Letters from Alexander Sutherland Mackay to his Family, 1918 - Part 8

France
9/9/18.
Dear Mother
I got letters from Elsie Lily & Roy
all dated from 19^th to 22^nd June. I haven't written
for sometime, you will see by the papers that things are
fairly busy, here today & away tomorrow trying to keep
up with Fritz. At present we are just waiting behind
the line. Nobody knows whats in the wind these days
we may go in or out at hr an hours notice. Thank
goodness they've done away with that silly system they
had sometime ago of letting everyone know what their
intentions were. We have had two or three thunderstorms
this week, I hope the weather holds good for another
three weeks or so, it will probably mean a lot to the
Allies. Posted a long letter to Roy last week hope
he receives it. It may arrive with this one, a further
[[shasmt?]] will be sent first opportunity. There is every
[[probabibility?]] probability that I will [[strike?]] leave in a month
or 5 weeks, two of us are trying to go together. Our
present intention is to go to Paris or Nice. I'm not
excited about Blighty at all, however it just depends
how things work out. Ronnie may be on leave now
 

last time I struck him, he expected it by this.
Have a few odd coins I'm posting to Father, the
majority are French, one Russian I fancy, & the others
goodness know what. Well mother, I can't give
any news whilst we are on this stunt, seldom see
a newspaper so cannot tell how things are going, beyond
the fact that Fritz is on the home journey. They
expect him to make a stand when he reaches
his old Hindenburg line. He has a bigger nut to
crack this time than he had last time, when he
was there. Roy tells me little Audrey is still shining
at school, good luck to the old kid. Tell Roy
not to forget the youngsters' Xmas presents from me.
love to all at home
Your affect son
Alex.
 

France
14/9/18.
Dear Roy
I have posted you within the last
fortnight two long letters registered,✔ and two packets
one containing Postcards collected at a Chateau we were
in & the other a Fritz paper Sandbag✔. You will require
to look at the latter closely or pick one of the threads before
you realize its paper. Ive  also sent a registered envelope
containing a few coins to Father. I don't mind the packets
so much but hope the letters reach you safely. There
is a probability that I may get leave before this reaches
you & I'll either go to Paris of Nice. If the latter place
does not take too much time up in travelling we
are almost certain to go there. There is some talk of
a three weeks furlough being given to Aussies, should this
rumour turn out correct before we go, Rome might even
see us. In any case I suppose I'll be wanting some
money on my return. I've no idea what my account
holds but send through Barlow as before anything from
£10 to ₤30 as soon as you get this letter. Ive drawn the
last £25 & am holding it in readiness for our trip.
Now don't on any account send an amount running too
close to the wind, allow a fair margin for all drawings
required at home, anything at all will keep me going
 

for the time being. We are spelling now in the
same place we were held in reserve in. I suppose it
means a fortnight or so. Raining off & on for the
last three days, & things are fairly muddy. X  Last night
was clear &  Fritz took this opportunity to visit us with his
eggs. It was one of the rarest sights Ive seen, about six planes
came over at intervals of about 10 minutes. The first pot was
not long over before a searchlight picked him up, in an
instant & other searchlights flashed up. The lights formed a
huge circle right round us. it was a beautiful picture to see
these long pillars of light running up into the sky & concentrated
at a point almost directly over our heads, where you could see

the enemy plane hovering like a gigantic silver hawk. Once 
spotted with the lights, the barrage opened, Antiaircraft & machine

guns popping a treat. The searchlights hung to him like glue

& some of the gun burst appeared right on top of him. he however
was apparently too high eventually escaped home.  As soon The

