Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 5

ON ACTIVE SERVICE,
191  

Ship, of thirty jolly good

fellows.
Ivor has gone to

England, to do a two
months Machine Gun
School, he will probably 
get his star out of it.
- about time too -
I haven't heard from
lock for a week or

so, but when I last

heard from him, he
was expecting to get

back soon.
My hopes were raised
the other day, when I
heard that Malcolm
Still had a chance of
pulling through. I mean
that no one is sure

what happened to him.
except the he was
last seen fighting on
the enemy parapet till
a bomb exploded at his
feet, he was then
dragged in by the Huns,
whether he died or not
no one knows, but this
is certain, some one at
called out "home", and
the party retired, with
the exception of two "men"
who went back to try

and save him, but

without success.
I only have tonight

to write all my letters,

mum, so Good night.

Tons of love

Wally

19- 1-1917

France                    

Dear old Dad.
We have

just received word that

the mail for Australia

closes tomorrow morning.

and as I don't feel in

a little letter writing mood,

I am afraid I will

have to cut you all

Short. It is just as 

well I have small

paper. 

I am expecting to 

hear how Fred got

on at J.P. shortely.

By the way I didn't

receive the cable gram

you sent, which was

to reach me on my

birthday.

I'd like to be a Drill
Sargeant in Broadmeadows
these-days, I give those
cold footed -! -!!!
particular hell. If ever
conscription comes into

vogue. and I sincerely

hope it does. In

spite of the referendum
The accounts in the

papers concerning the

carrings on of the

above mentioned, Knocked

me into a cocked hat.

I'm afraid the Chaps 

over here didn't know

what they were voting

for, some thought -

well, I came here of

my own free will, but 

I won't force anyone

else to come if he doesn't

wants to, others who

were not so far seeing,

thought - What will

Australia do, if all

ther able bodied men

come over here & get

Killed ? But now, all 

those thoughts, which

I think are absolutely

typical of Australians,

have sunk into oblivion,

and in their stead, has

risen a feeling which is

expressed by a string of

Bill jino's choicest, when

even such people, are

mentioned, or their

photos' appear in the

the weekly papers.
Thanks so much for
that letter. Dad, you know

the one I mean, I didn't

get it until I returned

from Blighty, but as

I told you, I struck it

very lucky. and had

a good straight girl

to look after me, but

here in X France, a chap

always has to be on

guard; in the line it's

the shells, in Billets it's

the girls, for there are

times when the daughter

of the house is very

attractive, and you,

if you have just done

a solid streatch in the

line, are inclined to
be a bit attractable.
so I have armed myself,
as you told me, which
ought to set your mind
at rest. I consider
myself lucky. to have
a Dad who will talk
straight from the Shoulder

it does a chap the

world of good. As a

matter of fact, I have

fixed up a couple

of chaps, who intended

eating fruit, and

they are quite all right.

Well , Dad I have three

more to write, so good

night.

Your loving son

Wally

France

31^st March. 1917

Dear old Dad,
War is almost a

pleasure these days. at least

compared with trench warfare. in

the winter, and on the Somme.

Rumour has it, that the inhabitants

of the village, - in the ruins of which

we spent most of our winter

months, - were granted a holiday

every time the sun shone, - they

had not had a holiday for four

years, and I quite believe it, but

here today things are beautiful,

the ground is green. (a thing very

very rare for miles behind our

old lines) the sky blue. and the

sun has a faint suggestion of warmth

The Germans had an almost

perfect natural defensive position,

and his lines of communication

were good, while our state was

just opposite, and now, hes is

retiring, he played a good 

game of bluff, and evidently

doesn't think his hand is good

enough to bid higher. 

The Hun is retiring in a

manner characteristic of him,

he is laying waste to the

whole country, burning villages,

blowing up roads, and has

even gone as far as cutting

down all fruit trees. Vandalism

I expected of him, but to cut

down fruit trees, is, I think a

dirty point. There is of course

one consolation, namely, that he

will have to pay for it all.

of Après la guerre.

I haven't had a home mail

for a long time, it is delayed

owing to Submarines or some

thing, no mail to us, is just
about as bad as no rations,

the latter by the way are exeulent.

I suppose you are a bit

of an optomist these days. I

have been, for quite a while.

I had another letter from Leo.

a while ago, he is quite all

right, and anxious to swing

his left.

I am as fit as ever, and

have lost my fed up feeling.

Your loving son

Wally.

France

12^th April 1917

Dear old Dad

Even the elements 

have joined us in our game

of stoush. Spring is soaking

into winter, day and night.

Both morning and afternoon

spring captures the heavens,

"and the whole world bows

to the xx  Boshter  day" but this

only lasts for a couple of

hours, when Winter counter-attacks

with wind and snow,

and everyone xxx crawls

into his shell again - But

old age cannot, for long

compete with youth, and

'eer this reaches you, we

will be enjoying Spring,

but not its resultant force.

Taking advantage of a

a little SunShine, Hock and

I went out hare hunting,

with Hun rifles, we fired

off all our ammunition at

six hares, and succeeded in

frightening a couple of them,