Letters from Charles Edwin Gatliff to his family, January - September 1918 - Part 10
No 23
3rd London General Hospital
Wandsworth
London S.W.
14.8.18
Dear Father & Mother,
Last Sunday afternoon I went by train
from Clapham Junction to Richmond for a
couple of hours. I walked along the river bank
thro' the Terrace Gardens & along the Terrace to
Richmond Park. I returned her by motor bus.
It was a lovely day & I had some charming
views of the Thames from Richmond Hill
While I was sitting on a seat on the Terrace
day-dreaming my thoughts dwelt on 'Home sweet
home' & I wished I were in Richmond on
the Yarra instead of in Richmond on the Thames.
On Monday afternoon I went to A.I.F. Hdqrs
Horseferry Road to change some French money &
draw pay. On Tuesday afternoon I went to
Aus Base P.O. St Pancras to see if they had
any letters for me. I wrote them from
Pont Noyelles on the 1st inst telling them I was
on my way to England & asking them to hold
my letters. When I got there on Thursday (12th inst)
they said they had only received my letter the
day before, consequently my letters had been
sent to France, so when I got there, the cupboard
was bare - I received no letters When
I was over here last time ices & icecreams
were not allowed to be made Now, however,
the restriction has been removed, so every time
No 23
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14.8.18
I go out, as the weather is delightfully warm,
I always gratify my weakness & have one
& sometimes more ices or sundaes. Yesterday
afternoon I went to Barnes & Mortlake but
the river scenery is not so pretty there
I have not been out of an evening yet -
patients here have to xxx be back in their
wards at 10 p m & as that makes evening
theatres tabu there is nothing to make me
wish to stay out of an evening. For the
last four or five nights we have been receiving
wounded officers from our last push. They all
say it was a huge success, taking the Germans
by surprise, & that our casualties were
extraordinarily light. So far there has been
only one artillery officer amongst them, Lieut
Jones of the 51st Bty. He was F O O with the
Infantry when he was wounded so could give
me no news as to artillery casualties except
that Major Dreyer O C 114th Bty had been killed.
I believe, however, that Dreyer & Jones are the
only two casualties amongst our officers.
Dreyer was at one time adjt of 13th F.A.B. &
when the 6 gun batteries were formed he was
Artillery captain & Major Lister bty commander of
51st. Lister went to a school & Dreyer was
slightly wounded so I continued to act as
B.C. of 51 for another couple of months. We
used to speak of Dreyer as the luckiest
officer in our artillery. When Capt Knox &
No 23
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14.8.18
Lieut Webb were killed & 2 other officers were
wounded Dreyer, who was talking to them at
the time, didn't get a scratch. Hal acted as
B C 6 gun bty for 8 months as capt & then had
his majority dated back. Dreyer who had not been
in charge of a bty for longer than a month had his
majority dated back to the same time. He recently
got the D S O xxxxxxxx Ah well, I'd sooner
have a rough time all along with good luck
at the finish (return safely & whole to Aus)
than have good luck for a long time &
then a sudden finish as in Dreyer's case.
Lieuts Johnstone & Cameron of 113th Bty & Hopkins
& WIlliamson (wounded by an aeroplane bomb
at Franvilliers) are also in this hospital.
I am not to go before the medical board
tomorrow. Today it was suddenly demanded
to take an X ray photo of my spine & on
going to the X ray room this morning I
was told to go there tomorrow at 10 a.m.
i don't think the plate will shew any
damage to my spine - it is the nerves &
muscles that have been hurt - one good
thing there are no symptoms of paralysis.
Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie
Capt C.E. Gatliff
5th Aus Div Arty
No 24
3rd London General Hospital
Wandsworth
London S W
18.8.18
Dear Father & Mother,
tomorrow will be for me the day of days - I
will then know whether I am returning to
Australia or not. As my brigade M.O., the A.D.M.S.
division & the A.I.F. Standing medical board in
France have all certified that I am unfit for
general service & recommend that I be returned to
Australia & my C.O., the CRA (div arty commander) &
G.O.C. division (Col Caddy, Brig Gen Bissell-Brown, &
Maj Gen Hobbs) have all also recommended that I
be granted leave to Australia I don't see how
the medical board in England can do otherwise
than send me home. One thing I am looking
forward to, if I return, is making a glutton of
myself on fruit. Altho this is the fruit season
here just is as dear as in ordinary off seasons.
first because the stone fruit & apple crops have been
a total failure, & second, because the little fresh
fruit that is being gathered is required for jam-
making for the arriving strawberries when they
were in were xx only allowed to be sold on
Saturdays - then you couldn't buy cream to eatwith
them. Gooseberries were not allowed to be picked
before June 1st. A few green apples are for sale in
shops from 1/- to 2/6 lb & poor ones at that. Grapes
2/6 to 4/6 lb & blackberries, which of course grow
wild, are fetching 1/6 a lb. Rock melons cost 6/6
tinned fruit is also dear-3/9 for a tin of pears.
