Letter from Alexander James Boyd to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, 17 August

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Letters Sent to the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH)
Subject:
  • Letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
AWM2017.6.56
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 5

PR8218 France a 17 Den K Re few them n t 2 or not vear an ink pot please pordon pevcit. ful was lamentin there in that 4 G wthneg doin o0 bu Peshif be swel wll wenther. Ver fit Lindert are well. 18 Iall N regord withful 3 or thee
Corporal George WRIGHT, for the past 7f yos a member nothl genly solice wrce, opeved 1 eyes of general sohers f attched to brgve Hdytrs by his runving powers on suadoy ofter lost Iheld on the Caval Bra (at a sports? crack Wnight gave all fiving live adjocent to sprinites a good start & a great fright;bte fell near the tope wt race casily won only fiithed second. The falling incident cause George protested he w. a lot o amusement; but did hot oun dead Wright, tho has b highly recommended fo afallpl lso woied k s get lye fore tgt in Sept 1914 Colonel meredith app specially detaild him for olice suties o these we carried out Lemaos & France. He gollif t respected, fort, 88y wes bell known at North bydag tere le won the 100 goods northern Sobuobs Cham shy &tw yot in sucessi te issued forkeding to btte sht wl
tooo A special order hos by issued as cooking forbidlding be use of steel belivets found that a tteel os atensis. an belieets us sutable as a cooking pot than a disce. Te fushwn spreads quite a common sight rapidly that it is 180 men at an officer to come across a port theis bats. It wight be pooridge eating out bully bef, the impopalor pork & bean 7wto or our old friend stew that i for ato Hhe bat it went. It has by is I resistance tat coping reduces for oloipel. + fit. Mers to balsit Colonal Roth, DSO. of bydney, prizes a steel belivet which bears a buge dent. During shorapnel recert. fighting a bege piece struck I belivet, made a big dent in a Fangent. fler off at to Hmperal outhorities who are repated be very show by 7 too7 crities are guie ans is whipping at one thing & that as 1. Channel + across France but troops h. be heke b rosk. Sue like foo fidever, venters & Parlt b cme amought & King Cawor but their bo pre the
dayst for two t near to us 9 gorg filld by trops, but until k in a plice orhis be vsited tryoc Hagtos 1arrior sut even suspected wajeity shialsons conduct of perso Youring rpossible in and in enlisting enemy Sby Rest subjects it has become recessor for the these men authoritie in I field to regedt remove fos fiving line. one good & faithful bast joingd his friends the Germans of other night just prior five an attock, and no doubt we able is 5 hew to fritz valuable information. While in vitriolic lives be devounced femaws. a pwede. This wh lavgueage & splainet were fruned & the persons collected different wilts were depotched to England to work. Every one of them was coot hundreds (pounds to train clothe house, feed s transport since he attented ✓ a waite! once a Jerman what paymentof sepora to The order regording whens o PA.T.F. is now eniter allowance to i reviad. The Siice May, 1915, marriet members less than 8/- a doy (including of t.B. receiving deferred pry) have bd paid to her nwr 15 a doy and 42d. a doy for tok each chill dependent upon it father o suppos
O boy has also 15 a ollawance paid to 1 mother I a member of A.J.T. who has wholl solety ark depended upon a son for support The stipalaton made by Culth goot- us t dependent had to be resident in fok; but a not in long lond i, warried men, whose so in the AJF, they made applin payment of separit allowance. so for their enlisted applices h.ut be entertained ont grounds that thei Cogload on 28/ wh are able to live in wh a soldier can allot. bigh rank serving i the1 Iperial officers 132 cuprote I claims o hose who want apert attoernes fust to depertent in bopelant 1 auppot o thir case wge that pasdon in these doys is as deor, of in hn past o bt, the wather has be nef. Levito perre to sakle welfourve

PR8218
France Aug 17
Dear Mr Reeve,
Just a few of items

that may interest you. I am
not near an ink pot so
please pardon pencil.
Hogue was lamenting
by the last mail that there ws

nothing doing in Egypt.
Perhaps he has bn busy

since..
Lovely weather. Very fit.

