Lieutenant Colonel William McKenzie, MC, OBE - letters - 1917 - Part 1

France

6/1/1917

My Darling Wife

I have not yet

received the Xmas 'Billy' Box

or parcel nor did I receive

any letters by the two latest

Austn Mails from you posted

from Melbourne Oct Nov 5, & 14

I had them from others in

Melbourne & Sydney these dates

They likely have gone astray.

I am glad to say that I am

keeping all right so far, tho'

passing thro' some lively shelling

experiences this week. In fact

a big shell just landed with a

terrific burst a very short distance

from where I write this & a 

sheet of canvas is all I have

over my head to keep the rain

out so it wouldn't even stop

a small splinter. A small

High explosive shell landed at

our Battln H'Qrts dugout

2 days ago Killing ten and

wounding 7 others - 17 in one

hit - at least two of the wounded

will die, may be others. I buried

the ten in one long grave, side by 

side they lay - at rest from the

'strafs’. I had a lively time coming

down from the burial as shells

kept exploding near me for a

mile of the journey. I was

alone so I whistled & sang all

the way just to keep up my

spirits. One of our generals got

his horse blown from under

him the other day by a shell

The general was unwounded but

he is in bed at present. Tho' nearly

right again. A narrow squeak.

My Brigade is at present in

the Trenches & will be coming

out in the next few days and

moving back for 3 or nearly 4

weeks, so I'll have a chance to

3

hold some meetings then.

Orames is at present on leave in

London & will likely return

about the 15^th or thereabouts.

Geo' Glover is keeping all right.

Grindlay has had next to nothing

to do for 18 days save eat & sleep

as he is in Albert guarding

my store goods with a lot of

other men. His time will come

within the next 6 days or so.

& continue for some 3 weeks.

with the Canteen. I cannot

run it while in the trenches.

I hope you are doing well &

struggling along bravely having

a real good time on the

whole, evidently you have

had quite a lot more rain

again. I notice Q'land is

having big floods once

more with rather disastrous

consequences.

 4

I hope you have invested a £100

xxxmore in the new War Loan

I notice it does not mature until

1925, hence only place ₤100 there.

You could place (as I said before)

₤100 in The Property Fund at H.Q.

in Mavis' name - See Brigadier Burtrand

& he will fix it up for you.

You will get ₤5 per hundred interest

in this and you can withdraw

the Cash at any time on notice.

so place it there by & on April 1^st

next. ₤100 in Mavis' name.

The war of course goes on & is

likely to do so for 6 or 9 more

months yet despite all the

peace talk that is indulged in.

From April to Sept will be deadly

practically 6 desperate months

when the slaughter will surpass

all that has passed within the

compass of the war. The new

engines of destruction are fearful
& millions will perish.

5

still there is no present hope other

wise at the moment. I guess

this year's end will about

see it 'blown out', tho' many

think it will continue for two

more years. It depends on the

desperation of the British methods,

in the new 'push.'

Write please let me know what has

happened to Donald, when & what

he has tackled as work. How

Colin is doing at his tasks & if

Gordon has gone to the Grammar

schools. How are the fowls doing?

have you been raising young stock

Have you a vegetable garden ? etc

I must now conclude with the best

of love to all. Hugs & Kisses

galore

May God richly bless help & keep

you. Your affectly as ever

Father

France
17/1/1917

My Darling Mama

I am pleased to

be able to write you again &

let you know that I am doing

all right,  tho' fearful busy. We

are at present in a French

village in billets but of course

will be moving up to the trenches

within 6 or 7 more days, at

present I am running the new

Brass band the canteen, a hot

cocoa joint besides meetings

& Concerts thus I have little

time for anything else. I gave

the band 5 hours practise yesterdy

& as a result I had a bad night

& day today tho' I gave them another

4½ hours again this morning.

My head is just about lifting off.

However I'll get over it all right

I have Grindley & two others assisting

I am also running a recreation

Hall meeting, writing etc. It is

a big old barn brought into use

2

There is little news to write about

Just the same old game, exciting

enough but one even gets tired

of exciting experiences. We are now

preparing for a wild & wonderful

'Go' within the next 3 months so that

we may score a bit ere the Germans

be in over here. I hope we have

a big success. The Germans are

certainly working the peace idea

for all they are worth - Thus they

are in a real bad way & they

others much worse, Austria and

Bulgaria in particular. Austria

very badly wants peace to save

her people many are now dying 

& by April it will be worse. This

final & desperate struggle will be

hard to endure. However we have

got to stiffen our hearts & keep at it.

I got no letter from you by the

last mail, evidently it has miscarried 
& I'll likely get it

later on.

3

I hope you with the children

are doing all right & enjoying

bright sunshine & a good

supply of vegetables & other good cheap

things such as apples. The S.A.

Officers at Pakenham Old Men's 

Home will deliver cases of apples

to you you wonderfully cheap. They

were doing it for 2/- a case.

I ordered a Bonnet for you

early in December. I guess you've

now got it. Please send me your

measurements for a Uniform

& I'll have it made & sent over for

you. A sent Mavis a shield and

you 3 lots of crests etc.

I conclude with best love

warmest greetings & Hugs & Kisses

May god richly bless you all.

I am

Yours as ever

Father

France
30/1/1917
My Darling Muma
I got your
letter of Dec 10^th in which you
had just got over your U.K.
Annual with Col Fredrick
as special, who gave fine address
& so you had a successful time
tho' having a bad head after
it you will evidently have to
give up Y.P Sergt Majorship later
on when I get back. No doubt
you'll be shifting also before
I am home many weeks. I guess
I will be moved to Sydney seeing
"Birdy" is not yet shifting. It is
evidently being kept for me.
I note that 'Don' has an exam
in Feby after which he is free
to enlist- Why hesitate longer I 
want him to go & have already
stated he must Go, so you are
freed from all responsibility in
the matter. Have no fears for

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him. The Discipline will help him
He may 'cut the pace' what matters
nursing him at home wont save
him, so 'hedge' no longer- If he
is still at home You take him
to the first recruiting officer
that can be found & insist
on him being put thro' & packed
off to Camp immediately
I do get more than annoyed
at you putting up with his
cheek & morning laziness-
I say here, now & for the
final time, he has to be
cast out & no more
forking or nonsense about it.
The only news I want to hear
of him now is that he has
gone to Camp & left the house
So dont fool me in the
matter any longer.
Here I am suffering untold