Letters from William Rawson Leach to his family, 1918 - Part 8

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worry so much about his parcels as long
as he gets his letters which are of first
importance. Glad to hear that you
had such a successful day for the
Red cross. I had a letter from Elsie written
from their new home & they seem
to like the change alright.
We are back in action again have
been in four days now since we came
back from our spell. Things are very
quiet on our sector. We do most of our
firing at night time so as to avoid
being observed by the enemy Gun
flashes in the daylight give your
position away quicker than anything
so we keep in our dugouts & have as
little movement as possible round
the position. First thing of a morning
when we get up (which is generally between
nine & ten oclock) & have had breakfast we
clean the gun & straighten things up
in the gun pit. such as cleaning ammunition
put the empty shell cases from the
previous night's firing into bags, have
a look at your night lights & electric torches.
This generally occupies about an hour &
then you do as you like for the rest
of the day. The weather still continues
fine & you should see the wild flowers
they are just lovely. We have wheat
& barley crops growing up all round
us & the Larks singing help to
brighten up the atmosphere somewhat
 

4
I dont think I told you in my last
letter that I had met Jack Byrnes
he looks well & wishes to be remembered
to you all. I spent an evening with
him in his dugout we had a supper
of biscuits & cocoa. Our position is close
to ∧ an abandoned French village & there
is a big woolen mill there & all sorts of
woolen goods there. Sweaters & ladies
hosiery by the stacks its a pity to see
all the waste & ruin. This morning Fritz
put a shell into the village & set the
place on fire which is still raging.
I saw a Fritz plane a couple of days
ago come a lovely gutzer. He was up
almost out of sight & the "antis" got
on to him & knocked both wings off
He took a dive & his engine was roaring
all the way down & he made a splash
when he hit the ground his wings
came down about ten minutes later
so you can guess what height he
was up. I am OK myself & hope you are
all the same at home. Now Mother & Father
I will have to close so good bye with
love to selves & all at home your
aff Son
Rawson.
 

10. 8. 18.
Received these from Mother
this morning please send them
back home when you have
read them. Hoping all are
O.K.
Edo
 

OAS.
14 JUN 18
CENSOR
No.
5054
Mrs. S Leach
Victoria St
Parkes
New South Wales
Australia
 

France
21. 6. 18
Dear Father.
I received mothers latter dated
april 17^th send through uncle also one written
by you on the 20^th april send direct to me
to the battery. One or two of your letters must
have gone astray as I received no letters
dated between 31^st March & the 17^th April. But
they may turn up yet as we never loose
hope if they don't turn up right to time. You
need not worry about me not getting my letters
if they are sent to Uncle Fred. They will be alright
as he puts them into a big envelope & posts the lot
on to me. The military people put up all sorts of
tales about mails etc. You can send my parcels & papers
to the Battery address. I got three or four papers the
other night one of the Champions had an account of
Ashleys send off at Walla. I received quite a host
of letters last night ten altogether some from
Qnsland, NSWales, Victoria & Sth Australia, so I got a
good deal of interstate news,
I can quite understand your anxiousness
a few months ago when you were reading
each day of the withdrawal by the British
troops when fritz made his mad rush but
his wheel has been chocked one more & no
doubt you dont get all the news neither do we
but we have a much better knowledge of
what is going on than you do out in Australia
& if you people at home only have the
confidence that the boys here have of ultimately
giving Fritz a hammering I am sure you would
have no need to worry. Fritz advanced but
he has paid dearly for what he has won I know
from what I saw with my own eyes. You could see

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his hordes coming on in mass formation & being
moved by machine gun & our artillery fire.
On one occasion I saw from ten to twelve waves
come over all to melt away & he cant keep
these offensives going too long. His move is to
force a decision this summer before the Yanks
hop in in full force. Up to date he has made
three pushes & has gained none of his definite objectives.

He has only attacked the Australians on
three occasions & each time he has come a gutser.
Our boys stand out on their own as fighters
its a pity we didn't have about five million
of them. Fritz would get the biggest trouncing
he ever wished for & they would show him
no mercy. The Australians dont stop to
argue with them. I saw a German prisoner
one day here try to get away from some
Australians & one of our fellows chased him & put
a bayonet through him. Our boys wont stand
any funny business. They may not be what
we call Kiwi & Brasso soldiers but when it
comes to the dinkum thing they are not
lacking in energy. They came over here to
beat the hun & they wont be satisfied till
they have done so. I am quite well
& feel OK. have been at the waggon line
the last fortnight expect to go up to the
battery position on Sunday morning. I will
be thinking of you all at church for we
change over generally between 9 & 10 oclock in the
morning so that will just about coincide
with the evening service as you are ten
hours  ahead of our time here. I see by todays
 

3
paper that the Italians are doing well & that
the Austrians aren't having it all their own
way. I saw Frank Berry a few nights ago
& he is quite well & in the best of health.
We are having plenty of swimming now as
we are camped alongside a lake & the weather
is ideal. The surrounding country is just
beautiful as everything is so lovely & green
& tinted with wild flowers, I am enclosing
a few flowers which I picked on the
present battlefield Poppies & Cornflowers
grow in abundance. I hope you had
a good time on your holidays at
Cronulla. I wouldn't mind taking a trip
down there myself. I dont think you would
pick me so easily now I have got much
thiner than I was when I left Australia.
But I am none the worse for that as I
could afford to lose a stone or so. I never
felt better in all my life. I was sorry
to hear that Edo failed in his exams but
still better luck next time & he will have
a better idea of what he has to go through.
I will be on the look out for the Pcl you
sent me on the 20^th April containing
Tobacco Cigarettes etc. Miss Benetts has sent
me a parcel but I have not received same
yet. I have been a painter the last few
days three of us are repainting the Ammunition
waggons & from a soldiers point of view we are
making a huge success out of it. We see
plenty of French soldiers now as we are fighting
 

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along side one another. They are great fighters
& have plenty of heart it is rather an imposing
sight to see the Light blue intermingled
with the Khaki. I am looking forward to
getting my leave when it comes round
I would like it now seeing that the
weather is so favourable for a holiday
still I dont expect it yet awhile until they
have got Fritz a little bit more under
their thumb. Have been in France ten
months now, I am also enclosing you some
snaps I took while on leave in Yorkshire
last September. Annie Walmsley sent them over
to me as I got her to develop & get them printed
We had a concert the night before last
given by a troupe of Australians known as
the Bandicootes. They were very good too
& gave us a programme equal to any
you would see at the "Dandies" or similar
entertainers. One of the infantry bands were
present & gave us several selections, The concert
was held in the open & as you are aware it
is quite light till 10 oclock of an evening
over here. It was a very pleasant evening
so you see we get a little entertainment
& all our days over here aren't dull ones
& we all do our best to look at the
brightest side of things. Now. Father I dont think
I have any more news so will close with love
to mother self & all at home
Your aff Son
Rawson

O.A.S.
Mrs S. Leach
Victoria St
Parkes
N.S.Wales
Australia
This is the Ans
that come
last April
CENSOR
No
5588
 

France
Thursday
July 4^th 1918
Dear Father.
I received your ∧ welcome letter
which you wrote on Easter Monday
(& sent to the Battery) about ten
days ago although I had had
letters of a later date a week
before this one arrived never
the less they are always welcome
whatever the date on them
is. I note your remarks re
the going back of the clock
of civilisation & I think if you
leave that to the boys
they will deal with Fritz
in a manner which is only
befitting for him & although
driven back we are in no
wise rattled & I have seen nothing
like our own boys here they
always have a smiling face &
although they do a bit of
grumbling at times (which is a
soldiers priviledge) it is only skin