Cecil Mills Collection - Wallet 3 - Part 15 of 17

France
16.9.16

Dear old Girl. 
Two dear old letters  
fluked in since last I wrote, but  
there are 4 still outstanding, that  
may come along one of these fine  
days.  Today being Sunday, of  
course we did not have a days  
rest, as late last night, we got  
orders to march off at 10/30 this  
morning.  It was only about a 10  
mile march, so it worried no  
one.  My Platoon was detailed  
to march in rear to pick  
the stragglers, but there were  
none to pick up.  Chaps with  
bad boots & sore feet even stuck  
to it.  The men are now in pretty  
good marching condition.  Also  
got a letter from Percy & one from 
my Dad.  Was rather amused  
to find you all thought I'd been  
to London.  It is the same with  
everyone who has cabled home 
through the Field Post Office.

2/ 

They must send the Cables to 
London & despatch them from 
there.  All the chaps have had 
remarks in their home letters  
about how nice it was to have had 
the chance to go to England. While 
as a matter of fact; as you already 
know, we were bunged into the 
trenches straight away, & leave 
to England which is now completely 
cancelled, was always frightfully 
scarce in our Division.  Hope to  
get there some day tho but don't 
want to go with a bullet hole 
in me, although worse things 
than that can happen to me. 
While we were coming along in 
the train the other day, we were 
standing on a loop [[?]] & a huge 
Hospital Train went slowly past.   
They were all sitting up cases, on 
their way to "Blighty" as England 
is commonly known & it would 
be hard to pick out a more 
cheerful looking mob of men. 
They had all been in the big Offensive

3/ 

had done their job well & truly  
& were off home for repairs.   
Hope you are getting all the good 
news at home.  These are great  
days for the British Army & it 
is most probable that our Division 
will have its chance to see see what 
it can do before long.  We have 
had 3 solid months; never for  
one day have we been out of the 
danger zone, have had to cower 
down behind parapets when the 
Artillery were going it hot & 
strong, with no chance of the  
poor old Infantry doing anything 
in the way of retaliation, with 
the exception of an occasional  
raid at night time.  Now there  
are opportunities of getting to 
work at close quarters, so the 
Infantry, with the way very  
carefully paved by the Artillery 
are coming into their own.  No 
Battle can be won without the 
poor old Grand Crusher pushing  
home the final assault & yet

4/ 

he is powerless without the 
other Arms of the Service, notably 
The Artillery.  Oh Blarst War 
anyhow, don't know what made  
me spring off my tail like that. 
Had a note from Harry (yours) 
a couple of days ago.  He is at 
Toutencourt, have not been 
able to locate it on any of my 
maps so far, so do not know 
whether we are close or not.  He  
was awfully sanguine, reckoned  
(11/7/16) that the general opinion 
was that we would soon have 
them on the run.  Did not care 
too much for the last place we 
were Billeted in the River was  
nice for a swim as I previously  
remarked, as the Americans  
would say it was Somme River. 
The country is not as good 
about here, but still it is nice 
& green everywhere, but does not 
look so prosperous as the district 
where we were first in the Trenches

5/ 

Still the French Peasants  
make up for things by their 
increased rapacity.  This is about 
the poorest class of village I've 
been in.  Rotten class of cottages 
in very bad repair, yet none of 
it is due to the War.  Cant even 
get a bed to sleep in tonight, its 
a brick floor for mine, but  
thank goodness, have still got  
the good old sewn up pair of  
blankets.  We had our first cold 
reception at this village, since we 
landed in France.  The Brigade 
that Billeted here yesterday, played 
the very devil from all accounts. 
Did not pay for what they had & 
smacked things a bit.  Its hard 
on our Boys of the 23rd.  as ever 
since they have been in France 
they have played the game.  They 
have been as nice as possible to 
all the women & kids & old men (of 
course there are us[[?]] young men 
about) & they are quite upset  
about things today.

6/ 

As a rule Australian Soldiers 
in France are received with 
open arms, and as far as our 
Battn goes, deservedly so. 
Am so glad you recd the parcel 
from Rouen, rather thought 
those collar arrangements were 
fairly smart but for goodness 
sake old Dear, do not wait 
until I come home to wear 
them, because I'll be bringing 
you lots more with me, & I'll  
be able to see you wear those. 
They are to be worn & not looked  
at, of course I want you to look 
in the glass & see how nice you  
look in them & also other people 
to look at you & see how you 
set off the lacy things.  Now 
to have another look through your 
letters, before they are burnt. 
Can't carry them about with me. 
The short one of 19th May said there 
was a big one posted the day before. 
That has not turned up yet.

7/ 

It was written on the  
second day of the Show. 
Fancy young John being 
able to cut about all over the place 
& stick old crusts and clothes pegs 
in his Great G'pas pockets. He 
must be getting a young outlaw.
Do as you like about your
Banking a/c old girl, but don't 
amass a credit balance if
the £5 a week is more than you
need, put something into your
own Savings Bank a/c each month,
as you can pay it in to your
credit in NSW without sending
your Book to anyone in Vic - 
You are a perfect old marvel 
to have a Cr. balance after 
my £15 - We will have enough
to stay for a week end at Manly
Appres la Guerre, as the Froggies
say. If one of our chaps asks 
in his best boy French, one of the
village damsels to go for Bon
Promenade, the reply is invariably
After the War.

8/

Forgot to mention that a
good old parcel with some 
useful paper, lovely socks, Hank
& a tin of Tobacco came to
hand last mail also. One pair
of socks that came recently are
almost the same colour as your
good old coat & skirt, with the
Bn. colours worked in. Am
enclosing you my own colours,
the first pair they were so faded 
& disreputable that I had to 
put up a fresh set after repeated
hints from the Colonel. Did not
like changing them, but they
seemed to annoy the Blighter -
& I was afraid he might tell me
to take them off. In yours of
24th May, you mention sending
another cable. It has not turned 
up yet. Have not heard of 
any of the chaps getting cables 
of late. That letter I enclosed 
from Malta was written by 
Jim Hancock, the Canons Son 

9/
He is still quite OK. So is
Ginger Holder  Saw him tonight
in the village street. He is a full
Private in the 24th Battn. He looks
so much older but quite well.
You remember me speaking of 
Ginger. He is in Melbourne Office.
Do you ever come close to me?
Pettie , you are very rarely out
of my thoughts during my
leisure moments, but these have
been times when I wished hard
that I could forget all about you
for a while. Its sounds horrible
doesn't it? But during that last
24 days we had in the Trenches,
sitting tight under 22 solid 
Bombardments, your image used
to be continually before me
during all our horrible inactivity,
I used to wonder if I'd ever see 
you again & at times the chance
that I would not, used to make
me as frightened as a kid is 
of the dark. Got to go & take
Tattoo Roll Call now. Will finish late.