Letters from Robert Mactier VC to his sister Belle Crawford and other papers, c.1912-c.1962 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
AWM2020.22.113
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Drance May or 1915 Dear Bille In not sure if te answered your letters of the mait before this oe if not this well do for the two as another mailcame n yesterday We are now outof the line oth trencte are know bect dont know for low ng e were 60 days withbut taken clothes for a restat rig but for all tat we didst me too bak of a Ill sper I was sheaenghy & od Wells this morning The was telling me he has o letle han this mai he looks well Hor word young fem must by a Eogie ten Id lik to see him I queste a line we man now Hell Belleme had a guat splach in a late rese here the afternoon but you it was cold & app that it was pay sothe trups are in good cheir&
Las: niglt Iwent up to the 22d I sa Don Andy & Billawas the abs so we swoked letters we always do if we are near each other when the mail meogn has been very wa in here thes last fer day teday we marches about sitee ilosiities & the perspeation st steacamed off w Well Bell the nail is ng collects so prowso You affect Bot Mas S
o t a te ance May Li Dear Bell just a letter carst thank you for the parcel o whech you kindly sent me I arrived in lani ord bot t shorttread cake vid Itel som now a re in the ladquateo n te are threeof us wea ntoor a bax etant eite mergaiound womansland Foed ffr this Ball to led you know we rad a golly good feed asons taint so mark friend to slare it with I alssgt a parcet from tome so get to batee thes tima he same & expyers a godimet while seclleg thig Isa quite srefoe can alet of eache h trch acko Catillin Bell Tpt o Kindyby Cawfordall the riknlade allh be remenbered to you ye B Irast conclude as ylact gtting shor ird regredet en Dam & yourself puras
O.H.B. 6Po Crawford Belmont Satury Victori Hasteal
Fmntern May22 Dear 1e & aine fuss tinee not than Yon for your parcel which you ar e De6t Dgitoa Los igh fixe re from dome; our now trome hmnat got a listne with otentan& Ioot thes cam imene & as thee at oner three coenou t the s are will see for awhel Finas tho Frogge ear for very gond in siltens fdiely het her no Bille, we are camped near a rever press now have a splest wee neght so it not sbad is Durigad ada cer aid the other reght our Op reicld he was one t out best bnetore fero7 Imsa ve lost I supper ng fm is as beg a triet asc stll lee sunday s ent sen the Bely Las opt i leat them up as seda a r Dan Fong Swsl a t He would be he mst be a sin little fellow now deco want to got sreve sc telo be sove Lypde ad a 2ol Son Can Clurt toos be too wes o Tto worse back Rosio 4 Bet arn doc P get the
Our ttion ahaving 2 amonning arseoad this aiten moonh te camped besia Fantine lan Iunater are to bis one cos in pur race the oars are over I guess it will b Tuenny, ito more for a jho on anthing Else. Ilave enth Cohnladsor lackby So about o but hopets sonto bautinill ther here on as iesgetting she int ohe summey ip rent gasa Atte pontlite enryis noaa St M BenLowan ou an e De t pa t Onclan histend Gt
F.T 27 5:0 eemt try 30t ✓ pactere gen ao Silton do n sga teday but t fe st but Pig hn Trp. Dres mehes that Ido if Crap her from the gbod Oyon towt After Belle You must to hands full of young fim as faid acas do Hink would be k must tve leoe let on now does wait to got spaoel yet stille me he doze sundar ad a riletion ear ste obo t we swosent G gethe
o118 85 Feanc Jugast 24 Dear Bellejust a Cord on anwerto you setter a gane 23. Durst it was sone recruiting rally when the clerquantister have they L gicki sailed yet eviden the got their backs p over ohe price rece vasiner Wughtly to e tre still wher in were or C time I wrote & our battsley are to have a concert tomagrow right I be weake is chanpet here the land see days expect to sa hi Bokstoniahs Has fruns Barron returned fet Us b about show time whe. ths reacles you sexfeet a good reasontll indst regaart all fouaps
Trymply thy 2821 Say Hr Woching You will no doubt wonde who this lette is frory. And ihofy that it finds you all enjoying the best of health. I often think ofy all and wordy haw you ay all getting on being ony of Roberts best friends bott hey and the other nidg I feel it my duty and the least that I can do to write you a few lines how that ty time is drawing neay. Wher i abovy all times will think of him most That fatal sunday morning and the sirst of eptemb th yeas ago wher 107 sob lost his life It cay moy forget ber. And not a day yo by without ro mention of his nam. by wee of the best heartof My that I kay ey met Apart from his other good qualities Many A Pereef Bob sharef with my and many a pair of wocks byarn to my as a motty of faet Irtilf hey a pee And A match tox lorg made out of Aliminury of ay anroplany I remember by senting him to you hopy you received it, I have never beey able to go and see you all which I would very much like to But being now settled at Mildure they is not much hop of going ony Tature my. Of cours

