersa Matruh spelt Mera Matruh
Pg. 14 Maadi spelt Maddi
Pg. 27 Moascar spelt Moscar
Pg. 30 Marseilles spelt Marsellies
Pg. 31 Le Havre spelt Le Harve
Picquet = picket, military watch]
[Transcribed by Allanah Jarman, Judy Macfarlan for the State Library of New South Wales]