Jones, Oscar Anglesey (Captain, b.1892 - d.1917), letters - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2021.7.242
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Somethi it, but was not near may be ilates on and it any tham will areie although perhaps a little We neard that bit late There was ppeline ovr Aementis ant Datuldy night, but it did no Ihue an plenty aar anoplanes up hire in the day. Hime but mortly ours W bat i oue do come fly vey high, and fast lask like Specks be about lives nt me home now I can ould an him here in the colours. I suppose he still has an obfecsion to sighting go Gla it is yur spice of lif What could you wish befter then A be patting at ay lon wtily gti & him doing the fam As you dast think when spiping from behand a Ct of probetion and he is knocking dist over you or saying your ages with fullit splackes, to again purhaps splitting the bit of paid you may tousil As rup Strings ship shape
that you get mad him & fire like a fund perpops being rewarded by hearing not hll whichle. I ffany day, The bay io getting a hear comsbal, but you are wron std Gie guite wrtn not thr from whe me are is the convent wall ot farm where I seary got his V.C. t the Tunshe Txt Sime it will be dank oI am going or a fi patrols. If we don't thi he bo up This time it wil not by my fould. Am Juying As think ont some method signalling, Whereby I can communiea alything angust back to the firing him. The great Fronblen the absence of yover between the lings of compe it is all ohe bifter fo fdifince. Gla think He all St I wishnow tig all are wil close. I Oaer
to the Muncher Somenhe ont Spiks Ba Kot you will a by adsure the wn are back i the tuiches again; the same place as wther in fuy layd ngs before the in sbillets when I wat you last letter To for the Austalian mae that in received has not brought me a letter a pst it cannot have luned Esnt as p an aspet latter t t the shap bacting fit 42 the w0 rom nut t has heen reiay for a spell & in fact right the oughout tthe all th night it nevn reased, sud you saw guiss the Audren see ina very sloppy Condition of tay of dibt fetedt gesterday ening td'd nott come around again hed 4a.s grod nightnest this morning so I had broken ondl by the nam ffanding a weak upon in the noof of the sag ont, whit mecensitated molish action I later on by the other shap Ithe are thereof in in here being trvused for their different ship & deceved a athefor so it has been dily ddated Fet
Iam by the paper shereor at hes that recuiting at ithe tome of publishing was only moderate. They will wake up ons of these days, and reature that the Goman will teke some driving out of Bily and Ieland, and before which Cork, it t te accke pease trm to tant aa off that the plarter are apaid & to they count hetivis a dis that has for its offect, the protution & aplifting of all that makes diss worth tim That naties for a better understanding letwen men, a bistax greater & wider appreciation hittle more fite what it should be; that is a home in the full, sense of the word Dr you knox what my fulug I wrnt to the tuches furt? Not that ould do this that or the ofher, but knowin fine men &chad & setion Would be papable of leading them? They as soldiers and good holdis but that were intitled to the fist of leaderstnp. That was my thought night through t tomitto a certain desetent is only wish it were porsible fetill with me so get into that Down Hall & speak for anxhour or so to the begzars & lt then feet things that have not eentered o at
t go wtr thei The Gamn for bomts o roupy of day wounded one of thr Engeny The mt Ahigh I right through fldsly year Shis n once of the mes &Benty for bullet an the head &t wae mead thy he we got him in the shephn. Hue any fellor do Whule I was say the tap hat heen o o hp 44 m moe our, on on me side the other falling just a little tit chart, but tafell they hnow did my damage. As the paper that onof the o Bate I Fock of some other shap t have foroften endested from the other day. St, H castler was the one The told lan has dose a yaur share thiit, although there are still one or &is ied some along Well you Shink that I shall wait for a day to see if your fetter comes along beple futishin sure it sist te someet Ans as on na your letter has not
arrived nt so I think it must be kept white t with othis mai fitt we go out fo the billets Te taxn n hile getey morning while observing in the fix He died before the reashed the him Dactor sand an acroplan due theis no machine n in 0 Fast other with Wate in A clond ghamd the after a whill, but I fancy thy toth ano it & Ceilld off for to of The Mhonses away in hear of the forng tim they als put chiapnet all abound the place bent I do not know if any m hust in the distnban. the rain stopped last night it is oner a fine Hosday although first ac little shilly ut. We had a puitty you downs as regards weather thos arm in the Finst, but I gve it is iut to to have see fin day i the aunt an cablat
a touple of days ago thiat I hope markes her caply, and sin obnox if we are come Do tack into Fer part of the ling ornot next time, but amettr fanny that in are going iits another part of the I hope it us g sil mosebut tthem here becouse & rlly tod slak, & ane pore his intiation when there is nothing done you cant beat having notes Sash the 2 Hilll yum patt dos& So Fustiny all at home an weel & to beai you wach letter when it get
Te sure and send it thack to me
School m Somefure in France 21th n Dear Soth rm writing this to catel the mait so monow With it also mel be fur boot + of 2 which shrike me as bing rather real. and some of at very any still here but as Rong atae te tegt intunting f the icket up a pow the other did me the nonoor of saying that one of mr best funtenant, and that he Hinsion wasted mo back again say that they met not send me back for admit him fast get cunper tthat s will and another Timportant my pefane whih I am officer to take exfactio Down here. man the ld thue
I should immedathy serious aftack get back to my company so & do not mek ye men are alway po much asking whin I am coming back to then do it is gratifying to know that the men oneps Hald still look to on to head them. They say they do not want any new offich, just give as o Yours is what fttg cay. If cowse this is a sor where hentiment cannot be taken int Just consideration very much but the matirn the t i a plation got the cany work. I did my also the same bliking a wen a enporal with a section. That section, used to have could be put up against any of the other 31 i the Bastn & would take the i nowr; for never spond the when there was work oe myself rither & by frogs my knew it. a9 Lan have all you not t escpt on or two uty still stip itaue or a and I offen hear that s0 and so an i morts ndehine

