Letter from Herbert Alexander Legge to Mr Paton, France, 13 January 1917

PR82/8

France

13th January 17.

Dear Mr Paton

The sort of cheering news one

receives when on Service serving

King & Country and all the nice

things the papers talk about - A man

volunteers and the other coves stay

behind and take the good jobs.

I received yesterday a cutting

with the results of the last L.S.

Exam and see Della Ca on top

of the list also Cronins name.

The first named succeeded

me as assistant to F.N Hathisimon

and is about 18 months my Junior

in Field Service. Of course

there are a good many more who

have passed the 3 or 4 exams

since I left and it is certainly

great encouragement to think

that at the end of another 18 mths

or two years when the war is

 

over and a man be privileged to

return to Australia he will have

20 or 30 Surveyors on the staff

whom before the war - he was

senior to. I am writing

to the Board to ask if they will

allow me some consideration

my prospects of reward as

things stand at present being

a job as assistant to one of my

former confreres but am trusting

the Board will obviate that.

 I certainly have some consolation

in a clear conscience on the

subject of service abroad

but there would need to be

something to compensate for

loss of seniority and a £300

a year job.

To date two years service

in Gallipoli Egypt, Suez Canal

& France and what for it

in civilain life - cheery

We are in the middle of

winter here and wont be 

sorry when the

 

This card will give some idea

of a  French Barracks - the

French soldiers are A1

and they have a terrible load

of gear but are very self

contained. There is no

question here of asking a man

to vote whether he will be

a soldier - the placards go

up in a town and the new

class comes up quick &

lively - "1.W W's" are non

existent - they put them in

the front line at Verdun there

to howl at the Bosches. No

doubt France has borne

her full share of the burden

of war this last few years

there is no "mealy" peace

talk here - "Il est la guerre

de revanche pour Soixante-dix"

one has the real facts of the war

brought home to them true

there is no doubt and Heaven 

help the Hun when Froggie gets him

on the move

 

 

Spring comes - and gives us a

chance of seeing something more

and getting a move on with the

war and hurring the date of

our return to Australia to

pick up the fragments and odd

jobs which some of our noble

young men "who stayed at

home" havent absorbed.

We had a fairly passable

Xmas here - had a dry day

for a wonder - we dont get

much snow but rain

and slush and mud plenty

One Xmas in Egypt one

in France and its to be

hoped the next one is

while on the march to Berlin

or better still in Good

old Sydney town  - Australia

once again.

Please convey my Kindest

regards to all in the old Branch

& believe me Yours sincerely

H Legge