Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 13

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A.I.F. I don't think I

would have had to  

wait long, as I was

well in the running.

I think I told you in

my last letter that poor

old Bill Freeman was

killed. He was one of 

the bravest and whitest

that ever lived.  He

went through all the 

Hells that a German

can make on earth,

and then on a quiet

Front, was killed by

one of our own guns

blowing up, while 

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driving enemy planes

away out of all the 

thousands of rounds we

have fired, this is the 

first that has burst in

the gun. It seems more

than just bad luck, that

he sould be standing

near it - The explanation

is just, - defective shell.

I must write to his

wife. Though I don't

like the job.

Hock Keys is in

Command of the Battery

now, so although a 

good man has gone

5.

WELLBANK,

PRESTWICH,

MANCHESTER.

a good man takes

his place.

Tell Cocky about Bill.

if he doesn't already

know. Also tell him

that I haven't heard

from him yet.

I'm sorry I didn't

get my photo taken

in Paris, but I had

it taken over here,

about a month

ago, unfortunately

they havent come to

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light yet, as soon as

they do, I send them

on for your approval.

I'm afraid I'm as

ugly as ever, if not

more so.

I'm quite pleased

with my letter writing

efforts lately, I have

written to you regularly 

for the last six weeks

hope you get them.

Love to all,

Your loving son

Wally,

WELLBANK,

PRESTWICH,

MANCHESTER.

Feb 1^st, 1918.

My Dear old Mona

It's just

about high time I

wrote to you again, but

I don't think I have

missed a mail.

Last weekend Ivor

came up, and we played

Billiards, golf & cards, and

did a lot of talking,

Today Kelly (Geelong Grammar)

(he is at present sitting

opposite to me writing to

some promiscuous female)

is staying up here, we

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also pass our days in

much the same way,

with an occasional

Theatre & letter writing

spasm thrown in.

I was jolly pleased to

learn that you were

all so jolly pleased to

learn that I got an M.C.

(not a bad effort, - I mean

the sentence)

Look Mona, I don't

wan't to hear any tales 

of Cocky, you make some

Vague insinuations about

him drinking too much

and all that kind of thing,

but he is a good chap,

and good enough for

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me, so if his conduck

isn't all your fancy paints

don't tell everyone, not

even me.

In a letter I got from

you some little time

ago, you spoke very well

in defence of Australian

girls - They are the best

I have seen - and

you said in passing that

we soldiers were not

playing the game by

marrying English girls.

(I'm not married, at

least not so that you

would notice it) but

when you consider that 

4.

many, very many, good

Australians, who when

they left Australia thought

that there was only one

little girl in the world,

and thought that that

little girl thought that

there was only one

soldier by boy in the 

world, I'm getting

muddled up, but

anyhow. I know plenty 

of fellows whose girls

instead of putting love

and all that Kind of

thing at the bottom of

their letters as they did

when he first sailed,

now put "your friend"

and some don't even

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write.

And as a soldier

has neither the time nor

inclination to worry

& fret - as men do

in sixpenny novels -

he just says to himself,

"All right little girl,

just go your own way "

and is therefore free

to fall in love with

the next girl that takes

his fancy - i.e. if she

fancies him -

so now you know

why so many men

are bringing English wives

to Australia.

Don't for one moment

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get alarmed and think

that I am going to

do such a silly thing

as get married, I

might marry the Generals

daughter, in India , if

she is nice, but

otherwise I will save

up till I get back to

Australia.

Well old girl, very

best of luck. I mean

you to smile after you

have read this.

Even your loving brother

Wally.

WELLBANK,

PRESTWICH,

MANCHESTER.

Feb 9^th, 1918.

My Dear old Dad & Mum,

I'm so

sorry I had to send

home for another

cable, I had it all

worked out nicely,

but for-got, the

thought didn't even

occur to me, that

when I got my

medal, so many

chaps would be

pleased, so I gave

them a bit of a spread,

and they all knew how

to bend their elbows,

but they were all jolly

good fellows, so I

hope I haven't over

Stepped my own

savings by much.

If I have, I'll fix

it all, as soon as

I feel my feet.

I'm xx still having

a jolly good holiday

but it am hasn't

been a bit too