Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 3

The Young Men's Christian Association
           with
H. M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt

a "Tale of two cities". " It is a far,
far, better thing that I do than I
have ever done; It's a far, far, better
rest that I go to, than I have ever

known."
xx - not till now have I have I had
time to think of my past life - and
I cannot recall anything that I regret
my whole life has been one happy
dream - " I have had my share of
passtime, I have done my share of
toil, and life is short, the longest
life a span. I would live the
same life over if I had to live
again, and the chances are, I go
where most men go.
Now, for goodness sake don't
xx go reaming the papers to see my
name, I tell you straight. I am
going to stick to my life like grim
death and take no chances, and
I only want to thank you for the spirit
which you have instilled into me,
 

The Young Men's Christian Association
           with
H. M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt
 

which will enable me to xx go into
the firing line fearlessly, for I am
absolutely fearless and am even
anxious to do my utmost to try
to compensate the sacrifice which
you are making and win a
name for you.
Well dad - good bye for another
week or so, and then if the flag
is still flying you will hear of
my experiences.
Your loving son
Wally
Say good bye to all the boys, and
tell them to go in for sport as
I did, perhaps some day their
physical fitness will stand them
in stead, - as it is doing me now
I hope to see them all young
athletes when I come back.
 

   (Address censored)

  26th January 1916
 

Copy

 

Dear Old Dad.

I wrote a good letter (for me) about a week ago

to you and with my usual carelessness lost it. I don't think

I will ever be methodical, but I will try to tell you all the

news it contained. On the eve of evacuating Anzac 60 men

were selected to man the firing line and cover the retreat

of the Battalion. Ivor and I were included and held one post

together. We mounted duty at 4pm on December 19th and kept
observing and sniping continually for almost a round of the

clock. About 12 pm it was reported that all was going well

on the beach, and the next three hours seemed like an age. I

thought the time would never come; but about 3 am the word was

passed quietly along and we sneaked through the tunnels (with

six layers of blanket wrapped around our feet), cut into

the open, down through winding saps to the beach, on to the lighter

and away without halting for one moment. It was a wonderful

piece of work, wonderfully carried out to the smallest detail,

even to marking our tracks by a trail of flour and salt, so

that we would not lose our tracks in the dark. From Anzac we

went to Lemnos Island and spent a few weeks there resting. The

habits pf the people are as old as the hills that surround 

them, and one sees here the pictures painted by the Bible in

reality. A maid drawing water at the well, a rustic old plough

man/homeward plodding his weary way with his old wooden plough

roped to an ass and followed by his two toil-worn oxen.

In the Valleys are quaint little villages, crumbling with age,

there are no shops, for the people live by exchanging their own

products. It is an ideal communistic settlement.

Three weeks ago we returned to -(--------------censored-------------)

doing six hours solid drill a day on an empty stomach, and as

I have the eating capacity of a horse, it hits me hard. On join-

ing the Battalion again I was knocked down to the bottom of

my ladder (that is from Sergeant to Private). A week ago I got

my foot on the first rung again, and now am in charge of a sec-

tion of 16 men, twelve of whom are married; they are a fine set

of men and we all pull well together, and thus my thankless job

is made bearable, for Kipling sums up a "Lance-Jack" as half

of nothing, but maybe I will be a half some day.

"Wally"
 

 

Tel el Kebir
20th January '16

1916
P.S. Thanks so much

for parcel.

Dear old mum
I have not yet
lowered myself to sending
a card, but I am
afraid I will have to if I
I am to keep you from
suspence, you see, we
are being drilled about
eight hours per day,
which includes an hours
lecture by the Colonel
at night.
Half the chaps get

parcels here, and half
don't, so far. I have been
in bad half, except for
a "welcome nugget" on the
Peninsula, the Colonel
explained to us that
owing to so many papers
being sent per mail, the
post officials were
unable to cope with the
work, and consequently
parcels went astray,
he said ninety seven
tons of mail was handed
last mail,

so he suggested that if
fewer papers were sent
we would have a
better chance of receiving
parcels.
I have been receiving
the letters regularly
thank goodness they
are help to counterbalance
the deficiency in tucker
I am now in charge
of a section of sixteen
men but high rank
of "Lame Jack "has not
yet been conferred upon
me.
We are leaving
 

here for a destination
unknown, but by the
time this reaches you, you
will probably know
where I am.
Days and weeks
seem to fly past unnoticed
it seems just yesterday

since I left home, I
suppose its because I am
home every night in my
dreams but it hurts
to having to break off in
the middle of a set of tennis
to get up and call the
roll.
Good night mum dear. Wally.
 

P.S. I have had no               The Giddy Peninsula

Mail for 3 weeks.                  7th November '16

____________

Wally

____________
Dear old Dad
Matters are still at a dead

lock, the constant smacking of rifles

becomes monotonous, even the

defiant roar of the field guns seem

to be growing weary
I am in charge of a fatigue

party, digging winter quarters, round

the hills. It is a beautiful morning,

the sun is gradually lifting the mist

over the glass calm sea, slowly

defining the rugged outline of [[Lesbos?]]

Island; everything is peaceful, There

is not a sound, save for the

chirps of the birds, not a ripple

on the water, save that which is

made by a huge hospital ship

slowly steaming her way to

some distant base.

This doesn't sound much like

the general idea of Gallipoli, Does 

it? but there are times here, when

you think you are enjoying a

seaside holiday, but there

times also, when you think you

are at the mouth of Hell.

Once I had wild dreams

of being home by Christmas, but

I am afraid my Christmas will

be spent in a trench, with bully

beef and biscuit for my dinner,

with a few high explosives to
season it.
I have not struck Dr Woolland

yet; perhaps I will see him, when

I am bowled over. 
Ivor and I had to carry poor

old Malcolm down to the Hospital

Ship last week, he was down and

out with Enteric, he kept going

while there was nothing in him except

the will that's said to him, hold on,

and since we have heard nothing

of him.
Ivor and I live pretty well,

but we have become absolutely

unscrupulous, we pinch everything

in the eating line, we can lay

hands on, and being in charge

of the [[Gift?]] Stuff, we help ourselves

to what is over, which is the officers

get, if we don't, so you can't blame us.

I don't know what we will do

for water, in the winter, when we

get rough weather for a month or

more, because we had no water

from last Sunday till Thursday,

because two water [[liters?]] were

washed ashore, and one torpedoed

during the week, it hit pretty hard

I found out that you are

only getting 3/- a day deferred pay.

So I saw my O.C. and he told me

that extra duty pay could not be

deffer deferred, and fixed me

up so that I can draw £30 on my

pay book today, and hence forth

I draw 6/- per day, you get 3/- and 

the Government keep 1/- making

a total of 10/- per day.

I am feeling grand at present

but I am not in very good training.

So I have stopped smoking.

Your loving son Wally