Letters from Alexander Sutherland Mackay to his Family, 1916 - 1917 - Part 11

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____________________________________________________
I am quite well.

I have been admitted into hospital.    

{   sick            } and am going on well.
{wounded } and hope to be discharged soon.
I am being sent down to the base.
I have received your  {letter dated __________

                                        {telegram,,    __________
                                        {parcel     ,,    ___________
Letter follows at first opportunity.

I have received no letter from you
{lately

{for a long time
Signature}   A S MACKAY
only          }  
Date  28/11/17
Wt. W1566 R1619-18539 8000M 6-17  C & Co., Grange Mills, S.W.

Belgium
2/ 12/17

Dear Elsie
Yesterday I received your letter dated 15^th Oct & one from
Phyl Blacket dated 31^st July. Goodness knows where Phyls letter
has been. Evidently some of yours are missing as you say you
wrote last week telling me Roy had received my Album. They may
come to light, but Im very pleased Roy got the Album. Id given
up all hope. Had a sprinkling of snow during the night & a cold
wind has been blowing all day. Still in Action likely to be for
sometime I fancy. Fritz now & again stirs us up but taking it
all through, we are lucky in striking this posie, that is when
one thinks of the last. My voice is a little better, I only hope I
get squared up before the Winter proper comes on. We are just getting
the Referendum papers. Im voting a solid yes, if its only to try &
shift some of those striking dogs in Australia. Thank goodness
Nugget is exempt, hit him on the head if he ever in even dreams
of coming here. I'm collecting a few French coins, which I will
send to Father later. You should also receive a Christmas AIF book
it will probably reach you after this letter. You seems to be having
a fair innings at Tennis lately, I suppose you are all guns at
the game now. Fancy Xmas so close, it makes one long for the hot
 

for hot weather. This snow stunt, I don't cotton to, a little bit.
It wont be so bad if we strike decent Winter quarters but a posie
like our last would make a fellow think. From your letter I
gather you are going to Coolangatta, I suppose the Blackets will
visit Brisbane before they return. It will be a change for them
after Pisks Sydney, I know Phyl would like to go to Richmond
but of course thats out of the question. I suppose Dod is shot
bird to fall into the river, that appears to be her long suit
Well Else Ill hang on to this letter for a couple of days in case
more letters arrive. I'm writing with gloves on so excuse scribble
Your affect brother
Alex.
5/12/17. In clover Else tonight, I received a lovely bunch of letters
Lilys of 6th Sept, yours of 7th Sept, & 13th Sept, Lilys of 17th Sept
Yours of 24th Sept & 1st Oct, Mothers long one of 14th Oct, Dod Blacket's of
14th Oct, & Roys of 15th Oct. & Ronni's of 30th Novr. Fancy Ronnie
missed me again, he went up to the Waggon Lines but found
I was with the Battery in Action. Surely Ill strike him this time
when we pull out. He told me he had met Claude Watson.
Sorry to hear about poor Bob Porter, I can't understand it at all,
Has they are fairly particular re casualties. I told you I'm always
with the Battery in action, doing the clerical work, well I have to send
 

in to Headquarters daily casualty lists, whether nil or otherwise
Sickness unless from Gas, is not included in their lists, but

the Hospitals send in similar returns, Headquarters are
very particular, so I can't make out how they lost run of Bob.
Liuet Gatium was in the 29^th Battery was killed the first

night I went into action with his Battery. They were just

behind  uis us, a shell went clean through his dugout, killing
him injuring his batman. That was the night we had
such a rotten time, Thank goodness we've never had one like
it since. I hear now we are likely to pull out shortly so Ill
do my utmost to see Ron. Those papers Roy has been posting
have not come to light but thats owing to the old address, they
will not readdress papers. When you get my new address, no
doubt Ill receive them. What rotten luck Les appears to be
striking with his incubator, he evidently will have to go back
to the old method, Its seems a funny move of the Hodgsons in
selling their house, its to be hoped they stuck to Norman Parker.
I can imagine the glorious time you will have at Coolangatta.
Roy will have his hands full looking after you all.
You have gone to a lot of trouble over parents, we have just
got word that the 8^th Brigade Comforts Fund Melbourne have
posted 950 Xmas Boxes for the Brigade, so that means no doubt
one a p[[?]]. We will be in clover Xmas as far as eatables

are concerned. Im getting a good supply of socks again but
you want them alright. It goes a long way in preventing
Trench foot. I had another letter from Gilbert Gumm
acknowledging mum saying how sorry he was that he
did not know Ronnie went to Glasgow. it appears his
place is only on hours run from there in the fast trains.
I told him I'd make a beeline for there if I ever got a
Blighty, but I intend in the meantime, if possible, to catch
on to Paris leave. They occasionally look for fellows wanting
six days special. its a pretty expensive trip I believe, but
I'd like to see the gay Paris. Well Elsie Ill have to
write Dod so will close
With love to all
Your affect brother
Alex.
 

Belgium
14/12/17
Dear Roy,
I'm pulling out today to the Waggon
Lines, having been granted Paris Leave. I get
14 clear days there, leaving Sunday morning. That
won't be hard to digest. Expect to have a
glorious time. All the fellows are after Blighty
leave, there was only one in for Paris & two
vacancies open, so I tapped the skipper. Did
not expect it but the granted it ok. It
will be fairly expensive but one has to make
the most of an opportunity. It would be some
considerable time before my turn for Blighty
arrived & in any case I'd rather see Paris.
Ill have to bustle around tomorrow getting ready
so may not have to opportunity to fossick
round & try & find Ronnies crowd. However they
should all be out for a spell when I return.
Fanny spending Christmas in Paris, lovely, a bit
of a change from ruins & shell holes. I posted
some coins to father last week, so I hope they
 

arrive safely. No letters since my last to Elsie
have arrived. No snow or ice the last week, they
have been displaced by drizzly rains. Struck a
Richmondite here last week, he is camped in the
next dugout. A fellow named Paddy Holmes, needless
to say we often have yarns about old times.
Saw a great a[[?]] scrap yesterday, one of our little
fellows brought down a huge Gotha that came over
us dropping bombs. I can assure a mighty cheer
wt went up when we saw Fritz coming down
in flames. Things fairly quite of late.
Well Roy I must get things squared up
before leaving
Love to all
Your affect brother
Alex