Letters from Charles Edwin Gatliff to his family and a condolence letter, June 1916 - c. September 1918 - Part 8

1

France 14       17.3.17 
Dear Pater & Mater,
Fritz is on his way back to 
Berlin from here, how far he will go
before he stops is hard to say but
we have hopes that we will be able
to keep him moving. I believe General
Birdwood was offered a position on another
front for the Australians a week or so
ago but replied that after they had
done such a lot of work here it would
not be fair to withdraw them just
before they had reached what has been
the main objective here for several
months & for other troops to reap the
kudos. But it will be rather an empty
victory for Fritz is burning the towns as
we retires (the dirty dog]. Frank's battery
was the first to move forward & it is
going to be the one that will follow xx
the infantry brigade in the vanguard.
Frank called in here to see me this
morning on his way up to his battery
with the gun teams. Hal's battery has
gone forward tonight & this battery (no
longer mine) goes forward in the
morning. I have to take the battery
to its new position - the Major hasn't
been there yet & is going abroad to see

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14     17.3.17
where it is (where Hal now is) &,
incidentally, to let me have the job of
pulling the guns out of here. I will be on
my own too. One officer is liaison officer at
Battalion Hdqrs for 4 days & the other is
F.O.O. tomorrow so they will be well out
of the joy (?) of moving the battery forward
over the shell holes to the new "possy"
where we will have to dig in. I was
looking forward to going as F.O.O. to
see what we have taken (& also to get
out of the move) but the Major squashed
it & said I was to take charge of the
battery. Today has given us an inkling
of what it will be like the day peace
is declared. Our guns have been out of
action all day as Fritz has retired beyond
our range. On the crest just in front of
the battery a good view can be obtained
of the high ridge which Fitz has just
vacated & all day it was lined
with men from the "heavies", who are
coming into position about here & our
own gunners watching the shells
bursting in the distance where our
infantry were. About here not a
shell fell - some of the lads were
picking up old bombs & throwing them
about just to liven things up a bit.

3
14     17.3.17
I don't feel in the mood for letterwriting
tonight - have been busy packing, destroying
old orders & fighting papers for this position,
& discussing plans for the move tomorrow
It is now 12.30 a.m. & as we are having
reveille at 4 a.m I think I will finish
this page & conclude. Whenever I write about
French pronunciation the town in the
centre of the names will be near where I
am. Most likely you will get later news
from me by the same mail as this as a
mail for Australia left here yesterday. 
Our wagon lines have been 15 miles in our
rear but tomorrow they will move up to
our battery position here (so they will have
dugouts for the drivers), they will then only
be about a mile behind us ready so come
up with the teams quickly in case of a
continued advance. The weather is in our
favor, it has been spring weather today, I
only hope it keeps fine for our move forward
tomorrow. Soon we will be having all fine
weather & then it will be a case of
a general "up & into them" - the sooner
the better, to get it over. It is just
possible something decisive may eventuate
from this "stunt" but I am afraid not -
Fritz is too thorough to throw anything
away. Fond love to all
Your loving son Charlie
 

1

France 15   22.3.17
Dear Father & Mother,
We are about a mile over Fritz's
old front line & are camped in a 4.2 gun
position the guns of which a short time ago
used to annoy us. We left Gun Valley, our
old gun position, about 6 days ago. We camped
that night & the next day & night in Death
Valley (or the Valley of Death) so called because
Fritz generally had a barrage of artillery fire
across it. The whole valley was covered with
small fragments of H.E shells & shrapnel only two
of three inches apart. The first night we only
had the guns & ammunition wagons with us. I
struck a small recess in an embankment used as

a bomb store. I got my batman to move the boxes
of bombs, put a duckwalk down & unroll my valise
I then slept very peacefully. I had a busy day as
the Major cleared out ahead & left me to bring
on the battery -great joy it was too dodging shell
holes & manoeuvring past other guns & wagons
stuck in the mud- young Frank's being a source
of annoyance. No Man's Land (or what had been
such until a couple of days previously) was
practically impassable for the guns so we
stayed a day in Death Valley whilst a track
was being made. Luckily we got a couple of
tents up from the wagon lines with the rations
while we were writing as that night it rained

2

15      22.3.17
& snowed heavily - I would not have slept peacefully
had I been in my recess of the night before. We
got across No Mans Land without trouble thanks
to good driving & good horses. We only put in 8
horses & swung off the track into the shell holes
several times to pass other teams bogged. Some of
the teams had 12 horses in & others 20 mules & yet
we were the only battery that had all their
guns in position here ready to fire that night.
This time the Major stayed behind until
the last & got out of all the work that way.
During the trip I saw Frank several times on the
road He had a lot of trouble with his vehicles
which however was not his fault. It is hard
luck for him, after having formed his battery &
had it so long, to now have to take orders
how to run it from another - & that other an
incompetent & a Tommy officer to boot. Hal,
being in the same brigade with me, I also
saw several times. Once the three of us Gatliffs
rode along together for about a mile. Hal is in
position close by to me here. Frank's battery
is somewhere ahead. Things are going along
very quietly - our infantry are about 5 miles
forward from us but are not pushing Fritz
We are evidently playing a waiting game
to try & get the strength of this voluntary
retirement of Fritzs - a very wise thing too for
Fritz doesn't give away anything for nothing.

