Letters from David Gerald Evans to his family, 1916 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.785.61
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

16. hMay 16 MMPER 3 < <g Vy dear Rother How are you Peting awng fairly lively We have had a time this week, they shelled but billet one mouning nothing happened. e termans made pretty heavig tombardment of the tine we are susportin a suple of nights agg, we moved as pretty close but were not wanted, the Fens make a dickens of a now you hardly hear. yoursel Cat
Speaking. O Arms We have to standes Br an at night & atdaytight & last hour from L.45 to 345 right we has o sleep in Our flothes because there was a bit of a scare on- they are hard, at Suppose, work ploughing at home I have not had a letter was written lately the last February 210 We have very comfortable quarters - we live in a house and have beds to Sleep on the houses we are billeted in are very nicey We have a good cosk, and altogether are not doing too badly misnd
The Irish have been slaying D up, they picked a good time We look tike a lot o Actors in pll unifarm pr it to helt the Germens how, we each have tho Sle casement is an Las Relinets a pavr of Garl Orangeman shells, and a or tear The English have conscription helmet meds o at last it is about time Sprapael &f we have to walk seo Sted, single file so Saw young Ferguson from bout in Roetawa on the road the with be like shows when hight I came over here we get home. he has been in England hear shelps are very disagrea they make your eyes water forr some time you cannot see yr a have very little news White we had them all tell You but will write 4s Again soon- ove too all around our bellet a Battulion. Your oving soon Couple of rights ago no Injuntry Bligwds 1 Division herals tr
6 188 REINFORCEMENTS. My dear Bother Hm writing this from trenches we came in On Sunday night & have hav a favily quiet time, the next for about a mai doesnt go Witnight so must calch the one closing wnight mail kane in last noght got letters from Kell Bil wan wars biteh but hove from in Woar on1 Cable ad has abou until who was
have hangd he reaso 13 exause to the pencit penful & have only H Winnie 2 here hat warked aot the sen splendely ever since Levn Hewowing the wank fairly the nt Mennous here a spet 12 take us out when we yto bu while so it Gallepole ferent to Oy the St 4 e vey had to unctes the D0 ln b on MTISON.BCE
to goot here yjac Have you got the H 24 9 It was fanns very good. book it is the becnches When we are relieved we we came in here are very close to rght back out o D Villages fastl came in oeemetes attogether te had much Wrather through the banes the Shaveng havint had Hawthorn Ledges were quite lately I News Weits with Mossom. apers. fombortnan there wit plenty of quait. any We that a big a few nights before coming partridges pheasants; but it didnt do tuch about the brenches but in Now 4 with kng not any havent hapm s A fall moon wve to everyyne There Your lovring son On now & it shows thing Aayss Battation wlll lf D otarty Brngag Seral uope to get some letters 12t Divirion froom home har vacy wre about
LATO May 16 14802 AeinronOme De De 8 Am Goeny 0 b ar 1C but hi not bad 1 have bee inie airly 9i a althangh the Bombs are a writen while bit Sudden, shalling an do the on
behind our ust Bunlding taising trough lines dut you a omn Road Sheep ist of mard. there has been a not ge but did. in lately home Although on Any an got sone others Lone. Ctta Utucky with got was 10th et to las so don't know much going What is long the hours are pretty was to & One here patches, the his sleep in thank nights are bern better to which makes it a me this MMatBtb.
I was very Wey have hat a lot a Broud of Shooty Hustratens papers, lately af down one aft them wias guarge We have a great assurting to ead of tarch, I see of these as the gas qaistion one of B Whitty's repect depends on ne wind, of Course was good crough to wes to The weather is great ron Husteralian Cup; he must but it was bet the first have a good team few days. tre they doing anythin have not teen Bill with the Redcanp thorough usherwast since comint breds there is plenty of Grass to France. It is hard to About these trenches, but & When it would be a rispy for get about here they are on the brenches maning the cows in you see verry little sign we are any I. got a neaden from Hennie of the enemy I had a with the views of Huschback touple of shots at one Will stap now with love morning but Yesterday you loving son is all him mssed think te ald
thursday 1402 5:16 5 Wcee tear have write to guin 4 time " 1 to it now am down a letter from not hav time be l br a t then must be gvst about some who rombrely. 4 letter Hat a the other day Lotent ha told the your a ner

Sunday 

7th May 1916.

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.    REINFORCEMANTS

7th My 16

My dear Mother --

How are you 

getting along?

We have had a fairly lively

time this week, they shelled

our billet one morning but

nothing happened.

The Germans made pretty 

heavy bombardment of the 

line we are supporting 

a couple of nights ago, we

moved up pretty close but 

were not wanted, the guns 

made a dickens of a row you

can hardly hear yourself

 

 

2

speaking.

