Letter from Louie Samuels to Mr Heney, In the Field, 8 October 1916

[*PR82/8*]
In the Field.
October 8^th 16.
Dear Mr. Heney,
I very much appreciated
your typewritten letter of August 8^th, which
came to hand yesterday - strange to say -
on the Day of Atonement. I had
already heard from one or two sources
of a certain letter of mine having
appeared in the "Sun". It was indeed
written to an injudicious friend, and
I can assure you I much regretted
the foolish action on his part. The letter
of course was never intended to be
circulated through the medium of a
newspaper. In any case my name 
could well have been left out. I do
hope it was only regarded as a joke, and
that it is already forgotten.

2.
Thanks Mr. Heney for your advice. I 
shall be guided by it.
We have left the Somme fields for
the present, but no matter to which
front one goes, there is always the same
incessant boom of big guns, the crackle 
of machine guns & so on. The enemy
seem to be holding out very wonderfully,
but if the Kaiser only saw hundred upon
hundred of his soldiers throwing up their
hands and screaming " 'Kamerad' ",  he
would be put off his lunch. Things
were pretty lively in the Somme fields.
The Huns were there to stay - judging
by the manner in which they comforted
themselves under the earth in well fitted
and electrically lighted dug-outs. This
is stale news now, I know, but it
may interest you to know that I saw these
things, and found for myself traces of

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luxurious life, champagne glasses, cigars
&c.
We are having a rare experience and 
I cannot understand how young single
men have to be pressed to enlist. It is
the chance of a life time. Do you 
remember the leader Mr. Bean wrote not
so long after the war begun - "A Victory
to be proud of"? He spoke of the long
Belgian lanes, the morning mists amidst
which the farm people work, and their
tramping bravely home to the evening meal".
I have seen all, this and it is pleasant
reflection that I typed that article for 
Mr. Bean hardly thinking at the time that
very shortly afterwards I should see it

for myself. I met Mr. Bean on the 
day I was coming from Pozieres. I 
meet him occasionally. As a matter of 

fact he is always in our vicinity 

4.
So far the weather has been good.
But the absence of sunshine is very

evident to Australians. The "Herald"
comes regularly - thanks to someone in 
the Office - and of course one can keep

in touch with local affairs. We get

the English papers the day after publication.

They gave Mr. Hughes's speeches verbatim.

What an impression he caused. I never

saw him on this front, but I was at

the Somme when His Majesty appeared.

I could tell you other news from this

scene, but no one understands the 

rig strictness of censorship more than

you - and no one understands more,

its necessity or otherwise. However,

we here are not able to say much,

for there are many of us who in writing

home perhaps make an unwise selection

of what we imagine is interesting, and

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it is this sort of thing that the censors are 

on the look out for.

Your letter was very cheerful to 

me. Such effect acts as a tonic, when

we see the prospect of going through 

a winter here. For I cannot see how 

the winter campaign can now be 

avoided.

With very kind regards Mr Heney,

and my heartfelt thanks for your

kind wishes for my good fortune.

Yours faithfully

Louie Samuels.

[*Jas [[P?]]Ford Lt*]