second plane dodged our lights, & we heard his cargo dropping

on our right. The third pot had a rotten trip, the lights 

picked him up almost immediately, he evidently got the wind

up & vomited his eggs in one bundle & then started to race

for his dugout.  One of ^our planes, risking our own barrage

swooped down from above & poured a fusilade of tracer

bullets into him. These bullets are luminous, you could

see their path through the searchlights even. We were all

watching spellbound & then we saw Fritz take a dive in flames

The flames set his signalling rockets going, in falling
rockets of every colour imaginable flew out. You could hear
cheering for miles, that probably sounds callous, but anyone
experiencing bombs dropping, can't help jumping with joy when
he sees a bomber brought down. Three more planes came
over & only two got back, the second last, fared the thirds fate.
We heard today that our same plane brought that two
down. X We are all dug in now about 18 inches below the
surface of the ground. We have no covering barring a tarpaulin
but a few inches below the surface is better than all the
erections on top & a fellow is pretty unlucky to catch a
direct bomb. The majority of these bombs are instantaneous
they make hardly any hole, their spread is the danger.
Everybody is enthusiastic over this searchlights work last
night They deserve every credit. Moonlight nights are
our enemies in the bombing area, its hard to pick up
a plane unless he is very low. Well Roy thats enough
about planes, like all hands, I don't mind watching ours
but don't go nap on Fritz. You will gather all
previous news from the long letters sent you.
Love to all at home.
Yours affect brother
Alex
Since writing above I've writing written to our London Office
asking them to cable Brisbane for sanction to negotiate my
draft on you for £20. That will be quicker & this rumour
re 3 weeks is still strong, so I'll hardly have enough for
this trip. Hope it won't run things short, don't send the
other if the cable gets any result
 

France
20/9/18.
Dear Roy,
Today I received Elsie's letter of 13^th July
& yours of 14^th July enclosing Courtney Boyles of 1^st
July, also Norman Bourkes of 8^th July. Les & Eric
were lucky in escaping so well from their Aeroplane
stunt, hope they are both OK again. You must have
got a great shock at home, hope the bloke with
the cart is satisfied & doesn't go for damages. How
is Mother getting on under the doctor's treatment? well
I hope. Last week I got a small parcel from the
Queensland Artillery Fund enclosing a tin of butter
sweets, cigarettes & a pair of socks knitted by a Miss
Musgrave of Albion. Haven't acknowledged them yet.
Since last writing we have come into action again
& are now within range of the famous Hindenberg
line. Had one or two rotten rainy nights but
fairly well situated at present. Think our promised
relief should be due shortly. Glad to hear that
novel proved interesting, apparently more so than I
expected. Two others have gone forward, you will
probably find a good deal of sameness about them. We
have just finished another round with Fritz, in 

which he has been badly beaten. The next bout
being near the famous line, is likely to be considerably
more strenuous, however I wouldn't be surprised if we
miss it & join the audience. Some fine stamp of
prisoners passed through yesterday, but our boys reckon
the Artillery barrage took all the scrap out of them,
they were only too eager to drop into their hands.
His planes are becoming much more active, but
still reserve the bulk of their energy until nighttime.
Roads are far from being pleasant places after
sunset, his latest machine is undoubtedly a beauty
very fast & can climb almost vertically. However of a
daytime there is only one boss in the air & thats not the
Hun. I doubt if ^he can ever get a hearing again. Poor
old Courteney Boyle still lives in hopes of getting well
again, fancy in bed since 1916., last spasm was
2 or 3 years, I forget which. He has pluck if anyone
has it. That "Red Cross" day is going to be a big event
I suppose a poor beggar won't walk a yard without
being muzzled. The YMCA have as shanty up behind
this posie, you can slip across & get a cup of cocoa
or coffee, a biscuit & a cigarette free. This crowd have
been a Godsend on many occasions to fellows coming
down from the line. Further back, of course, they sell
the things but up forward tea biscuits etc, are always
frie free. You hear some fellows grousing about the
 

YMCA & reckon they're always out to make money. In
nearly every case you will find these pots are wagon
line kings or well back. The YMCA deserve every credit
in my opinion. In case my last letter goes astray
I have written the Bank in London to cable & see if
they can negotiate a draft on you for £20. My leave
should be due shortly, & I don't want to be short
of the necessary. I'm very eager for this Rome & Venice 
stunt, if it can be worked Ive written Ronnie
telling him my leave will be due shortly but the
worst of it is, you can give no definite date. You
get about 6 hours or less notice to quit, so there
is little hope of him bring able to work his in
with mine. Well Roy hope next letter will
say that Les & Eric are OK again

Best wishes to all
Alex
 

France
1/10/18.
Dear Roy,
I told you in my last
letter that I had asked the Bank
in London to cable & see if my
draft on you for £20 would be
honoured on presentation. I got

a nice letter from the Bank today

saying they would not trouble to

cable & would negotiate the draft

at once. Im returning the signed

forms to London this mail. The

draft will probably reach Brisbane

the same time as this, it not, then

the following mail. As soon as you

get this letter hand the bank your

signed cheque for £20 to cover

it will you. Barlow will hold

it if the draft should not have

arrived with this. Things very

brisk here, we went in but the

stunt for that day did not go off

as well as anticipated. They brought

us back & we are just waiting orders.

Things are satisfactory now I

believe but we do not know whether

we are to go in or out for  this

long spell. Raining a good deal

& bitterly cold of a morning. Can't

light fires of a night owing to

planes but of a day [[hug?]] them

every available opportunity. Great

news all along, I fancy they

have him groggy now although