Hope you are well. Kindest

Regards to you & all

Yours Faithfully

Alex J Boyd

P.T.O
 

 

[Corporal George WRIGHT, for the past 7 yrs a member
 of North Sydney Police Force, opened l eyes of xx
Generals & others f attached to Anzac Hdqtrs by his
running powers on Sunday aftn last.
[at a sports mtg, held on the Canal Bank
adjacent to I firing line, Wright gave all I crack
sprinters a good start & a great fright; but they
fell near ^ however the tape w l race easily won &
only finished second. The falling incident caused

a lot of amusement; but George protested [[he?]] ws

did not run "dead".

[Wright, who has bn highly recommended for

his work in connection w l evacuation at Gallipoli

joined the xxx 1st Light Horse Rgt in Sept 1914.

Colonel Meredith app specially detailed him for

Police Duties & these he ^has carried out in

Aust, Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos & France. He is 
very well known ^ & respected  at North Sydney where
he won the 100 yards Northern Suburbs Cham'ship

xxxxx two yrs in succession.

[a special order has bn issued forbidding

troops to cook in their still steel helmets.

 

2
(A special order has bn issued to troops
forbidding the use of steel helmets as cooking

utensils an ingenious Pte found that a steel 
helmets ws ^more xxx suitable as a cooking pot
than a dixie. The fashion xxx spread so
rapidly that it is quite a common sight for
an officer to come across a party of 180 men all

eating out of their hats. It might be porridge,
jam, bully beef, the unpopular pork & beans

or our old friend "stew" that ws | ration.

Into the hat it went. It has bn found

that cooking reduces l powers of resistance

l hat offers to bullets & shrapnel.

(Colonel Roth, DSO. of Sydney, prizes a steel
helmet which bears a huge dent. During
| recent. fighting a huge piece of shrapnel
struck | helmet, made a big dent in

it & flew off at a tangent.
(The Imperial authorities who are reported to

be "very slow" by | Tory critics are quickly

at one thing & that is whipping xx all ranks

across | channel & across France xxxxx

sub rosa. Since | first troops h. bn here

| late Lord Kitchener, members of Parlt

& King George h. come amongst us

without anybody but their hosts bg aware 

o their presence.

 

3

King George ws quite near to us for two days this

week in a place filled by troops; but until

he visited Anzac Hdqters | arrival of his

Majesty ws nt even suspected.

(Owing to I chivalrous conduct of persons

responsible in Aust. in enlisting enemy born

subjects it has become necessary for the highest

authorities in I field to reject remove these men

fr I firing line. one good & faithful Aust. joined

his friends the Germans | other night just prior

to an attack, and no doubt ws able to give

Fritz valuable information. While he ws in our
lines he denounced | Germans in vitriolic

language & xplained t he ws a Swede. This wk

| different units were pruned & the persons collected

were despatched to England to work. Every one

of them has cost hundreds of pounds to train

clothe, house, feed & transport since he attended.

What a waste! once a Germans . . . . . . .

(The order regarding payments of separation

allowance to members o | A.I.F. is not under

review. The Since May. 1915, married members

of A.I.F. receiving less than 8/- a day (including

deferred pay) have hd paid to their wives

in Aust 1/5 a day and 4½ d a day for

each child dependent upon its father for

support.
 

 

 4

An xxxxxxx allowance of 1/5 a day has also bn

paid to | mother of a member o | A.I.F. who has wholly
& solely xxxdepended upon a son for support.

(The stipulation made by | Cwlth Govt xxxx

ws t dependents had to be resident in Aust; but our

many married men, whose wives wr in England

enlisted in the A.I.F., they made applicn for
 payment o | separate allowance. So far their 

applicns h. nt bn entertained on | grounds that their
wives are able to live in England on 28/- a wk

the amount wh a soldier can allot.

(Imperial Officers of high rank serving in w I

A,I.F. support | claims o those who want separation

allowance paid to dependents in England, & in

support o their case urge that living in

London in these days is as dear as in any

past o Aust. The matter has bn refrd to

Melbourne for Senator Pearce to tackle.

 

 


  

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