Letters from William Rawson Leach to his family, 1917 - Part 7

Australian 
War Memorial
PR00441
 

On Active Service
Mrs S Leach
Victoria St
Parkes
NSWales
Australia

France
Dec 25th 19
Dear Mother.
Still no mail
from home yet but we have
heard that our Xmas mail
have gone down so suppose
we will have to wait a little
longer still that cant be
helped although one does
miss his letters. Well we
have had our Xmas & under
the conditions we had
a very good one i dear say
when you hear what we
on the menu you will

be somewhat surprised to
think that such a meal is
possible when on active 
service at the front. I was
assisting in the cookhouse
at  the time so needleless to
say i got a fair whack
of the dinner. We were
luckily out of action & of course
the whole battery were together
The YMCA lent us one of their

 (2) 

Marquees & we had a real
royal time the dinner consisted 
of Soup, Roast Goose
Ham. Boiled cabbage & potatoes
Peas, Baked onion, plum pudding
nuts & raisens. Cigarettes Cigars
& Beer so that we didnt do
too badly we had rest of
the day off but me being in 
the cookhouse it was rather
a busy day  for the cooks
it is just on tea time so I
will have to hop in and get
my cut otherwise it will
all be gone. Well tea is over

& I will  settle down to writing
again Tea consisted of the
all proverbial Bread & jam
plus some Butter. It was a
typical Xmas day for there
parts it snowed most of the
day & the country was
a beautiful sight everything
covered in snow. During the 
dinner we had several
Toasts & the one which met
with the best reception was
"The loved ones at Home" & still

(3)
everyones thoughts were turned
to home. I thought of you all
& how I spent my last Xmas
day & I hope to have the next
one at home in Australia with
you all. So passed Xmas day
in France & I will never forget it.
I had a nice Xmas parcel
from Mrs Buxendall & Ethel
& also one from Will Walmsley
Aunt Annie is sending me
one for the New Year. I have
not received Fathers parcel
of Tobacco & cigarettes which
he sent while in Sydney.
I see by the papers that the
referendum has been turned
down again I am disgusted
with it & it is just like
putting up the white flag
Australia has dropped a good
deal in the prestige of the
World & I expect it lies with
us to keep her good name
up & win back that prestige
What kind of a time did you
all have at home Xmas
day I dont suppose you had

(4)
the gathering that you had
last year. I dont know when
we are going into action
again but you never know
until the day you are.
going in. The last week everything
has been frozen ∧ the ground
ditches, shell holes etc & one
has a lively time taking the
horses to water. you have to
take a pick & dig through the
ice & then bucket the water out.
When you wake up in the
morning oh the joy of putting
your boots on they are
frozen too I take mine to bed
with me now & put them
under the blankets. When you
want a wash you go out with
a sand bag & fill it with ice
& then bring it in & melt it
on the fire Now Mother I will
have to close so good bye
with best love to all at
home 
Your aff Son
Rawson

Australian
War Memorial
PR00441
Rawsons letter

OAS.
Mrs S Leach
Victoria St
Parkes
New South Wales

Australia

Dear Dick
Have not time to write
or will miss mail
How is Ivy hope she is
better sorry she has been so sick
How is little Beryl will be
posting parcel to her soon Sallie

2
I never saw anything of Tom Pearce at Salisbury
Haven't seen anything of Ernie Howard yet but
you said they had word that he was in England
suffering from gas. Gordon Best & I got separated
& Jack Byrnes didnt leave England till some
time after we did havent seen either of them
since I came to France. I heard through
Uncle Fred that Percy had got his commission
but I havent heard anything since I came
over here from Percy himself I wrote him a
letter or two perhaps they went astray & he
hasn't my address here. I would like
to be home for the Strawberries which seem to
be vey plentiful & also the green peas. Still
we didnt do too badly tonight for tea we
had four fowls amongst eight of us.Ill
tell you when I get home how we got the
poultry. I was sorry to hear that the Lad
had a break down I suppose he worked too
hard. What sort of a boarding establishment
has he got after leaving Miss Maguire
I am writing this on some of the paper
which you enclosed. The last week has

3
fairly good as far as the weather is concerned
It snowed one day but since has been comparatively
warm. I am sorry to hear that Al had been
in bed still its not a bad place & I wouldn't
mind having six days in bed. In fact thats
going to be the first thing Im going to do
when I get back to Australia Im going to got to
sleep for a week in a good bed. I see in the
daily papers here where Billy Hughes has Resigned & had
gone back into office again. Politics seem to be
any how in Australia just at present. We are still
in the Billets which I mentioned in last weeks letter
& am writing this in the barn & we got a great heap
of letters round me which I have to answer. You
seem to have got quite a mail from England
when you got my two letters from there. I hear very
regularly from most of my English relations
& last night I got another Pcl from Aunt Annie &
Annie Walmsley is sending me one. this week with some
mince pasties in. so Im not faring too badly. Have
had some very nice letters from all of them
Glad you liked the Leather from off the [[Cheviss]]
I got the Pcl of Tobacco & cigarettes with Father & Edo
sent also one from Ruth last night & nine letters
so had a very good mail. You seem to have
had a pretty full house with Sallie Arch
& Mr Turnbull & things would be quite lively at home