3

15   22:3.17

The day's halt in Death Valley gave us an
excellent opportunity of having a close look at our
old targets. It was very interesting & satisfying
to us to see the result of our shell fire & the
infantry are also satisfied with us now that
they have seen the effects of our fire. Fritz had
several minesweepers which were very demoralising
to our infantry. You will no doubt have read
all about them so I won't describe them. As
they have only a short range they are fired from
the front line & as you can see the missile
in the air their positions are fairly easy to
locate. Fritz used to fire them a couple of
times & then run them into a dugout. One
of our shells was lucky enough to hit the
"minnie" & killed 3 Fritzes just as they were
running it into the dugout. I have seen so
much of interest during the last few days that
I don't know what to write about. I am afraid
you will have to wait until we return to hear
all about this advance. We are having bad weather
bleak winds with snow storms every day. Fortunately
we have crossed the bad ship of heavily shelled
country so are not likely to experience much
difficulty in moving forward with the guns.
I go as F.O.O. tomorrow so expect to have an
interesting time. Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie

1

France 15     26.3.17
Dear Father & Mother,
I had a nice little tour around
our advanced line yesterday & the day before
when I was F.O.O. I was very fortunate
being acting battery commander all the time
we were doing trench warfare here as I did
not have to do F.O.O. then. Quite apart from the
was Fritz used to shell our front line & 
communication trenches I would not have been
able to have done many F.O.Os on the long walk
thro' the mud in the trenches would have
soon put my legs out of action. Here now
the infantry is so far advanced that the
FOO has to ride from his battery. Each
day the infantry are in a new position

so when my turn came I had to go hunting

thro ruined villages looking for the FOO

I was to relieve. I was supposed to relieve

him at 9.30 a.m. - I found him at 5.30 pm.

It was good to see green grass again &

I had an enjoyable ride with an occasional

^GALLOP (no fear of falling into shell holes). There

was a very bleak wind blowing however.

The Light Horse are doing patrol work &

I met 3 officers I knew including Billy

Coleman who left Vic. with me with 

the 12/4 L.H. regts. I also knew a lot of

the officers in the infantry battalion I 

2

15     26.3.17
was liasion officer to. One thing about Fritz
is he is so thorough. He has blown up all
the houses & wells in the villages he has
evacuated; chopped down all the fruit trees &

as many of other sorts of trees as he could;

taken up all the sleepers & rails of railways

(the heavy gauge as well as his light gauge

to the trenches); blown up mines at all

cross roads; etc. ; etc. I could write papers

about what I saw but it would be censorable

matter. By the way have any of my

letters to you been opened by the censor at

the base? In future I think I will get

one of the other officers to frank the envelopes

as I believe there is less likelihood of letters

being opened at the base then. When looking

for the F.O.O. I struck some other artillery

officers in an O.F. observing for their battery

which was covering the infantry advance.

I had a great view of the fight thro' my glasses

for 15 minutes (I couldn't stay longer as it 

was getting late & I hadn't found the F.O.O).

Our artillery shifted Fritz out of a sunken

road & he went scurrying across the

open country with our lads in expanded

order after him. It was good to see & 

reminded me of the South African

warfare. Much to my regret I could 

not then follow the fight. It was for

3

15   26.3.17

a village that we had taken & Fritz had

retaken twice. Next morning I went there &

found our lads in possession holding the far

end of the village & there I found Les Elliott

(of Carlton) in command. He was in camp

with me at Seymour & Broadmeadows & went

to Egypt on the Ceramic. I did a little

souvenir hunting & got a Fritz helmet which

is the envy of everybody who sees it - it is

certainly the best I have seen. Ern & I

brought back a lot of souvenirs from South

Africa but they are as nothing compared

to what I have got already. Much to my

regret I often have to now pass by many

an interesting trophy - the worst of it is

most of them weigh so confoundedly heavy.

I have a truck full of Egyptian curios at

Thos Cook & Sons at Alexandria, two trunks

at Gasquoine's in London, a kitbag ready

packed for my next leave at the artillery

dump at -- & I have a lot more in my

valise with me. Still I would willingly

give them all up if I could get safely

back to Sunny Australia & those I

love tomorrow. Once in my travels

the day before yesterday I ran into

Tommy outpost who told me to be

very careful as Fritz was just over the

ridge & had only been driven out of a 

4

15    26.3.17

beet sugar factory close by that morning. I then

wisely changed my route. I had my orderly with 

me mounted & a "pillbox" (timbered wagon)

with 4 telephonists & their blankets & gear

following behind me. Near here I met a

cyclist patrol in charge of Raphael who was

in the L.H. at the school at Broadmeadows

at the same time as I was. It was nice

meeting so many officers I knew especially

as most of them I had not seen since I

left Egypt. Hal being only 100 yds away

I often see. Frank I haven't seen lately

but he, like Hal, is quite O.K. We

are "hastening slowly" after Fritz & a very

wise thing too for I do not like this

retirement of his a little bit - he is too

crafty for my liking. Have heard that

my batman is safe & well in a [[?]]

camp in France. Capt Drayer saw him

there but doesn't know how he got there.

How are all the beloved relations? Do

any of you ever see the Titchers, McLeans

or Inneses? How is Uncle Ted? I hope

he is stronger than when I left. Please

remember me to them all & give them

my love not forgetting Jan. 

Fond love to all from

Your loving son

Charlie