Correspondence from Keith McKeddie Doig to Lewis Maffra Grant, 1917, Part 4

5
of an infantry battalion
and they are deemed good 
men. and heroes every one
of them.

Have not seen Ross for

some considerable time. He

is about 3 miles from 

me. at present but I

doubt if I'll have time to 
go & see him as I'm fairly

busy. My first needs is a

bath but the cold weather

has. burst the pipes through

the water in them freezing,

so I think I must get 

Harry to fix up old

tin with some water in it

for a bath.

Fritz is fairly active still

but we know very little of 

6

of the war. Have not seen a

paper of for some weeks, so

we know not whether America

is with us or against or 

whether there are any other

things of interest in this

world of ours. 

Mind you dear, I'm getting

very little medical and surgical

experience here. and I sometimes

wonder whatever is going to

happen to me when I endeavour

to practice, "après la guerre". I'll

most probably go into my wal

waiting room. and call all the

patients to attention, and then

give them all No 9's or some

other equally harmless pill. And

next I'll have to give up medecine

as a living and take to singing

on street corners. I would make

7

an excellent nigger minstrel or

something else like that

got your "Bulletins" safely

for which very many thanks

but the socks & parcel have not

yet come to light. 

I'm keeping just as fit

as a fiddle, but I think my 

weight will go down a bit after

my next bath.
Well dear I'm thinking that

I cannot give you any more 

news try as. I can. You'll

remember me to Floss, give Mick

the usual, kind regards to

Mr & Mrs Dreverman & Allan

As for me dear, I send you

all my love. and good wishes

I am just the same. sort 

of individual as I was. before

the war, but I've learnt a few

8

things & gone through a

few experiences which might

change my actions in after

life - but I hope and think

they'll do it to my. soul's 

benefit.

Cheeroh for the present and

don't forget I'm still your

loving

Keith
[PR00317
Australian
War Memorial*]

O.A.S 16.2.17

[*KMcK Doig*]

Miss Louie Grant

C/o Vict Fertilisers

Assocn

59. William Street

Melbourne  

Australia.

France. 

21.2.17.

My dear Louie,
Got my first Australian

parcel last night sent by you

on the 27/11/16. It contained cigarettes

and socks - real patent socks in.

two separate pieces and I quite like 

the idea. Will you thank Floss for

the pair she sent and. for the

whole lot. I am indeed. very grateful

Did you. compose the poetry yourself?

Look dear, if you are sending 

parcels. address them thusly. Capt K McK D.

R.M.O. 60^th Batt, 15^th Inf. Brigade 5^th Aust.

Division. A.I.F. A parcel addressed 

thus will always reach the battalion

and then if I'm not there to receive it, 

then I'll know it will go into the

hands of chaps. whom I know and.

who deserve. something in the way of.

little luxuries - for believe me. socks

& cigarettes are. indeed luxuries. What 

I would do not like is for the parcels

to get into the hands of people.

in base jobs. They are too well off.

as they are. Letters I would

still address. to Woolwich and they

will send them on for me. no matter

where. I. am.

The R.M.O. who was here before me is

back but I asked to be permanently

appointed to this Battalion as I.

was with ^them during a pretty rotten

time when. men and officers were

going away sick in great numbers.

and now that things are getting a.

bit better I think I was am due. to 

stay with them. Besides I know all

the officers & men well now. and they 

know me - for what I may be.

The thaw has set in with a vengeance

and along with it rain so that

things are very muddy again - not

at all nice.

We are not in the line at present

but soon will be. In fact I believe

we've got to move somewhere or other

to-morrow. The continual shifting is

most boresome. In a camp 4 days then

shift somewhere else, & then another shift

& so on. It is a nuisance - still

these little things are sent to try us.

Im just as well as I can be.

and hope to continue so. Cheeroh for

the present my dear. Lots & lots of love from.

Your. ever loving

Keith.

P.S. Had a bath 2 days ago. Got

two empty petrol tins cut down (they

are about the size of a 7lb. biscuit tin)

and put. one. foot in one and

the other foot in the other & then by

means of hot water, soap & a sponge

managed to get most of the dirt

off me. Consequently am considerably

thinner.

Cheeroh.
[*PR00317
Australian
War Memorial*]

[*KMcK Doig*]

OAS
21.2.17
Miss Louie Grant. 

C/o Vict Fertilisers Assocn

59. William Street

Melbourne.  

Australia

France.

22.2.1617.

My dear Sweetheart,

Only the padré and

myself are in to-night, the other officers

being away at a meeting. It has

been raining most of the day and we've

to be up at 6 in the morning to.

march off somewhere for the day.

Whether it is the wet. or the thought of.

all this war business or what it is,

I do not know, but I've been really

well down in the dumps all day. - got

the "blues" fair and square, so you 

see, instead of being unselfish and

keeping it to myself I'm just passing it

on to you. But don't you take any

notice of it, my dear, for I'll be as right

as rain in the morning. We've not

received any letters for some time and

there are rumours - untrue I hope - that

Fritz has been sinking our mail-boats

in the channel. If he is doing that,

then I'm just afraid he has no.

feeling for R.M.O's at all and he.