Typed letter from Walter Ernest Dexter to the Commissioner (sent to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald)

PR82/8
COPY.
1st ANZAC H. Q.,
B. E. F.
17/8/16.
The Commissioner,
War Chest & Australian Comforts Funds.
Dear Sir, -
It is midnight and I am sitting on the altar
steps in a little Chapel somewhere in France. To be more
explicit, in the Becourt Chateau. It is or was the
Private Chapel of the Comte de Valicourt. Its use is now
a dressing station, and thousands of our boys have passed
through it.
I think my letter to you in London explained about
the scheme I purposed and which is now in full swing. As I
could not get hold of you, I laid it before General White,
and he advanced me £30 to get it into action. So I was
ready here the first day our boys went into action. I could
not get any utensils, dixies and stoves were worth their
weight in gold, so I bought vessels and stores in Amiens, and
I opened right away in the corner of the Becourt Wood, on the
road where all our men pass. I got a party of 4 men for
fatigue from the 2nd Inf. Brigade, and they kept watch and
watch, day and night, having hot coffee, tea, cocoa or Beef
Tea ready. The coffee etc. is for every one and the Australian
Comforts Funds Stall is one of the institutions now of the
Somme battlefield. I had a hut of leaves in the wood, and with
me lives Bean the War correspondent, so he can follow every
movement. But now, our home? is a communication trench in
the same wood, roofed over. In this I keep all my staff.
It is very airy and all the rain comes in, but it is safe
from splinters. We are safe from everything but a direct hit,
and then if we get that, well, our luck's out, and we won't
know it.

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To continue re stall. The money would never have
kept us going, but my staff are good foragers and we have
never been short yet.
I received your notification and the £100 for this
work about a week ago. Enclosed find receipt for £100.
I have long wanted to push farther out, nearer to
the firing line, so I get all channels along which our men
travel. It was not a feasible proposition until a week or so
ago, and then I dug in a place at the cross roads, or as our
boys call it, Casualty corner, and I divided my staff and all
[*(A.C.F)*] my gear and opened up there with Mr. Fell / (A.C.F. Representative

4th Div) in the place I had set apart. You should get
him to describe his journey up there. It is well worth
writing. I blamed myself for allowing him to come. It was
quite on the cards he might get killed, and a dead Australian
Comforts representative would be no use to us. We ran into
a very nasty little bit of shell fire in Sausage Valley. One
shell dropped about 10 yards off in the middle of some cookers
and killed three men, so Fell and I got into a trench, while
the shells were "lobbing" all around us, and we waited till
the storm broke. I came out all right with a scraped knee,
which I am sorry ? so say refused to go septic, so I could
get a "Blighty" out of it. (Leave to England).
We have now 8 men working on the 2 stalls, and there
is a hot drink night and day for every one that comes on that
road. Our stall up at the Cross Roads is dug into the bank,
and we have another 4 men and a notice - "The Australian
Comforts Funds Coffee Stall". It is fairly safe !!! But
Fritz can drop shells there to an inch if he wants. I call it
the cross roads because there was such dirty work there about
4 weeks ago, when the dead were lying all around. It seems
incredible that I've been here four weeks. Any rate I'm a
fixture here whilst there are any Australians about. When am
I going over to see you? The Coffee Stalls are known far and

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wide, and I have notices up about those responsible - "The
Australian Comforts Funds" - What it means to these boys!
They come out of the trenches worn and hungry and there is
coffee etc. and biscuits and cigarettes awaiting them. It
makes them feel that someone is looking after them. They
were shy at first, but now everything stops when they come
near. Artillery going past are halted, and each man gets a
cup of something hot. Every fatigue party stops. The trains
with wounded, slight and walking cases, in fact everybody,
officers as well as men. It is only through the Australian
Comforts Funds that this is possible, for it was the knowledge
that you would back me up that enabled me to go ahead. Do
try and come and see what is doing - I know you will if you
get a chance. Send me word.
Everything absolutely, quiet just now, except for
a big gun which is very close to the Chapel. It sounds as
if it were 6 feet in diameter, but it is only a 9.2 or a 12
inch; yet when it fires the lights in the dressing station
go out. So I am going to follow their example and get to
bed. Good night, or rather, Good morning. God be with you
in your work, and make it appreciated as much as this branch
of it here is.
Yours sincerely,
(Major) W. E. DEXTER.
Senior Chaplain.

W W

Pt 52