Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 19

"Mudville"
France
December 6^th 1916

My Dear Horace,
How are you doing
old chap?  I think it's about up to 
me to write to you.  Don't you?
But after I have written to Dad,
Mum & Mona, and a couple of
girls (of course) I am just about
fixed.
I have been doing nothing for
the last these days. except sit on
my "____" out of the mud.  The only
exercise I've had has been walking
to and from a little canvas
affair at the back of the camp.
So I thought it was a good
opportunity to write to you.
Did you get the cricket set
all right?  Gee! Horace, I'm so
sorry it has just struck me that
you are not allowed to play
cricket on account of your flute.
But it doesn't matter you write
[*and tell me what you would like, and I
will get it sent along to you right away.
It is not to cost more than £5. Your loving brother
Wally.*]
 

"Mudville"
France
December 6^th 1916

My Dear Herbert
You are the third,
Herbert, and my pen and I are
both beginning to run dry.  I
don't know how Jack is going to
get on.
Well done, laddie.  Keep going,
they need bowlers very badly
at Wesley but I notice that
you told me nothing about your
batting.  that is rather a bad
sign. Isn't it?
How is swimming going this 
Summer?  Can Are you still
frightened to dive?
Things are improving here
these days, it hasn't rained for
three days and the mud is only
up to your knees. (In the dry places)
Well, I've got to write to Jack
yet, so keep going.
Your loving brother
Wally.
 

France.
Dec. 27.^th 1916.
 

Dear old Dad
Although at
times the prospects of a
merry Xmas were very black
everything panned out
beautifully.  rather too much
so for some, for e'er the
feast was over, many were
well and truly under
the table.  Personally I
managed, by the aid of a
wide and straight road,
to get home safely and
in time to be put to bed by
the inevitable "Bumpy" - my 
man - 
I can assure you Dad
your wishes were fulfilled
right to the knocker.  If
your knocker Xmas was
 

as merry as mine,  I am
quite content.
I hope you recieved
those things I sent from
Blighty all right. - and
in time for Xmas.
You are some seer
Dad, for sure enough, I 
lost my pipe, the day I
got your letter saying that
you had sent me another
in anticipation.
I got the pipe today.
along with the Wesley sweater
- better late than never.
You are a good judge
of of pipes.
After thirty days of
the eternal mud, we
are out in billets for a
month or so training.
In our syllabus for
 

of training, such stunts
as Infantry advancing
under a Barrage of Stokes
mortars, and Stokes
mortars defending the
captured trench against
the counter attack. are
included, which shows us,
that the heads that be
are at last recognising
the value of our branch.
In one of your letters
you said that you didn't
the know what an A.L.T.M.B.
was.  Well I will do my
best to tell you,  I am 
doing so freely, because
this letter is being taken
across to England to
be posted, by one of our
Sargeants.
The personel is fifty
 

[?] (I spoke too freely)
So much for that part 
of the business. Our job

^in trench warfare is to deal with those
targets which are too
close for the artillery, 
such as advanced strong
posts in enemy line, and
in general to make it
as unpleasant as possible 
for the occupants of the
enemy front line.
The shell makes a 
crater about four feet
in diameter, and in 
addition, has a very

effective fragmental burst.

 

The rate of fire, is by

far the most redeeming

feature of the gun. the

latter depends on the

efficiency of the gunner,

who, if well trained, and

all our No 2's are well

trained. can fire as

many as fourty rounds

per minute. so you can

imagine what six

guns going at top

speed would be like.

Personally I would

rather be directing

them. than trying to 

advance against them. What

think you.? Fritz. I think

shares my opinion too.

Of course in an

advance, our job, is as

per training syllabus.

 

I don't think I will ever

visit Mr Sinclare again, as

his views and mine, at

this stage of the game, clash,

most horribly. Please

write and tell him that

all my in interest in his

cause has been nipped

in the bud. I would only

be a hypocrite if I

continued to be a member.

 

I'm still smiling and

smoking. Hope all the

boys are quite all right,

I don't think I will have

the energy required, to

write to them this mail.

Ever your

Wally.

France.

Dec.28th. 1916.

 

My Dear old Mum.

I am sorry that

I cannot send this in the

envelope in the parcel. (I

got two as a matter of fact,

one containing everything

from a brick house to a

bone stud. It was good O.

and the other had my

Wesley sweater and socks.

Thank you so much

mum. dear.

Oh! I was talking about

envelopes. They were stuck

Cooky is in Hospital at

present. he has a touch

of Influenza. Tell his mates

that going to Hospital

with Influenza means a

good rest.

 

I am sorry that I cannot

it say that something

startling happened on the

6.11.16. which I believe, is

the day I was crowned

with a horse shue. Fact is,

that I was on my way

out of the line, to Billets

on that day. - Don't blame

me. (as of old) for having

a good memory. brother

Hock. keeps a diary.

 

Did you get my Photo

etc? I am sorry (this is

the third time I'm sorry) they

were not souvenirs, but

somehow, I haven't got the

craze. and after all the

best souvenir, is Yours

truly. Don't you think so?

I hope Fred got J.P.

according to the last letter

I had from him, he

ought not to have much

difficulty in English.

 

I am sorry to see that

he has my failing 8 & 6 are

13.!!

 

I am afraid that I

missed a few mails, the

last time I was in the

line, but if you follow

Dad's maxim about "no 

news" you will not be

far wrong.

 

I will try to write

to all the boys this week

Well Mum. Thanks so

much for my birthday

hampers, the xmas ones

will be here any day

now. Your loving son

Wally.