Papers of Edgar Sydney Worrall - Wallet 2 - Part 4

Tuesday
30th November 1916

Mother Mine,
Quite a lot has happened since last time

of writing and I hardly know where to begin. But as
all things have a beginning I had better start there. Some
nights ago I had the rather novel experience of going
out with two others on patrol. As I had previously suggested
that I should go out alone, I was given first
choice of place and of course promptly rushed the job
Stripped of our equipment refiles etc and armed with two
bombs and an automatic revolver ^apiece we clambered over the
top of our own parapet at Lone Pine and wormed our
way towards the Turkish trenches. From this front
the Turkish trenches are a hundred yards distant. At
some point we are separated by mere sand bags.
After we had crawled about half way, we came to a
sudden halt. A few yards in front passed three Turks on
the same mission as ourselves. With revolvers held in
readiness with we waited with bated breath, but they
did not notice us and continued on their way.
We did likewise, inspected their position and started
on the return trip. Half way between their trench and
our own lines, they sent up a flare and suddenly we
found ourselves flooded in light. Never before can I
remember getting so close to anything as the old Mother
Earth at that moment. A machine gun immediately 

opened on us, and a dozen or so rifles tried their
best to put us out of action. Without exaggeration
bullets made a circle around us, but except for slight
scratches nothing serious happened and the flare went
out as suddenly as it appeared. After that it did
not take long to get back within our own lines
Not a bad nights experience, far more exciting
than playing red-Indians as a youngster.
A couple of mornings ago we awoke to find
it snowing heavily - and the cold !! The thermometer
fell to over 20^o below freezing point. All day long it
continued and next morning to make matters worse
the Turks opened with their new heavy seige guns

and our Battalion suffered fairly heavily. Two

off our ∧Brigade doctors and several of our officers went

under. The rank and file also lost heavily. But

the shells are not the worst, though God knows

they are terrible enough; it is the weather that we

must fight with all our might. Severe though it

all is, when we are gathered in a warm tunnel with

a good fire burning a good yarn going round, all

are happy. It is only for spasms that we are dull.
For my own part I am still in best of health & spirits
& even enjoy myself in a kind of awful way. By the
kindness of an officer I manage to get some of my letters through

uncensored. It is on the strict understanding that the letter or
any part of it will not be published or in any way become
public property. And now I must close. The sun is shinning
brightly & though the snow is still on the ground, things
are looking much better after the horror of yesterday
best of love to all Edgar

And now Mother Mine just a few words for yourself.
Your little Edgar is not the same boy that left home

six months ago. He is a little harder & more
grim and probably has lost lots of his refinement. But
under all his undying love for mother and home
is still there under the rough covering, but intensified

a thousand times. And his belief and trust in God
Almighty is deeper than ever. Soon - it must be soon

for it is too terrible to last - this war will end and
home once more we will all meet, better by far
for the experience.
And now Norman and Isabel will have a
child to further unite them. God bless it and
the mother and father. And now mother darling don't
worry and fret, only pray and ^ in God's good time all will
be well. The very tenderest of love from
Edgar
 

A Coy

24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

 Tel-el-Ke bir.

EGYPT. 16 jan. 1916.
Mother Mine,

At last, after about six weeks, we are

allowed to write.  Of course we could expect nothing

else,- the removal of the Field P.O. from the

Beach sometime before the evacuation of Anzac

was the commencement of the six weeks silence.

Since then we have been at Mudros, on boats,

and are at last in the big concentration Camp

at Tel-el-Kebir - only a few minutes march

from the scene of the great battle of 1884 - was

it?  We got a fair sized mail on the island

and during the five days we have been here I 

have received close on seventy letters - between

twenty and thirty from home.  Never was mail

so welcome, and the news from filled me 

with joy.  Our Christmas billies and puddings 

were great - I cannot think of another word

to describe them.  Christmas itself was an 

ideal day, and the eagerness with which we

opened our gifts reminded one of the early

[* risings on Christmas mornings long ago and the excited

opening of Santa's pack. War torn and wearied men
were once again children and many were the words of
admiration spoken of those who had toiled to make
our festive time a happy one. They had succeeded beyond*]
 

24th Battalion

6th.Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

EGYPT.

what their wildest dreams could have been.

Miss Kenny again remembered me at

Christmas time. I think it is the tenth year

without a break, that I have received a gift

from her. The dear old soul still knows what

a chap enjoys, and packed a tin of beautiful

sweets, besides woollen wear. I am sure all old
friends remembered me, and letters have been
simply pouring in. W.H.King sent four pages
of advice and quotations and said he was sending
the very best thing possible- his good wishes.
Lottie Mason sent love, praise, and advice -
some friends of Harry dozens of English papers.
I hear from him often and by all accounts is
doing well. What a proud woman you must
be with Norman back again and a little
grandchild. Your letter telling of the parcel you
sent, came today - the parcel post is still to be
sorted and you may be sure I am looking forward
to it. The strict formality of Camp life

does not agree with me and the sooner we
[*are into it again the better pleased shall I be. I got through nearly

three months of the worst so I see no reason why I cannot go
on. I had the satisfaction of being in the last party off, so
in a way it makes up for being absent at the landing.
I am writing to the rest of the family so - goodnight
and may God bless a brave and loving mother.
Edgar *]

2^nd Aust Div School
france
21^st Jan '16
Mother Mine,
The regiment got
a well earned rest at last
and is at present billeted
in a small village some
distance behind the line. I
was sent along line to an
instructional school for a
few days. We are housed 
in an old chateau, and
although working at fairly 
high pressure, we manage
to get a deal of enjoyment
out of it. The chanhge from
the mud slush and shells
is in itself a tonic.
Since last writing we
had a spell in the front
line. Climatic condition
were certainly against us
2
for it rained, hailed and
snowed in succession not
to mention frost. The mud 
in places was up to the
thigs and in some of the
trenches it was impossible
to walk. In the latter case
it was "Over the top -and
chance your luck."
even the best of life's
joys have an end, and
none of us were very sorry
to be relieved.

During the last week
it has snowed heavily
and the whole countryside
is now covered in
a white carpet. We had
some great old snow fights

3
the first few days, but now
it has frozen hard and
we have to look elsewhere
for amusement.
About five kilometres
from here are some huge
caves built by the Romans
during the Gallic War
They are capable of housing
about [[60,000]] troops
so should be well worth
seeing. I intended to go
across this afternoon but
decided to do some writing
instead. Next time
I write, maybe I ahall
be able to give you a
full description of them.
The authorities want to
send me to an O.T.C. at
Cambridge, but I have pleaded
4
to be allowed to stay with the
Battalion. Whether or not

they concede to my wishes
I do not know bur sincerely
hope they will.
I am writing to one of the
others as well.
Very best of love
Edgar
[[D Mahony]]

A Company.
24th. Battalion
6th Inf. Brigade
(AUSTRALIA)
Tel-el-Kebir.
EGYPT 23 Jan 1916.
My Dear Father,
We are still resting (?) a
Tel-el-Kebir although qw hop to be off in
a few days. "Resting" is used here rather
satirically. It consists of six and half hours
drill a day at least, with route marches,
field manoevers and night attacks thrown
in every couple of days - just to vary it

a bit. I managed to get up to Cairo and
sent home my diary and a book of views
also a couple of letters i wrote on the
Peninsular but was too late to post them
I also sent a cablegram in case you
were fearing something had happened
to me . As a matter of fact, I am better
than ever I was - stronger and bigger
and have gained something I never
realized before - self confidence not
self consciousness. You remember Tennyson's
"My strength is as the strength of ten
Because my heart is pure."