Letters from David Gerald Evans to his family, 1916 - Part 3

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are pretty big. We hear
them all night generally.
The troops are billetted in
farm houses barns etc
and it is a great change
from Egypt, it is quite
a pleasure to get among
a white people again
Some of the girls are pretty
and they have bonzer
complexions, but I like the
Australians girls best.
I has been jolly cold here
& wet for the last few
days & we feel. it a bit
after Egypt, and a lot of
the men have colds. 

3
I am going up to the
trenches tomorrow to
have a look at them for
three or four days. it
should be, very interesting
it is to be hoped I don't
stop one but don't think 
there is much chance .
You will soon have winter
now, You have no idea
how pretty this place
is, parts of it are like
beautiful gardens.
The Australians have.
gained made a very favourable
impression here both
4
among the English army
and the French people.
The Germans have been
all through this part
and did not do very
much damage except take
the stock & food from the
people. I saw one Church
they burnt, they put a
lot of straw & petrol
in it & broke all the
windows & practically
destroyed it, though made
of stone.
Will ring off now. With
love to all
Your affectionate
brother
Gerald
Address
8^th Battalion
2^nd Brigade
1^st Division
A.I.F. 

NOTHING is to be written on this side except the
date and signature of the sender. Sentences not
required may be erased. If anything else is added
the post card will be destroyed.
I am quite well.
I have been admitted into hospital
{sick             } and am going on well.
{wounded  } and hope to be discharged soon.
I am being sent down to the base.
                                        { letter dated 
I have received your  { telegram "
                                        { parcel        "
Letter follows at first opportunity.
I have received no letter from you
{ lately
{ for a long time.
Signature }
only.           }
Date.   D.G. Evans 15-4-16
(Postage must be prepaid on any letter or post card
addressed to the sender of this card.] 

A.F.A. 2042
114Gen. No.5243.
FIELD SERVICE
POST CARD

15 AP 16
The address
only to be written
on this
side If anything
else is
added, the post
card will be
destroyed. 

M^rs John Evans
Redcamp
Wangaratta
Victoria
Australia 

Tuesday
18^th April 1916.
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.
REINFORCEMENTS:
My dear Mother
I wrote to
Minnie last Thursday 13^th
Since then I have spent 4 days
in firing line trenches with
a British Regiment gaining
experience, I had a good
time it was pretty quiet
except. when the Machine
guns got going, I returned
to my Company today
You feel a bit awkward
and chary of the bullets
for a start but this soon
wears off.
It rained most of the
time and that was not

2
very pleasant but my
cold was cured, so it was
just as well.
We get the English papers
frequently and keep in
touch with things a bit -
but it is deadly not getting
any papers or letters from
home. the English fellows
get their letters in two days.
They are very decent fellows
but have quite a different
manner to our fellows.
Billy Hughes has caused
quite a lot of excitement
over here, the English
fellows have a great
dislike for Asquith and 
his crowd with the exception
of Lloyd George whom the don't trust 

3
We play a lot of Bridge.
there are six of us in the
Billet & we live jolly well
the tucker in the trenches
is not too bad either & the
dugout fairly comfortable
but you have to keep the
clothes on all night.
Do you play bridge now?
There are Australians
everywhere now. and
they get on pretty well
with the people.
Percy Ridgell came to see
me the other day. he is
very distressed because
some of the Gibbs & Shanleys
have not gone to the war.
It is raining hard
tonight so there will be
4
some more mud tomorrow
Have you read "the Sentimental
Bloke" by C.J. Dennis it is
awfully good & a great
favourite here.
I am sending my address
again. 8^th Battalion 2^nd Brigade
1^st Division A.I.F. it should
be a standing joke by
this time.
I am going to write to
Father; tomorrow probably
Good-bye
Love to all
Your loving son
Gerald 

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.
REINFORCEMENTS.
April 29^th 1916
Saturday
My dear Mother
We have had
quite an eventful time since I
last wrote to you.
This week the weather has been
beautiful just like the Spring in
Australia, in fine weather the
Aeroplanes are always very active
and this week especially so.
On Saturday morning two German
planes were brought down one
within half a mile of our billet;
we saw it fall quite clearly
just like a shot bird - the
it was a direct hit the 
shell passing clean through
the engine; both the men in 
it were killed, it is the custom 

2
with the Aviators that when one
of the enemy is brought down
behind our lines, they collect
all his personal belongings &
clothes & take them over the
German lines & drop them, so
last evening about 6 o'clock
a German plane flew over
our billet and dropped a
wreath and a note thanking
our men for having done this.
The German planes are faster &
superior to ours but our men
make up for this by extra daring
Our men counted 450 shells fired
at one British Major in one
flight over the ^German lines, not counting
machine gun fire.
They call this chap the "Mad Major"
he has had all his planes
perforated with bullets & shrapnel 

3.
On Tuesday last the anniversary
of the landing at Gallipoli
the Battalion held a sports meeting
My company D was very
successful in the best section
competition our Company got
1^st 2^nd 3^rd & 4^th My platoon
was second, beaten by 2 points
I ran in the flag race &
pulled in the tug of war we
were second in both of these.
I was judge in the Anzac
sprint for men who were at
the landing at Anzac.
They are giving eight days
leave for England - of course
the men who have been longest
with the Battalion go first 
Under ordinary circumstance
my leave will come in three
months time an officer every
five days. Lieut Fox in my
4
Company went last night
his people live at Brighton
England, he has not seen
them for eleven years, he 
only heard he was to go
one hour before starting, so
the visit would be quite
unexpected, he was going
to send a cable home for me.
Last Tuesday we were inspected
by General Walker C.O. 1^st Australian
Division & on Thursday by
Sir Douglas Haig the C. in C.
& yesterday a Major General
inspected our billets so there
are plenty of tin hats here.
Will ring off now. Love to all
Your loving son
Gerald
Address÷
8^th Battalion
2^nd Infantry Brigade
1^st Division
A.I.F.