Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 5

TELEPHONE:-

1274 REGENT (6 LINES)

J.C. GRIFFIN.

JERMYN COURT HOTEL

PICCADILLY CIRCUS.

MAIN ENTRANCE: - JERMYN STREET, S.W.

TELEGRAMS :-

"GRIFFINOTA, LONDON"

31^st March 1917

Dearest Mother

I have really good 

news this mail, for you will

see that I am in London

at last.

Last night I had both Jim &

Dr Gibson here to dinner &

afterwards we went to a 

theatre.

I am as happy as a school

boy & so is dear old Jim.

By Jove he is a terrible

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length. I am 6ft 1½ but he

simply towers over me.

He is well, but I don't think

he is quite his old self yet.

I myself am in splendid

healh & have quite recovered 

from the fever now.

The change also has bucked

me up wonderfully, for I 

feel in a new world

altogether.

The doctor, Jim & the Misses

Fairfax are lunching here

with me today & we are to

discuss the programme for

the next week.

1 DRL 473

3

My leave finishes on the 8^th.

Harry's Birthday & I expect

it will be a bit of a

wrench to go back to the

line after 10 days of luxury.

We wre in the line in front

of Bapaume when the Germans

began to retire & of course we

followed them up.

We kept touch with them as

far as Bapaume, taking

the f villages of Le Barque,

Thilloy, & Ligny Thilloy on 

the way.

As we kept on their heels

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very closely, we had a couple

of lively little scraps.

Gordon Sterling did some good

work for which he has

received the Military Medal.

He was at a school going

for his commission, but he

has been sent away ill.

This is most unfortunate

as it is bound to throw

him back a while.

I will be writing again,

before this mail closes, so

will make this do for this

morning

Tons of Love 

from Les.

France

14/4/17

Dearest Mother

I have just received

two letters from you date the 

4^th & 20^th Feb.

The mails seem to be upside

down just now, for besides

both your letters coming

together, I have received one

from Dr Gibson which has 

taken over a fortnight to

come over.

I have settled down to work

again after my trip & have 

already started to look 

forward to my next leave.

That & letters are the only

things I have to look 

forward to, unless it is

the fine warm weather

which should be along
presently.

While I was in England

2

Jim received your letter

telling him about Perce's

trouble at school.

We both believe in Perce &

think that the head of the

school has behaved in a

very childish manner.

He evidently has something

of a personal grievance

against the boy & has made

things as unpleasant as

possible.

I am glad you are giving 

him an opportunity of

passing the Federal Exam,

but he must work hard at

Hassett's if he is to get 

through.

The weather has improved

considerably, but we still

have a good deal of rain

& some snow.

We are at present in what

was once a French village

3

but the Hun is an adept at

destroying anything & he

certainly has made a good 

job of this one.

The little cemetery is the

only thing untouched & that

has more German than

French dead in it.

Things are much better now

for in addition to America

having joined us, we have

had a great victory, on

this front & the prisoners

are rolling in daily.

No more news just now dear

Mother except that I am

in good health & thats the 

main thing after all isn't 

it.

All the people in England

say that I have got quite

fat since I left there last

year.
Best love from Les.

[*1 DRL 473*]

France

12/5/17

Dearest Mother

This is the first

opportunity I have had for

writing for a month.

I hate to think you waiting

anxiously for letters & being

disappointed, but as you know

I would do anything in my

power to drop you a line at

least once a fortnight, but we

have been kept at it pretty hard

lately.

As you will see by the papers, the

fighting has been terrific & as

usual the Australians well in

the thick of it.

The fighting seems to become

more & more intense as time

goes on, & I think it is really

to be a war of exhaustion.

The side that can stand the

strain longest will win.

3?

I met little Arthur Makin right in

the thick of it.

He had been in action the week

before, & claims a couple of Huns

to avenge Harry & is anxious to

get a few more.

His people have been heavily engaged

since & I am now anxiously

waiting for news of him.

He is a great little chap & seems

quite hardened to the game

already, although he has only been

here a short time.

Since last writing to you, I have

received five from you & it

doesn't seem fair to only send

one in return, but your letters

all come in a bunch.

The mails seem to be in a nice

old fix.

The last two letters were written

from Healesville. I was awfully

pleased to hear that you had at

last taken a well earned holiday.

4

A rather wonderful thing happened

with your last parcel.

I was out in an advanced post

all night on the 24^th April (your 

birthday) & after the long night's

watch, I went along to my little

shelter in the trench & found that 

a mail had come in & your tin

of good things had arrived.

If you were worrying about the

other parcel that went down in

the Arabia, the knowledge that I

received this one on your birthday

& had a "bust" in your honour

should compensate you to some

extent.

After spending so much trouble in

packing a parcel, it must be

very annoying to know that it

has been lost.

If I needed any reminder of

your birthday, the tin would have

made me remember & that night

my thoughts were all at home.

5

I received a nice long letter from

Harry last mail.

I feel ashamed at the way I

have neglected him, but my

letters to you are meant for 

everyone & most times I have 

only time to write to you.

Sometimes when I have time

but am in a place where I 

can't get letters away, or else

I have no notepaper or envelopes.

I think that Harry will understand,

as he must know that it is a 

pleasure for me to write home.

The weather here just now is fine

& warm & the boys all appreciate

the sun very much, as we did not

see it for such a long time.

Every chance they get, you see 

them lying all over the place, with

just their pants on, basking in 

the sun like snakes.

I have not seen Alick Phillips

since, but he is bound to be