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

Miss Jean McPherson
"Clyne Milton"
Horsham
Victoria
Australia  

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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 hopme home. Things are going on much the same as

usual here, the Turks did a bit of shelling 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
of the common as where they burst they throw dirt all over the place, that is
the high explosive. The Turks fire a big cannon ball of about a xxxxx hundred
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 Lemnos Island could hear the Lizzie when she fired, Im not a bit surprised
at that although I think it is sixty or seventy miles off, we can often
hear the guns of at Helles from here but that is over about twelve or
fourteen miles off, the naval guns have been firing up there for about the
last 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 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx What a bonzer victory the Tommies seem
to have had on the Persian Gulf, it will be a bit of a knock to German Bill
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 come back home for the Harvest
especially if it is a good one, but there is no hope so far as I can see
This should be a Great year for the [[winter ewes ?]] they must
go up to a tremendous price, I often wonder if you keep any sheep

at home now. I must write to Flossie one of these days as I bought some

paper & envelopes a few days ago, twelve envelopes & twelve sheets of this paper
for 2/- so you can see it isnt very cheap I paid 2/- for four envelopes & the
same number of paper a few weeks ago, but I don't mind what price of it is

as long as I can get hold of it, I'd sooner go without anything than not be

able to write home, and we have no way to spend money here, we are expecting a mail

in any day now, it is just about a month since the boat left Adelaide for
we seldom get it under about three or four days over the month, I think
we only get two mails a month now for a while, you will know. I
fancy it is the P & O boats running for a while, I always look in the

Melbourne papers to see when the next boat leaves. I hope you were
lucky enough to get a girl, I think I know a cousin of that girl Meghan

that you mentioned, I met her as Mrs Haynes, Fathers place, she is a dress
maker, she should be alright coming from up there, but of course you
never can tell. They will just about be starting seconds by the time this
letter reaches home, fancy being in the Wimmera for the spring, we have
had summer practically ever since we left Australia, but this is the
hottest weather we have had. I wouldn't be surprised if Ted Ellis was sent
xxx back home, If he does ask him about Moloneys wound, he (Moloney) must
be a very poor specimen of a soldier by all accounts, he may have a long

service medal, but give me the short service man before him, if hes a fair

specimen, by the way he used to talk one would have thought he was

would be afraid of nothing  I thought it was pretty good "Old Johnnie" starting

the ball rolling again, its funny how he always falls in the fat when
Mrs Gray is away, I wonder what he took exception to end Mr Bevs Service
perhaps he reckons the collection was too big. Well Mother Dear this paper

is about played out so will close. With kind Regards to all Horsham Friends
& Mr & Mrs Rathy & heaps of love to all at home
I remain always
yr loving Son
Athol. C. McPherson 

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

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xxxxx Wednesday 28^th July
My Dearest Jack
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 stall this week as there isnt a mail from
Australia, its a bit of a nuisance such a lot of the Orient boats being taken off the
Australian trade, but I suppose we must have transports. Things are [[?]]

the same as usual here [[?]]
we return but ^the first [[?]]
share, I thought [[?]]
the number [[?]]
months under [[?]]
done day & ni [[?]]
nearly all [[?]]
of these do much [[?]] was talking to Greggy this morning he seems
as lively 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 P.C. he sent from Albany. He
was just making back to the 8^th from being in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
when I met him we all have to be done twice, Ive been done once
When Ive been done again it will 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 such 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 its
only a little way across the water, you ought to see the Sunssets
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
calm but I believe at certain times of the year [[?]]
Bert Swindells had a fairly lucky escape the other night, a shell blew
the trench in & he was buried with two others & they had to be dug
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 seem to
get alright again Young Greggy was telling me Leslie was alright, hes
working with xxxxxxxxxxx I havent seen him since we left Broad-

meadows. I was sorry to hear Roy McLean was killed, he must have
been shot in the Charge up at Cape Helles as I was talking to him
when 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 Talbot 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 Fisher will get on without him though
Theres one thing certain about it, hes not likely to be anything like
the man that George was, he was the right man in the right place
not the wrong Its as funny as a circus to read some as the accounts
of our landing here written by Privates [[?]] where one fellow
spoke of striking tall wire entanglements in the water he must have
thought he was landing up at Helles, as there was barb in the

water there but I dont think there was any here at all. Of course
there were a few entanglements back from the beach. The
Tommies had a very tough time lading up at Helles
through the barb in the water Well Jack this paper is about to
run out, so must close. Please remember me to all Horsham Friends
including the Millars & love to all at Hedley also. Will, Lot & Murray & love
to all at home including Marion. I remain

yr loving brother

Athol C. McPherson 

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

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