Cecil Mills Collection - Wallet 3 - Part 12 of 17

wasn't it. Last night there was a great old strafe, 
about the worst I've been in so far. As far as noise 
was concerned. Our guns barked & roared for an 
hour & old Fritz talked back. The uproar was awful. 
Only hope our guns did more damage than the 
Germs. Got my first clout last night. Just as 
it was time for the Band to play God Save, which 
is the equivalent to both sides shutting up for the 
night, old Fritz sent over a 5.9 High Explosive 
that burst about 50 yards at the back of my trench. 
Got hit on the leg with a bit of shell about as big 
as a plum from the Back Splash. Broke the skin 
in three places where the edges were rough. It would 
have been a Bonser wound if I'd got it properly. 
Just on the fleshy part of the leg above the knee, it 
would not have broken the bone & I'd have had a 
good holiday in England. Bad luck wasn't it. 
The leave in our Division is rotten. Only 2 officers 
out of our Battn. have gone so far, & we have been 
in France 3 months, 12 weeks in the firing line. 
Every other Division as far as I can learn gets the 
proper leave of once every 3 months. Officers require 
it, specially the chaps in the higher jobs, Lots of our 
chaps are breaking up under the strain. I would 
like you to let H.D.M. know about this particular 
Division. He is pals with the Asst Minister for 
Defence & I think it is a case that should be 
brought under the notice of the Authorities at home. 
At the present rate of leave, it would be 2 years & 
3 months before my own turn came, & personally 
I do not expect the War to last the 3 months

much less the 2 years. Well old Dearie Woman 
with ordinary luck this letter should reach you 
about your Birthday. I can't send you a present 
this year again, last year I was in Camp, this 
year I suppose I'll be at some game about the same 
as what I'm at now, dodging Shrapnel & High Ex Shells, 
& sleeping in my clothes. I daresay I'll often want 
to sleep in my togs after the war is over, I don't 
think. Have not had a pair of pyjamas on now 
for over 3 months. Got word yesterday that I cannot 
get my Kit from the Base, so next time we get out into 
a civilized place, will have to get some more uniform. 
Gets monotonous wearing the same pair of pants for 
3 months, every day without a change. It amazes me 
how I keep so awfully fit, could not possibly feel 
better. Only hope you & Johnnie Boy are the same. Must 
knock off now, the Orderly is laying the table for lunch. 
Heard a rumour that mail from Australia is only 
once a month now. Hope it is not true. It is nearly 
time for another lot to float in. It was rotten that 
Cable of mine from Rouen being held up. You should 
have got it about 31st March & still there is no mention 
of it in your letters which I've got up to 30th April. 
Hope the stuff I sent you from Malta & Rouen has 
reached you safely. Should know about the Malta 
parcel in my next letter from you. No more this time 
Old Darling. Heaps of love to my old Woman & 
wee Son & Wishing you Many Happy Returns on 
9th August, with your old man with you. 
Your loving Husband 
Cecil

52/     25/6/16
O.A.S. Abroad

Mrs C.B. Mills
c/- Dr. A Burne
"Kinellan"
Dalley St
Waverley
New South Wales
Australia 

Passed Field CENSOR 2964 
G.E. Blight

France 
28.6.16 

Dear old Girl 
Got time for a wee note 
before I turn in, will have to get up later on & 
most probably stay up for the remainder of the night. 
Just after I closed off your last letter, I was 
having a nice read from a fresh copy of the British 
Australasian, when old Fritz started to range on 
our Trench. The first, a nice big shell, landed about 
10 yards in front of the Parapet where I was sitting 
& covered my paper & myself in mud, I was well & 
truly under cover when the second came along. He 
just got our range nicely & then stopped. About 
10 he started in earnest, & did tear it into us, & our 
own Artillery answered back & gave him about 2 to his one. 
It was very solid & lasted a good while. Fritz paid a 
friendly call & tried to enter our Front Trenches, but 
with the usual bad manners of Australians, they 
would not let him in, so he went home again. Then 
our Artillery got really busy & strafed old Fritz once 
more in two different places, & our chaps raided Fritz. 
Both raids were very successful. In our case, our chaps 
found a crowd of Fritzes ready to make a raid themselves. 
Our chaps got fairly into them & mopped them all up 
except a few they brought back as prisoners, during the 
first bombardment a big shell seemed to burst right in 
my face, but it was really 10 yards away. I was 
bandaging a chaps foot who got a splinter from a 
shell a bit previously, & it knocked me over. We decided 
to shift for another spot to finish the job & this chap 
got over the ground pretty quickly in spite of his crack. 

Don't think I ever saw a chap so annoyed. By the 
time his foot was fixed up, he had worked himself 
into an absolute frenzy. He cursed the Germans 
back to the 4th & 5th Generations & as is the usual 
custom among Australian Soldiers he cast aspersions 
upon the morality of the whole race, declaring they were 
all illegitimate children when they were born. He wanted to 
start an offensive on his own, hop right over the front 
trench & take them on single handed. I had to laugh at 
him, because it was just the way I felt the night before 
when I got cracked myself. The prisoners we are 
getting are very poor specimens, & the chaps reckon it 
is not a fair go, there are so many kids among them. 
Mine thinkit, as the Binghi says in the Bully, that this 
War is rapidly drawing to a close. By the time you get 
this, there should be a very different complexion on 
things. We are on the offensive almost everywhere at 
present & seem to be going well. Just got word that 
there is a stunt at a certain hour, & Ill have to get up 
for it, so I'll hit me off to lie down in my boots, don't 
suppose I'll sleep, hardly ever do until its all over, but 
make up for it in the morning. Would like to get 
undressed and have a really sleep in a really bed. Wonder if I 
could sleep, or whether I would keep awake all night thinking 
how nice it was. We ought to be getting some more 
mail directly. Its 2 weeks now since your last came. 
Heaps of love old Sweet Heart to you & our Bestest Boy ever. 
I do so hope you are both keeping OK, & not worrying 
about your old man. Its 9 months yesterday since I 
sailed. 
Your ever loving old man, 
Cecil. 

Had another bath 
yesterday & a good 
lunch. Chicken & 
Green Peas. Cheers! 

53/ O.A.S. Abroad 

Mrs C.B. Mills 
C/. Dr. A Burne 
Kinellan 
Dalby Street 
Waverley 
New South Wales 
Australia 

PASSED FIELD CENSOR 
2964 

For God King and Country 
Edward VII Alexandra 
With best wishes 1915

France
30.6.16 

Dear old Girl. 
Annual Balance Day at the 
Bank, but I expect to be working later tonight than 
they are. This card is a gift from some one or 
other, the Queen I fancy. I do not expect to be 
able to write much for the next couple of weeks, as 
Im going to a place where a chap wants all the sleep 
he can get when off duty, which is very seldom. Will be 
glad when we have finished this particular job 
Recd No. 24 yesterday, dated February, rather a long time in 
reaching me. There was the dearest little curl from Johns 
pretty head, which is now in my Pocket Book along with 
yours & his photo & looks particularly lovely. Got a parcel 
addressed by Mither, with 2 silk shirts pr socks & Tobacco. 
Very many thanks old Dear. It is rather cold for silk shirts 
just now. Wish it would get warmer. No more now old 
Sweet Heart. May get a chance to write again this afternoon. 
Hope you & John are as well as I am. Would be quite satisfied 
if I was certain of that. Your old man 
Cecil.