Lieutenant Colonel William McKenzie, MC, OBE - letters - 1917 - Part 6

5
& this is where the
Austns shine. We'll
be going forward
within 5 days to
a terrible struggle
I only hope it will
be decisive in
its accumulating
effects & produce
an impasse to
the Germans. It
will take some doing.
and unless it is
done within 10
weeks (by October)
we cannot do
anything until
next year. And
thus it must run
on until Aug
6
next - which will
be a terrible tax,
on everybody. In
money & men.
It will almost be
impossible to live 
after the war for
taxation expenses.
To meet interest
charges on loan.
All must adopt a
simpler form of
living - This is the
only solution possible
avoid expensive
foods & dress in
shabby clothes &
live in small
houses where they
can build with 

7
wattle & daub &
thatch with straw
Breed tame rabbits
for meat & grow
heaps of vegetables
Such methods as
these can help the
poor folks along,
in the country
especially -
Heaps of our men
are disgusted with
the striking Austns
at present and
reckon they should
be dispatched post
haste to the front.
They are selfish
unpatriotic
wretches.
8
I had 3 hours or
so with Ben Orames
on Monday he is
real well & doing
well, tho' like myself
he is somewhat
war weary and
longs for the end
of the struggle
but of course th
successful satisfactory
end & not the
Pope's German ideas
the Kaiser & his
his brood are the
most unscruplous
scheming devils
out of  Hell.
I wish I could
blow up a 100,000 of them

9
I have had no
letter by the Austn
mail delivered
the last 8 days.
It must have been
a supplementary
I have done a great 
amount of enquiry
letters writing within
the last 10 days
or so & the end
is not yet. I am
really tired of
writing so many
letters about death
& destruction
& pouring out
sympathy to
mothers , wives &
sisters etc
10
I have recently
held some real
good services
sports & concerts
&  the men enjoy
these very much.
Now my darling
I hope you are
keeping well &
very busy. You
would I guess be
having some nice
spring weather
& things looking
fresh & beautiful
I also hope the
boys are doing
real well in
every way at
the school.

11
Don I guess will
come out all
right at the end
of the year &
prove his worth
Colin will struggle
on & do well
with the Archetial
Bis- Strange; I
had 18 month's 
with an Archetial
as a boy in
Scotland before
coming to Aust
But I wanted to be
an Engineer.
I wonder what
bent Gordon's
mind & desires
are likely to take
12 
draw what Cash 
you need to see
them thru out of
the Bank. Its quite
unsafe to send more
by post now, but
I have some cash
in London S.A.
Bank, to remit when
safe to do so, so
get the books they need.
I must close with best
of love; Hugs & Kisses
to all, & trusting this
will find you all
in the best of health
etc. May God richly
bless you. Greetings
to all enquirers. 
Yours etc  Father.

France,
Aug 24^th 1917
My Darling Wife,
I received your
letter of June 6^th late yesterday
afternoon & I am glad to
learn there from that you
with all the children are
well & pressing on with
your daily round and
common task which I know
full well to be a trifling
exacting & frequently discouraging
role. However, 
there comes an end to all
these things & I hope by
next Easter that I'll be able
to relieve you of many of
yours & things will run
along a little smoother then &
brighter for you into some
respects & a little more sun
shine come into your path
than has done for the past
3 years or so -

2
I note that you have 
been to the Hawthorn
Citadel where Col. Knight &
Cadets took part & Major
Condon also did a bit
The Major I guess will be
able to tell some very pathetic
stories & touch up the
folks hearts a trifle. I
assure you that Ive seen
so much of the war that
I dont want to talk about
it, but desire to forget all
the bloody carnage and
ghastly conflict. If I feel
as I do now I wont want
to talk about the war in
public on the platforms;
Meanwhile we'll be going to
get other sicknesses until
one is fair fed up with the
whole struggle. Things rarely
ever go as we expect them
to do & thus the situation is
frequently beset with disappointments.

3
I'm glad that all the tickets are
sold for Condun's Meeting
as this will help S.D. Total.
I guess he'll raise quite a bit
for S.D. by his talks. I also
note that you think he will
succeed Major Wilson at Bris
Metropole a very fine easy
job too with heaps of comfort
thrown in - The sort of job I'd
like to have in 7 years time.
& hasn't much worry nor
weariness.
I learned about Cain's difficulty
from the Chief of Staff in a personal
interview in the General's gardens.
I'm sorry for Cain & the S.A. A
good man has made a slip
I do not think he should be
severely dealt with - He merely
hugged & kissed a girls - one
too many - nothing else
happened - and to disrobe a
man for this trivial offence
is to my mind too severe
at his age, what chance has
he any more. This war has
given me much longer and
wider view of human

4
nature & made me much more
tolerant much lett narrow
& less bigoted than I was.
For instance I can see lots
of good in multitudes of Roman
Catholics who are soldiers
here & they fight xx pray and
die as good & heroic as the
best of them at the front.
Indeed these things have made me
take a different view of many
things & remarkable to relate
both Henry & Orames of their
own accounts were eager to
tell me the same thing.
So Pennell's have gone to Sydney
too, I should not like to have
him with us there as it needs
a much more alert & capable
man as a second in Sydney.
He'll get on with J.B. all right
However it looks as if I'll be fixed
for Melbourne & Sharp for Sydney
Birkenshaw for Brisbane may 
be, anyhow time will tell.
I may never get back to home
anything tho' I earnestly hope
to do so, after this long war.

a long letter
France
2/9/17
My Dearest Muma
I have just received 
this aftn your letter dated
June 28th I am more than
pleased to learn all were
real well at time of writing.
Apart from bad teeth & a 
few other ailments occasioned
by the cold wet weather
you were having at the time.
I note also that you were
busy with your sales of
Gifts & perparing hard
for S.A. & trust the Corps
does quite well this year
also showing a new record
I guess it will.
[[?]] Victoria has had quite
a flood again this would
& a considerable harm
but they will soon recover 
from it and if they get a
real good spring & summer
they will have record
crops & plenty of good
feed for stock.

2
We are having terrible 
weather over here. It has
completely spoiled out
present chances of a 
successful offensive.
it has so happened on
several occasions, and
one almost feels that 
the allies are not yet in
a fit state to get the
victory. The elements have

completely defeated us
on at least five occasions
we everything looked so
easy. I wonder why?
Anyhow, it now seems as
if we must spend another
winter in the trenches
as the fighting advancing 
season is well nigh at
an end & the increasing
wet make the ground a bog.