Letters of Athol Cluny McPherson, April - August 1915 - Part 12

Miss Jean McPherson
"Clyne Milton"
Horsham
Victoria
Australia  

Gallipoli

Aug 1^st 1915

My Dearest Mother

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well & hope all

are the same at clyne home. Things are going on much the same as

usual here, the Turks did a bit of [[?]] in the middle of the night

last night but don't think they did much damage some of the shells
were bursting quite close to our dug out where we were sleeping, but all
the damage they did was to throw a little dirt on us & that is nothing a
[[???]] as where they burst they throw dirt all over the place, that is
the [[?]] explosive. The party give a [[?]] cannon ball or about [[??]]
years ago, they are great big round affairs . we can always tell them by the
different sound they make in the air to an ordinary shell next thing they will
be taking to the bow & arrow, they must be getting a bit short of ammunition
I noticed by one of the Melbourne papers that the day we landed here the people
at [[?]] Island could hear the [[?]] when she fired, Im not a bit surprised
at that although I think it is [[?]] of twenty miles off, we can often
hear the guns of at [[?]] from here but that is over about twelve or
fourteen miles off, the naval guns have been firing up there for about the
past 48 hours, one would think that they would blow all of the Turks into
the sea. Father spoke in a letter of his that we wanted to be careful what sort
of water we drank as he noticed where the Turks had poisoned it in some
places, there is no danger of that here xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What a bonzer victory the Tommies seem
to have had on the African Gulf, it will be a bit of a knock to German [[?]]
to loose the Bagdad railway, I believe it was all German money that was
sunk in it & at least something like twenty millions I fancy. I got innoculated
again yesterday against Cholera, a man will be as poisonous as a snake
by the time that he gets out of the army. I hope you are having a
good season this year I only wish I could [[?]] back home for the harvest
especially if it is a good one, but there is no hope so far as I can see




 

[*JW*]
Mrs MB McPherson
"Clyne Milton"
Horsham
Victoria
Australia

xxxxx Wednesday 28^th July
My Dearest Jean
I think it is about your turn for a letter this time, seeing you write
to be me by every mail, it is a bit stake this week as there isnt a maill from
Australia, its a bit of a nuisance such a lot of the Army boats being taken off the
Australian tide, but I suppose we must have transports. . Things are [[?]]
the same as usual here 
we [[?]] but ^the
there, I though
the number [[?]]
mostly under
done day & ni
nearly all &
of these [[?]] was talking to Greggy this morning he seems
as [[?]] as a cricket, but I'm afraid he hasnt improved in his ways yet
he was telling me his father had been ill & said he was very much
worried about him at the time, I couldnt help thinking of his Mother
wanting me to find out how he (Colin) was as she hadnt had any word
from him since he left their home except for a PC he sent from Albury. He
was just making back to the 8th from being in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
when I met him we all have to be done twice, Ive been done once
When Ive been done again it wil be four times innoculated & about
three times vaccinated since we left Australia, the vaccination  hardly
left a mark on my arm either, times The weather is very hot here
but the nights are lovely, sometimes we go down to the sea for a
swim, its only about a mile away, but its quiet a terrible climb
getting back, walking down is hard enough. You should see the
view we have round here, we are quite close to xxxxxxxxxxxxxx to
only a little way across the water, you ought to see the Sun sets
it sets just over the edge of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to us & such a lovely
sky at times, You would never believe it could be such colours
the sea here is about as calm as Ive seen it anywhere , it is always
[[?]] but I believe [[????????]]
Bert [[?]] had a fairly lucky escape the other night, a shell blew
the truck in & he was buried with two others & they had to dig
out he was hurt but was suffering from shock, its a strange  thing
that when a shell bursts  near anybody & doesnt hit him the shock very
often sends him to the Hospital for a few days but they soon xxxx to
get alright again Young Gregory was telling me Leslie was alright , he's
working with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I havent seen him since we left Broadmeadows.
I was sorry to hear Roy McLean was killed, he must have
been shot in the charge up at Cape [[?]] so I was talking to him
where we were on our way to the boat, the night we left here
for there & he was back from the firing line there, he came to our
Battalion to hunt me up. By the time the letter reaches home Father will
just about be thinking of going to Mt [[?]] again, that is if he is
going this year & you will all be talking of the show, what would
I give to be back for it, we have been in the force nearly twelve
months now, I noticed by one of the English papers that Billy Hughes
is going to take George Leeds place as high Commissioner, what a beauty
he will make, I dont know how [[?]] will get on without him though
Theres one thing [[certain?]] about it, he is not likely to be anything like
the man that [[?]] was, he was the right man in the right place
not the wrong Its as  [[funny?]] as a


 

[*JW*]
Miss Jean McPherson
"Clyne Milton"
Horsham
Victoria
Australia