We have to standing to arms 

at night & at daylight for an 

hour from 2-45 to 3-45 & last

night we had to sleep in 

our clothes because there was 

a bit of a scare on -

Suppose they are hard at 

work ploughing at home 

have not had a letter 

lately the last was written on 

the 10th February.

We have very comfortable 

quarters - we live in a house

and have beds to sleep on. 

the houses we are billeted in 

are very nice, we have 

a good cook, and altogether 

are not doing too badly.

 

 

3

The Irish have been playing playing 

up, they picked a good time 

for it to help the Germans.

I see Casement is an 

Orangeman.

The English have Conscription 

at last, it is about time too.

Saw young Ferguson from

Milawa on the road the 

night I came over here 

he has been in England 

for some time

I have very little news to

tell you but will write 

again soon love to all 

8th Battalion   Your loving son

2nd Infantry Brigade

1st Division  Gerald

A.I.F.

P.S.

We look like a lot of

actors in full uniform 

now, we each have two 

Gas Helmets, a pair of goggles 

for tear shells, and a 

Shrapnel helmet made of 

steel, & we have to walk 

 about in single file so 

willl be like Chocos when

we get home.

Tear shells are very disagreeable

they make your eyes water

you cannot see for a 

while, we had them all 

around our billet a 

couple of nights ago.

Gerald

 

Wednesday 

Friday

17th May 1916

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.

REINFORCEMENTS.

My dear Mother -

Am writing 

this from trenches we came 

in on Sunday night & have had

a fairly quiet time, the next 

mail does'nt go for about a 

fortnight so must catch the 

one closing tonight 

A mail came in last night 

I got letters from Nell Ridgway

& Doris Lotcutt but none from 

home. Nell wrote on 19th March

& says you got my cable 

about then She had had 

a letter from Auntie who was 

at her camp

 

 

2

The reason I have changed

to pencil is because 

i have only one penful of 

ink here. Tell Minnie 

that the pen had worked 

splendidly ever since leaving

Melbourne -

The work is fairly 

strenuous here but they

take us out for a spell

when we have been here a 

while so it is very 

different to Gallipoli where 

they had to stay in the 

trenches for months on end 

on bad food, the food 

 

 

3
is good here.

It was funny the night

we came in; the trenches
here are very close to 

here are very close to

villages & as we came in
through the lanes the
Hawthorne hedges were quite
white with blossom.

There are plenty of quail,

pheasants, & partridges
about the trenches but I

haven't shot any yet.
There is a full moon

on now & it shows things
up well.

I hope to get some letters
from home now they are about.
4

Have you got the Anzac
book it is very good.
When we are relieved we
go right back out of
the trenches altogether

haven't had much W'ratta
news lately & haven't had any papers.
We had a big bombardment
a few nights before coming
in but it didn't do much

harm. I will ring off now
love to everyone
Your loving son 
Gerald

Address.

8th Battalion 
[[?]] Infantry Brigade

1st  Division 
A.I.F.

 

[*2 letters *]

May .16.

Tuesday
23rd May 1916
Dear Father -
As one of our
fellows is going to England

on leave tonight am going
to write a note for him

to post - 

We have been in the
trenches for a while &
it is not been fun, but

we have been having
a fairly quick time
although the Bombs are a
bit sudden, while writing
the Hun is shelling an old
 

 

2
building just behind our
lines & raising enough
dust for a few thousand 

sheep on a road.
There has been a lot of mail
in lately but did not get
any from home. Although

I got some others. I am
unlucky with home letters
the last I got was 10th Feb
so don't know much of
what is going on.
The hours are pretty long

here & one has to get
his sleep in patches, the
nights are very short
which makes it better for 
this game.
 

 

3
We have had a lot of 
Australian papers lately up
to end of March. I see
one of  Mr Whitty's rejects 
was good enough to win the 
Australia Cup; he must

have a good team -
Are they doing anything

with the Redcamp thoroughbreds?
There is plenty of grass
about the trenches but
it would be a risky job

running the cows in.

You see very little signs
of the enemy I had a 
couple of shots at one
yesterday morning but

think I missed him.

4

I was very proud of shooting

down one of their wind gauges
We have a great assortment
of of these as the gas question
depends on the wind, of course.

The weather is great now
but it was wet the first

few days.
I have not seen Bill
Usherwood since coming
to France. It is hard to
get about here & when

they are in the trenches

we are out.
I got a Leader from Minnie
with the views of [[Huschback?]].

Will stop now with love
to all your loving son

Gerald. 

 


Wednesday
May 10th 1916

Thursday

25.5.16
My dear Minnie -

I have
been going to write to

you for a long time
& am down to it now
Have not had a letter from

you for a long time but

I know there must be 
lots about somewhere - 
Had a letter from Evelyn

Lotcutt the other day &

she told me they had 

been ringing you up
 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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