Papers of Edgar Sydney Worrall - Wallet 2 - Part 8

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parade of his battalion conducted by

me just before they went into the

trenches a week or few days ago, and

also at a commuion service I held

the same day.

I told him that I would write to

you today. I really do not think

you have the least cause for great

anxiety. He will have a spell for

a while and then I feel sure he

will be quite well again.

Please give my kind regards to

Mr Worral and accept same yourself

from

Yours brotherly,

Percy Bladen

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accordingly. Just outside

their parapet someone fell

in front. I helped to carry

him but just outside that

wire my turn came and

I fell a dull thud in the

left leg. Somehow I managed

to crawl back to our own

parapet and into it with

out farther mishap. Then

it was stretcher bearers

doctors ambulances, red-cross

train to Bologne, where I

stayed two nights. Yesterday

we came across to Dover

by H.S. Denis and I are

now in hospital at the

above address I am hoping 

Harry can run up and

see me (although we are

a hundred miles from

London) The nurses are

 

Norfolk & Norwich

Hospital

England

3.7.16

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Mother Mine,

Long before you

receive this you will have

had my cable, stating that

I was wounded by shell in

the left leg. It is only a

scratch & Hope to be able

to rejoin the old regiment

soon and lead my boys

un the Great Offensive that

is now taking place. The

offensive started the night

they managed to get me.

All along the Australian

line raiding parties

consisting of about twenty

per company went out. I

was the sergeant in charge

of those from A, Coy 24th.

About midnight on

Thursday last we crawled

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out to within about sixty

yards of their barbed wire

and waited. Our artillery

at a stated time opened up

a terrific fire on their front

line for five minutes, then

lifted and played on their

second line The bursting

shells made the place as

light as day. As soon as

the fire lifted we jumped

up and ran forward across

the barbed wire and into

Fritz's trenches. Some of the

lads fell on the way there,

one or two never to rise again

Once inside we began

systematically to clear the

trench. Those who put their

hands up quickly, were taken

prisoner and [[?]] over

to our own defences. The

others - well they remained

 

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there, but will never

be of further use to the

Fatherland. Looking into a

dugout I saw a young German

crouching in the

corner and bade him in

my best German to "hop

out".  Perhaps he was awe

struck at my get up -

we had all blackened

our faces and hands and

rumpled our hair - but

he was very slow. A shot

from my revolver finished

him and I took his water

bottle to remember him

by. It is at my head now,

I got another chance a

moment later and made

a success of it. He required

 two bullets however

We then got the word

"Bunk" the signal to get

away home, and bunked

 

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most kind and attentive and

in such hands my wound

should not take long to

heal. The countryside what

I saw of it from the train -

is beautiful; just what you

read about [[?large]] [[woods?]]

and parks. We skirted the

parent city and arrived

here about eleven o clock

last night, less than 72 hours

after I had received Trudy's

present.

Very best of love to all

Edgar

N. & N. H.

Norwich

25 July '16

 

Mother Mine,

All is well with me.

A week ago I had a few stiches

put in my leg, and since then

the wounds has healed beautifully.

Everyone here does their

utmost for you; in fact they

take it as a slight if you will

not allow them to render some

service, however large or small..

The two surgeons here -

quite young men, - have promised

to show me through the

Hospital, as soon as I can

get about with ease.

While Harry was here, we

had a few snaps taken, and I

am sending a couple along 

with this .

The Baptist clergyman here

has lent me a couple of books

containing the works of Vergil

and Caesar. So you see I am

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dipping into my old Latin friends

again, and find them more

interesting than the time when 

dire penalties would fall on me

for not reading them the.

I have just had a letter from

Harry, and written from Scotland.

He has managed to get a few

days off and has paid a flying

visit to Scotia before going

East.

This will reach you just in

time for me to wish you the

very best of happy birthdays.

I would like to be able to

send you something from here

but as I cannot get out, I

fear that is impossible. In lieu

of that, however, it would make

me very happy if you would

accept ₤5; and please have 

a real good time.

Edie's birthday is about the

same date and I think ₤2

would be acceptable to her.

Father can arrange the transaction

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 and draw the seven pounds

from my account.

The English summer has not

been quite a success probably due

to the heavy bombardment in

France, causing aerial unrest. I

think we have had rain every

second day. But in spite of all

the sun does shine very beautifully

at times, and the long

twilight is delightful.

I hope everyone is very well

at home. With my letter, will

be coming Spring and may,

with the return of the flowers

birds and life, untold happiness

come to you all.

And now, mater mine, au

revoir - as the French say - until

we meet again - for really I do

not think it will be so very

long now. Very best of love

to all, and my own sincerest

prayer for yourself

Your loving son

Edgar

 

Received

20th Sep 1916

N. & N. Hospital

Norwich

3rd Aug 16

 

My Dear Father,

Since lasting writing I

have made very good progress and

now manage to walk, or should I

say shuffle, about without support.

I am booked up for the Convalescent

Home and should leave in a

week or less.

Some more of our men came

here last night - the result of a

grand advance made by the Second

Division, which includes the 24th -

and tell of great things happening

over yonder. Companies and Battalions

were practically wiped out

but still they accomplished what

they set out to do and captured

Pozieres. French officers are reputed

to have said that while it lasted

Verdun was a joke compared with

it. How far this can be believed of

course is doubtful, but according

to the new arrivals here the bombardment 

was terrific.

Harry left for Port Said

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on Tuesday, and he seems in excellent

spirits, at the prospect of work on the

Canal.

Mr Sharp of the immigration

Department has written to me saying

he would do all he could to make

my stay in England a happy one.

He also sent a long list of places

that would interest me, and directions

as to their whereabouts.

If possible Scotland shall

claim me for a few days. I have

several addresses in Edinburgh as

I am really looking forward to my

furlough.

None of the home mail has

come across from France yet, but

Harry has sent me on his mail so

the present state of nonintercommunicability

is not so irksome as it

might be.

Would you ring up Dr Gamble

of [[?Shew]] and find out Walter's

address. The last I heard from

him he was in the 59th Battn

but I cannot get in touch with

him. If you get in touch with

him. If you get his full address

(Company and all I will have 

more chance of seeing hearing things

Give my best of wishes to the

girls & tenderest love to Mother

Your loving son Edgar

 

1916

Harefield Park

Sunday Aug 6th

 

Mother Mine,

After nearly five weeks in

the Norfolk Norwich Hospital. I came

down here to the 1st Australian Auxiliary

Hospital at Harefield Park, yesterday.

Our stay at Norwich was made

very happy by the unsurpassable kindness

of the whole staff - nurses

sisters and doctors, and it was almost 

with feeling of regret akin

to leaving home ^again that we bid them

au revoir. Two very fine Canadian

doctors were there. They had just obtained

their degree before war broke

out, and being quite young, my

friend Waller [[Curline?]] and those

two became firm friends. They have

begged us to come and stay a few

days before we go away. The Church

of England minister - one of the

old school has placed the vicarage

at our disposal any time we

will "honour him with a visit," so

he put it. How long we stay here