Letters from William Rawson Leach to his family, 1917 - Part 1

Maribyrnong
25:1:17
Dear Father,
I received your welcome letter
last night & in fact had quite a
host of letters no less than six
for the day.  I expect you will be
looking forward to the girls coming
home now  I suppose. they will be
home by the time you get this.
I went out to Sunshine (to see Mr
Brown our ex Adelaide manager)
the other night & had a good old
chat over things.  I have got to
go out & put in the week end with
them.  I am having a very good
time in Melbourne am out pretty
well every night seeing friends.  I stay
in about one night a week & that is
put aside for washing clothes & writing

letters.  I have just finished washing
which consisted of a couple of shirts
3 pairs of sox handerchiefs.  I am getting
a real dabster at it.  My arm is
alright again now after the kick
I got from the cab horse.  The girls
& I had a good time flying around
Melbourne & I was glad they came
over it couldn't have fitted in
better.  We have had quite a variety
of weather lately  Hot & now it is as
cold as ice  we are having the holiday
on Monday so are considering
our selves lucky may go down the
bay for a trip.  Now Father I will have to
close so good bye love to all at home
Your affson
Rawson
I am enclosing a note for
Alice.

If not Delivered within 14 Days
please return to
W. MOFFLIN & CO., LTD.,
MARGARET STREET,
BRISBANE.
QUEENSLAND
BRISBANE
-4.JAN.19. 9-PM.
AUSTRALIA
POSTAGE
HALFPENNY
AUSTRALIA
POSTAGE
THREE PENCE
Mrs S. Leach
Victoria St.
Parkes.
New South Wales.

1917
W. MOFFLIN & CO. LTD.,
Margaret Street,
Brisbane.

Bega.
4th. Febry. 1917.

My dear Leach,
We were very pleased indeed to
receive the photo cards recently of a
portion of your family and what a change
in some of them more especially Rawson's
in uniform he looks a tough proposition for
the Huns.  Dick does not seem to have
altered much while you look just the
same.  You must indeed have had a
happy meeting at Xmas time and only
one missing considering the way you
were all scattered.  We have not had
a family gathering like that since
leaving Parkes and may never again,
although we do hope our dear boy
Keith will be spared to return to
us again.  We received two letters
from him last week and am now
able to give ^you his latest address.
It was sad about poor Norman Pearce's
death - just received letter from his
father a few days ago.  We are now
realising the terribleness of the war
when our relations and friends are
falling one by one, and whose faces
we shall see no more.  Never before
[*L/H. N^o 807.
Private Keith J. B. McDonald
D. Company
13th Platoon
13th Battalion
Australian Imperial Forces Abroad, France.*]

have there been so many sad aching hearts,
than at the present time and they are daily
increasing, even around us here.  Surely this
is a chastening period for all Christian
people and we are brought to our knees
for being a wayward nation.
Keith's last letter was dated 9th. Dec. and he
did not give the name of the place they were
at - He stated that the platoon he was in
was taking food to the men in the firing line
when the Huns opened fire and they took
shelter in a shell hole where they had
to remain all night - He said it was a
miracle than none of them were killed.
The winter is most severe and many of
the Australians were suffering from frost
bitten feet but he had escaped up to
that time.  Ronnie is still in Newcastle
and Jean at home with us - the only
child left.  I do wish they were all
young again at our fireside, as of
yore - the ways of the world are strange
and there appears to be nothing at
present but partings and sorrows.
Hoping you are all well.
Your sincere friend
D. M^cDonald
Australian

War Memorial
PR00441

Military Camp at Maribyrnong
5.2.17
Dear Mother.
I received your welcome letter
with the P cards enclosed but none of
the whole family arrived I suppose you
will send those on later two or three
will do.  I was glad you got the group
of our reinforcements.  I was wondering whether
the joker would ever send it along.  I
want you to keep that as a lot of my
best pals are in that crowd so
dont let it get astray.  I went out
to Sunshine for the week end & had
a good time at Mr Browns place.
You can send me another pair of sox
if you like my issue socks are just about
done & I am starting on the ones that have
been sent to me.  Dont worry about my
boxes they havent left Adelaide yet but
will be alright & you will be advised when

2
they have been sent along.
Our Adelaide manager lost his wife last
week so I am just dropping him a line.
Mrs & Miss Bennetts wish to be kindly remembered
to you all.  Tell Alice the pannikin & the plate
were A1 I received them last Monday.
Also the photos I got her to get me at
the Royal Arcade arrived safely.  We
had a bit of excitement on Thursday night
they made a raid on those out without
passes & or course I was out but had the good
fortune to be warned before I ran into the
snare & we dived out of the cab & made up
over the hill out of the road & sneaked in
round the back of the camp.  Gordon Best
was with me I found out afterwards.  They
didn't get us anyway but we had a long walk
round about four miles & got into our tents
at 1.15 am.  Still that is better than being
confined to Barracks for the Week End
[*Now Mother I will have to close so goodbye love to all
Your aff son
Rawson

Y.MC.A.
POSTAGE REVENUE
ONE PENNY
LARK [[?]] CAMP
13 DE
16
SAL
M^r and M^rs S. Leach
Parkes
N. S. W.
Australia

Lark Hill.
Salisbury Plains
July 29. 1917
Dear Mother & Father,
Now that I have had a week
at Salisbury plains I feel I can write you & give
you a little information as to how we
are getting on & our arrival in England.
We left Plymouth or at least Devonport
at 10 oclock on Friday morning 20^th
& we were put into carriages 8 to a compartment.
We then started on our train ride
& got a great reception all along the
line  Salisbury plain is about 130 miles
from Devonport.  Our destination was Amesbury
which is the nearest station to Salisbury
plains.  We were all given a bottle of tea
& a bun at Exeter which was provided by
the mayoress of that place.  The scenery through
the country was beautiful & we were fortunate
in striking here during such lovely weather.
We landed at Amesbury at 5 oclock in the
afternoon & then had about a four mile
march to the camp  We arrived at our
camp about 6 oclock & were immediately