Letter from Andrew George Douglass to his brother, 9 July 1917

[*I Douglass

H. A. Colley

Richmond

Sydney NSW*]

France
July 9^th 1917
Dear John,
I know it is years since I
scribbled you a few lines but as you havent
overdone writing to me, we wont argue the
point about it
Of course, you got a bit of news through
home, and I presume you are satisfied especially
as you can understand how great a strain
writing is. We have had a few weeks ∧comparative quiet

after the affair we were in on the ridge, but

it is I think only a kind of lull before we

are sent into some other stoush up somewhere or

other. Let me impress upon you that this isn't
by any stretch of imagination the game y one tries

to make himself believe when reading accounts of it
in papers, especially illustrated articles etc. There, one
sees in picture form only the spectacular and romantic
side of it but in reality it is only one long fatigue
job with plenty of danger & little romance. In illustration
you see how often men doing acts of daring, gaining
the V.C or one or other decoration, but how often on the other
hand do you see pictures of men blown out of recognition.
And one sees more of the latter by far than one sees of "bloomin'
'eroes". Here we put a different value on decorations to
what the civilian does. A man who has the M.M. or DCM
say, is sort of looked up to be the civilian - the uninitiated.
 

But with us, we take no more notice of chaps
receiving recognition than to compliment them on their
luck or "tin ars" as we say & then carry on is usual.
What kind of a time are you having
as far as social affairs go. I hope you have taken
on dancing for if you havent, a chap ought to
crack you. And if you have learnt you should try &
frat in on the ∧Training College dances. Of course I know it
means a bit of nerve & cheek perhaps, but maybe
you might know some fellow at the Cole, or you could
look up Jerry Kempster give him my regards & carry right
ahead
There are three or four chaps here who have
been through the H A. C and they reckon they
had a good time there. One of them is
Freddy Cebert and he is a vet. sergeant attached to us.
There are Jo Astbury & Charlie Bowan too, but
I cannot say how long it is since any of them
went through.
Fritz has been in the habit a of coming over every
night lately in planes and bombing round about
here. It is only the last few nights that we have
had this happen & of course being something new,
it puts the wind up us a bit, but are now
just about right now & can say, beggar it, now
and use a bit of language, but not feel nervous
as on the first couple of nights This war is a
hell of a strain on the nerves. So is letter writing So
excuse me if I now close with the Best luck Yours ever

Blue