Papers of Edgar Sydney Worrall - Wallet 2 - Part 7

A Company.
24th. Battalion
6th. Inf. Brigade
(Australia)
France.
EGYPT  29th May '16

Dear Harry,
Last week I thought I had
a good chance of six to eight weeks in
England, but I fear it has fallen through.
On Sunday last the Colonel sent
for me to report to H.Qrs. On arrival
there he told me he was sending my
name through to attend an officer's 
training school just out of London.
Only five from my Battalion were
going and I'm charge, so I was
looking forward to a good time.
However I heard today that rumour
has it that the trip is off. Officially
though I have heard nothing of it
being cancelled. So after all you
may be surprised to find me jump
on you one of these fine days in
the near future.  All's well here and
I hope it's so over the Channel.
 [*I'll send and let you know exactly where we
are by the next lot who go to England so in
case you are ever over this way you may be
able to drop in and see me.
Heaps of good luck Edgar. *]

A. Company.
24th. Battalion
6th. Inf. Brigade
(Australia)
In FRANCE.
EGYPT 3 June 1916.

Sisters All,
The beautiful weather which I
have mentioned in previous letters has not
forsaken us but has indeed improved. The
days are all sunlight and warm, the
evenings, cool breezy and twilight until
well after eight, and the nights are cool
and deliciously balmy, with the atmosphere
laden with scent from crops and rustling
hedgerows. Of course Fritz is the main
trouble and he often makes himself unpopular
by throwing big shells around
us, but that of course is a detail.
As I write a little pup sits on the table
in front of me and is giving me continual
trouble by making making ungainly
dives at my pencil. This dog
has a tale. We entered our last billets
late one night. The place was infested
with rats - more of them later - and
[* on going into our huts one of the sergeants
let swing with his rifle at what he thought
was a rat. The result was a most decidedly
canine yelp. On striking a light we found
this pup "Imshi" under the floor and bitterly
complaining of fractured leg. We took the poor *]

2.
little beggar to our hearts straight away, put his leg in splints
and now he is hopping about as merrily as a lark. Of
course we have kept him for our mascot and he bears
none of us any ill-will for his broken member. It tries

manfully to pull our boots about but is too much for him,
which is not surprising when you consider the weight.
Woe unto him who leaves his tea and eggs about
when Imshi is on the warpath. Tea, eggs, bread and
jam are its favourite dishes.
And now about the rats. As I mentioned before the
place was infested with them. There was a wooden floor to
the hut and underneath me could hear the rats scurrying
continually. We lifted a board and put some burnt cheese
down. We then left a decent crack between the boards
and sat down on boxes with bayonets ready. The sport
was fast and furious. As soon as fur appeared
between the crack down came a bayonet - sometimes
two — with unerring aim and stuck it fast and
true. The board was then lifted again and the
sport ended in a bag of twenty two rats ranging
from the size of a small kangaroo to a fair sized
wallaby. We gave them a decent burial and I inscribed
the following epitath above them.
"Here lies the carcases of twenty two rats
Killed by bayonets and not by cats."

[* Billy Huges &
Andrew Fisher
had a look at
us a couple of
days ago. The
former seems
more shrunk
up than ever*]
24th. Battalion
6th. Inf. Brigade
(Australia)
3  EGYPT
In such manner do we manage
to amuse ourselves behind the lines.
And now a word for the dad. At
last I have managed to get a reallottment

form and now from 16^th Dec 1915
until further redaction or promotion
my "salary" per diem will be:-
Gross pay 10/6.
Deferred    2/-
Alotted.      5/6
For Issue    3/-
So after the new allottment reaches
the Base Pay Office Melbourne - which
may be a couple of months after this
reaches you, you should draw 5/6 a
day. Back pay from last Dec 16^th
will probably be paid up and should
amount to from £20 to £30. After that
the regular 5/6 will be continued.
Let me know if you receive this
and subsequent proceedings.
[*The mail does not close until the 14^th June

so I shall be able to write again this mail.

Very much love to all

Your affectionate brother

Edgar*]

[* SJ Pittard *]
France

13.6.16.

My Dearest Mother,

The closing of the mail

came rather as a surprise a few hours

ago, and a long letter is impossible.

I shall make up for it next mail.

The last two mornings we have been

up at 9.30 and up to the trenches

to make the position more secure.

