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[Page 66]
France
19 Aug. 1916.
Dear old John:
Many thanks old boy for your long letter of 24th June, came just as we had settled down again in the line, after an abbreviated spell. I think though the lads would rather be here than out – shells dishearten them less than spare col's parties, who do not frequent this locality, popping out from behind a tree and by high strokes and of military genius discovering that a wheel driver can keep his steel-work bright and the centre driver's set actually shows rust! rust!! rust!!! – been here two days now and rust!! This after dust and muck and then marched 30 miles. Not a sore shoulder in the battery and the horses, as he had to admit, looking better than any of the others, and the leather work good . "Had been so pleased with his battery's work too! I said straight out if I only had to polish steel work to please him, I'd be free of a lot of worry and anxiety that I wasn't at present, what with replacing twisted n.c.o.'s and gun-layers who are not with us now, and so on. Bit thick eh! They tell me everyone got it too and were glad to hook in again.
However thanks for all your news of men and women and events. Your reference to Ferguson J. reminds me it must have been about the time you wrote that this lad was killed. I feel awfully sorry for him. You know young Juicy Yeomans (Geoff) – (k.i.a) – see Frank Coen and Charlie Manning too – Maughan (W) – don't know how badly. Bar catching it, eh? Suppose it is a matter of tempus, but as Frank [Leverrier] says you do see things first. The only thing is its like being given a million quid and then exiled, as a chap would so much like to go home and pass it on. I mean all that has happened, of course you make pals all the time here – but then lose 'em. Nowadays a lot happens one wants to forger – here I mean where chaps laugh and joke at shell fire and then go childish and off their dot – don't suppose that's censorable. Anyway Hun prisoners like to come over our way –say its nix to the other side, and constantly I can quite believe it, as they get shrap torn into them pretty constantly "Over there" to say nothing of big stuff, (Loud yells of delight yesterday, Hun plane came down smoking, one of our battle-planes got him). You remember Sid Middleton – saw him the other day.
Trave is O.K. Fancy Eric Munro not coming with the guns. If he has a taste for guns – which one are like horses in that 50% of people should not be allowed to see near them - it wouldn't be long before he got a commission, but nook at young Jack Simson (Quirindi) a driver in the 2nd Battery from the start – transferred to me as