Correspondence between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and Lady Janetta Birdwood, 1915 - Part 4

here) for I think it is our only chance.

Hunter-Weston will do his

at dawn as he doesn't

think the places he will land at can

be managed in the dark. We will of course

have battleships & cruisers to support us

with all their guns, but their fire is not

always very effective on land, nor can they

observe it's result. I can tell you all this as

we shall be in it by the time this leaves 

here - Mudros Bay in the Island of Lemnos.

Yesterday I sent Villiers-Stuart for a fly in

an aeroplane all over the place - it was the 

first time he had been up & quite seemed

to enjoy it. He was fired at by Artillery as

he went over but I am thankful to say unhurt.

He saw a good deal in the way of camps,

trenches & guns, the latter of which I hope

to capture ere long, but I daresay they will give

us a bit of a doing first. We have had 

German flying men over this harbour lately

& I can't think why they haven't tried to

drop bombs into it as there must be 100

ships here including "Queen Elizabeth" & a

whole lot more Battleships & cruisers - with

any luck they should get a bull's eye

somewhere! However I hope our aeroplanes 

may get them if they come over again. 

I have just been ashore with one of my

Brigades - the men as pleased as children

at finding such nice country to work over

after desert of Egypt - it is regular spring

weather too & all the wild flowers remind

one so much of home - clovers, poppies & 

vetch. I send you some I picked. What 

though is not like home at present are the

tremendous lot of windmills - rows

at times of a dozen of them all at work.

They are unlike the old English ones with

four large sails each as these have about 

a dozen smaller sails in which reefs are

taken just like on a ship & then are set

as required. I went into the Greek Church

too - quite a big one & with quite nice

ikons painted on the walls. The majority

of the people look as if they might well be

engaged as ideal brigands for a forty

thieves pantomime, for they are a real set 

of vagabonds & think of nothing but making

money. I don't suppose they have ever seen

so much money as we have brought into

the place lately.

By the time this reaches you Chris will

3) S.S. "MINNEWASKA".

 

be back at school again - & it will be

getting on for his 16th birthday ere

long - quite a stage in advance &

perhaps in a little over another year

he will be joining me!  for I can't believe

in any early ending to this war. I 

haven't yet heard of Nancy's arrival at 

home, but know she will have done so.

How are she & my little Judith? I am

longing to see you all, for it already seems

ages since we parted at Suez -  and I

haven't heard from you since we left Egypt

as I've got nothing since your letters of 24 

March - one mail has come here since then &

 

2

I got one letter from you & another of 1st

April telling me Nancy & Kath had got home

safely - but I got no other letters

& know yours must be wandering

about somewhere for me - goodness knows

when I'll get it now. The same post brought

me rather a nice letter from the mother of a 

man in my Army Corps & as I think it is

rather nice in its spirit, I enclose it

for you to see. Don't you think it is rather

nice? I am sure there is a good deal of the

same spirit at home, but if only all had

it we would soon finish this war, as we 

want it to pervade the manufacturers as

well as the soldier & to see them all working

for their country's sake. I have lately had to

have several talks with the men about the

fighting before us & what we all have to

do, & as I told them, the more do I see of

the Australian soldier the more do I admire 

his determination & uncomplaining work -

as well as the spirit which made

him throw up whatever work he was doing

to come over to all the danger & discomfort

which he knew he had to face by joining

for the war & which he did simply for his

country's sake.

I am sorry to say we have just lost a submarine

trying to get her up the Straits & it

would have meant so much if we could

have got her through: it was so tragic

too: there were twin brothers called [[Brodie?]] 

in the Navy who were absolutely devoted

to each other & could not be told apart.

The one went in charge of the submarine,

while the other flew overhead in an aeroplane

to see if all went right - & presently saw

the submarine ashore wrecked - how

we don't quite know. But she was apparently 

seen & fired on & we fear all inside

killed. Wasn't it rather sad? And such things

seem to happen daily.

I have just been writing to Chris for his

birthday as I may not be able to write

later & I have told him you will send

him something for his birthday from us.

