Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 6

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alright, as he is in the Transport.
Gordon Sterling was unlucky
to take ill, just as he was
about to get his commission.
He may get it still, when he
is well again, but at present
he has a light job at the base.
I had a letter from him lately,
& I think that he has such a 
soft job that he may refuse to
leave it, even for a commission.
As you know, Jim is dying to
get back here & wants me to take
him into this battalion, but the
only condition that I will have
anything to do with shifting
him on, is that I can get him
into a school for a commission.
I know dearest Mother that you
would like to have me in a
soft job, & I suppose that I
could work it if I tried, but
I can't do it.
I love the boys who are fighting

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here with me & what's good 
enough for them is good enough 
for me.
Besides, I have been in everything
the battn has been in, for while
I was away, they did practically
nothing, so I must be in at 
the finish.
Did I tell you that I had
left the Machine Gun Section. I
am at present second in command
of D. Coy, but I may be
shifted to another Coy any day,
so if you address my letters 
to the battn, it will be
sufficient, for naturally I am
well known by this.
This is the longest letter I have
written for some time, but I
must finish for want of news,
Tons if Love to all
from Les.

France
4/6/1917
Dearest Mother
I have just heard 
that the mail closes tomorrow
& as I always try to send you
one letter each mail I am
making this effort at midnight.
We are still in the back area
& my work seems to increase
rather than decrease on
account of sport.
Every conceiveable kind of
sport & amusement is provided.
Each afternoon is devoted to 
cricket or football, or else
"tryouts" for the different
events which will be contested

2
at Battalion & Brigade sports.
There are so many details to
arrange for each separate
event, that any officer with
any knowledge of sport at all
is kept fairly busy.
Tonight I am extra weary
as I have be censoring
letters for the last couple of
hours, & I have yet to experience
a more trying job.
Apart from the difficulty of
reading some of the letters & 
the monotony of reading
 a hundred or so well written
ones, its a terrible ordeal
for a fancy free, unromantic
person like me to have to

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read the "mushy" eloquence
of lovesick soldiers.
Seriously, I don't really mind
at all, for their letters mean
so much to somebody out
there.
I am very fit & have been
playing cricket & football
almost every day.
I am sure to get hurt 
if we don't go back to the war
soon, for during the last
fortnight, I have had both
eyes "blacked" & my nose
jolted horribly.
The weather keeps warm &
we are all well burnt now.
4
The country seems to grow
more beautiful each day & 
it is hard to imagine it 
as the "sloppy" France of a
month or two ago.
I had some very good news
last night.
I may get leave this week
to visit Paris for 4 days.
I have always hoped for a
trip there & if I get it I 
should have plenty of news
for my next letter.
Best Love to all
from Les.
 

France
14/6/17
Dearest Mother
I have been waiting for a
letter from you for ages, but without
avail.
Whether the mails are lost, or whether
the sailings are cut down I don't 
know, but letters from home are
very, very rare these days.
We are still out of the line, but our
rest is almost over now.
Our sports have been a great success.
First came the battn sports, then
Brigade & the last two days have
been Divisional.
Every thing has been well arranged
& the various events well contested.
The battn did not so as well as
usual, being second in a great 
number of the competitions.
I missed most of the sports, but as
you will see, it was quite worth 

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while.
Quite unexpectedly, I had four
days leave to Paris thrust upon
me.
I knew that it was coming, but
did not know exactly when.
Our passes came through at midnight
& next morning we were off.
Eight xx hours later my friend & 
I were in the gay city.
We enjoyed ourselves very much, &
of course the four days seemed
to slip by all too quickly.
The chap I went with has visited
Paris several times before the war
so he knew the way around.
The city itself is beautiful. Right in the
heart of the city are great gardens &
each afternoon the children take full
advantage of them. With their nurses
& guardians, thousands of them play
in the shade of the trees.
The gardens are full of cafe's & in the 
cool of the evening you can have your

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dinner, out in the open.
Of all the sights I saw, I was most
impressed with the tomb of Napoleon, the
famous French general & Emperor.
It is in a church specially built for
it & the church itself is a wonderful 
building.
The tomb is in a sort of pit, rounded
& about 30 feet deep. The idea being
that everybody o visits the tomb
must bend their heads to see it.
Although Napoleon has been dead
for over a century , people visit the
tomb daily in thousands & whilst
in the church, assume an attitude of
the deepest reverence, & only speak in
whispers.
Of course, during the war a lot of the
amusements are cut out.
Each theatre is only allowed to open
about 3 nights a week & all cafe's close
at 9.P.M.
The weather kept fine during our
visit, o in fact with the exception

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of a few thunder storms, the weather has
been lovely for he last month.
I suppose that Jim told you that
Dr. Gibson's father died recently. He
had been lingering  for some time &
the end was a happy release for all
concerned.
Jim celebrates his 21st Birthday this
month. Fancy him being of age.
I am beginning to feel quite old 
now.
I could not very well send him a
present, but I sent him 100 frs, which
will probably be more acceptable.
I am keeping well & hope you are
all in the best of health. I expect that
by now you are having your cut of
the winter.
Lots of Love to all
from Les
P.S. I am sending you a cutting re the doctor's 
father.

France
25/6/17
Dearest Mother
Your letter of 2/5/17
to hand. As you day, mails
are awfully scarce these days.
the previous one from you
was written on my birthday.
I received the socks sent by Mrs
Sheahan, but I could not make 
out the address, so you will have
to thank her for me.
Since the fine weather started
we have had one solid tussle
with Fritz & expect another one
very shortly.
As for actual fighting is 
concerned, we have been out
of it for a little over a month,
but have been doing plenty of
training.
It's hard to say which is the 
worst, the training or the fighting