France

May 3rd 1918

Dear Belle

I'm not sure if I've 

answered your letters of the mail

before this one if not this will do

for the two as another mail came

in yesterday. We are now out of

the line (as the trenches are known

but don't know for how long

we were 60 days without taking

off our clothes for a rest at night

but for all that we didn't have

too bad of a spell spin. I was

speaking to Dick Wells this morning

& he was telling me he had a letter from

Sam this mail he looks well. My

word young Jim must be a rogue

now I'd like to see him. I guess he's

a fine wee man now. Well Belle we

had a great splash in a lake near

here this afternoon but jove it was

cold & after that it was pay so the

troops are in good cheer. 

 

Last night I went up to the 22nd & saw

Don & Andy & Billie was there also so

we swoped letters, we always do if

we are near each other, when the

mail comes in. It has been very

warm here these last few days.

Yesterday we marched about sixteen 

kilometres & the perspiration

just steamed off us.

Well Belle the mail is

being collected so Hooroo

Your affec bro

Bob Mac

 

France

May 13th 18

Dear Belle

Just a letter card to

thank you for the parcel [[Feb 2?]]

which you kindly sent me. It

arrived in champion order both the

shortbread & cake. Did I tell you I'm

now a scout in the headquaters of our

Company there are three of us with a

Cpl & its not a bad stunt either

roaming around no-man's land

I told you this Belle to let you know

we had a jolly good feed as one

hasn't so many friends to share

it with. I also got a parcel from

home so I got tobacco this time all

the same. & enjoying a good smoke

while scribbling this. I saw quite

a lot of local chaps before I came up

the trenches this time. Jack [[?]],

Leo Robbins, Bill [[D?]], Don Kennedy, [[Jack?]]

Crawford & all the Bohn lads all wish

to be remembered to you Well Bell

I must conclude as space is

getting short. Kind regards to

Jim Sam & Yourself Your affec [[?]]

Bob

 

O.A.S

[*FIELD POST OFFICE

17 MY

188*]

Mrs S J Crawford

"Belmont"

Tatura

Victoria

Australia

[*PASSED

BY 

CENSOR

No

4581*]

 

Somewhere in Fr

May 22nd 18

Dear Belle

Just a wee note thank

you for your parcel which you sent

me Feb 2nd I got [[?]] last night five

three from home, yours, & one from [[Jean?]]

Bohn & [[Mrs Mall?]] Got a big one with

eight tins of tobacco & I got this came

in mine & as there are only three

of our Cobbers now as I'm in the scouts

we are well set for a while. Tres

bon, as the Froggie say for very good. Jove

its getting fairly hot here now

Belle, we are camped near a

river just now & have a splash

every night, so its not so bad is

it. Div. brigade had a successful

raid the other night & our Cpl

scout was killed, he was one of

the best Ive met over here & I'm jolly

sorry to have lost him. I suppose

Young Jim is as big a trick as ever

Does he still like Sunday School

Haven't seen the Bohn lads yet

but will look them up as soon as

poss. Will conclude Kind regards

to Sam & Jim & yourself from affec [[?]]

Young Jim

is as hard a case as I think

he would be, he must be a

fine little fellow now. Does

he want to go to school yet

Mam tells me he loves Sundays

I had a note from Joan Chestnut

Mr C hasent be too well Mrs C

has a lot of worry upon her

menfolk hasen't she. How is

Bob's arm Does he get the 

full use of it yet.

 

Our Battalion, are having a

swimming Carnival this afternoon

we are camped beside a

beautifull lake Three mates &

I are to represent our coy in

a pun race the oars are

shovels. I guess it will be

funny. its more for a joke

than anything else. I haven't

seen the Bohn lads or Jack [Cr?]

for about a month but hope to

do so soon. It's beautifull

weather here now as it is getting

well into the summer ye ken!

