Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1916 - Part 7

8
carrying stunt at Cape Hellas,
which although I say it myself
was not properly appreciated. I
with three other chaps went back
over 500 yards of level country, for
two boxes of ammunition. I was 
the only one to arrive at the
supply depot. I picked up two
strays & between us we carried
the two boxes forward.
One of the chaps was killed & 
eventually the other two of us
arrived with the goods.
There was nobody there senior
to myself & I managed that 
length of trench for three days
till our position was consolidated
You can understand that when
the senior men are either 
killed or put out of action,
there is nobody to report such
things. There is a boy here

9
with a Military Cross & a D.C.M.
He was very lucky, as his deeds
were witnessed by somebody, who
could & did recommend him,
but there are hundreds of our
boys both living & dead who 
earned V.C's, & double V.C's,
who got absolutely nothing. 
Another case here is just the
opposite. A man named McLeod
now a Lieut, was easily the
best patrol man & scout on the
Peninsula. On one occasion 
he penetrated the Turkish lines
for 800 yards. Coming back
he was wounded in 5 places.
Afterwards at Lone Pine he held
his position for 48 hrs without
a breather, finally getting his
arm blown off.
He was three times reccommended 
for decoration & got nothing.

10
Well, dear old boy, I have to
stop for the present, as I have
to rush away to inspect the
guard. I am still orderly officer.
We are having a great day on
Tuesday. Anzac day & we march
through London.
Cheer Oh for the present
Good Luck from Les
P.S. Yes I was in Lone Pine & if I were
to write for a week, I could not 
describe the awful slaughter &
the wonderful tenacity & brave
devotion to duty displayedy
by the tired heroes of the
1^st. & 2^d. inf Brigades
Les.

[*I have still got
that little bag &
everything you have
sent. I would not 
part with them for
anything Les.*]
Abbey Wood
3/5/1916
Dearest Mother
I have received your letter dates
21/3/16, also Ruby & Gertie's photos.
I think they are awfully good & you cannot
imagine how pleased I am to have them.
What a lovely girl Ruby is. There's nobody in
this country to touch our girls.
Gertie seems to have grown a lot since I left,
although it is hard to judge by a photo.
I've now got photos of you, Jim, Gertie & Ruby &
I carry all four with me in my wallet.
You said that you had a cable from Jim in
Egypt. I expect that, before you receive this
you will have had a letter from him in
France.
We correspond regularly & a letter only takes
a couple of days to get there. I have not 
had a letter this week yet, but I will keep
you will posted with any news I have from
him.
He says he is alright & up to the time of 
writing had not been in the firing line.

2
Compared with Gallipoli, France is a picnic.
I have met a lot of chaps in London, on leave
from France, including one from my own
battalion.
They all agree that they are having a very
easy time & the food is excellent.
My battalion is near Loos at present & during
three days in the firing line, they only had
one casualty.
Of course when there is something big on, there
are more casualties, but then they are distributed
over a number of units, whereas on the 
Peninsula, it was a case of "Take it in turn"
& when you got it, you got it good & strong.
We had a great day in London on Anzac
Day. We went by train to Waterloo & marched
from there to the Abbey. The route was
over Waterloo Bridge, down the Strand to
Whitehall & down Whitehall to the Abbey.
The streets were packed & people say that
the crowd was as big as Coronation time.
We got a wonderful reception, the people
were almost beside themselves with
excitement. Every man that marched

3
was at the landing & belonged to the first
division & although I say it myself, Australia
or any other country, never & never will turn
out another ^ division like it.
The whole thing was a magnificent success
& the people, (women in particular) almost
turned the boys' heads.
The King & Queen were at the Abbey & sat
not five yards away from me. Others present
were Lord Kitchener, General Birdwood, &
Mr. Fisher, besides a dozen lesser lights too
numerous to mention.
After the service , we marched to the
Hotel Cecil for lunch. A special matinee
was given later at Her Majesty's Theatre.
We had a glorious day & arrived home
footsore but happy.
What a great thing it is to be ^an Australian
these days, especially a soldier.
Our boys can do no wrong in the eyes of
most English people & the English Tommies
are fearfully jealous.
They have to take a back seat when the
boys come on the scene.

4
I am still in camp here, but expect to 
be shifted to Weymouth shortly. They are
going to close this depôt this month.
I am now on the unattached list, as after
three months' absence from your unit your
place is filled & you are struck off the
strength of the battalion.
I am writing to my Colonel to-night,
asking him to let me have the first
vacancy, after they let me go back.
I would very much like to go back to 
the 5^th, although there's very few of the old
boys left now.
But, I'll go in any old battalion as
long as I can get there at all. You
wouldn't believe how hard it is to
get out of England, once you land here.
Had I not got the fever I would have
probably had a captaincy by now. As it
is  I have lost my seniority & go back
junior to men, who could not get into
the first division as privates.
I am  still keeping well & hope your are
all very fit.
Best love from Les

Abbey Wood
3/5/1916
Dear Harry
I have received your later dated
22/3/16. I am sorry I did not answer your
last letter, but strangely enough I have been
working pretty hard lately.
They are clearing this depôt out & I have been 
taking drafts of men to Weymouth.
I am now quite fed up with the business.
I am feeling as fit as a fiddle & I've got to
mess around here, taking men on to
other depôts, assisting at Court Martials, &
a hundred other jobs a "has been" could
do.
Its a crime, the way one is treated just
because he was unfortunate enough to
catch the fever. When we are away from
our units for three months we are struck
off the strength of the battalion & as regards
seniority you just stand still.
Men who could not get into the first
division as privates & who have never
been under fire are filling up our jobs

2
& the killing part is that we go back junior
to them all.
The sick & wounded officers, who go back to
the front are disgusted with the present
arrangements & if you think over the matter
I think you will agree with them.
Had I stayed with my unit, I would have
had my second star 3 months ago &
probably a captaincy by now.
As it is I go wherever they care to send me.
Probably ^to some scraggy battalion as junior
subaltern.
I think it is a shame that the men
who were in the landing & through the
worst part of the Gallipoli fighting should
be so badly treated.
Not that we are any better than they are
as regards actual fighting, but after our
experience, it is only natural that we 
know probably more than they will ever
learn in France.
I know several cases of men who were
discharged from the Broadmeadows camp
as "unlikely to become efficent soldiers"

3
coming over with new battalions as first
Lieuts & captains, & I & others who know
the business from "form fours to trench warfare"
have to take our orders from them.
Don't think I am a growler, as really I
have done remarkably well as it is, but
with better arrangements would have done 
much better.
Anzac day in London was "some" day & one
that I will never forget. We marched 
from Waterloo Junction to Westminster Abbey
Via Waterloo Bridge, The Strand & Whitehall.
London was crowded & the people went 
absolutely mad with excitement.
The remnants of the first division, who
are in England, together with the New
Zealanders who landed on the first day,
had the day of their lives. It was worth
all the pain & misery of Gallipoli to be one
of the "Anzacs" that day.
The King & Queen were at the Abbey & I
had a seat right alongside them.
After the service we marched to the
Hotel Cecil for lunch, finishing up