5

Something for it, but was not near

anything  I may be later on and it
will arrive although perhaps a little
be late. We heard that
there was a Zeppelin over Armentieres
last Saturday night, but it did no
damage. There are plenty of
aeroplanes up here in the day. Huns
but mostly ours. [[?]] [[?]] ours
do come they fly very high, and just
look like specks.
Guess Frank must be about
home now. I would smile if I saw
him here in the colours. I suppose
he still has an objection to fighting
"Jingo", [[?]] it is the spirit of slips.
What could you wish better than
to be potting at a German [[?]]
bombing him & him doing the same
to you. Just think when your
sniping from behind a bit of [[?]]
and he is knocking dirt over you
or dazzling your eyes with bullet
splashes, or again perhaps splitting
the bit of board you may be using
to keep things ship-shape.
 

 


6
That is when you get mad at
him & fire like a fiend, perhaps
being rewarded by hearing that
shrill whistle. I fancy I can
hear you say, "The boy is getting a
cannibal, but you are wrong
old girl, quite wrong.
Not far from where we
are is [[??] wall &
farm where O'Leary got his V.C.
Next time we go into the trenches
it will be dark & I am going on
a few patrols. If we don't stir
the "bosch" up this time it will
not be my fault. Am trying
to think out some method of
signalling, whereby I can communicate
anything urgent back to the firing
line. The great trouble is the
absence of cover between the lines
Of course it is all the better for
defence. Well Gla I think this
is all this time so I will now
close. Trusting all are well. Oscar 
 

 


In the Trenches
Somewhere in France
April 22nd
1916.
Dear Mother,
You will see by above address that
we are back in the trenches again; the same
place as then in a few days ago, before the
spell in billets; where I wrote you last time.
So far, the Australian mail
that we received has not brought me a letter
from you, so that it cannot have been all
delivered as yet,; am expecting your letter to
come up [[?]] with the rations or
else to be waiting at H.Q. when we come out
for a spell.  It has been raining
all the morning, in fact right throughout the
night it never ceased, and you saw [[quite?]] the
trenches are in a very sloppy condition,
My turn of duty finished at 8 PM yesterday
morning & did not come around again till 4 a.m.
this morning, so I had one good nights rest
broken only by the rain finding a weak spot
in the roof of the dug-out, which necessitated
immediate action, & later on by the other chaps
(there are three of us in here) being aroused for their
different shifts.  I received a letter from
Ivor dated Feb 7th so it has been delayed
 

 


