Mixed papers relating to the service of James William Albert Simpson - Part 13

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write and write on for ages. I just imagine what we should 

have to talk about if you could drop in here some of these 

evenings.  I could sit in the arm chair and you could sit on

one of the arms - the king of the indoor sports world be first 

favourite.  Since I last wrote to you I have been on leave 

twice and each time I had an interesting and pleasant

time.  I left camp on the Saturday night and went into 

Salisbury and took up my headquarters at the White Hart

Hotel.  During Saturday the daughter of the people I know 

in Salisbury (Nell Thornburrow) was married. I sent her 

a wire and on Sunday when I went to their place I was

presented with a box of wedding cake and a little card.

Pearce and I ate the wedding cake but I am forwarding

the Card on to you.  She is a sister of Gladys Thornburrow

who I told you about before.  Gladys Thornburrows' fiancee 

was killed in this last push and the poor girl is just 

heartbroken about it all.  She told me all about it when

I was in this time and I think she is a little Briton the 

way she sticks it . Her boys' body was found by a New

Zealand captain in some captured German Trenches.  He 

buried the body, but before doing so he took the personal 

belongings off it and forwarded them to Miss Thornburrow

with a most beautiful letter.  The belongings came just

 

 

before I went there and naturally all were greatly upset.

They consisted of a little wallet containing a photograph of each 

of them - a letter partly written to the girl, and the last 

letter the boy had received from his fiancee.  Mrs Thornburrow 

is and invalid suffering just as your mother was and Gladys 

is  the same ministering angel that you were at 

Chesterton.  On Sunday morning I went to church with 

Mrs Nelliwell senior and Miss Thornburrow  - it was my first 

visit inside a Church for many a long day and the 

history of the wonderful old Church coupled with the 

beautiful singing gave one food for thought.  I went

back to the pub for lunch and wrote a letter to Bob.  In the

 afternoon I went down to M^cGuires and had afternoon 

tea and a sing - song until dinner time when I returned 

to the pub.  Rosy and Linklater were at M^cGuires, as 

Rosy was commencing his leave.  Whilst having dinner 

I received a message to return to Camp on Monday evening

having been recalled from leave these days before my time.

The wire stated that further leave would be given to me.

Colonel Morshead was recalled from London also, so we had 

to attend an important conference with General Monash

relating to work in France etc.  Rosy and I went to 

Bournemouth on the sea, Thirty miles from Salisbury.The drive

in the car was beautiful and the hotel we stayed 

at for lunch and afternoon tea was the grandest

I have ever seen. The best hotels in London are

not in it. There were a great many people staying there

and Rosy was likely to have a good old time. I have

not seen him since he returned but I heard he

stayed his full time there. I returned to Salisbury and then

on to camp. Major White and I had managed for our leave

together as there was nobody in my own Battalion that I 

could go away with - it does not do to fraternise with any

special officer in one's own Battalion and most of my

officers are quite new to me. Major White going to his

wife's people's place at Tunbridge Wells and I was to meet 

him in London, to do town together. I told him we two 

old married pots would have gone the pace for a couple

of days, and then I should have written home all about

it to his wife. My being recalled put the acid on our

trip, and Major White had to go alone. I asked him

last night whether his virginity was broken at all

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whilst he was away without  my supervising eye but he 

assured me everything was quite alright. Pearce went away

on leave about the same time and he has had a bad

back ever since he returned. Pearce lived married for 

the four days he was in London, but although he was

not good, he was careful. When I returned to Camp there

was a hell of a lot of work to attend to - one could hardly

realise it could so accumulate. Cooke Russel is a 

regular old soldier and he will not let himself  in for

anything at all. I attended at night on Sunday and

Wednesday the two conferences of all Commanding Officers and

General Monash was really a treat to listen to. There are

many officers one meets at theses conferences and I am

well known as most of them on account of my youth. It

is quite strange  when in any of the towns to have grey-haired

old majors springing up to the salute when I walk in - I 

do wish sometimes Gay to have you proudly walking beside 

me. I am a regular little white-haired boy with the

two families in Salisbury and they have been wonderfully

good to me- one has to keep very level headed or I

should be wanting a larger sized hat, but I always

utter my old expression "There is no stinking pride about

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me. Wednesday and Thursday I devoted to fixing up the