The early rising is to take place again

tomorrow and as it is now after 

nine I will have to retire soon. We 

are expecting a mail any minute
now so I shall sit up & wait for
it. Last Satur. I went through
what has been a fine old Cathedral.
The interior is still very beautiful
with lofty shrine and statues rising
to the roof. The outside has
been damaged by shell fire and

has rather a desolate appearance.
We are comfortably installed in a
two storey house - upper rooms - for
the time being. A heavy battle has been
raging around on our left and good

reports are coming in - naval successes
and the great Russian onslaught.
Best of love to all. Edgar

Received

3rd August 1916

24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)

France

EGYPT

My Dear Father,

You want some more

detailed account of the Evacuation.

Well here it is - for private consumption.

Early in December about the 10th

I think rumour had it that we

would be off before Christmas. Few

believed that Evacuation could be

carried out without enormous 

loses. Things then began to happen

rapidly. Down on the Beach a

big Condenser was taken to pieces

and disappeared. Big mines and

earthworks were left uncompleted

and what was more important, gift

foodstuffs that were being hoarded

up for Christmas were given out

plentifully so we had for once

ample and variety. The last

few days big guns were taken away

[* but all machine guns left. Then ammunition
bombs and stores that could not be taken
away were dumped. Then began arguments
as to whom were to be left in the last party *]

2.

Sick and weak men were got away.
And then battalions not actively occupied.
At last each of the remaining men
were given a slip of paper - at least
this was carried out in nearly all
Battalions - with his name on it
and a [[?]] sign ranging from
A1   C3. The A parties were to
leave on the Saturday in order. A1 [[first?]]
A2 and if there were such a party A3.
B parties left on Sunday B3 at about
11.30 This left only three parties left
C1, C2, C3. C1 left early Monday morning
C2 about 2.15 and then only 32
men were in Lone Pine. The garrison
of which normally was a Battalion with
another company in support. I tell you
there was some rivalry as to staying
with the C3 party. Round on our right
Warren Smith & Gamble, my two best pals
through Wesley kept vigil until the C3
party left. The early hours of Monday
morning were quiet and tense

3
24th. Battalion

6th. Inf. Brigade

(Australia)
[*France*]
EGYPT
3
and the Turk could be heard strengthening
his barbed wire. At last our
time to go had arrived and with
blankets tied round our feet to
muffle the fact noise we made
our way along the blanket covered
trenches out to the communication
trench and then down to 
the beach. Parties from other
parts of the line all converged at
the pier and moved quietly on
board. At this juncture Ruspel
Top a prominent part of the
line rose up in flame and
a roll of thunder reverberated
through the gullies, the result of
a gigantic mine. The Turks opened
up a terrific fire on the Top but
there was no one there of course
Quietly the tug moved on with
[* us to the barge transport and on a few

 

4
of a last rush to the beach lead
by a [[?]] few boy etc ect are a 
beautiful piece of fabrication. An
engineer or two were left behind
until dawn but all got off O.K.
I see in Harry's letter you said you
told Senator Peareabout my firing the
last shot in the Evacuation I hope
you didnt. I probably fired the last 
shot at Lone Pine - I said - but that
is vastly different thing. I'm a give
my surprise when I saw something
summoning me in the Spectator. I 
rather it hadn't appeared.
Many ingenious contrivances came
to light during the last hours to deceive the
Turks. Automatically constructed rifles
etc I want this to be posted in
England so must close at once
as someone is just going on leave.
Five of my platoon have already been
wounded in France. We are near Ypres
[*in a few places
Love to all
Edgar*]
 

France, 
June 30th 1916
Dear Mr Worrall,
Long before this reaches
you, you will have heard that Edgar has
been wounded. It happened early this
morning and I was at the dressing station
when he was brought in. The wound was
caused by a piece of shell or bomb and is
in the fleshy part of his leg just below the 
calf. I understood the Dr to say that neither
the bone or the sinews were injured, and they 
assured me that though he will be laid
up for a time he should get quite all
right again. He was wonderfully
cheerful and even humorous over his 
mishap and bore the dressing of his
wound without murmur though it
must have been exceedingly painful.
I had the opportunity of talking with
him.. He is a fine brave lad of
whom his parents should be very 
proud. He was present at church