Letters written by Ernest Lionel Bailey October 1916 to April 1918 - Part 3

 P.S. This Capt. Bean is the fellow
that represents the Australian Army
regarding the press. he has an article
in the British Australasian every
week, and a great man too

 

My Address

L/Cpl E L Bailey

C/o Capt Bean

1^st Anzac 

Headquarters

France
 

29.9.17 France

O.A.M.

My Darling Little Wife xxx

I recieved your nice

little letter this morning and am

answering "toot sweet".

I am very sorry Darling to hear

that - Pay master has not

answered your letter but I

sincerely hope you will have

received an answer ere this

letter arrives.

It was a bit of luck for

Bill Priest to miss the last

stunt. I have been up enquiring

for him, and found out, he was

held back in reserve, but his

mob are going back into the

line any time now, for another

Box on. and I will almost 

 

2

be sure of seeing him, that is

if he goes up.

The job is going "Tray Bit"

I often go up with the Boss

when there is an advance on

and get a "Birds Eye View"

of the whole affair.

There is no getting away from

the fact that our Boys

have done great things recently

if we only had a few more

Divisions of Austs, they would

be having their Xmas dinner

in Berlin, although they are

not supposed to know what

discipline is, regarding saluting

etc, they know the meaning 

 

3

of the word when they get

xx into "fritz", and after all

said and done, fighting is

winning this War, and not

saluting, so Look Out for some

more interesting reading in

the paper.

Now Baby in your last letter

you never sent me one Kiss,

I guess you were short of paper

eh? but another time you are

short, you can put them on

the envelope Com - pre

A cobber of mine in the 51^st

got killed in the last stunt, but

I hear Dick is alright x and I

will endeavour to see him before

he goes on leave to Blightly.

Belgium
18.10.17

My Own Darling Wife xxxx

Many thanks for your

letter of the 12th you will have

thought me long winded this time

but Baby I have been rather

busy, in fact I have just come

down from the line and it

is 8 PM, having had a day up

there and the last few days it

has been later, but I made my

mind up I would write you before

I had tea, otherwise I would be too

tired or it would be lights out

on account of the "birds who

lay the big Eggs" Compre?

I have not seen anything of

Bill Priest since I last wrote

but I think they will be moving

2

up shortly, if I were you Darling
I would not tell Jessie how
many letters you receive from me
for I know very well Priest
cannot write as often as I do
whilst he is in the line. She
does not realize what it 
like up there, but, there is one
thing I did not like, it was Jessie
reffer refering to cushy jobs Etc

Well I have done as much soldiering

as Bill, but I mentioned, or

rather, pointed out whilst I

was Home, that, I did not want

promotion, and a Sam Browne

was of no use to me, and, I

think Bill Priest, will agree

with me, for I know what he

would do if he had his chance

over again, by what he said

3

to me but never let such things

like that trouble you Baby.

For it is only natural, for instance

you place yourself in JessieJ

position, you might think the

same, but not mention it.

I am in or kicking around the

line, just as much as any one else,

but I have my rest at night

sometimes?

I think I have said enough

about this so I think I will ring

off.

The old Batt got a bit of

a rough spin last stunt, the

Old Padre was killed also a few

of the old cobbers, Dick 

was lucky, he is on leave and missed

xx it, he ought to be back. 

4

I must endeavour to get out and

see him for, I think he is almost

sure to call at Dasset and

I will hear then what they had

to say, because we are sure to be

"Boomed" after the telling off I

gave them.

I received  J. B. and Pictorial I

was so glad you liked those

cuttings "some" poetry eh.

I sent you the Anzac Bulletin

it has a fine article about the

Museums Etc By C. E. W. B. and well

worth reading.  I have not heard

from Sissie yet, tell her I shan't

fix the Bell up if she does not

write, (it is quite a treat to go

crook on someone for not writing)

I am still waiting for the chap

to come from England, and I am 

getting    5

quite a speech ready, for him

when he does, he wont be able

to get a word in, for the first

half an hour

Have you heard from Horseferry

Road yet? well Darling the more

I think of them the worse I feel

towards them, fancy all this time

fooling about. they want a few

Bombs on them to wake them

up, if I wrote, they would get

my letter by about Xmas after going

through different channels, for I

cannot write direct otherwise I

would have done so before.

I was delighted to hear Darling you

were feeling well, I do hope Baby

it will not be long before

6
I can hug my Little Wife close to
me, wont we have a time Baby?
I do want my Mate oh so much
But cheer up our time will
soon be here, I wake up every
morning and say to myself "another
day nearer."
Give My Love to Dear Mother xxxx
Sissie xxxx Jim and Edie xxxx and
tell them I am in great Nick, but
longing for another trip. And
give Our Boy some Bonzer Kisses

from Daddy (you have quite a good

job looking after his Cards) Hoping

to have another nice long letter

from My Baby soon. All My Love

Your ever Loving

Hubby Ernest

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For xxxx
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our xxxxx
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Boy xxxx