I had a letter from Lillie [[?]]

& Uncle Henry is not at all

well. Well Belle how are

all the folk around

Tatura Saw Geo Robbins & he was

asking kindly after Sam & Jim

Will have to conclude

Trusting this finds you

absolutely in the best of health. [[?]]

Sam & Jim. Your aff bro Bob.

 

O.A.S.

[*FIELD POST OFFICE

24 MY

18

188*]

Mrs S J Crawford

"Belmont"

Tatura

Victoria

Australia

[*PASSED

BY 

CENSOR

No

4581*]

Somewhere in France

May 29th  18

Dear Belle

I have just [[?]]

wrote it. [[?]] so I'll [[try?]]

[[that?]] I can do for you. I got

some mail yesterday but none

[[from?]] you [[with?]] it but I'll get

[[?]] one of these days. I never

[[?]] a mail, but that I dont

[[?]] or two [[craps?]] more from you

[[?]] jolly good of you to write

so often, Belle You must have

your hands full if young Jim

is as hard a case as I think

he would be, he must be a

fine little fellow now, does

he want to go to school yet.

Mam tells me he loves Sundays

I had a note from Joan Chestnut

Mr C hasent be too well Mrs C

has a lot of worry upon her

menfolk hasen't she. How is

Bob's arm Does he get the 

full use of it yet.

 

O.A.S

Mrs. S.J. Crawford

"Belmont"

France

August 24th

Dear Belle

Just a card in

answer to your letter of June.

23rd. Sure! it was some

recruiting rally when the

clergy enlisted have they

sailed yet The cockies

evidently got their backs

up over the price fixing

business & rightly too. We

are still where we were the last

time I wrote & our battalion

are to have a concert

tomorrow night. The weather

is champion here the last

few days. Expect to see Bill

Bohn tonight. Has Young Jim

Barron returned yet. It will

be about show time when

this reaches you I expect

is it a good season Belle

Kindest regards to all Your affec B

 

O.A.S.

Mrs S.J. Crawford

"Belmont"

France June 26th 18

Dear Belle

Just a line to let you see I'm

still AI. I had some mail from home but

none from you, but they told me from home

you had not been well. I sincerely hope

you are your old self again long ere this

Belle. We have been having a bit of a spell

from the trenches for a few days & I have

been looking up mates in the other Batts

Saw Billie & Don Bohn but not Andy as he

has been wounded again & Don had a letter

from him to say he was in Blighty. Don

said he was not severely wounded, so its

not too bad for him for a spell. I also saw

Jack Crawford yesterday at some sports

we had. he is looking well & doing well too.

I saw Billie Hunter in the pioneers & Don

Kennedy also saw Mr Jenkins / Nellie Campbells

husband but was not speaking to him as

I never knew him much in civil life. By

the was I was speaking to Dick Wells too

yesterday he's quite well & wishes to be

remembered to Sam & Jim & Yourself, this

was at the sports & then we came back

to our dug outs after tea. Billie Poole

& Arthur Spence came to see me It

was as well they did because I wouldnt

know where to find them as I didnt

know their address. Well Belle I must

close as space is scarce. My regards

to Sam Jim & Yourself Your bro Bob

 

Irymple

Aug 28-21

Dear Mrs Mactier

You will no doubt wonder who this

letter is from. And hope that it finds you all

injoying the best of health. I often think of you

all, and wonder now you are all getting on.

being one of Roberts best friends, both here and

the other side. I feel it is my duty and the least

that I can do. To write you a few lines

now that the time is drawing near. When we

above all times will think of him most.

That fatal Sunday morning and the first of

September three years ago when. [[poor?]] Bob lost his

life. I can never forget him. And not a day goes

by without some mention of his name. he was one

of the best hearted men that I have ever met. Apart

from his other good qualities, many a parcel Bob

shared with me. And many a pair of socks he gave

to me. As a matter of fact I still have a pair.

And a match box cover made out of aluminum of an

Airoplane. I remember he sent one home to you I

hope you received it. I have never been able to go

and see you all, which I would very much like

to. But being now settled at Mildura there is not

much hope of going over Tatura way. of course

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