Lieutenant Colonel William McKenzie, MC, OBE - letters - 1917 - Part 8

 

POST OFFICE TELEGRAPHS.
OHMS Buckingham Palace   

Handed in at} 615p  

Received here at} 717p

TO Rev. William McKenzie 28 Pembury Rd

Clapton

Your attendance is required at
Buckingham Palace on Wednesday next
the 13^th inst at 10.15
am Service dress regret that
no one except those to
be invested can be admitted
 

 

POST OFFICE TELEGRAPHS.
to the palace  please telegraph

acknowledgement

Lord Chamberlain London

 

London

13/12/17

Dearest Muma

Just a line

to say Im now in London
safe & sound waiting for

a Transport to hie me

off to Aust & home sweet 

home. I got over 10

days ago & immediately

set out for Scotland

& returned from there

this morning.  I had a 
great round of visits

& quite a good time in
general.

Capt Miriam Booth died

suddenly last week &

is being buried today

I am attending the 

funeral.
I do not know from

what port I will sail

or when I depart.
Will only get  a few hours

notice to get up & get.

I am anxiously looking

forward to Home & seeing

 

London

29/12/17

My Dearest

Just a few lines
to let you know that I am
still on top, doing all right
& sick to death of 'cooling

my heels' in & around
London. I am doing some

Hospital visitation among
the Austn boys as also
some specialline. Unsworth

is in the Hospital & has
undergone an operation
(successful) He has had
a month there now & should
be about set up in 5 more
weeks. Two daughters stay

where I am at Clapton
(eldest & youngest) 29 & 18yrs
I was at Sheffield last weekend

& had a 'ripping' time.

shook up the Yorkies some
I trav the 180 miles in 4½
hours on Satdy did a
lecturette that night, a
special talk on Sun aftn

& another (Gallipoli) on

2
Monday night - fine crowds
& they relished things some
I visited  Joe Birkenshaw's
Mother & family  hunted
up a drunk, visited the 
slum sister's, the women's
social home, the Men's Home,

had tea with the Officers

(6) gave the girls a talk

looked up the soldiers in
the Hospital & returned
to London per train 11.35 pm

Xmas Eve, reaching St Pancras
Rly Stn 5 A.M.  & had to walk

from there to Clapton on 
Xmas morning, no conveyances
running until late.
I spent the most of Boxing
Day in bed.  I was fagged out.

I am doing Clapton Congress
Hall tomorrow & Birmingham
the following weekend.

With two days with God to
follow.  So I'm not resting.

I may say that I am boarding

with Adjt Thomson as

before - There are 7 other lodgers

one man the others females

a Lt Col & Brigdr.

 

3

I hope everything is going
well with you & the children

I expected just to be nearing

Aust by now but it seems
as if I wont get away from
here for some weeks yet.

and it is just purgatory to 

hang on here.  Anyhow, I
hope I will soon get a
move on & land at Melb
before I expect to do at

present, when I trust I
will find you & all the

others in the best of form

in every way, as I  am
happy to say I am.
I had a very quiet Xmas, 
the cold so  severe & one

longs for the sunshine. 
I am wondering how they

all figured at school exams.
However I must wait to learn

results. Meanwhile I must
close with fondest love

Hugs & Kisses to all.

Yours as ever

Father

2
I also learn with much satisfaction
that Don & Colin
has gone to Swan Hill to

Sellick's to work for the

holidays.  I guess they will
be O.K. & do good service.

They will at least earn a 

bit to help things along &
pay for their holiday &

clothes.  Where is Gordon

in the scheme of things

You make no mention of
him. It is good to learn
that he is eagerly anticipating
his sojourn at
the Grammar school
where I hope he will apply

himself to some purpose!

I note all Your remarks
re meeting prices of books
& other goods. It is so 
everywhere. Bread is 11^d

in  London (4lbs) &  war

bread at that, meat is
dearer by a long chalk
than in Aust. Eggs 4/6
a doz, Butter 2/6, apples 7^d

a lb. Potatoes ₤14 a ton &

carrots from 2^d to 4^d each-

Believe me you live cheaper in
Aust than in London at

present - It is a fearful prospect

the next 6 months.

I am kept awfully busy at
present, tho' keeping fairly
well despite the unprecedented

weather. I have  a bad cough
& a sore throat still - 

However, we have to be thankful

it is no worse, tho' I 
assure you my darling the 

present conditions are indeed

very trying to us all. However
another 5 weeks and

spring will be with us. More

rain, more mud & more misery

for 12 weeks.  'A big Strafe'
a mighty push & the war

will collapse in less than
6 months from now. Probably

by June. Anyhow it cannot

go on much longer, as we
are on the final lap.

4

Tho' I do not expect to be home

for next Xmas - probably Feby

or March- There will be so

much clearing up to do. Our

1^st Divisn will only be the 1^st

to return - At least I should

think so. As you say it will

be a glad day, & I'll hail it

with unbounded joy as I know

full well that you will also.  

I cannot understand why

you were so long without

letters as I have tried to

write for every mail - It

may be that it went astray

or were delayed. I well

know your deep anxiety for

my welfare & thus I strive

to keep you regularly posted

I  guess you have had lots of

letters once you wrote at Xmas.

I'll be anxious to learn of

your holiday trip to Tassy.

Meanwhile, rest assured that

I am well, happy & busy

and striving to do my best

5

The canteen goes well, the

Band improves rapidly

some projects make

fine headway.

Hope this finds you

with the children in the

best of form & each

striving to do their

part in the great scheme

of life

May God graciously help

bless guide & keep you

all. Yours as ever

Father.

xoxoxoxo

Greetings to all Comrades