Letters of Gerard Henderson Cowan, 1916-1917 - Part 1

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
MELBOURNE
3rd.June.1916.
No. 49630
Dear Sir,
In acknowledging receipt of your letter of the 2nd.
instant, relative to the desire of Mr. Cowan of Geraldton to
join the Australian Flying Corps, I have to inform you that
you will be further communicated with in this connection at
an early date.
Yours faithfully,
T. Trumble
Acting Secretary.  H.D.Y
The Hon. H. Gregory, M.P.,
Federal parliament House,
MELBOURNE. 

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MELBOURNE.
June 5 1916
Dear Mr Cowan
I called at the local 
Corps in Perth in regard to
your request but they could
not give me any definate
information in regard to the
conditions under which you
could join the Flying Corps
& on my arrival in Melbourne
I saw the Secretary of the
Dept who promised to
send me the fullest

information. I dropped him
a reminder on the 2^nd & received
the enclosed.
As soon as I have any
thing definate to communicate
I will send it along to you
I omitted entering your
initials in my book when I
met you in Geraldton so am
hoping (without being certain)
that this will find you
Yours truly
H Gregory
 

To the Hon. H. Gregory M.P.
Fedral Parliament. House
Melbourne
Dear Mr Gregory,
I received your telegram
and two days afterwards your letter
I thank you very much for the trouble
you have taken on my behalf
I go into camp on the 30^th and should anything
turn up later I suppose I could
be transferred.
My father also begs me to thank you
for the trouble you have taken.
I remain
Yours truly
Gerard H Cowan 

Dear Dad
I had started writting this in my
note book but not in letter form, but
have made it up as a letter. I received ^yours and mothers
letter this morning
II The razor I received quite safely and
meant to have told you so before but forgot.
The other two questions & have forgotten &
as I left the letter for Jean to read I cannot
look them up.
This morning No 1 battalion was broken up into
reinforcements, and 75 depot became the 23 reinforcements
of the Famous 11 battalion and I believe
there is a possibility of our being shifted to
Claremont, but if so it will probably not be
for a week or so. Still address my letters to
75 depot until further orders.
I started writting this letter in my small pad
x but am finishing it at the Y.M.C.A.
I have received two letters from Gran and one
from Ted one from Dick and one from Nellie
these are all the letters I have received so far apart from
letters from home.
If Ted & Clive enlist in November tell them
to stick together, it makes a tremendous difference
if you have a friend with you

6)
I felt very lonly lonely for the first few days
until I settled down, 
What do you think of the last photo I sent up
its not half bad but of course I was caught
with my mouthful and a grin on my 
face.
It rains every second day here, but weather has
been much warmer lately.
I am not sure if I told you that we had been
given a m new tent a square one about
12 by 12 and there are only eight of us in it we
are quite dry now and have any amount
of room don't have walk all over one another
at night to get to our respective beds.
Today the corporal in charge let any man
who wished to come out and drill the squad
for so many minutes this is to help those who
wish to go up for N.C.OS  and also because any
to man should be able to take a Corporals place
if the corporal is killed. I have had two turns so
far
I must say good bye as I have five more
letters to write yet 
love to all
I remain
your loving son
Gerard H Cowan

We pay 2/-5 per month
now and travel free
on Surburban lines
It will save me a few shillings

(1)
Wednesday 26
to day we were issued our
uniforms this took from 9
oclock till 11.30 after that
we returned to our
tents and donned them
then fell in on parade
again and were given
lessons in putting on
putties lt by this time
it was 25 past 12 oclock
we were dismissed and
for dinner and told
to fall in again at a
quarter to one. While
having dinner we were
snapped and as they were
pretty fair I secured tag
At a quarter to one we
fell in again to get our
passes as it is our half
holiday. When we lined 

2
up again we found that
they had a new scheme
for making the soldiers
pay for their tickets.
Each soldier had to state
where he was going and the
place was written on his pass
our nearly all of our
company was going to
Perth and had to pay up
for their tickets All those
who were not going to Perth
fell out to one side, the
remainder was marched
down and given tickets
by some railway officials
who had come to camp
and then marched to
Helena Vale to catch the 
soldiers train to Perth 

(3)
this train does not stop
till it reaches Perth.
After 75 had got its tickets
the fun began the soldiers
xxx broke the table on
which the tickets were
and scattered them in all
directions, they were soon
pocketed by the soldiers
the guard was called out
but it could not do
anything just simply
held their bayoneted
rifles up over their heads
and let the men go by
I suppose they had not
orders to bayonet anyone
They also gave trouble
in Perth but I didnt ^hear to
what extent. I of course
went to the Henn's