Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1916 - Part 5

Abbey Wood
Kent
4/4/1916
Dear Harry
I received your letter
dated 23/2/16. You see I am 
writing this not on my birthday.
It seems rather wonderful, as
many times during my sojourn
on the Peninsula, I lost all hope 
of ever seeing another.
But now that I have got this
far I don't see why I should 
not have lots more yet.
I am indeed very lucky, but
have always been very confident
of getting through.
After the landing, after having
many lucky escapes, I said to
myself "Well my luck has changed
at last" because I consider that 
up to then I had been rather
unlucky in life.
 

This made me confident & I was
confident right up to the time I
was carried away to hospital.
But for this feeling of safety, I
think I would have gone mad
in Lone Pine.
If ever we meet again I will tell
you something about Lone Pine,
that in your wildest dreams,
you could not imagine.
I could not write about it,
indeed no man could ever 
tell of it. You would have to 
be there yourself to realize
the awful loss of like, & the bravery
& endurance of the 1^st & 2^d Inf
Brigades & the Light Horse regiments
who took part.
Whatever our men may do in
France or elsewhere, nothing 
can ever come up to the glorious
deeds that were done on the
6^th August 1915, by famished
 

& weary men of the units named.
Fresh men would not have done 
any better, because they would
have thought too much of the
work ahead. We were much too
tired to think, much too used 
to hard work & discomfort to
care what was in front.
Frankly I had been in a sort 
of trance some time previous
to the business & only now realize 
what we went through.
I also realize, with a certain
amount of satisfaction that I
accounted for a good few Turks
 during that 5 weeks.
I made excellent practice
with bombs, that at a bombing
school recently, I threw a bomb
weighing just over 1 ½ lbs, 52 yards
& topped the school in the
aggregate with a percentage of 72
which on a very windy day
 

was considered first class.
I have obtained a grenade
instructors certificate & am now
going for a course of machine
gunning.
The Zepps have been very lively 
this week end. Three raids in
three days.
We had the satisfaction of
seeing one of the blighters
shot down on Friday night.
It fell into the sea off the
mouth of the Thames.
It was a sight I would not
have missed for anything.
We are in the danger zone here
as we are right up against the
Woolwich Arsenal & the Zepps
are trying hard to find
that.
No word yet of my future
movements. Must stop on a/c
of mail
Love to all
from Les
 

2
for Enteric. I am as fit as possible,
but they won't break down their 
regulations, so I have to kick my
heels here, till they give me permission
to go back.
I am only a few hours journey from
where Jim is, but I may as well
be at the other side of the world.
There is no news from here dear
mother, except that we have been
having lovely spring weather &
the country around is glorious.
We are in a lovely spot, high up
in the heath, & the air is very
healthy. I am getting fatter each
day & am getting anxious about
my tunics which are stretched to
bursting point.
I would have sent you a birthday
present, but I am not very financial
just now, as this trip has cost me
 

1DRC473
 

Abbey Wood
Kent
12/4/1916
Dearest Mother
I was very much
surprised to receive a letter from
Jim last week,. He is in France & 
wrote the letter on 31/3/16.
I told you in my last, that I thought
 he would beat me there, but I 
never expected he would get there so
quick.
At time of writing he had not been
in firing line, but that is a 
fortnight ago now.
He said he would like to see me, but
I cannot get a passport to France,
although I could get leave alright.
I think that my division are there
also, but I cannot get away yet.
There is a draft going shortly, but
they wont let me go, as I have not
completed the necessary tests
 

just under ₤200 up to the present.
In fact I thought I would have to
cable to Harry for some money, but
being in a camp now, I can live
much more cheaply.
You've now idea how expensive it is
to live in England as an officer
in the army.
You are bound to have the best of
everything & I used to hate to spend
such a lot of money, when my own
tastes are very simple.
We are going to have a great day
in London on the 25^th. The anniversary
of our landing in Gallipoli.
There will be sports at this camp & 
a dinner I expect at night.
No more new just now. I expect 
a letter form you in a day
or Two.
Love to all
from Les.

Abbey Wood
19/4/1916
Dear Gert & Perce
Both of your letters of
7/3/1914 have arrived safely.
I am glad to hear that you
are both well & happy.
Yes, my darling little sister, I have
still got your Belgian button &
will keep it always. Everything
you send me I will keep always
with me.
I think it a shame that 
Johnson, Haines & Co, together
with others that Perce
named, are hanging back
& if any of them ask either
of you how I am, just say
"Why not go over a & see for 
yourself."
If we had only had a few
more men on the Peninsula
the poor old 1^st. Division

would not have had such a 
bad time.
It certainly took Daddy Mardell
a long time to realize that it
was up to him to do his bit.
Well Perce, I am glad to hear
you are doing well at school,
& at sport.
How I am longing to see my
dear brothers & sisters again.
Mother tells me how good you
have all been & by being
good & helping Mother all you
can, you are doing your bit
as well.
When I come back, we all just
will have a good time.
I am going to buy you all
some "glad rags' as Perce
call them, for a start & then
things will happen.
Short letters re the order tonight
as I am writing about a dozen
letters. Love to all from Les.

Abbey Wood
19/4/1916
Dearest Mother
I have received your
letter of 7/3/16, together with one from
Harry, Ruby, Perce & Gert. It was
a lovely mail & a letter from
Jim in France came with them.
You will be glad to know that
I can get a letter from him in
a couple of days. We are not 
very far apart, but at present 
I have very little chance of 
seeing him.
I have written to ask him if
there is anything I can send 
across.
I expect that before this letter
arrives, you will have had one 
from Jim, yourself.
He said he had not received 
your letters yet, but thought

2
that owing to shifting from Egypt
they had taken a little longer
than usual.
I am sending him across all
the Mid Park news.
I am glad you like the groups 
photos of the hospital people &
trust you have received all 
the others I have sent since.
I have received both your photos
& am going to keep one in my 

pocket book & one in my suit
case & then if I lose one I still
have the other.
I am looking forward to getting
a photo of the girls & Perce too
if possible. I am just dying 
to see their dear faces again.
I know I'm silly, but I had a
good cry when I got your first
photo. I think it is very
much like you but you look
very stern & I wanted to see