interior economy of my Battalions preparatory to spending 

the reminder of my leave. On Thursday, my birthday - I 

received one letter from Salisbury wishing me many 

Happy Returns off the day and all kinds of good wishes -

it was the only notification of my Birthday although all 

the good wishes of little bids and your on dear self 

came on Wednesday. A card also came from Mr. Duncan

I shall go over to see him one of these afternoons - he 

is with a pioneer battalion somewhere. I had heard

that thousands of reinforcements were arriving at

Fovent about twenty miles from here so on Friday

last the first day of my second leave I went down

there in a Car and had a search for Hory. I saw

the Adjutant of the whole Camp and told him

to keep a look out for him - telling him he

ought to be a good clerk. He said he had no

staff at present and he would watch for Hory

and do what he could for him. I suppose I shall

have left for France before he arrives although

four last letter said he had left Australia - troops

normally make eight or nine weeks on a transport

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to reach England. If I had been in command of the 33^rd

Battalion I could easily have found a job for Hory in

the clerking line - here we are full up, although a 

good sergeant or two would do no harm. On Saturday

I had the best day I have had in England. I asked

the Thornburrows to come up to London with me to

witness an Australian match on Queen's Park Kensington.

We left Salisbury by train at 9.35 and reached London

at 11: I at once booked seats for the match and

went to my old haunt the Grosvenor for lunch.

After dinner it took me back to those dear old days when

we used to go off to the Football matches in Geelong. I told 

the girls all about them and how excited you used to get. 

By the time we got to the ground they were quite worked 

up to concert  pitch and it was such a pleasure to me 

to take them because they were so appreciative. For the 

time Gladys seem to forget all about her troubles

although when a load of wounded Australians arrived on

the ground she got the pip  for a while. I introduced them

to many Australians that I know and they seemed astounded

that we should come so far and yet know so many. When

they walk down the street of their own Salisbury

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they would not see as many people they know as I did

when going about London. When the two teams came out 

on the ground it was nearly too much for me. I said how 

it took me back and I just wondered when the next 

time would be that I should see a football match in 

Australia. When I saw Billy Burchard, Ern Armstrong, 

Percy Trotter,  Carl Willis, Jack Brake and a number

of old familiar faces on the field it made me think.

The brains and brawn of Australia were on that field

and around the fence - all in khaki and if ever I

felt proud to be Australian it was during the progress

of the match. Our fellows were simply  magnificent

and played beautiful football. There were hundreds

of cameras taking their photographs but I have not

been able to get any papers with the photos in. We had 

to leave the match a little before time as the train for

Salisbury was going back early. I finished up the day

by having a sing-song. On Sunday it was a very

wet day but I had promised to go to Lyndhurst so

journeyed off there. I got you a spoon of Lyndhurst also

one of Bournemouth and I shall send them along

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later. When I returned from Lyndhurst I went out to  

Camp - it was a bitter, bleak, wet night and we

are experiencing now the true English winter weather.

I am sending along with this letter an invitation to dinner 

also a Wedding Card - and a post-card of Lyndhurst.

These things will be most interesting to talk about when 

we are in Home Sweet Home together. I had a surprise 

visit from dear old Colonel Burrage yesterday and it 

was just like meeting Sir to me. General Monash came 

around with him. I showed him all over my camp -

he was so genuinely pleased to know I had a battalion 

and said he wished we were together again. When he 

said goodbye to me the tears came in his eyes as 

he remarked "Come back my boy. He waved to me

right until his car was out of sight. I have just come

in Gay wet through to the skin- we have been out to

the trenches to watch a mine explode, and the weather

is something awful. There is a half holiday this afternoon

but we are firing on the range tonight. When I landed

at dinner there were three real Australian ladies for 

lunch. Mrs Floyd - Major Floyd's wife - Mrs Taughan 

Major Taughan's wife, and another Mrs Bolton wife of

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somebody in the artillery. It brightened up the mess  for

once, but it made most  of the married officers sad-sometimes

I would give my everything for you and little Did to 

be here - then I think how miserable it would be for you

when I went to France - you would have no friends here

 and you would be losing touch with your few nice

friends in Australia and it would mean dear

that when this show is over we should have to make

a fresh start. Well Gra think you have got all the

news for this time but I shall try and get another 

letter via America with the next mail. Many thanks

for your little parcel - may we all be together 

for my next birthday. Best love and kisses

for dear little Diddy and your own dear

self from

Your loving husband

Jim

Thank Sir for his two long letters and I do hope

he is keeping better. The end of the school year

will be near when this reaches you - see and

have a really good holiday  Gay - I wish I were

with you.

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

No Stamps available

Mrs G. Simpson

Grammar School

Albury

New South Wales

Australia

 

J. Simpson

A.I.F.