Letters from Lt Colin Douglas Simper to Mrs Irene Simper Wallet 3, Part 3

NX71509

Lieut AL Chapman,

Patient. 2/5 A.G.H.

A.I.F. Aust.

1 July 45.

 

Dear Mrs Simper, 

I am really glad

that you wrote to me Irene - I

do hope that you will forgive me

for being so personal by calling

you by your Christian name; I

knew Col so well and he was 

such a great pal of mine that

I feel as if you are equally as

good a friend.

I did get a few lines written

to you several days ago but am

afraid that it may not have

seemed a very sincere effort - 

although I didn't admit it at the

time, I was feeling rather sick but

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it was the very first opportunity

that I had had of dropping you a 

few lines. 

I do understand and realize

what a loss you have suffered - 

Col was very well liked and greatly

admired by us all. In war, it is'

 not we, who do the fighting, who

suffer, but those we leave

behind.

Yes Irene I can give you some 

details of the happening and I do

hope that it will be of some 

help to you. I'll say again that

I am glad you wrote because I

didn't dare state details unless you 

requested it.

As you know, when Col returned 

from his leave, he was placed in

command of the Pioneer Platoon -

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Prior to his going on leave he had

attended a Pioneer school at

Wougabel  (Tablelands) and on his 

return from leave, our original

Pioneer officer was sent away to

Victoria to attend an Army school;

thus the reason for the transfer.

During the campaign, most of

Col's time was spent carrying out

duties as a Pioneer - constructing

temporary bridges, surfacing roads,

cutting jeep tracks, and protecting

Bn H.Q. He was doing a good 

job.

At the time of his being wounded,

he was sent out with five lads

to set booby traps at a creek

junction where it was known the

Japs used to go down from the

hills for water. My Coy had cleared

this area beforehand - the Japs

had no defences there but he

used to go down with his cans

during the hours of darkness for

his water. By setting booby traps

in this area, we hoped to deny

him access to this water point and

at the same time, cause him casualties.

It was most unfortunate that

Col's patrol apparently got onto

the wrong track without noticing

it and they came to the creek

at a different point and followed 

it down until they came to a 

junction with another creek.

Thinking they had reached the

right area, they set out to cross to

the other side to carry out their

task. At this point the creek bed

was fairly wide and they had to