Letters from Charles Edwin Gatliff to his family, January - September 1918 - Part 9

No.8    2       7      29.7.18

 

all six bombs burst about 100 yds away in a wheatfield

& beyond mowing the wheat down for about an

acre did no damage. I went this morning & dug up

one of the fuses as a souvenir. The planes were

bombing in our area for about an hour & a half but

only the one dropped bombs near us.  On the

26th Alan Fitcher called to see me. He was looking

thinner than when I saw him last Feb. at Kemmel

but was looking very fit. He is no longer with the

field ambulance - he is medical orderly to one of the

infantry battalions. He told me that Louie had

another daughter - born on July 9th. The rain is

falling more often now & the days are quite cool - it

looks as tho we will have a wet autumn like

last year.  One thing I noticed on my trips

to the forward area here - altho' all the villages have

been knocked about by shell-fire, the churches are

all intact- Fritz's gunning must be deliniating as

churches used to be the one thing he could hit.

Our Australians did a stunt here the night

before last which was a great success, all objectives

being gained, & a good few prisoners & machine guns

captured. It is not often that our lads have a

failure, as you will have noticed by the papers,

especially lately.  Today I had to visit the

A.D.M.S. (principal medical officers of division). I don't

know yet what his verdict is, but hope it will

be  favorable towards my returning to Australia.

I also had to call at D.A.C. Hdqrs in

No.18        3    7      29.7.18

 

connection with a pay incident of 12 months ago.

One of our officers will most likely be court-

martialled over it. As I will be needed as a

witness I hope it will not delay my returning

to Australia (that is, if my leave is granted).

There is a likelihood of our going out for the

rest which was cancelled by the Hamel stunt.

So perhaps when Hal returns from leave he

will find us out of the line. I have not seen

Tom lately but Lieut. McHenry (49) told me

today that Tom was quite well. Needless to

say Hal has not written us since he has

been on leave.  Did I tell you of two

wounded Australians I saw in Hyde Park. One

had lost all his limbs & the other had only an

arm left. Their nurses had left them for a few

minutes & the two "Diggers" were laughing over

some jokes as I passed them. I thought they

were a striking proof of the wonderful

vitality of the men of the A.I.F. & showed what

great heart our lads possess. I have only

had the one Australian mail since I have

rejoined - one consolation is nobody else

seems to be getting any.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

 

Capt C.E.Gatliff

No.2. Section

5th D.A.C.

A.I.F.

No.19     1      France  2      2.8.18

 

Dear Father & Mother

I received orders yesterday morning that I

was to proceed to our Base in France for a

medical board. The railhead was about 12

miles from our camp so I set off with my valise

in a "pillbox" (not the german variety but a G.S.

timbered wagon) When I got to Amiens about

half way to my entraining point I "hopped" a

motor lorry. I thought I might miss the train

which was scheduled to leave at 5 P.M. I

arrived at the station about 4 P.M. & was told that

the train was not expected until between 10 & 11 P.M.

It was from Calais to Havre twice daily with

troops. I had seven hours dreary waiting the train

not coming until 10.45. Thro' being late there it

was held up at different points for the rest of

the journey so instead of arriving here about 9 a.m.

I did ^not reach the A.C.B.D. until 5 P.M. I will

now have to wait here several days, until my

papers are sent down by post, before I have my

medical board. Our artillery will be out of

the line today - for three weeks rest we were

told. I am rather tired after my journey - did

not get much sleep last night because my carriage

compartment was crowded  - & the night before Fritz

kept me awake for several hours with his bombs.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

 

Capt  C.E. Gatliff

5th Aus Div Arty

No.20    1     France 2   5.8.18

 

Dear Father & Mother

This morning I went before the M.O. here

he examined me & took down particulars for

the medical board (of which he is a member).

I will most likely go before the board tomorrow

or the next day. Another artillery officer. Lt.

Jackson 1st Div, is also being boarded with me.

Strange to say he came over from England at

the same time as I did & came down as far

as Etaples with me. From there he went north &

I came south to rejoin our units, & out of the

long train of 40 trucks & carriages I got into

the same compartment that he was in, at

night, when we were coming here a few days ago.

The weather has been very unsettled lately

yesterday afternoon I went to the Forest of

Mortegon - it is situated about half way

between this camp & the city. There is a

small zoo near the entrance to the forest.

Unfortunately it came on to rain heavily

shortly after I arrived there & as I did not

have my trench coat with me I was unable

to have a wander thro' the woods. I

suppose my mail will "go to glory" again for

a while; however, if I am to go back to

sunny Australia soon, I won't need to worry

about letters any more. Tom will now have

to be the Gatliff's war correspondent in my

place - it is hopeless expecting Hal to write.

No.20     2       2     5.8.18

 

The more I see of the American soldiers the

more optimistic I feel about the speedy ending

of the war. They are arriving here in large

numbers daily & are all fine strapping fellows.

In the present Allied counter-offensive on the

maine they are giving a good account of themselves.

I still think that up-to-date Fritz

has been winning & holds too much of the

Allied territories for us to hope for satisfactory

peace terms for some little time to come. Until

we have inflicted crushing defeats on the

Germans in the field we cannot hope to be

able to dictate the terms of peace. Now

that the A.I.F. authorities are not training

reinforcements before they leave Australia

I suppose Wilf will have left long before

I arrive - that is, if I do return soon.

Still when he arrives in France he will have

Hal to look after him, & Tom to give him

advice from a gunner's point of view.

Please give my love to the McLeans &

Titchers, & also Jan, whenever you see them.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

 

Capt  C.E. Gatliff

5th Aus Div Arty

A.G.B.D.

No.21      1       France 8     7.8.18

 

Dear Father & Mother

Yesterday morning I went before a medical

board at 11 a.m. but was not told their verdict.

