Letters of Gerard Henderson Cowan, 1916-1917 - Part 3

and several other places.

We came here from Amesburg in an omnibus w

which could scarcely climb the hill on account

of the hind wheels skidding in the snow.

It has snowed heavily all day and I thik

think the trees, houses, quaint little bridges over

the river and the hedges all covered with snow

make the prettiest picture I have seen.
All the youngsters are in their element snowballing
so whereverer we went Friel & I generally had
to engage I in a snow fight.
This is not a country to get drunk in and sleep
by the wayside. Several fellows have done that
and gone to sleep on their way back to camp.
They were frozen stiff and were found dead
next morning.
All the Australians are suffering from colds
myself included. Several have gone to the hospital
In fact our NCO's were so skinned out that I
suddenly found myself in charge of a platoon

the other day. It was such a shock that I did
not manage as brilliantly as I might have
done, but got along alright. A L. Cpl. is of far
more importance here than in Australia.
Well as we have just ordered tea and it is
now ready I will say au revoir
Love to all
Gerard
PS. let me know if you received the letters I
sent from Durban & Cape Town.
Roxy gave me a Julu walking stick and a
bead bag. I was unable to send them home
so brought them home & have given them to
Gracie to keep for me.
Gerard
3660 

No 6733
11 Battalion
No 4 Australian ^Camp
Durrington
Dear Mother
I am writing from Tunbridge
Wells, were I am staying at Pr present with
Gracie.
We Our leave began yesterday, ^(Tuesday) at 6 am
and ends on Friday night at 12 midnight
Yesterday morning after a great deal
of standing about and being a addressed
by half a dozen different officers on
conduct we were marched to
Amesbury station by the longest route
possible and after waiting there till
11 a.m. or nearly 11 a.m. our train eventually
started for London w
We arrived ^at Waterloo at there at 2 p.m. and were
then marched to Australian Military Headqrs
Horseferry Road. After another lecture
there we were eventually dismissed
and allowed to fend for ourselves. I
went off to find out about the trains
to Tunbridge Wells & to send wires to
Gracie & to Miss Wilson.

Ater asking several policemen I eventually
found the Office of London & Brighton
Railway and close als by a post office.
I decided that I would travell by a 9 10 am
train this morning (Wednesday) So after sending
a wire to that effect I set out to find a
meal and a bed.
After af a few inquires I found my way
up the Strand to the Y.M.C.A. Hut. 
I had an excellent meal here but all beds
had been booked so had to seek else where.
Luckily there was a returned man at the
same table, as I, who sh said he would
show me a place.
After he had taken the wrong turning
a couple of times we eventually found

the place.

It was The Salvation Army house and about
3 minutes walk down the Strand from Y.
M.C.A.

When I had booked a bed I returned to the

Y.M.C.A had a little more to eat &
drink and after picking up my kit
bag which & had left there I went back
and went to bed.
If I had not been so foot sore and
weary I could have joined, a Y.M.C.A
Theatre party, but I felt that as I

had to catch a train next morning, bed
was the best place.
I turned out at 7am and after managing
to fit in a bed & breakfast started off for
Vic. Station my way lead down the Strand
down the Mall down Buckingham Palace 
Rd. to Vic Station. You will see by the
Y.M.C.A. map I am posting you where I have
been. Of course this map only gives the
main streets the minor ones are left out.
I caught my train in nice time and was
soon on my way.
We passed through some very pretty country
 on the way, or what would be glorious

country in Summer but is too cold
and misty to be beautiful glorious at present,
also numerous stations and four
tunnells before we eventually arrived
at Tunbridge Wells.
On arrival & found my way to 14
Calverley Pk. Cresnt with little or no troubles
and received a very warm welcome.
After dinner as Gracie had some shopping
to do I went too and she showed me
all the chief places of interest.
We also visited Marjorie & Mrs Elliott
who are staying here.
We then went on to a most swagger

place with most beautifully

laid out grounds.
We called here to get a ticket for yours truly
for a concert held for or in aid of wounded
soldiers.
A Charles in uniform and brass buttons
answered the ring and soon afterwards
the lady of the house appeared and soon
produced a ticket. Of course you must
remember only very select people were
allowed to go to this concert.
We went to the Concert which was very
good but I have neither space or time
to describe it.
Marjorie and Mrs Elliott came to afternoon
tea xx now it is 20 minutes to nine & I am
writing this letter to catch tomorrow's
mail. This must be the 17^th I have written
this mail. I left it till last moment so as
to have all latest news for you.
My movements are. I leave for Bexhill
on sea tomorrow morning & either go

on to Portsmouth ^& Isle of Wight tomorrow morning evening
or Friday evening morning I then have to

get back to camp Friday midnight.
As regards my diary of the voyage although
not very interesting will probably interest you
at home I hope to send it by next mail.

I was not able to see much of London but
I much prefer staying with friends and will

probably have chances of seeing it later.
I think England at this time of the

year can be summed up in the few
words of the Australian Artillery men.
When asked by General Birdwood what
they thought of it they answered, "Sir you
should hand it over to the Germans and
apologise for the state it is in".
They dont feel the cold on the body so much,
it is the feet, they are never warm.
However they all put up with it
splendidly.
Well let me know how home
affairs are going
Love to all
Gerard.
PS by the way the Us Lance Jacks have all

retained our stripes

PS2
Aeroplanes are as this as bees at
Salisbury, it makes me envious to
see them sail along.
Pg3 I would willing give all England for

our 600 acres of Sunny Land
I have seen the sun about four times
since landing here.
Gerard
3660(1)

No 6733
No 4  Australian Camp
Durrington

[*P.S. I met Earnest Foss

yesterday.

Clements introduced

me to him.*]

Dear Uncle Jim,
I meant to continue
letter from where I left off
in Dirclasey's, but I have closed hers
and forgotten whether we were
spending Xmas in Dakar or
nearing the shores of England in
a gale when I stopped.
Well we arrived in Plymouth harbour
3 a.m. Tuesday morning but did
not disembark until late Wednesday
afternoon. We came straight through
to Salisbury by train and
arrived in Camp 3 a.m. Thursday
morning in a slight snow storm.
The first few days after our
arrival in camp every thing
was muddy and extremely

cold. Soon however it became
coldere still all the groud froze
which of course did away with the
mud. All the water taps in our
wash house were frozen and
owing to one bursting, the floor
was covered with two or three
inches of ice. Most of it has been
broken up and shovelled outside
now, where it remains in great
cakes. Our fellows fel feel the
cold very much and are all
suffering from severe colds.
for wl We had four days leave
last week I went to London on
Tuesday on to Tunbridge Wells on
Wednesday morning. I stayed with
the Willis’s there till Thursday
morning and then went on to
Bexhill-on-Sea where I stayed
with a relation till Friday.

I then continued my journey to
Portsmouth and then across to
the Isle of Wight where my
Grandfather's brother Capt. E du
Boulay lives. I had to leave here
5 p.m. as my leave was up at
Friday midnight.
Well we all think England a
rotten country compared to
Australia and would give a
great deal for some of the sunshine
of the West.
I did not see much of London
I saw Parliament houses, West
Minister Abbey and several
other magnificent buildings
But they are all smokey and
dirty looking not fresh like our
buildings.
Well love to all.
I remain
your effectionate Nephew

Gerard. H. Cowan