Letters from Charles Edwin Gatliff to his family and a condolence letter, June 1916 - c. September 1918 - Part 14

Monte Vides Camp 
N^o 2 Command Depot A.I.F
Weymouth
Dorset England
29.7.17 
Dear Father & Mother,

I am still in England but expect at any time now
to receive orders to report direct to Embarkation Officer at Southampton
for passage to France. It is not usual for officers marked general
service at this command depot to go to a training depot before
going overseas to rejoin their unit at W. Command depot wxxx
xxxxx it is different, as all the training depots are situated
within a few miles of there. I mentioned in one of my letters that
my address would be ^c/o "British-Australasian
115 High Holborn
London W.C.I.
until further notification. Please continue sending them there as
I will notify them of my address whenever I change it.
I have ^NOT had any letters from Australia for a couple of months now.
It is hard not hearing any news of the loved ones for that length of
time, but it can't be helped. One reason is Fritz torpedoed a boat,
with mails from Australia on board, shortly after I left France; then
there have been my many moves, & also the "luck" of a week or more
of my artillery brigade from the Somme up to Belgium. An Australian
mail arrived here a few days ago so I hope I stay here a couple of days
longer to give my letters a chance to reach me after being sent on
from the battery. However it would be just my luck to get marching
orders before they arrived. As this camp is composed of medically 
unfit men there is not much work to do. I sign a lot of passes & also
temporary conduct sheets for the time the men are in this camp & have
conducted several drafts of men from one camp to another. I am also

2   29.7.17
waiting member of the courts-martial here but so far have not been
called to sit on any cases. It is terrible the way the Russian
army has collapsed — we used at one time to call ours jokingly "a
ragtime army", but the Russians have a better claim to that title now.
It would be far better for us if Russia was neutral. Then she would
have very little war material to supply to Germany & only at a certain
cost. As it is Germany is getting enormous quantities of the best of war
material with which the Allies have helped Russia to re-equip her army —
& the worst of it is she is getting it for nothing — & is also using it
against us. It will prolong the war as I am certain now that peace
will never be declared through any decisive action on the battlefield
Whichever side can endure the longest will win, & as the Allies,
especially now that America has joined them, have the larger resources
of both men & material I feel confident that ours will be the
winning side. At one time I had slight hopes that this year
would see the end of the war but alas' I am afraid it is impossible
Already plans and preparations are being made for another winter campaign.
I enclose the last of the snapshots taken in France, they are marked as follows —
1   51^st Battery 6 gunpits in Bois de Chafours near [[Moulins?]] 19.5.17
5  some pictures after being shelled: note blast spots N^os 3 & 4 guns "blown out" 25.5.17
6  N^o 1 gunpit taken from about 18 yds in front showing how well guns are camouflaged
27 - 28  CEG London June 1917
No word from the boys yet - suppose they have been too busy with their
trek & taking up new positions to write.
I hope you are all keeping well. Fondest love to all
Your loving son
 Charlie

1

Postal address                                              
C/O "British-Australasian"
115 High Holborn
London WC1
6.98.17
Recd 6/10/17

Reserve Brigade
Australian Artillery
Camp No 20
Larkhill
Salisbury Plain

Dear Father and Mother,

I have received orders at Weymouth to report here for duty
last Wednesday. I came by train to Amesbury which is about 3 miles
from this camp & came on here by car. The rain was coming down pretty
heavily & it rained steadily up till yesterday morning. This is an
enormous camp. British troops as well as Australian being in
training here. There are also several other large camps not far
away. It is about 6 miles from Perham Down Camp. There are
three other officers from my battery here — Lieut Cullen, who left us last
October (from nerves) & Lieuts Mann & Clarke, who left us at the 
end of May when we had a lot of surplus officers. Cullen is on
the Cadre & Mann & Clarke are over here for further training.
I applied to be sent here for a month to see how my eyes got
on & am attached to one of the batteries for duty. So far I
have only done duty as orderly officer. There are several other
officers here that I know & several that know Hal & Frank
so I feel more at home here than I did at the other camps
where they were nearly all infantry officers. The C.O. is
Major Spurge who left Australia as battery captain with
Hals old battery, the 5^th. This camp is situated on rather open,
hilly country & is very ugly — & dismal when it is raining. It is