Also I have asked him  if he would like

to go to France for [[at all?]] events part of his

summer holidays later on. I can't help

thinking it would be a good thing for

him if the Stappers would have him

again. Have you any news of Aunt Lily?

If not, do write to her, as she has always

been so kind to all of us.

I have been writing over several days but

must now close in, as we shall be

getting out to sea almost at once

and by 3.30 a.m. on St. George's

Day I shall much hope to be getting 

4)

S.S."MINNEWASKA."

 

my first landing ashore. This day last

year I remember so well taking Nancy

down with me to the rally at the Simler

boy scouts - how little could one

dream of being here a year hence!

Ask her if she remembers it. At

present it is blowing a gale, but I

much hope it may clear off almost

at once as we are so very dependent

on weather, which might ruin

everything - and I can't afford

delay as a week hence the moon

would quite give things away

 

 

by showing up my ships as they are

standing in to the coast. I don't

know when I'll be able to write again

but will do so as soon as I can.

Goodbye my own darling wife

& all my love to you & the little ones

always & kiss Nancy for me.

Ever your very loving old,

Will.

3

DRL

[*3376 (15)*]

H.M.S. Queen.

24 April 15.

My own darling wife.

I find I can write just one more line before we

sail though I doubt if I can get it posted at once. I have

now transferred to "Queen" & am sailing with Admiral Thursby

directly - all as you can imagine full of excitement - and

a truly wonderful scene it is here. Mudros Bay is a 

beautiful harbour and just crammed full of large

transports - great battle ships - cruisers - destroyers - torpedo

and boats - submarines etc. A lovely sea plane has been

flying all round & over us for several hours testing her

wireless - and now the great transports have begun to move

quietly down & out of the harbour in turn - we follow at

12 and all meet at a rendez-vous behind the Island of

Imbros before attacking. As the transports come down,

such as have bands on board play them & the men all

cheer & get counter cheers as they pass the battle ships

& cruisers - Such fine fellows they all look as they

 

 

crowd the sides & all just as keen as possible on starting

fighting. It really makes a lump come in my throat as I

watch them return their salutes to think of how many

of them must fall almost at once - and how much too

good so many of them seem to be cut off now - for I

fear we are almost bound to lose heavily. Oh! for a cloudy

night tonight - last night was exactly what I should have

liked - and a dull morning, to let me get my ships along

close to the shore unobserved & then no sun in our eyes as we

land & have to do our firing early tomorrow morning. What a

din & noise there will be with our ships [[?]] coming in

broadsides & enemies shells coming along to us in return

for we must stand very close in. Five hundred of my men

come on board each of these battleships & we will all get a

good hot meal about mid night which will last a long time.

Then when we get quite close to the shore the ships boats

which will all have been filled as we steam slowly along

to within half a mile, will shoot ahead towed by 

picquet boats & I hope row men ashore in silence, though

it is of course too good to hope we can do this unobserved,

though I am hopeful I may get enough ashore to rush

[*3DRL 3376*]

2) up & seize some high ground before the enemy have

tumbled to it & been able to reinforce their posts there.

The Admiral very kindly gave me his cabin last night & I felt I

was having my last comfortable night for a very long time to come (though

 I have got no pyjamas with me) - and I have made the most of

 a decent hot bath, as I see precious little chance of any

bed, bedding & change or bath for a very long time to come! We simply

can land nothing & I am most anxious as to the feeding of the troops -

however I'll manage somehow. I was rather touched on leaving 

the "Minnewaska" to come on board here, someone shouting out

"Three cheers for our General"- and all the men rushing to the side

to carry it on & cheer heartily. They certainly are a good

uncomplaining lot & I do trust they will come through things

well, for they have much fighting & nood hard ship before them all.

Poor Onslow had a nasty go of neuralgia the last few days & yesterday

I had to say he must remain on board with the horses to join me

later when we get a chance of landing them & that I would take

John McConaghy ashore instead. The result was wonderful and

in half an hour Onslow had quite recovered & is now with

me. I have made him get a few hard boiled eggs & dried figs