Papers of Edgar Sydney Worrall - Wallet 2 - Part 6

[*Received

12^th May 1916*]

AT Sea

25 March '16

My Dear Harry,

Just a line in 

haste. I hope to be within a

few hundred miles of you as

soon as this trip is finished

We have had a good voyage

and submarines have

kept well out of our way

Best of luck old man we

may meet before very long

Ever Your loving brother

Edgar

PC In future address

your letters to Sergeant EW.

E.

[*Received

Monday 29^th May

(47 days in transit)*]

th. Battalion

Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

[[*WE ?*]]

Supports.

Somewhere in

France.

Tuesday 11.4-16.

Mother Mine

I am writing this by a

cosy coke fire behind our lines "Somewhere

in France." Life has passed very pleasantly

with me the last few weeks. I must 

try and give you my impressions of 

La Belle France, after journeying

from South to North.

This country has fairly enchanted

me from the moment I first set eyes

on the rugged cliffs of the Southern

coast. We first saw land appear early

on Monday morning a couple of weeks

back, and later we passed the island

prison of the Count of Monte Cristo, and

entered the magnificent harbour of Marseilles.

With band playing we pulled

into the quay and soon after dinner

disembarked, marched to the station

amid cheers & applaudits of the populist

2.
and entrained. I shall never forget that

trip from South to North, should I live to be

a hundred. In duration it was sixty hours

but it passed all too soon. Through orchards

and vineyards, with gleaming white roads

dividing and subdividing them; then on

through towns where we received welcome

worthy of the Royal Family; then on through

a snow storm which made the surrounding

country appear like a page out of a story

book. Fair wenches blew and passed kisses

to us, soldiers saluted, boys cheered, old men

and women - probably remembering 1870 -

turned to the North and shook their fists in
the direction they supposed the Kaiser was,

and then waved us on; an occasional

priest took off his hat and blessed us

and so the journey went on.

The last night of the journey - just as

night was falling - we ran into a snow

storm. The lights were just beginning to

beam through the windows of the rural

homes, and with the ground all covered in

snow, it gave the appearance of a winter

3.
scene on an illuminated Xmas Card.

But now about myself. We are now

in supports just behind an advanced

position. This afternoon we have had

some reminders of Gallipoli. Our old

friends - high explosive shells - have

been passing overhead. Instead of living

like rabbits as on the Peninsula we

are billeted in villages or farmhouses

when out of the actual firing line.

I cannot imagine conditions as bad

as we had them over yonder, and am

looking forward to a good time or as

near one as possible.

Best of love.

Edgar

P.S. Have just got your very welcome

letter and trust you are keeping in the best

of health of spirits. God bless you.

In future address

6^th Aust. Inf. Brigade

A.I.F.

instead of merely

6^th Brigade

A.I.F.
Rest as before

[*Received

10-6-16*]

24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

EGYPT

The Trenches

Flanders 

18^th April

1916

My Dear Dad,

I am writing this in the

trenches in Flanders. It is 8 P.M. and

I have just come off duty. Our dugout

measures 6' by 6' and is 3'6" high.

It is marvellous what we cram into

our "home". Above our heads hang our

our rifles and equipment. A shelf

is let into the wall and contains

our tucker box and excetras. At the

bottom where our feet reach is a

small grate burning coke. This provides

our oven and heating apparatus. A

few pictures from illustrated papers

decorate the sand-bag wall and

here we reside and call it "home".

Soon I am expecting my brother sergeant

and dugout mate to come off and

turn in. We shall have a modest

supper - toast, butter and cocoa. Perhaps

24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

EGYPT

we shall have a short yarn of home

and then turn over and sleep the sleep

of one content with a hard day's

toil. About two I shall be awakened

to go out on patrol and examine some

new breastworks Fritz has been working

at all day. It has been rain,

rain, rain, for the last three days

and things are consequently just a

little miserable but the promise of a

mail in the morning has brightened

things up considerably. This life is 

nothing to Gallipoli. One can always

procure eggs etc in billets and

we never expected to see such hardship

as we witnessed over yonder.

Best of love to all.

Edgar

24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

EGYPT
France.

14^th May 1916

My Dear Father,

Your letter has just come to

hand, and very welcome it was too.

Rather bad luck being beaten for the

sec. but as you say it should be your

turn next year. It is raining hard outside,

but the last fortnight has been delightful

weather, and all around the

the woods and pastures are green

and beautiful.

I am glad my diary interested

you. You are quite right in my not

wanting a single word of it published

in any form. The same applies

to all my letters. Some chaps have

been trying to make a name for

themselves & writing some pretty tall

yarns home. Their letters are sometimes

published and they are made to look

ridiculous in the extreme. Whatever else

you do don't blow a chap up. There

{*are men who have done untold things and

never a word heard of them. These other things

fade into insignificance before them. Everyone of

us abhors to see anything in print concerning us

you understand don't you. If anything is done worth

mentioning Head Qrs. do so in official

despatches. I have just written a long letter

to Norman & Isabel & one to Harry. I hear

from both of them regularly.

I am sending a school Xmas Card in

this. I have carried it a long way & am

sending it home for safety. Put it away

amongst my treasures to decorate

my room after the war.

No far from where I am now

writing is a small shrine containing

an effigy of the crucifix & Holy Trinity.

A shell has passed right through the

wall & caused great damaged. But

strange to say that amid the ruin

the figures stand all intact. It

makes even the most thoughtful

pause & think.

The very best of love to all

Edgar

24th. Battalion

6th Inf. Brigade

(Australia)
EGYPT

France

27^th May 1916.

Mother Mine,

There is little to narate since

last mail, and as no home mail has

reached us, there is no home news to

comment on. The weather generally

is beautiful and I am even as happy

as Larry. Indeed it would be difficult

to be otherwise in the company of such

lads as we have about us. In spite

of hard fatigue and risks there is

seldom a dull moment in our full

and easy and glorious life.

When in billets we put our

heads and incidentally our purses ^together and

then scour the countryside for palatable

edibles. The result. Eggs & ham for breakfast,

coffee, cream, salads and everything

that a rural district produces.

A river close by provides excellent

bathing, and a large factory not far

away, turned into a hot baths and laundry provides
for our cleaniness. No this is not hundreds of miles

from the big guns but right up against the firing

line. At last a proof copy of the "Anzac

Magazine" has been sent round and we can see

everyday incidents of Gallipoli dipicted on paper.

When copies are available I shall post one home.

The English mail has just come in and according

to his letter Harry is as enthusiastic as ever with his

work I may have the chance of seeing him soon.

Five of the Battalion (over 1000 strong) have been

recommended

to attend a school of instruction at London

I am one of the five. When we are going I do

not know but if it is "dinkum" it should not

be long. It may blow over however and nothing

come of it. If it is a success - well anything

may happen You need not say anything about

it, for it may end in bubble.

Best of love to all

Your loving son.

Edgar