Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1916 - Part 2

one of everybody. Then I could

say "Good morning" to you all

separately.

I am sending by this mail, the

large photos of the two groups, of

which you already have postcards.

There is one group of very good

London friends.

The elderly man is Dr. Gibson of

the R.A.M.C. who together with the

ladies, devotes money, time & energy 

in making our stay as enjoyable 

as possible.

The two ladies on the outside are

the Misses Fairfax of Sydney who

have given us countless dinners,

concerts & motor trips.

The lady in the centre is one

of Englands greatest opera singers

whose professional name is

[*P.S.

I forgot to say

so, but I am

feeling as fit as

a fiddle. I am

letting my belt 

out every day now.

Les.  

Ask Papa if he will

write sometime. I'm glad

he got my letter from Lemnos *]

Exeter

Devonshire

7/2/1916

Dearest Mother

I received your letter

written on Christmas day.  You were

right when you said you knew

I would be thinking of home

that day, as I think of you 

almost every day & I am grieved

to hear you have been ill. I

sincerely hope it is nothing serious.

Are you sure you are not worrying

too much.  I know it is hard now

that Jim is going, but just think

of the poor women over here &

even at home, who have lost husband

& sons as well. I think I may safely

say, that I am one of the luckiest

men in the world today.  When

2

I think, how I was on the

Peninsula for five months & am

alive to write about it, I cannot

but marvel, for every square foot

of Anzac was at one time or

other literally swept with fire.

I always considered, that I had

been unlucky before; but the

luck came to me, when I needed

it most.

I did not receive the cable, which

you sent. I cannot understand

this, as the Commonwealth Office

people knew my address. I did 

not leave hospital till Jan 10^th.

I received the pipe alright, &

although I stocked myself, when

I reached England, I will

always treasure it, as I have

treasured the one which Papa

3

gave me Christmas 2 years ago.

It is battle scarred & almost

unsmokable, but I still have it.

I was rather lucky in getting

those two parcels, but I know

the boys in my company, will

send everything to me, that

can possibly be sent.

The photo, I did not get, but

I have not lost hope yet.

I am sending your some photos

this week.  The same as the

postcards, only larger.

I have had my photo taken

again since, in a group. & I

am going to have another

one taken with a great pal of

mine. He is an Adelaide chap

& has been with me since we

left hospital. Then I am to be

4

taken by myself.

I have sent you a photo of

Lieut J. A. Dodds of the R.F.A. I

stopped in Scotland with him.

I want you to keep it for me,

also some Christmas & souvenier

cards which I sent at the 

same time.

My chum & I are having a nice

quiet holiday down here in

Exeter. Our hosts, an elderly man

& his wife, are charming people

& have one of the finest estates in

the south of England.

He is a brother of the late

General Kekewich, of S. African

fame.

He is most interested in Australia,

being the head man in some

mining venture in N.S.W.

They are quite proud to have us

here & of course, we being the

first Australian officers, who have

been down this way, are a

subject or subjects of curiosity to

the country people.

They don't hesitate to tell us

what a high opinion of Australians

they have formed since the war

broke out & we are on our

very best behaviour, knowing

too well, that the whole nation

will be judged by us, as far as

these people are concerned.

I dont know how long we will

stop here. We still have a month

of leave yet, although it may be

2 or 3 months before we rejoin.

I think that is all this week &

I sincerely hope that when this

reaches you, your health will be

much improved.  Love to all from Les.

PEAMORE

EXETER

16/2/1916

Dearest Mother

I am enclosing

your cable & a letter from

the cable office, just to

show you how unlucky

I am in such matters.

I received the cable this

morning & I think you

sent it on Boxing Day.

I am going up to London

tomorrow & will write

from there. There is no

mail till 25^th.

Love from Les.

London

20/2/1916

Dear Harry

You will see by address

that I am back in London again,

after a very enjoyable fortnight in

Devon.

I did intend to go up to Scotland

again, but I think I will finish my

leave in London. I have some

business to do, & I want to see as

many of the theatres as possible.  It

may be some time before I see

another, after I leave here.

Let us hope, it will be something

in Melbourne.

I don't think there is any

possibility of my being invalided

home. I'm far too well for that

now & I'm getting fitter every day.

I'm bigger & heavier than I ever

was before. I'm sure to top 13 Stone

before I leave England.

I received a photo of Jim yesterday 

& one of Mother last mail. Glad

you're getting baby's photo taken,

but I wont be satisfied till I

get one of you & Essie as well.

I'm sending home by this mail,

large photos of two groups. I have

already send you postcards of

each. I'm telling Mother to give

you one of each.

Before I leave England, I'm having

my photo taken alone. I'll have

you all sick of photos before I've

done.

That photo you saw in the Herald

was taken by a Segt. Knuckey. I

would have got the original had

I been able to stay on a day or

two longer.

They were being printed in the

X Ray Room of the 3^rd. Aus Gen Hosp

at Lemnos.

We also had taken a photo of

the remnants of old B. Coy

which were 2 officers & 6 men.

Two of the men, one of whom 

was myself, had then got

commissions.

It was a pity I had to go without

getting those prints. They would

have been awfully interesting.

Besides the ones mentioned there

were several scenes at Anzac in

which I figured.

I must say I'm rather pleased 

to hear you had been rejected. 

Sounds selfish I know, but I'm