No.24 3 18.8.18
On Thursday morning I had an Xray photo taken
of xxxx my back which I have since learnt showed
the spine to be uninjured. In the afternoon I
went to see the Gasquoines at Turnham Green
They were all well - the baby is a bonnie little
girl 5 weeks old. I stayed there for dinner &
left at 8.30 p.m as I had to be in by 10 p.m.
Yesterday afternoon I went to a matinee of
Chu.Chin Chow at His Majesty's Theatre. It was
excellent. I saw it when I was on leave
last January, but since then the costumes
(which are gorgeous) have been changed & new
scenes & characters added. In Jan I saw Oscar
Asche but not Lily Brayton - yesterday Lily
Brayton was in the cast but not Oscar Asche.
The girl bus-conductors went on strike yesterday
for equal work equal pay as men. Only a few
of the bus routes were affected, No 77. the
one from the hospital is Charing Cross of course
being one. However, Clapham Junction station is
only about 15 mins & a tram route 10 mins walk
from here so I was not stranded. In ordinary
times it is always a rush & a crush to get
on the busses as so many of them have
been commandeered for service in Frane
Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie
Capt C E Gatliff
5th Aus Div Arty
No. 25 20.8.18
Premier Hotel
Russell Square
London W.C.1
Dear Father & Mother,
You will see by above address that I have
been discharged from hospital. I went before the
medical board on Monday morning. They said
that I had received no permanent injury & that
I was suffering from neurosis of the spine which
was accentuated by varicose veins & my wanting
to return to my family. My papers were referred
to Serg Gen Howse & he marked them "Australia".
I suppose by the time I reach Australia & go
before a board there I will be fit for active service
again. All I want is a good rest for my legs & back
(which I will get during the long sea voyage) &
to see you all again, especially my little daughter
then I will feel fit to carry on till the end of
the war. It is three weeks since I left the
line but so far I have not heard from either Hal
or Ian. I have been granted leave until I am
recalled which is generally 12 hours before embarkation
I don't think I will sail for another fortnight
yet. Anyhow, I hope to reach Australia not long
after this letter. I am hoping that I will
go by way of the Panama Canal which would
be both interesting & new to me - I don't want
to do the Cape route but still I would put
up with it to get back HOME.
Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie
THE AUSTRALASIAN OFFICERS' CLUB
No. 26 138 PICCADILY.
LONDON. W.1
Dear Father & Mother, August 29th 1918
A few days ago I called at the Aus Base P.O & received
a nice budget of home letters dated as follows - Mater (4) 29.5.18
5, 17 & 23.6.18, Pater (1) 4.6.18, Lil (3) 23.5.18, 1 & 13.6.18, Ern (2) 2 & 16.6.18,
Wilf (1) 24.6.18 & also one from Aunt Fanny & one from Lieut McMullin's
sister. I am staying in London (at the Premier Hotel) one reason being
after my recent 3 months over here, I have no friends to go touring & another reason is that I am liable to re recalled at a few hours' notice - I
believe the boat I am to go to Australia in sails next week (am I down-
hearted? NO!) I will be mighty glad to get away from here - we used
to think the Egyptians, & then the French, were out to rob us, but the
London shopkeepers are the worst of the lot. I never go into a shop to
buy anything unless I see the article priced in the window first. Tinnies
which cost last year £4.4 & £4.10 now cost £6.10 & £7.7. Other articles have also gone up I don't blame certain classes at set wages striking for more money. We have just had settled a strike of the bus conductors & conductresses & now the metropolitan police have gone on strike. The people are all on the side of the strikers - & so am I. These two strikes are very different from the strikes of coalminers, ship yard employees & munition workers who can earn by money by doing piece work - & yet want more. The bus conductresses & the police are only claiming a fair living wage - the former got it & the latter will also get it. It is a shame & reflects great discredit on the authorities that the police, of all people, should have to come out on strike to receive recognition of their just claims. It speaks well for the way that the police have regulated
the enormous London street traffic in the past, that now it is practically
regulating itself. The British & French armies have increased the pay of their soldiers- I wonder whether Australia will. Money is only worth here half what it was a couple of years ago. I know my 12/6 a day doesn't go as far now as my 8/- a day did then.
Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie
THE ROYAL CLUB FOR OFFICERS
BEYOND THE SEAS,
AT THE ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB,
PALL MALL. LONDON. S.W.1.
No.27 3.9.18
Dear Father & Mother,
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet
Capt Peter Redmond of 54th Bty on Russell Square
Tube station. He was just over on leave from France
& had seen Hal the day he left the line so was
able to give me the latest news - Hal, the beggar,
hasn't written me since I left, not even to wish
me Godspeed & a safe voyage. Hal is quite O.K. &
our artillery casualities have been extremely light
considering the brilliant work our lads have
been doing for the last month. A couple of days
ago I happened to be at Victoria station when a
leave train was expected in so I waited to see
if I knew any of the "leave-birds". I was rewarded
by meeting two of my old 51st gunners - they told me
they left our lads pushing on for Peronne, which
by the way, I have since noticed in the papers
that the Australians have captured. Altho' I says
it as shouldn't I think the Australians have the
best record of any British troops in this war - they
are equal to. if not better than, the crack Guards &
Scottish regiments. The pity of it is the "heads" wasted
a lot of our men by keeping us in the line as
2
ordinary troops in quiet times, thus puttering away a lot
of our strength, as well as using us for all we are
worth whenever there is a push. We ought to
be kept in reserve solely as storm-troops like
the Germans do with their best fighters. Our army
would not then waste some of its best fighters &
our men would not then have the cause for
complaint (as they have now) that they never, or
very seldom, get out of the line for a decent rest.
Owing to the money shortage & the high cost of living
I am taking things very quietly. I have got on to
a good "Wheeze" - whenever I want an evening's amusement
I go to one of the suburban theatres - there are 2
or 3 shows in every suburb within a 2' or 3' ride from
here. I saw "Three Weeks" at Richmond 1/10 stalls including
tax, "Chinese Honeymoon", comedy, at Clapham
2/4 stalls including booking & tax, "Here & There", revue, at
Clapham, 1/7 dress circle including booking & tax. The
companies are all good as often it is the same company
that played the same piece at the West End theatre.
The latter charge 10/6 12/6 & £1.1 for stalls & dress circle &
being an officer, & a captain at that, if I go there I am
expected to book the best seats. I would have bought
a suit of mufti for more reasons than one only the
robbers want at the lowest £8.8 for a decent suit.
Fond love to all
Your loving son
Charlie
1DRL309/2
THE AUSTRALASIAN OFFICERS' CLUB.
No. 28 138 PICCADILLY.
LONDON, W.1.
Dear Father & Mother, September 6th 1918
I have received another Australian mail comprised of a letter
from Lil dated 28.6.18, one from Mater 30.6.18 & one from Pater 1.7.18
The police strike only lasted a couple of days. As soon as the men
stated their case to Lloyd-George their requests were granted. The
Commissioner of Police was also summarily dismissed from office for
not redressing the men's grievances before it got to the stage of having to go out on strike. I have been several times to the Gasquoines' - the last time was on Sunday when I went to say "Goodbye" as they were going to Hastings for a month's holiday on Tuesday. I used to like playing with their kiddies- the latest arrival, Sheila, is 8 weeks old - is a bonnie little thing, Ray, the boy, aged 5 used to be a sickly youngster but is now growing sturdier but the one I liked best was little Margaret aged three - she was as lively as a cricket. I used to think of my own little Dorothy who soon, thank goodness, I will have the great joy of again seeing. I am wondering whether with all the Gatliffs & Willders to love & make a fuss over her, as you all say she is so loveable. I will find her at all spoilt. I sincerely hope not for I do not like anybody that is spoilt or conceited. I don't care much for pictures but on Saturday I went to the Stoll Picture House in Kingsway, which is the
continuation of Southampton Row where the Premier Hotel is. I went principally to see the inside of the building which was built at great cost as the London Opera House. Grand opera didn't pay so Stoll tried variety shows, that didn't pay so now he is running a continuous picture show there with a vocalist singing between the picture turns. Needless to say the interior is very fine nearly every day I meet somebody I know as I was coming out of this club. The other day I met old Alf Scarlett, an ex-actor who went thro the L.H. Officers school
with me. He eventually arrived in England as an Infantry Refts officer &
after staying here a few months was sent back to Australia (without even seeing the Front) as medically unfit & was discharged. He was then given the job of taking 80 station reservists from Australia to Italy. He had a good trip. He came through the Panama Canal, stayed for 10 days in New York was for seven days here & then went thro' France to Italy where he handed over his men & stayed for 4 days. Now he is on leave here waiting until he gets on a boat for Australia. That sort of job would do me "for the duration".
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