Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 14

is true. - a chap was

brought before the C.O

for being drunk and

disorderly. On being asked

whether he was "Guilty or not?"

the chap taking it as

a joke answered. "Oui, oui.

Monsieur". Ahem! Very

well", said the C.O. "fourteen

days N^o 2. - "Comprez?".

He. did.

In case my last 

letter went astray. I must

tell you again to get

"Fragments from France"

by Bairnsfather. They

are absolutely wonderful,

and are drawn from

life in the trenches. You

probably will not credit

them, but you can

take up  my word, that

the majority of them have

really happened. Though

perhaps they are slightly

far stretched, in order

that we dull ones may

appreciate the humor

of them.

My comrade in arms

(fire arms) is reading

one of the "Life's" I was

lucky enough to get last

mail, and is constantly

interrupting me, with

"This is a good xxx one".

so I will gived it best

till later on.

Once more into the ^____ "

At last I have a few

minutes to myself. - a

number of my letters

must have gone astray.

or else I must be

growing very careless,

because I think, and in

fact I am almost sure

that I wrote telling you

that I received, the

cablegram bearing me

Birthday Greetings from

home, a couple of days

after receiving the

letters and parcel

conveying the same

message. - Such occurances

are not uncommon these

wild days.

Mr Byrn wrote to

me last mail, bewailing 

the fact that I had not

yet written to him, and

that he had nothing

to say, and even if he

did, he wouldn't know

how to say it. Once more

my conscience kicks my

" ^____ " and says, "why

have you not written

to Mr Byrne & Mr Sinclair,

and I answer - "I must

wrote to them this mail"

But by the time I have

written to you, Mum, Mona,

and a couple of girls

I am about done.

We keep a war diary

here, of all happenings

of any interest to the Battery.

I was reading it over

the other day, and it

struck me how very

interesting it would be

in days of peace, to sit

in your old armchair,

before a fire, with my

pipe, and recall old

memories relating to

you all, how, when, and

where, we did this and

that; so we decided to

that, when this business

is ended, we would get

it made up in book

form, in order that each

member of the Battery, would

be able to enjoy in a 

similar way, the fruits

of our work.

Well, Dad, I have

heaps of people to whom

I owe letters, so while

I am in the mood, I

will try to pay my debts.

I am qu quite well, in

fact I am growing fat.

Your loving Son

Wally.

France.

10^th September '16

 

My Dear old Mum

Well, Mum

if you will do it you

will have to take the

consequences, in future

I will tell you nothing,

except I love you, and

I am well.

As for telling me to

let Ivor look after his

own affairs, well I am

surprised at you, really,

I had been doing the

same kind of thing for

weeks before, and continued

for weeks after, my little

bit of trouble.

Gee! life would not

be worth living, if

a chap bound himself

up with all the rules

and regulations of the

Army; half the fun

is caused here, by breaking

regulations, and the other

half by annoying Fritz.

I know you are saying

"How dreadful! he'll be

getting into an awful

row". but you see, the

rules I break are not

awful ones., only the

little ones, just as I used

to at Wesley. Mr Adamson

was right when he said

Malcolm, Ivor and myself,

would never be able to

get on obey, but somehow

or other we get on all

right, - such are the 

fortunes of war -

You've no need to worry

about me Mum, as a 

matter of fact, it's the best

bit of luck I've had, missing

my commission then, not

one of the fellows who got

their commissions then, is

are standing at the present 

moment, so it is just as

well for me I that I did

jump over the traces, Isn't

it?

Ivor is getting all right

again, so is Edgar Worral.

I had a letter from him

the other day. Malcolm

is a still going strong. I

have seen nothing of

Dr Shaw, or Dr Lind or

Dr Woollard, since I have

been in France, but I

suppose I will see them

someday.

Thanks so much

Mum for the parcell, -

the cake didn't hit the

ground. It's good fun

opening a parcel, it

reminds me of the days

when I used to open my

Christmas stockings, and

then demolish their

contents.

They say leave starts

next October, so I

will very shortly be

writing to you telling

you what "Blighty" is

like these days. I

will also try to see

Dr Gill.

I am anxiously waiting

for the mail to arrive.

It ought to bring a

bundle of letters and

a parcel, if my luck

is in.

Remember me to all

the girls I used to know,

Mum, and tell them

to drop me a line. I

will do my best to

answer them. ^___ but don't

^tell them that my best, does not

amount to much in the

letter writing line.

I must write to

Mona, Mum, so - good

night, old dear -

Your loving Son

Wally.