2/
somewhere or other. I see by the papers
that recruiting at the time of publishing
was only moderate. They will wake up
some of these days and realise that the
German will take some driving out of Belgium
and Poland, and before which time, it will be useless
to think of arranging peace terms.
Is it that the Islanders are afraid to
die? Do they count their lives in a cause
that has for its object, the protection &
uplifting of all that makes life worth living;
That makes for a better understanding between
men, a better, xx greater & wider appreciation
of all that [[???]] this world a
little more like what it should be; that is a
home in the full sense of the word.
Do you know what my feeling was
when I went to the trenches first? Not that
I would do this, that or the other, but knowing
the fine men I had in my section, would I
be capable of leading them? They as soldiers
and good soldiers at that were entitled to
the best of leadership. That was my thoughts
right through & which to a certain extent is
still with me. I only wish it were possible
to get into that Town Hall & speak for
an hour or so to the beggars & let them
feel things that have not entered, or at
 

 


3/
least seemed to enter their minds.
The Germans put in a
few bombs a couple of days ago &
wounded one of the Engineers in the
thigh. It went right through the
fleshy part. This morning at 4 a.m.
one of the men on for sentry post got
a bullet in the head & was dead by when
we got him on the stretcher. He was a
fine fellow too.
While I was carrying the chap that
had been wounded by the piece of bomb
out to where the stretcher was the [[?]]
put two more over, one one one side &
the other falling just a little bit short,
but luckily they never did any damage.
I see by the papers that one of the
Bakers, L. Foster & some other chap whose name
I have forgotten enlisted from Broadford the
other day. Oh, H. Castles was the one.
The old place has done a fair share
I think, although there are still one or
two who could come along. Well Mum
I think that I shall wait for a day to
see if your letter comes along before finishing
this as I am sure it must be somewhere
close handy. Sunday Your letter has not
 

 


4
arrived yet so I think it must be
kept back xx with other mail till
we go out to the billets.

        We had a man killed yesterday

morning while observing in the firing

line. He died before he reached the

Doctor. Saw an aeroplane

duel this morning, both machines

spining up on trench other with

machine guns. A cloud obscured them

after a while, but I fancy they both

had enough of it & called off in

different directions. 

   This afternoon the Germans

set fire to one of the houses away

in near of the firing line. They also

put shrapnel all around the place

but I do not know if any one was

hurt in the disturbance.

     The rain stopped last night

& it is nice & fine today although

just a little chilly yet. We had a 

pretty fair doing as regards weather

this time in the trenches, but I guess

it is up to us to have one fine day

in the week. I sent cable to Gla

 

                     5

a couple of day ago which I hope

reaches her safely and in time.

     Do not know if we are coming

back into this part of the line, or not

next time, but sometimes fancy that we

are going into another part of the

zone. I hope it is a bit more lively

than here, because this is really too

slack, & one loses his initiative when

there is nothing doing.

       You cant beat having a solid

brush up every day as it to keep the

men up to the idea of fighting

      Well Mum I think I

must close now, as news is pretty

scarce.                So trusting all

at home are well & I receive your

letter when I get back

                I remain

                  Your son

                   Oscar

 

Be sure and sent it back 

to me 

           MJ

 

                                Bomb School

                                    Somewhere in France

                                        June 26th

Dear Mother,

         I am writing this to catch the

mail to-morrow. With it also will

be two books "Fragments of France"

which strike me as being rather good

and some of it very real.

      I am still here but as told

in my previous letters say cannot say how

long I shall be kept instructing. The 
C.O. kicked up a row the other day &

did me the honour of saying that I was

one of his best Lieutenants, and that he

wanted me back again. Division

say that they will not send me back

just yet unless it is for something

important & that they will send another

officer to take my place while I am

down here. I have the satisfaction 

of knowing that should there be a

 

                       2

serious attack I should immediately

get back to my Company so I do not mind

so much. My men are always

asking when I am coming back to them

As it is gratifying to know that the

men one has trained still look to one

to lead them. They say they do nit

want any new officer "just give us Mr Jones"

is what they say.  Of course this is a 

war where sentiment cannot be taken into

consideration very much, but I just

mention the fact to show that I can

get the same work from a platoon of

men also the same liking as I did

when a corporal with a section. That 

section I used to have could be put up

against any of the other 31 in the

Battn & would take the honours, for I

never spared them when there was work

or myself either & by Jingo "they knew it.

      They have all gone now from A. Coy

except one or two who still stick there

and I often hear that so and so is a

good machine gunner or trench mortar man

 

 






 

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