very different from the camp I have just left at Weymouth which is

situated in very pretty country. However there are plenty of beauty

spots all round the camp about a couple of miles away & there

are also a lot of ancient Roman & British ruins including Stonehenge

quite close by xxxxx. Yesterday major Spurge, Lt Cullen & I

2
6.98.17
rode across & had a good look at Stonehenge. We then had a glorious

gallop across the Downs to a picturesque little village called Woodford,

about 3 miles from here. We had afternoon tea at an old fashioned inn there
the Wheatsheaf, then rode back along the river (?) Avon to camp. The 

Avon is a little rivulet the size of one of our creeks. The scenery

coming back was charming. All this moving about from camp to camp

that I have had lately has been rather expensive (it cost me 10/- for a car

from Amesbury to Larkhill) but it is worth the money as I am seeing

such a lot of the lovely English scenery. I am off to France tomorrow

morning — not to rejoin my unit tho' — I am taking a draft

of reinforcements to our Base over there. I expect to be back

here in about 3 days if things run smoothly. Four men of my

battery are going back to France with the draft tomorrow. Lt 

Cullen whose people live at Princes Hill told me today that a

son of Cn Bill Cook is in camp here as a bombadier. Cullen &

he went to school together. Just before I left Weymouth I

received a letter from Lil but haven't received letters from you or 

Em for ages. I am still waiting patiently (& will have to continue 

waiting I suppose) to hear from either Hal or Frank. I believe

their artillery did not take part in the offensive just ended. I

don't think it was much of a success, the rain preventing us from

gaining as ^much as we hoped to. From the way things are going I guess

this is going to be another 100 Years War if it is to be fought

until it is won by either side decisively

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

Larkhill
Salisbury Plain
26.8.17
Dear Father & Mother

At last I have received orders to proceed overseas.

I embark at Folkestone next Wednesday — go to Boulogne — I

daresay I will then have to go to our Base at Havre but

don't think I will be there long as our divisional artillery

have lost so many officers during this last offensive.  The

14^th F.A.B have had Frank, Capt Steele, Lts Hopper, Eammon, Barron,

Reed, Blaskha, & another killed & Major Crespin, Lts Archibald, Alderton

& several others wounded.  The 13^th F.A.B. had only had Lt Wilshire

killed until last night we heard that Captain Knox & Lieut 

Pascoe-Webb had also both been killed.  Both the latter were

mourned — Capt Knox's wife & young baby being in England while

Jack Webb, who was in Hal's battery in Albert Park & who with the

5^th on Gallipoli, has left a wife & three children in Australia.

I have heard that the 1^st A.N.Z.A.C. (1^st 2^nd & 5^th Aus Div) is now 

out "resting — it needs to be, for it got badly smashed up. If

that is the case Hal ought to soon be on leave. I am

leaving here tomorrow & have a day in London which will 

give me a chance to fix up Frank's affairs. We have had

wet miserable weather here all this week — I am afraid that

we are going to have an early winter. Lou Gasgnome wrote

telling me that Alan was on leave — I hope to see her, or at

least speak to her over the phone, on Tuesday. I suppose

Tom will have left Australia by now — it is so long since I 

heard from you that I don't know what is happening at home

Fond love to all  Your loving son

Charlie

1

31.8.17

Dear Father & Mother,

Just a few lines to

let you know that I am

back in Sunny(?) France —

it has been raining

steadily ever since I 

arrived here last night — 

I guess it will be pretty

wet and muddy "in the line."

Still I would sooner be 

there than in a "peace"

camp in England. I am

leaving here for our Base

by the 9 p.m. train tonight.