On the afternoon I went into ----- & strolled along

the seafront. The sea was very rough & I felt

thankful that I was not crossing the Channel

that night. This morning I was president of a 

Court of Inquiry at A.G.B.D. in case of A.W.L.

(absent without leave) We were held up owing to

some papers being mislaid so I adjourned the

court until 2P.M. Later in the morning I was

told that I had to report at the medical hut

at 2 P.M. so the court resumed at 1.40 P.M. &

finished at 2 P.M. I then sauntered along to

the medical hut & was surprised when I

was told that I had to be there with my kit

as I & another officer had to go to hospital at

once. I believe the board marked us as unfit

for active service & recommended that we be

transferred to Australia. As we are medical

cases we had to come into hospital here, so

that we could be evacuated to England per

hospital ship. The finding of the board here is

not final - we will have to go before another

board in England for it to be ratified. Just

to cheer us up in today's papers is the news

that Fritz torpedoed the Warilda in the 

Channel on her trip from here to Blighty last

Saturday with hospital cases on board, 129

No.21       2       8      7.8.18

 

lives being lost. She was the hospital ship that

I travelled on in June 1917. Just to show how

you cannot rely on what the papers say & how

they try to paint the Germans as black as

possible (I admit he is a dirty dog, but I like

to be fair). - they have enormous headlines "Another

xxxxxx dastardly crime" "sinking of an ambulance

ship" etc & they well know that nowadays 

hospital ships are not painted with any

distinguishing marks or color, & there was

nothing to differentiate the Warilda from

transports carrying troops.  This place

is more like an officers club than a hospital.

There are no serious cases here, only slight

cases that want more treatment than can

be given at the camps. It is a fine large house

on the sea front & was I am told, before the

war occupied by the German Consul. An

American major, the other artillery officer (Jackson),

& myself are in a room on the second floor.

My bed is alongside the window & I can look

out on to the promenade, the beach, & the sea

of a morning & from our room we pass out

on to a large flat roof where we can sit

on comfortable chairs & watch the bathing

as there is practically nothing wrong with

me I wouldn't mind staying here as long

as the weather is fine. All the horses about

here are by private residences situated in

No.21        2       8      7.8.18

 

nice gardens. Before the war, during the summer

season this must have been a charming place

to reside in, the sea in front & the heights of

St Addresse behind surrounded by a fort &

the Casino within a stones throw. On

the evening of the 6th I was O.C. trams. I had 

to supervise the departure of trams to the

camp each in charge of a lieut at 8.20, 8.40 &

9 PM. I then caught the officers tram at 10 P.M.

Today the sea has been very calm & it would

be an ideal day for crossing. I don't know

how long we will be here - we have to be

seen by the C.O. which most likely be

tomorrow. They have hundreds of good books

here so as at present I am not allowed to

go on the promenade I will be able to do

some reading to pass away the time.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie

 

Capt   C.E. Gatliff

5th Div Arty

A.I.F.

 

1 DRL3091 2

Ward G

Third London General Hospital

Wardsworth

London S.W.17

 

10.8.18     No.22

 

Dear Father &Mother,

Am back in above hospital again - I am

beginning to know it pretty well now. Yesterday

morning at 9.30 the R.A.M.C. sergeant at No.2 General

(Officers) Hospital. St Addressee, Le Havre came to me

& said I was to go in an ambulance at 10 a.m.

down to the docks to embark on a hospital boat

I was rather disappointed as it was a lovely day &

I was looking forward to a final promenade along

the sea front. Generally patients do not embark

until the afternoon as the boats do not sail until

after 9 P.M. I went on board (the HMAT St Patrick)

at 11a.m. & we did not sail until 10 P.M. Jackson &

I were the only two officers on board - the boat however

was full of other rank patients. Another transport the

Cauahawk Castle had a lot of officers on board as well

as other ranks. We had a smooth passage across (&

was asleep all the time) & reached Southampton Water

about 6 a.m. disembarking at 11 a.m. The M.O. in charge

of the boat was Major [[P?]] R.A.M.C. an ex-naval M.O.

He at one time, lived next door to General Farrar Gatliff

& knew him well. To show that the Germans were

qualified in torpedoeing the Warilda I might mention

that the St Patrick carried a gun. There is some

doubt as to whether the Germans did torpedo the

Warilda. It was very rough & dark that night & I

don't think a submarine could have seen her. The

general opinion is that she struck a derelict mine

that had broken away from its moorings. After the

incident no boats crossed the Channel for a couple of

days & during that time mine-sweepers were busy

No.22           2           10.8.18

 

sweeping for derelict mines. Just as I left the

line the Tommies were taking over from the Aussies.

Our fellows had done a stunt a few nights previously

& captured a commanding position in Morlancourt

astride the Bray-Corbe Road. Our fellows said that

as soon as Fritz knew the Tommies had taken over

from us he would have a shot at recapturing the

position. Sure enough, he did & he got it. It was

the same up at Ypres last year. Today we know

that the Australians were not taken out of the

line near Albert for a rest (as I wrote you a few

days ago) They were thrown into the line a little

further south along with the Canadians & are

doing a brilliant   non-stop advance against Fritz

which is meeting with a great success as the

advance of the French & Americans on the Marne

The poor Colonials! They are getting more than their

fair share of the fighting. When I left, our lads

were grumbling at being kept in the line so long

without a spell & yet on top of that they have

entered on this last offensive as whole-heartedly as

ever &, as usual, are gaining all their objectives

Our A.I.F. medical boards sit at Horseferry Road, London

on Mondays & Thursdays. I don't think my papers

will be fixed up in time for me to go before the

board on Monday (today is Saturday) so it will be

Thursday before I know my fate.

Fond love to all

Your loving son

Charlie