Letters from William Rawson Leach to his family, 1918 - Part 2

France

Feb 21st 18

Dear Mother & Father.

Have not had

any word from you since

I wrote last week. But expect

a mail along any time

now as we should be

due for another. I heard last 

week that all our January

outward mail had been

lost at sea so if that is the

case you will miss a few

of my letters I think I wrote

three or four during that

 month. Stil l am very

well & feeling O.K. have got

a good job for a fortnight &

am working at an ammunition

dump in connection with

the Div Amm Column & we 

are having a fairly easy time

we dont get up till about

8.30 of a morning & most of

 

2

our work is done after dark

so that Fritz cant observe us

But the best part of it is

that we get a good night's

rest every night. Fritz comes

over dropping bombs but we

dont take much notice of them.

I went to a very good concert

on Wednesday night given

by a party of Australians &

they styled themselves as

the Sentimental Blokes.

It was a good turn out

as good as you would see

anywhere. It was given in 

one of the halls of a French

town behind the lines.

I spent last Sunday with

Frank Berry & we had tea

together he is very well.

I wrote to his mother & Mrs

Berry would be pleased

to know that we had

met. I sent over to London

 

3

to the Firm for £10 about a fortnight

ago & got a cheque the other night

for that amount so don't be

surprised if you get an a/c

from Sunshine for that

amount. I sent for it as there

is a possibility of getting leave

to Paris & I didnt want to be

caught on the hop & have

no money to go. They send

3 a month from the battery

& if one should be lucky

enough to get leave it would

be a nice break. I dont expect

to get my leave to England

till about June when I expect

I will have to draw more

funds as you cant go far

in Blighty now without

a good wad in your purses.

I am going to try & get over &

see Leo next Sunday he is in

the ASC & has got a jolly good

job according to Frank Berry.

I have just this minute got

a letter from one of my pals

who went back to blighty [[? ?]]

 

4

& is now convalescent at Sutton

Veny. The weather still continued

 to be fine & the front is quiet

one sees a little aerial activity

at times & our planes are

everlastingly on the watch.

We had some fun last night

everyone felt hungry so

I went out & bought some

oatmeal & condensed milk

& started to make some

porridge so I made a two

gallon tin full & I had them

all flat out anyway we 

had another go at the

porridge again this morning

& we still have some

left to go round again

to night so that we are

making it last pretty

well. There are 6 of us in

the hut so you can fancy

us sitting round having a

feed. Now Mother I will

have to close so goodbye 

love to all & self

Yr aff son

Rawson

 

I forgot to tell you about

my parcels you send

in future any you send

over seven pounds in

weight in fact you

can send them all

to my battery address

which is 31st Battery. The

English postal authorities

wont carry any parcels

from England to France over

seven pounds but they

are alright if they come

straight from Australia to

our regimental address

so I have written to Uncle

 

Fred & told him to open
any parcels over seven
pounds & send them over
in instalments should
he get any. hope this is
clear to you.
Will close now love
from Rawson

 

On Active Service

Mrs S. Leach
Victoria Street
Parkes
New South Wales

Australia

ARMY POSTAGE

2 MAR 18

PASSED BY CENSOR

No. 5035

France
March 3^rd 18
Dear Mother.
Since writing you
last week I have not had
any letters from you but
I got a letter from Uncle
Fred last night & he said
that he had sent me
six letters enclosed in
a Pcl which had also
arrived for me so I am
expecting the letter any
day now. I am holding this
letter _∧up as I should get the
your letters tonight. I
can reply to them then.
Well March is upon us

2
& it is ushered in with
the real march winds
Last night was a bitterly
cold night & it was great
to get under the blankets.
It snowed yesterday &
the ground was just
coated with white &
no doubt you know what
a march wind is blowing
off the snow & ice. It cuts
through you just like
a knife. Anyway we have
a very good fire in our
hut & plenty of wood so
dont think we are cold.
I am writing this on a
Sunday afternoon which
we have got to our selves
& I have been thinking all
day of you at home & I
can imagine that your
thoughts were often in
France too. Last Sunday
we got an Xmas Pcl each
from the Sth Australian

3
comforts funds & it contained
the following. 1 Tin lollies, 1 cake
chocolate, 1 Tin condensed milk
1 Tin cigarettes, 1 Tin tobacco, a
pipe & a writing tablet of which
I am now making use also
a pack of cards. All were
very useful & much
appreciated. In the afternoon
I went over to see Leo &
I gave him a bit of a shock.
He didnt know me so I
must have altered considerably
since he saw me last. I
spent the afternoon & had
tea with him & he has got
a pretty good job I tell you.