Mixed papers relating to the service of James William Albert Simpson - Part 7

Monash Valley
Gallipoli 19/5/15
My dear old Gra
You are getting two letters in close succession
this time but I know you will not mind them. We have
had three most hair-raising days but thank God I am
safe and sound still. Up till four o’clock the afternoon there
has been one continual shelling of our position and
when a 356 lb shell broke about 10 yards from our
dug-out it just about finished me. None of us take
very much notice of small shrapnel or bullets but these
Whistling Rufus jokers are most nerve racking. They
poured fourty into our position yesterday. We can
hear them coming like in aeroplane and then there
is a terrific burst and a hole about thirty
feet wide and nine or ten feet deep in the ground
is the result - Everybody lies close to the dug-outs and
waits until the splinters and clods of earth have
fallen. The one that burst close to us today buried
a number of the headquarters signallers, smashed
things in our dugout and upset everybody near at
 

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hand. I must candidly admit that too many of these
shells would soon shatter a man’s nerves if they
did not kill him. Everything is rather quiet now
except for the zip, zip of the rifles. The Turks made
a very solid attack last night at 3 o’clock, again
at 4 o’clock - then the artillery duel continued
all day until four o’clock when there was
another violent attack by the Turks. They were
beaten off with big losses. We have a German
captain here tonight who was wounded – all this
show is run by Germans especially the artillery.
I got a numeral off a dead Turk’s body today
and have put it in my pocket book as a curio.
One thing about the whole campaign is the
beautiful weather we are having - it has only
rained a couple of times since we came here.
The hills we are entrenched in are just as steep
and wild as that one in front of Blair’s place
at the Lightning but there are no big trees.
I shall try and describe to you how the men
live in these hills. All along the slopes are
various terraces with little holes dug into the side
 

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of the hill. Tracks and steps lead up to these
dug-outs. When a shell bursts on the side of the
hill every man ducks into his dug out and waits until
the danger is over - the side of the hill reminds one
of a huge rabbit warren. We have a sand-bag
shell proof dug out made but it is rather
conspicuous to the aeroplanes which often cruise
over - we have it disguised with branches and
dirt as much as possible. We received our
home mail today and all the papers - how
grand it is, but sometimes it makes me despondent
when I read of you all at home while we
are out on this bloody mission - not knowing
what moment will be our last. Upton my
orderly got hit for the third time today but
it is not serious. A piece of shrapnel hit him
in the backside and bruised him rather
severely but he is smiling over it all. He says
“he will not be able to show that honorable wound
to a friend”. Some of the men even when
they are on their last leg make most laughable
jokes. Something happened here and I had to leave this

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letter for about four days. The Turks have been
attacking most consistently for about three days and large
bodies of reinforcements had arrived. We gave them a most
awful doing the night before last. When the Colonel and I
went over the position yesterday morning we saw hundreds
of dead Turks in front of our trenches. Our fellows must
have literally mowed then down. There was an
armistice to bury the dead and two or three
crept into our trenches and gave themselves up - we
get one or two deserters almost daily. I received
another good long letter from you that had
gone astray. I was astounded and surprised that
Ron Smith had given up his job and feel sorry
for him - he is a typical Smith. I wish this
blasted show would end and that I could once
again take up my daily duty in the A.G.S.
I would love to see my dear little Diddy and others
I am not able to give the little chap anything for
his birthday this year if it is God's will that I
return he will be doubly rewarded some day.
The Turks have started shelling again today - but our
Howitzers have been keeping them fairly quiet. I saw
 

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Sgt Major Smith yesterday – he has just arrived at the scene of
operations. I cannot find out anything about Bob Pearce or Leo
Maloney - in fact I cannot see any of our old school boys lately
although I was through all the trenches yesterday morning. General
Bridges was shot by a sniper and died yesterday - he will be a
great loss to the army on Gallipoli. All the wild flowers are out
on the hills here and the fields are covered with wild
poppies. It started to rain heavily this morning and it
makes everything unpleasant. All our tracks and roadways of
course are deep trenches and the water still congregates in them.
I like my Adjutant’s job very well and we are a happy little
family on Hdqrs. The Brigade Major told Major Durrant that
he was very pleased with my work so that is worth knowing. I
must again put this away for a while as dinner is on.
Things are rather quiet again now - we have just been singing
Duke of Playetans and other little ditties. Dr Shellshear is still
here and our parson Rev Wray - he is a Trojan but he is always
on to me for swearing. After what you tell me about the roll of
honour in the Presbyterian Church I shall here to turn Presbyterian
although Church of England is stamped on my identification disc.
I am going to try and write a long letter to Sir some time
to day some time. I suppose you get some terrible tales about
 

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one fighting here and there is no doubt that it is most strenuous
but the men are all quite happy even when in the trenches.
One fellow got an awful bang in the abdomen with a lump
of shrapnel and he said to me “My gawd sir they are
b— heavy. He was looking pretty bad and was spitting
blood but they seem to be quite cheerful - and it helps
them to live. I have just had a tour through the saps
with our General - he battles right up into the firing
line and has a word with all the men. Our orderly room
Sgt had a box of chocolates sent to him from England and
my word they were acceptable. I never forgive myself that
I did not buy a couple of pounds of milk chocolate when I
left Cairo - Well Gra I hope that when this latter reaches
you this show will be over and I am on my way to
Constantinople or Australia - the latter for preference. Best
regards to all the boys and to Dids - love and kisses
to dear little Diddy and your own dear self
from
Your loving husband
Jim.
You must excuse the disconnected sentences in this epistle Gra
but with rifle bullets whizzing about and shells bursting in different
parts it makes one a little jumpy.
 

