Letters from Kenneth Jack Young to his family, 1916 - Part 13

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH

H.M. FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE

 

4

Parts of the globe, when I think of that trip from

Australia on the A19 Afric, it seems more like

a dream, Colombo & its native pine & bananas

beautiful green shrubs Palms, the greeness was

beautiful, & the different colours magnificent.

before going ashore I had a look through  [?]

of good strong glasses, well - it was more like

a grand picture - to explain it is impossible.

then those nights coming thro' the Red Sea, so

hot & the moon shining on the calm waters.

patrol boats asking the old Afric (who R.U.) these

were "Arabian Nights" & no mistake, you could

see the coasts of Arabia & Africa quite plainly.

then the Suez, with the thousand soldiers guarding

it, they have it trenched all the way, [Mr?]

Turk has a good hope there (I don't think).

Camels with the niggers perched on their backs

dressed in those white gowns, boab - built after the

same style of those built, in the year one. -

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH

H.M. FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE

 

5

Yes, I have enjoyed it all, Mum. We are much

better off in England though. Egypt is too hot &

sandy, many a good man has died on the terrible

marches across that great desert.

All clocks were put back to the correct

time Sunday morning at 2 AM - as you know

the have had them on one hour ahead, Day-light

savings as they call it, they had it in France

when we came thro' also. Last Friday we

had a very hard march, Marched over 15 miles

& the roads being muddy made it verra hard

walking, but I enjoy seeing the different places

in a village, some of these auld English Villages

are so quaint, remarkable olde places, I would 

give anything for you to see these beautiful sights.

They have been built hundreds of years back.

If we did get enough leave (& I do get many)

I will go to Scotland again & most likely to

Perth. I'd like to see that town. I will go to

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH

H.M. FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE

 

6.

Glasgie, & I must see Loch Lomond. This

time - I didna get a good chance last time,

it is no far from Glasgie, all Australians are

greatly in love with Scotland who have seen it

Edinburgh they say is the bonnie place.

Last Saturday we had our Brigade sports

they were very good indeed, we had the

whole day off. I see by the English papers all

young me are to be called up, for home service

before the Bill is passed. I was sorry to see only

sons are exempted - that is no the thing, many

an only son has given all & gone before this

it is most unfair, however I do not think

anything of these chaps who have to be carried in,

I hope the people of Aust will vote in favor of

sending them away on "Active Service" some of

our chaps are greatly against conscription, by

jove how these cold footers can stay at home. I

do not Know! that big strong Baker sitting

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH

H.M. FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE

(7)

I hope Dear old [Cochie?]

is doing A1

how are them [lus?]  KY

 

back enjoying his life, while his mates are

suffering untold of, 'hardships, & giving their

lives, these stay at homes are worse than

Brutes. I have no time for them, they ought

to ship the crowd of them to the icy trenches

in Beautiful France. There is some talk of

us going to France next month now - it will

be very cold in the trenches mum, but I

will do my best, thats what I left for, &

that determination sticks to me. Britain has

the upper hand of the miserable Kaisers' Rush

now, they are terrible liars these Germans, the

things they put in the German papers are sickening.

I saw a young chap from [?] well

yesterday. Alf Nelson, he only arrived last Saturday,

I've known him for many years.

Good Bye. Dad Mum & May,

Much Love to you all & Connie.

Yrs Ever

Kenneth XXXX.

[Front of Envelope]

 

Mrs J. Young.

Princes Street

Alberton

Adelaide - Sth Australia

[Back of Envelope]

(21)

England.

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

 

Salisbury Plain

England.

October 8th  1916.

 

My Dear Mum Dad & May,

Your very welcome letters received safely last week.

I received them all in a bunch - it was A1. I also received

the papers, & was very pleased to receive them, have plenty

to read from Australia now. I received a nice letter from

Arthur Kiley I wrote to him some time ago, he appeared

to be doing fine in the London hospital, he is getting

quite fat, he says. I will go & see him if I get the

chance. Australians like to meet Australians you know.

The Australian mail closes in London midnight

Tuesday, so must get this in by the morning.

I had a letter from Aunt Helen & Aunt Kate & Mary yesterday

also, such nice kind letters. Yes, I will

answer them, mother. Don't you think that was sad

about Will Bowen dying in Egypt India, poor chap, I

was awfully sorry to hear, such bad luck for

the poor mother. as he was the only child.

My word we are having some hard training now,

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

(2)

 

we went for a long long march Monday. Wed,

Thurs, averaging a bit over 15 miles a day. You

can guess we feel tired at the end of it day.

Friday night we left camp at 4PM for night

route march & night attack. It was a good hard old

night that, arrived back to back at 8.15 AM.

next morning, some of the poor lads were knocked

up, I did sleep, all day Saturday, what!

The night was cold, we passed thro, one olde

Village at one in the morning, - all was

quiet, one of the chaps seeing a knocker on

a private house door, gave it several bangs,

it must have given the folks inside a start.

they are knub some of these, but as the Tommy

says, "They are fine lot of lads". I was so pleased

with the wee photos you sent me, May, I have

put it, or rather stuck it, in the wee Bible Mum

gave me, it will be safer there, than in the

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

 

pocket book, & I do not want to lose it, they are so

life like. These long promised snaps of mine,

you will get shortly now, I do not get much

time for fixing. The photos, but have got a lot

finished now. The time seems to go so quickly.

Everything is still going A1, not cold, but has

been terribly wet, & plenty of mud, - where are

those blue skies - I wish I could clear away those

clouds, it is nearly always cloudy now.

Poor old charlie is still going strong, hasn't he been

fortunate, I admire him, he has done his duty,

those slackers in Aust make me wild, however,

at last their freedom has ended. Gerard Gum

will need to turn to now, & Baker, won't they

snort, Oh, goodness, they will enjoy it, I don't think

I notice the photos fan marked in Chron'- of

Ray & Archie, they are standing out well too.

Yes, no doubt Ray was pleased to get away, he

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

 

would of course be anxious to see England, he &

Clair will have a good time in London, when they

get their four days day leave. You know,

I have not seen Clair yet, he was to have come

out last week end but he may come to-day

it is 8 miles from here - I cannot get hold of

a bike, & they charge so much for a motor.

Ray ought to be here now I should think, yet

Clair took 9 weeks, the 43rd only took 6 weeks

& two or three days, long enough too, but fancy

9 weeks on a steamer. Terrible time to take

All the 3rd DIV wear their hats turned down all

round, with the badge in the front, don't they

get some funny orders out, no word yet about

France for the 3rd DIV, I do not know when we are

going, we hear something about us going next

month, but I think myself, it will be too cold

to send us in the trenches in November.