Mixed papers relating to the service of James William Albert Simpson - Part 15

6-12-16
"Somewhere in France"
Wednesday Evening,
My dear old Gay,
Here I am on the old
game again in my dug-out behind the
firing line. I took over the line yesterday
and have spent most of my time going over
the ground to get the lie of the country. It
is about eleven o'clock now and there is
the continual zip zip of the sniper and
the whirl of machine gun but otherwise
things are quiet. There was a good old
Bosch strafe this morning, but only a
few casualties. I spent four hours up
in the front lines this morning having a
look over the parapet and getting the
lie of the land. A good old Australian
Mail came in the night before last
 

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one of your parcels containing the socks and
handkerchiefs from McIntoshes, Florrie
Wilkinson, Dorothy Barry etc. I gave them
to the headquarters orderlies, also one
or two things to my interpreter who is
going to write to Florrie Wilkinson in
French. she will have to get Sir
to decipher it for her. Your papers and
magazines arrived but I have not had
much time to deal with them yet - it
is my watch till twelve so I can get
a few minutes for writing if the
Bosch leaves us alone. I have the
runner standing at my dugout door and
he brings warning from the phone in
case of gas-alarm or attack - I sleep
pretty well through it all though
which shows I am in good health.
Shells have burst in dozens about me
but they have not affected my nerves
yet. I had four men buried today
with one shell but they are pretty
right - one fellow took an hour to
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dig out. I heard some good yarns tonight
our boc is a regular seed, and he and
I are good chums - in fact the Headquarters
mess is a dashed happy one. I had a
letter from Sister Winter yesterday but she
did not mention your parcel - little does
she know how jolly close I am to her.
There is so very little Gay to write about
as the censorship is very strict at present.
We have no Field Post Office attached to
our Division at present so I have to
trust to English officers to post my
letters with their post offices. There are
rats and mice in thousands in these
trenches - it wants the Pied Piper of Hamlin
here. I suppose when this letter reaches
you - you will be in the middle of your
Xmas holidays. Would that I were with
you and dear little Did down at
Scamander in Tasmania or up at
Lightning Creek. Ye gods one will be
glad when this show is over. I would not
care so much if you were only in
England - not as a visitor, but that
 

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it was your home - Australia seems such
a distance away. Just a fortnight since
we arrived here but it seems a lifetime.
If I get any spare time I shall
drop a few lines to the girls who sent
those gifts but you must thank them
for me - Socks are a great problem
for the men here, although we send
them from the trenches each day to
be washed at Divisional baths. I
have my horse here in billets and rode
him to the mouth of the trenches when
coming in - he is quite used to shell
fire now. My dear old Gay I do not
think there is much more this time but
it is only two or three days since I
wrote last. I hope you have a
pleasant holiday and enjoy every
moment of it. Best of love and
many kisses for little Dids and
your own dear self from
Your loving husband
Jim
 

[*I read this letter
through Gra and it
seems cold, hard, matter of
fact news, but I have been
interrupted many many times -
the phones are going all the while
and one has many things to think
of. Would that I could just spend
a few hours in our room
at Lansdowne I would
lay and make up for
a few of these lost
hours - Goodnight once
again x Jim*]
France
20.12.16
My dear old Gay,
We have been in the line
again for a couple of days and things are
just as usual. There is a hell of a
heavy bombardment going on to our
left at present but on my front
everything is quiet except the rattle of
Machine Guns and the occasional zip
of the Sniper's bullet. It is jolly cold
in here at present - yesterday afternoon
it snowed heavily and the snow lay
about the ground all day to-day. This
morning broke fine - the brightest day
we have had for a long while and
the aircraft were some busy. Our
airmen were being shelled all day. I
spent about three hours in the front
line this morning and did quite
 

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a lot of quizzing at the Bosch - I spent
also about half an hour up a nee
having a good look around. One can
see nothing but ruins everywhere one
looks - everything is bashed about with
shells. We often come upon houses and
cellars whilst we are digging. The men
are standing the work splendidly and
there is no doubt they are keen. We are
all looking forward to our Xmas mail
and parcels - it will be a great event in
the soldier's life. I have issued orders

that all the parcels are to be left in
billets until we go out of the line
which will probably be Xmas eve
although I have to stay behind twenty
four hours so perhaps I shall spend
my Xmas dinner near the Bosch. Orders
have just come in Gay and the 36^th have
been congratulated on having obtained
the first decoration of the Division. One
of my Sergeants won the Military Medal
and I pinned the bit of ribbon on him last
night. General Birdwood was out at
billets to see me last Sunday and
he put his hand on my shoulder and
said, "Simpson I'm very pleased to
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see you here once again." He spoke to quite
a number of my men, and I introduced him
to all my Officers. We get quite an
amount of clothing and other articles issued
here. I have a big fleece lined coat
with a high fur collar - waterproof outside.
a pair of thigh gum boots which I must
commandeer for trout fishing. Gas masks
two - also a steel helmet. Once we enter
the trenches we always wear our steel
helmets - they do not stop bullets but
they protect one from shrapnel. Each man
is issued with a pair of chamois furlined
gloves. I received your parcel of raisins and
a letter just before we came into the
trenches. I was jolly pleased to learn
your and dear little Did were so well.
I still keep very fit but my leg is a
trifle sore with the cold weather. I walk
with a stick. I see Norman Steer almost
every day - he is looking alright and
standing the show well. Edgar wrote
me a letter from further down the line -
he has just left where we came in -
I only missed him by a few days.
Two parcels also came from Miss White
containing Some toffee, some almonds, a
muffler and a pair of mittens. I have
 

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worn the mittens all day today and yesterday -
they are first rate. You ought to receive by
this mail a Parisienne paper - it is not
typical of any part of France that I have been
in - it is just the opposite - the most holy
place imaginable. Well Gra you will now
have commenced your Xmas holidays. I
suppose the school broke up last week -
Every day is the same here Sundays and
holidays included. I hope you have a
jolly Xmas and a very Happy New Year. I
would love to be near little Dids when his
stocking was opened - he will appreciate
everything much better this year - I could not
get anything to send him - poor little kid -
he does not know much about his Father.
I suppose he will have a sack full of presents
Let us hope I shall be able to fill the
stocking for him next year. Send five
pounds to Pop for a wedding present from us
both - it will be better perhaps than any
gift for her. Good-night by dear little girl
Love and kisses for little Did and your
own dear self from
Your loving husband
Jim
"Somewhere in France"