Hal was not on leave

when I was in London.

Fondest love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

GRAND HOTEL MODERNE 

A.G.B.D.

France 2

6.9.17

Dear Father & Mother,

I arrived here at the Base last Sunday. I stayed Saturday

night at the above hotel as it was late when we arrived &

this camp is about 6 miles out of the town. I am camped in

the same tent as Lt Peter Redmond of Frank's battery. He was with

them during the by engagement. He rejoined his unit today. Lt Chas

Chase of Hals battery arrived here a few days ago from England &

Lt Tom Kennett also of the 49^th is stationed here but as at present

up the line conducting a draft of reinforcements. This camp

is charmingly saturated on a hillside on one of the most fertile

valleys in France — it is very different from the dreary camp at

Larkhill. We have no duties to do except to go for an occasional

route march which really means going for a pleasant walk.

We have had perfect weather since I have been here — nice

sunny days & lovely moonlight nights. I am anxious to rejoin

the battery as if I am not back by the 12^th inst. I will be

posted supernumerary as I will have been away 3 months

then. I am also longing for some letters from Australia

with news of the dear home folk. I was a couple of days in

the train coming here from Boulogne 4 other artillery officers were

with me. We had 3 hours in Rouen & had a good look

round the town. I think it is the most interesting place

in France — from an historical point. There is a fine old

cathedral & numerous churches as well as the dungeon where

Joan of Arc was imprisoned. Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

A G B D

9.9.17

4

Dear Father & Mother

I am off to the war 

again in half an hour.

I expect it will be a couple 

of days before I reach my 

battery. Thank goodness the 

weather is still fine — it 

is deadly travelling in the 

army if it is wet. I am

lucky not having to take a 

draft up the line. One of 

Hal's subalterns, Chase, is 

taking the men for our division

The other, Kennett, is going up

with me with nothing to worry

about.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

France 3

13.9.17

Dear Father & Mother

I rejoined my brigade a couple of days

ago. You will all be glad to know that

it came out of the line two day before

I rejoined it. Hal is at present on

leave but is expected back at any time

now. He arrived in London two days after

I left there. I was struck off the strength

here after I had been away 30 days (not

3 months as I thought). I have got back 

to my old brigade alright but the posting

to all the batteries are complete so at

present I am supernumerary officer for the 50^th Bty Please continue sending letter for me ^c/o British-Australian High Holborn

London W.C.1. Rather strange, we are camped

about a mile from the chateau where I 

attended the artillery school this time

a year ago. Kennett, Chase, & I arrived at

the big town near here about 10 PM a couple

of nights ago. The R T O didn't know exactly

where our artillery was so we stayed the 

night at the Hotel de France & came on 

here next morning. When I reported to 

our B Hqrs I was surprised to find there

Captain Ken Russell (of Williamstown) who

fixed up my teeth for me at Pozieres 4

months ago. He is dental officer now for 

2    3    13.9.17

our divisional artillery & is at present

attached to our brigade. Major Wilkinson

our brigade medical officer who left us sick

at [[Naoms?]] last November was also there

having rejoined the during my absence

I have often mentioned officers in my letters

who do not interest you — my reason was 

that I kept no diary & these letters will

serve as one for me to read "apres la guerre"

However Fritz has been torpedoing so many mail boats lately that I have decided to henceforth keep a diary otherwise if I rely on my letters to you, there will be too many 

on my "history of the war".

To my great disappointment I found no 

letters waiting for me here  & as Hal is 

away I am still without news of you 

all. Some letters for me were redirected 

from here to London almost 3 weeks ago. 

Did I tell you that Capt. Ken M^cLean

a.a.m.c. (of Dandenong) was at the

Base details camp at Havre when I 

was there. He had only just arrived

in France after having been several 

months on Salisbury Plain. He told

me all the news about the Gasquoines

& Alan Titcher who he had seen just