Letters from Kenneth Jack Young to his family, 1916 - Part 12

3
had a good talk to this chap. There machines are
wonderful, & some such a size. I have struck ink at
last so will write with the pen now. My fountain
pen has not been in good working order for some time
I must try and get in going again. Suppose Miss Young
& Miss Connie, are still pegging away at the short hand,
typewriting. You know they ought to have started long
away, I often smile to myself. When I think of them
chasing up there to their lessons, I am quite pleased
about it, Lizzie will be able to type my letters
&c when I get the pine apple & Banana business going
& Connie will keep things going. for the "Nielsen Bros.
Engineers". that will be the time, & with this confounded
war over things ought to be A1. I had a nice wee
letter from Mollie, good of her to write to me.
More Hun prisoners, arrived out here the other day.
lucky brutes to be captured by the British.
I think this week we are going on some long
marches. The Brigadier considers, Digging &
marching is most essential, bayonet fighting
next, & next shooting, rifle fire cannot play
a very important part in this war, with all these
 

4
I will continue on this new paper That has just been
brought in, these papers are given free. very nice
aren’t they? no doubt you have noticed there have
been several Different kinds of papers. The first
page of this letter is really for the Home soldiers.
There is some talk of the King coming to the camp next
Wednesday, but - You know - I’ll tell you later, & the
other yarn up to date is that we are getting four
days leave from the Sixth of Oct. & that we are
leaving for France soon after but you Know, I will
cable when I know for sure when we are leaving
if we Do go to France it will be some little time be4
we go into action. I want to go to Scotland again.
when we Do get our final leave. (Kings leave) so
hope I can manage it. I’m afraid Perth will be too
far for the short time & get, of course those going to
Scotland get 5 days. like last time, by Jove I will now
begin to look forward for another spin to Scotland, it is
beautiful going up there in the Flying Scotsman, & so
nice and fresh. The few days when away were like
a dream, just the thing, I know you would
like a trip up there. I have not had a
 

line from anybody  except Ede Irvine Mollie & Clive
(& Vera, it is a wonder some of the others have not
go to very little trouble & written two lines, any how I am
always getting plenty of letters from you all at home
& that is the most important of course. Had church
parade This morning as usual for a Sunday, I
go to the Church of England always (after over)
compulsory parades always & will send one blank
sheet of the writing paper just to Keep it will be nice
to have in a few years to come & then I will get
some of the different kinds too, & send on. I
no word of. Ray or Clair yet, & do not know
where they are, & I can't find out where they are
but surely they must be some-where in this country.
Two other chaps & self had to Guard an aeroplane
The other night. The Airman had lost his way, he was a
Canadian, Lieut -not bad chap, suppose he saw
there were tents & soldiers about, so he made for there,
(it was while we were away on the trip) he was not
a qualified airman otherwise we would have had
a spin up to the moon, it would have been a 1
he like Canada far better than England,
he reckons Canada is the place - of course,
 

5.
great guns. The heavy machine gun is just about
done. They have the "Lewis machine gun" not much
longer or larger than the ordinary rifle, it is a
wonderful gun. The picture shows are still going
strong. but I have not been for a good while they
are usually very Good - it makes a wee change.
In these Y M CA's they have some grand
pianos, they are always on the go, some of the
boys play beautifully. I some-times wish I had stayed
in the infantry, I would go up for a stripe, & I get so
great, on getting up the line a Bit, of course I really think
I am safer in the Sigs - I lost my chance at Exhibition
camp, I should have had more go in me, & stayed
in the N C O School - I believe in getting on as much
as possible, I know you Do. EH?
I always think of you all every Day & I
wonder how you are getting on, the old 43^rd is a
long way from Morphettville now. Yet to see all these
Australians I can hardly believe we are in England.
I have not yet seen any sturdy Englishmen to come up
to Australians, surely the best must be away.
The wee scotch lads & lassies have plenty of cheek, so is
not only young Australians that are, forward like.
Suppose Jean would be pleased at me seeing her Dad, I
will go & see Mrs Ronald's Sister when I go next
time, that will be a 1, wont it?
Now dear Mum May I will again Close
With very much love to you all & hoping
all are well & every thing alright, also xxx to Cockie
yrs Sincerely Ken Young |
 

Mrs J. Young
Prince Street.
Alberton
Adelaide
South Australia
 

Rear of envelop ~ see original                
[*Inoculation*]
(20)
England
 

[*ALBERTON
1045A29SE16
STH AUSTRALIA*]

CABLEGRAM
Epron LCO
Passed
Eastern 42 London 27^th 7 pm 12 wds
9 100
L. C. O. Young
Princes St
Alberton
Leave in view
money September
twenty fourth
Young.
 

Oct 2nd 1916.
Salisbury Plain
England.
My Dear Mum & Dad.
I have been waiting for the Australian Mail, for
days, but it appears to be all behind this week, so
I will just need to write this before I receive it.
Had a line or two from Clan last Wed.
saying he had arrived safe & sound, he
was to have come out to see me last
Saturday or yesterday (Sunday) but, however he
Did not come; but I will look him up in
a Day or two, he is camped several miles from
here, walking Distance though, Ray will be camped
near here too, the days are so short now
else I would get hold of a bike & ride to Clair’s
camp, & the roads are in a terrible state owing to
the heavy rains we have been having. I believe
poor old Rayzo. Will be here in a Day or two,
I will be quite excited like. when we all meet
this week end. Everything continues a 1, with
 

2.
all hands in camps here. Today it has rained all
day, but rain in England is though little of.
I cabled for cash Mum. You know I dislike
doing this - for several reasons, but we are
to have, 4 or 5 Days leave in a week or
two and without much doubt, I can
say it will be The final leave, and for
some of the boys their last bit of freedom,
but not for me, I am quite confident that
I'll see this war through, so that is alright.
Things in France - at the Front - are looking
very much brighter - most encouraging like.
Yet Australians have lost heavily as usual.
Well Dad We were inspected by the King
of England, last Wednesday, what a magnificent
sight it was too, Thousands &
Thousands Australian Soldiers on the march,
The King first Rode past the different units,
& had a good look, at the men. I was quite near
 

3.
to the King, he looked worried, & grey. years older
than I expected he would look, of course photos
make him look much younger looking.
Then the march past the saluting base, it
was grand, 30,000 (I think was the number)
of Australias young army, on this review. it
took a long time to pass by, They marched
in platoons, so you can guess it took some time
(A Platoon is about 50 men or perhaps a few more)
of course Dad will explain all about these
spitoons to you - as he has had so much military
experience - he will do that I am sure.
When the King left, the chaps cheered madly, it
Did make a roar, hats on rifles &c, they are
a wild lot, as you know, so this was the Kings
visit to the Australian camps, perhaps Clair was
there, I do not know. I have seen many a Grand
sight since leaving, havn’t I, just about everything
that is great & wonderful in England, & in other