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be very severe. I have never got a letter from
you since I left Gallipoli - I do long for news
from Australia - especially now you have heard
all we have done. Not a soul in Albury has
ever written a line to me.
Saturday afternoon: the Doctor xxxxx came on the
scene this morning when I had written so much
and I had a spell. This afternoon one of our
own men of the 13^th took me out for a
while and we had afternoon tea in town.
I do wish it were dear little Diddy and
you that were walking about with me.
Valetta is a very pretty place and the shops
are small but crammed with beautiful
things - the jeweller’s shops are splendid.
I do not want to spend too much money
here as I should like to buy you some
nice things in England if D. V. I reach
there safely. I feel much better tonight
and only hope it keeps up for a while.
Dear old Gra you must excuse the
shortness of my letters now but all I
could write about from here would be
mournful and sad - hospital, hospital -
hospital. I shall give you an account of a
scrap at Quinn’s Post and post you the paper.
Good bye Gra till next time. Best love
and kisses for my little Diddy and your
own dear self from
your loving husband
Jim.
 

St Andrews Hospital
Malta
2.7.15
My dear old Gra
Your Birthday. “Many Happy
Returns of the Day” and I hope we shall
never spend another 2nd of July under the
same circumstances as this but that
D.V. we shall always be together. I
cannot get anything to you for a present
on exactly the day but you shall have
some little things from Malta that I have
already posted. It is now midnight and
I wander about my room trying to get sleep.
I have counted each hour since 9 o’clock and
pictured you first getting up with dear
little Diddy clambering into your bed, having
probably been taught by Sir to say “Many
Happy Turns” or something equivalent.
It is now about nine o’clock in Australia
and I wish there was a letter and parcel
coming by the postmanx to you from me.
Never mind Gra there are probably
thousands saying the same thing tonight.
 

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July 3^rd
It is twenty four hours since I wrote the
last part of your letter but the Nurse came in
and sent me off to bed and yesterday I did
not feel equal to writing. Sometimes I feel
fairly well but at other times very lonely and
despondent. They will not operate on me in Malta
because nearly all the of other wounds are
septic and it might affect me. There is
nothing for it but to go to England and get
patched up there. I want them to send me to
Australia - discharge me - and let me get
my own medical attention for I hate to be
drawing my pay and doing nothing for it. I
get massaged for 1 hour every day now and
it gives me great relief and I had a walk
all around the building the day before
yesterday. One great comfort the Nurses and
Doctors could not be nicer. I had my
first dinner in the dining room yesterday and
is seems strange to see almost every body with
heads, arms, and hands bandaged while
others hobble in on sticks. Fifteen more
officers arrived last night from the
Dardanelles and some of the wounds are
shocking- two poor devils died during the
night. Most of the officers are from the Imperial
Army. The King’s own Scotch Borderers have
been particularly unlucky. I think there are
five Doctors here. While I sit in my room I
gaze out of the window on two large 9.2 in
 

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guns ready to spring into action at any minute.
Malta is one mass of forts. The beach is only
about 400 yards away but I have not been
there yet. I am going to try a walk there
this afternoon. I am sending an English paper
to Jim Mangan with an account of our
position at Gallipoli and I am attaching
a few notes with it - he will probably
publish it and you can get an account
of it then - it ought to reach Albury with
the same mail as this letter. You might
ask him on the phone whether he gets it
I often wish now that you had come along with
me on the ship - it would be grand to have
you so close to me at the present crisis.
My room mate Macaskill is off to England
probably tomorrow - I shall miss him very
much. After a spell in England and Scotland
he is to be invalided back to Australia
as unfit for Active Service – sometimes I
think my fate will be the same, but my stay
in England will be longer than his. I
should like to get a staff job and go on
to the French frontier if I got fit again.
No fighting could be worse than we had at
Gallipoli although it is comparatively
easy now. If the Dardanelles is not forced
before the winter the campaign there will
 

P. & O. S N. Co.
S.S.
The Infirmary
No 3 London General Hospital
Wandsworth
London 26/7/15
My dear old Gra
Here am I a lonely soul in the above
Hospital in the heart of London - the thought of it appals
me. I am in bed again for a few days but feel
now that I am under the best possible treatment the
world can produce. My physician is Sir James
Fowler, physician to the Queen and he gave me a
thorough overhaul this morning. This makes the
ninth Doctor I have had at work on me since
I left the Peninsula. I shall try Gra and give
you a detailed account of my journey and if all goes
well my letters for the next few weeks ought to be
more interesting - especially if I am able to get about.
It would be a crowning point to my journeyings to
find you walk in to see me one night and to share
with me a trip through the country one has
heard so much about. I often picture you and
dear little Dids at Landsdowne and long to take you
  
 P. & O.S N. Co.
S.S.
both into my arms once again. The photo of you both
is still in my pocket book which I have managed to carry
with me in all my travelling - I also wear the swastiki
charm around my neck on my identification disc. If
one believed in luck I should always say it has
brought me good luck. Although I may be a trifle
ill - yet with the slight insensibility of my lower
legs excepted I have all my limbs and faculties
intact and thank God every day of my life for it.
I wrote a short letter to you on the Dongola and gave it
to someone to post on the Southampton Station and in all
probability you will get this letter at the same time. The
masseuse is just about so come in so I shall not be able to
write very much before lunch. I am still in bed but get up
for a little time each day. I cannot stand much exertion
yet and the various travellings I have had since I took bad
perhaps keep me back a bit. They are going to take a small
piece of bomb out of the back of my hand today - it is about
the size of a pin’s head - little pieces work out usually.
Well Gra after a general ramble I shall get back to the news
of the last week. The trip through the Bay of Biscay was rather
rough in places but I did not crack up at all. in fact I
used to spend a good deal of the night and day sitting on deck
in my pyjamas and dressing gown. One morning early I only