Correspondence from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1914-1915 - Part 9

Hospital

Lemnos

31/10/1915

Dearest Mother

I have received your letter dated 7/9/1915. One of the

chaps was good enough to bring it over to me.

The battalion was to have gone back last week, but owing to an

outbreak of diptheria, they have been quarantined for the time

being. I am getting along well, and am now waiting

for a ship to take me to Alexandria. Where I will get to

from there is a query.

I was very sorry to hear of poor Miss Moore's death. Please tell

Auntie how I feel for her in her trouble. Poor dear Auntie

how unlucky she is. I would write to her, but I am not

sure of the address. I have lost all the addresses I had including

Norman Spence's. Please remember me to his mother & people. I will

probably see him when I get to Egypt.

The health question seems a serious one in the Melbourne camps.

It just gives you an idea how much danger there is from

sickness on a battlefield. The last position we took at

Anzac. That is Lone Pine plateau, the bodies were so thick

that for a week we had to walk on them, eat our meals &

sleep amongst them. It was a real nightmare & several

men broke down completely under the strain & smell.

Well dear mother & father it is hard to find news in hospital

& rather hard to write lying down. I am not allowed up yet.

Love to all from Les.

[*Lt G.L.Makin 5^th Bn*]
MELBOURNE

DE8
7.15 PM
1914
VICTORIA

Mrs.H.Makin

91 Harold Street

Middle Park

Victoria

Melbourne  Australia

In Hospital

Lemnos

10/11/1915

Dearest Mother & Father

You will see by address that I am

still on this dreary old island. I am much better now

& am getting quite strong. Yesterday the doctor said I

might get up. I was overjoyed & told the nurse I was

going to have a good walk around. She smiled wisely.

I wondered why, till I tried to stand up.

My legs would not support me. After being in bed so

long, the muscles had contracted from disuse. I was

very disappointed with myself.

However I made a much better showing today & it is

really wonderful how quick one gets going again.

With the help of a stick I had a really good walk

of about fifty yards. In a few days I expect to be in

good form again.

I really expected to be away by this, but there has

been no boat going direct to Alexandria & they have

stopped sending Australians to England for the present.

I expect its getting too cold over there now & the

Egyptian climate is more suited to convalescents.

I expect you will be losing Jim shortly. I wish I knew

his unit, as it is possible that I they may be near

us some ^time & I would not know. You see, I will get no

letters till I rejoin & it would be awful if we were

in Egypt together & yet did

not know. Love to all

from Les.

England

5/12/1915

Dearest Mother & Father

You will see by the address

that I have had a shift at last.

I have not written for about a month & I expect

you will be anxious about me. I did not like

to write till I knew my destination & I did

not know for certain till the last minute.

I came over in one of the latest & largest

steamers in the world. The Cunard liner

Aquitania which is now a hospital ship.

She is 47,000 tons & 901 feet long & takes

5000 patients. She is just a huge floating

palace. I am sending you some Postcards

of her, but you cannot realize her size till

you are alongside. The largest boat in

Australia would be like a tug boat compared

with her.

We arrived yesterday morning after a pleasant

trip. We called, at Naples on the way & while

we were there the Mauretania came in. She

is smaller than our boat, but the scene was

wonderful. Two great Cunard boats witho

Vesuvius in the background, was a sight

never seen before. The volcano was sending

2

out clouds of vapour, which drifted away

across the harbor.

We also had a couple of hours at Gibraltar

for which I was very thankful. Of course we

were not ashore, but the view from the boat

was beautiful. I imagined Gibraltar to be a

sort of barren rock. It is quite a beauty spot.

as seen from the sea.

We arrived yesterday morning & were welcomed

by the famous fog. You can only see a short

distance here. They tell me that the fogs

last all the winter. It has also been raining

ever since, but it is not as cold as I expected.

The hospital trains run right to the wharf

& we just stepped from the boat into a

waiting train & were in London in a

couple of hours. From the train we were

taken in magnificent motor cars to the

3^rd General Hospital at Wandsworth. It is

one of the suburbs of London.

Most of the Australian officers are here & it

is quite alright. I have already met a

lot of old friends. Tom Parker has been

here inquiring after me. He also has been

ill, but is now alright. I did not know

he was in England, & he thinks I have

3

gone back to Australia. I may be able to dig

him up, but of course he may be at the

other end of England by now.

I did not tell you I was almost sent home.

for my convalescence. The A.D.M.S. told us

that they had decided to send all Enteric's

to Australia. The shipping arrangements

were not favourable however, so here I am.

It is much better I think. It would

certainly have been lovely to see you all

again, but fancy having to say goodbye

again. Sometimes I think everything will

be alright & I will be spared to see you

all again & others when I get a bit down in

the dumps, I think it would be to much

to expect. If you miss me as much as I miss

you all, you must be downhearted sometimes.

I expect you have lost Jim by now. The last

letter I got from you was dated Sept. 7^th. so

you see I am anxious to know what unit

Jim belongs to. They may forward my letters

but the difficulty is that one is never in

the one place for long. Keep on sending them

to the old address. If they do keep them

I will get them sometime. You dont know

how much I miss my letters.

4

As soon as I can get to town I am going to

cable & relieve your anxiety. But, perhaps

you have never received my letters saying

I was ill. If they put seriously ill in the

papers, which I know they do in cases of

Enteric, don't take any notice. I am

quite well, except a bit of groggy on my

feet. That only wants time & rest.

Well dear Mother & Father I think I have 

exhausted my news for the present. I will

write by every mail of course while I am in

England.

Although you will not get this till after

the New Year I will wish you all a very

happy New Year & I trust that I will be

able to spend some of it at least with you,

if so, it will indeed be a happy New Year

for me

from your loving son

Les.

London

13/12/1915

Dearest Mother & Father

It is very cold here this

morning & I am sitting over the fire in our

ward waiting for the doctor to come around.

As soon as he goes, out we go too, for we have

no restriction on us now. I am feeling well &

getting stronger every day.

I have been in London & have seen all the

places of note, that I have read about years ago.

Yesterday was the last day of Lord Derby's scheme

for recruiting. The town was rather crowded.

Everybody is very good to us here. As soon as

they know you are an Australian, they set

to work to try & help one all they can.

I have to go to London tomorrow for my

clothes. One is compelled to be smart here.

It is forbidden to go out without gloves & stick

& my order to the tailor is just on £25.

Also you have to eat at the best places & take

the best seats at the theatres. I have been to one

revue, which was very ordinary.

We are well catered for in the way of amusements.

There is tons of literature here, also a splendidly

fitted billiard room, reading & writing room &

everyday there are motor trips or invitations to

tea etc. I have already had invitations to

several titled people's houses, but those outings

are not popular am among the chaps. Everything

is so stiff & formal, the teacups are so small

and there are dozens of little poodles to pat.

There are lots of people only too pleased to

take two or three officers for Christmas,

but I am going to try & get out of hospital

before then & go up to Edinburgh for a

while. I have a friend up there.

He was on the peninsula & came away

about the same time as myself. He is in

the Royal Field Artillery.

Well, dear people, the doc has just come in

so I will say goodbye till next week.

Best love to all

from Les.

[*1 DRL473*]
No. 3862, Pte J.J.Makin

9^th Rfts, 21^st Battalion,

c/o Troopship "Warilda" )

No. )

Adelaide. )

Fremantle )