Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1916 - Part 3

Thinking of Essie & the little 
one. I've no doubt about you

being able to do the job, but
I don't think Its your turn yet.
Why you people are much more
enthusiastic, than they are over
here. You should hear some
of the excuses they put forward
to get exemption. Makes me sick
to read them.
One case yesterday was a butcher
applying for exemption for a lad
who was cutting meat for him.

He said he had been employing

him for 10 weeks & that he was
indespensible. He was refused &

the man has got to cut German
meat instead. Let's hope he's a 
good tradesman.

Love to all 

from Les.

London
22/2/1916
My dearest Mother
I am grieved to hear

you are ill. I received Ruby's letter
saying that you could not write
that mail.
Dear mother, I hope it is nothing
serious & that by this, you are

completely recovered.

I cannot bear to think of you
suffering & hope you are not in 

pain.
I received your photo in a lot of

old letters from Egypt. You can't

think how pleased I was to get

it. It is indeed some consolation
to have photos of you all. I also got
Jim's by this last mail & now I 

feel I wan't Ruby's and indeed

 

Miss Carrie Tubb. She has been
most awful kind, together with
Madame Ada Crossley, who could
not get down when the photo
was taken.
I will have my own photo taken

this week.

My health continues to be good &
in another fortnight I'm going  
before the board for active
service. I've no doubt I'll be

accepted alright.
I expect to go to Egypt, where I

hope to see Jim.
Don't you worry about Jim, dear
mother. I'll have him transferred
to my Batt & will see
that he is alright.

Hoping that you are now quite 
recovered & in good spirits.
I am 
your loving Son
Les.
 

London
2/3/1916
Dearest Mother
I have left it rather
late this mail & can only scribble
a few lines.
There is very little news to tell. I
got a note from the Military Offices
this morning, saying would I 
please come around & go before a 
Medical Board next Wednesday.
So you see I have less than 
another weeks holiday.
But what a holiday it has
been. I've had a wonerful
time.
Dr. Gibson, the very good friend
of all Australians has been

stopping with me nearly a 
fortnight & we've had a real

strenuous time. I don't think
there's a theatre in London, that
we have not been to. Some days
we went to a matinee in the 
afternoon & another show at night.

It's really the only thing we could

do.

The weather has made outdoor

pleasure a failure. For over a
week London was covered with

snow & ice & it was intensely
cold.
I got the proofs of my last photo
this morning & I think you'll

be very pleased with it. The

photos will not be ready till

next mail. I think it will be

the first photo you have of me

by myself. Let's hope it doesn't

get torpedoed. We got an awful

 

shock last week when the Maloja
was sunk. We thought our
mails were on board. But luckily

they were not.
As I don't know when the next

mail goes, I'll take this
opportunity of wishing my dear
Mother many happy returns of
the 24^th April, with the same hope
as last year. That I will be

with you on your next birthday.

It would then be a very happy

return indeed.

Tell Ruby & Perce & Gertie that

I received their letters, but

cannot possibly write this mail.
My next letter may be from
the camp at Weymouth, where

I wait for my ship to Egypt,

where I hope I will meet dear
old Jim. Love to all
from Les.

London

9/3/1916

Dearest Mother

I received your letter

dated 25/1/1916. You did not say 

how you were, but I take it, you

have quite recovered from your

illness.

Yesterday I went before the medical
board & have to wait two days

for their verdict. I have no

doubt that I have been passed
for active service.

My very enjoyable holiday is

now over & I am getting packed

up today, as I may have to go
to Weymouth tomorrow.

There is no danger of my leaving

my heart in England.

I have not made a girl friend

in England. The girls here do
not appeal to me at all. I think
our own Australian girls & boys too

are the best to be found anywhere.

My photos are finished & I have

sent one each to you, Ruby &

Harry.
I am sending you another
half dozen by the next mail & I want

you to give one each to the 
following:- Auntie Eliza, Auntie Kate,
& Mrs Spence. If you don't want
the others I would like you to
give one to Mrs Sterling & one 

to Aunt Sarah, if you would 
like her to have one.
I expect Jim is chafing at the 
delay in getting away. I may

beat him to Egypt after all.

I haven't the least idea where

my battalion is, or if I will ever

get back to them. They have

not been in action for some time

& they are bound to be full
up with reinforcements by now.

My old colonel of the 51^st is

in charge of the camp at

Weymouth & I'm going to try

& get him to let me away in
the first batch.

The longer I'm away, the

longer I'll be getting my

promotion.

Well, dear Mother I'm rather

stuck for news. England just
now is awfully dull. I wonder
where my next letter will be
from.
Love to all

from Les

 

P.S.

I have sent

you quite a lot
of photos lately

Tell me how you

like them.

Les.
Telephone 911 MUSEUM.
TELEGRAPH "TASTEFUL, LONDIN."

WHITE HALL
RESIDENTIAL
HOTELS
LTD.
WHITE HALL
BLOOMSBURY SQUARE
LONDON . W.C. 
14/3/1916

Dear Harry

I received a very old

letter from home yesterday, and
Mother was saying that you were

there, when she received a letter

from me & that you were sorry

to hear that I was disappointed
with your correspondence.

Let me say now, that if ever I wrote
such nonsense, I am very sorry

to have caused you any
annoyance.
There is no doubt, that at times

on the Peninsula I was not
responsible for what I wrote & 
should not have written, but
I was always so careful not to