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[Page 124]
On Active Service with the British Expeditionary Force
France
26 Nov., 1916
[Y.M.C.A.]
Pvt. D.B. Fry, 4992,
3rd Bat. Inf. A.I.F.
1st. A.D.B.D. Sect. 17
France
Dear Mr Thompson,
I wonder how you are getting on. I hope things are going all right and that you both are O.K. I left Australia with a cold and have it still, and they tell me I neednt expect to leave it behind until Ive left France. The difficulty is that we are half the time wet and sleep in wet togs, so the wonder is that everyone does not get ailments much worse than colds. Otherwise Im feeling bery fit indeed. Im dead skinny, as one of the boys says "Why Snow, if you were to come on parade sideways youd be marked absent." Ive just finished what they call the "bullring" some hard and advanced training behind the line, and expect to go up in a day or two now. This camp has soldiers from all parts of the Empire, doing the same bullring : there are lots and lots of Scotties, long Jocks, short Jocks, woolly Jocks and smooth Jocks, and they are great favourites with our boys. Theres something akin Im sure : We get on very well together.
Ive been trying to find out some details concerning dear old Alan, but with no luck. All the 13th. Btn. Boys here left the line before he died. One, a sergeant-major, left on the 13th. Aug. and knew he was wounded then, so the poor chap must have lived a while. They all speak awfully well of him, I think he was a favourite with the Battalion. Capt. Henley asked him to stay behind the line just before going in on the 4th. Aug, as he was battalion orderly clerk, but Alan said "No, I havent had a go at Fritz yet, I'll go in with the boys this time Captain." And he went in with the battalion on 4th. August, passing poor old Niven Cuthbert as he went in. Niven was well then, but very tired. When I get to the line though, I'LL be able to get some information. He is buried about 7 miles from Albert in the graveyard of the 21st S. Mid. Casualty Clearing Station at Warloy. Poor old chap, I hope he did not suffer much, but that's too good to hope for. I have nothing but the happiest recollections of Alan, he was more than a brother to me. With the news of my old chum Niven Cuthbert's death I feel I have not had much comfort, one day with Oliver Watson in London, that's all. It has wakened it all up again. Niv got a hell of a smack on the right leg and the same afternoon 31st Oct., it was amputated. He was very jovial when his brother Noel went in after the operation and said "Hullo, old man, I got a good blighty all right." He was away to a C.C.S. near Albert, and on the 2nd Nov. Noel saw him again. He was onconscious and died in half an hour, peacefully, without pain. He is buried 1 ½ miles S.E. of Albert, about 6 miles from Alan. Dear old Niv was one of my greatest pals. Well, Im sorry Im not more cheerful, Tompy. Compliments for the season to both of you and all that's good from your old friend Dene.