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[Page 96]
London
25th May 16
My dear Judge,
I have received your two letters of Mar. 21st and April 3rd. I heard about the end of March that the Second Australian Division were going or had gone to France, and a couple of days later had a card from a friend who was in the 3rd Battn. (now in the 1st M.G. Company) from France. That made me suspect that the 1st Division had also gone to join the 2nd. This is now known to be the case. The last letter from my friend said that he was at Fleurbaix just S.E. of Armentieres. This appears to be the region taken up by our fellows for the present at any rate though they all seem to think that there is going to be some hard work for them to do later on. You have probably heard from Arthur their criticism of the trenches in France as compared with those they were used to on the Peninsular and in Egypt.
I recently met a Staff Captain from the 5th brigade; Hale from Sydney. He told me about Caesar being left in Egypt with one of the new divisions and also said that Walter MacCallum was on the staff of the 5th and was very much liked. I understand that Holmes of New Guinea fame is his Brigadier. It is rather a feather in Walter's cap.
A casualty list last week gave R.R. Harper A.I.F. as wounded. This I take to be "Blue", but have heard nothing more since. I hope it was not a serious affair.
I was glad to hear that Keith has been able to get moving at last. Though a trained infantry officer, he should have some very interesting times with the cycle work and despatch riding.
I hope you have been getting my letters. I generally write in the last week of each month, and I suppose that