Miscellaneous records and correspondence relating to George Leslie Makin, 1915-1919 - Part 2

3.

the rest of the Coy. Henderson

& Phillips are doing well at

Anzac School but Kerr is

not proving too brilliant.

Old "dog's body"

(Father Cashman) was

here for lunch. He wants to

see all the boys before we

do things. This is all just

now George. Is the young 

lady in England still

true! My reason in asking

is that no letters have

come for you this week.

Kind regards & best wishes

Sincerely yours

[[F Lishmore?]]

25/2/16

Permanent Address

Knockfin

53 Dartmouth Park Hill

London N.W.

Mrs Makin

Dear Madam

Although I have not the

pleasure of knowing you I feel

that I know a good deal

of you through your son George.

It has indeed been a great

pleasure to have formed a

friendship with him.

I felt I would like to write 

to you as I am staying here with

rest.

He & I are generally out somewhere

in the evenings. I have seen

so much good done by going

to the theatre where the boys

forget all their worries & troubles

& it does me real good to see

your son have a hearty laugh.

I expect you will have

received our group photos

by this time. I am glad to have

the photos of all the friends

I have made during this war.

I took George to see my parents

last evening & we had a bright

little jollification.

2.

wi him.

I am a Medical man and I 

have had the privilege of just

taking a little care of him.

You will be glad to know

that he is decidedly better.

The Typhoid has left him

without reserve strength but

he is rapidly regaining his normal

health.

The chief ailment up to date,

is a determined attack of

'Lie-in-bed fever.' This I find

too much for any & all the

skill I may have at my disposal.

11. 12 A.M. still finds him

suffering from this complaint.

Never mind, it will do him

good to have a good long

4.

 I am sorry to hear you are unwell.

I trust you are not over worrying

about your son.

I trust & pray that our Heavenly

Father will bring him safely

through & in due time restore

him to you in full health &

strength.

I trust you will pardon the liberty

of my writing you but I have

seen your photo, heard so much

about you & yours that I 

thought I would just drop you 

a line.

With heartiest good wishes to you

& yours

from

Yours very sincerely

Alex. F. Gibson M.D.

1 DRL 

473

London

9.9.18

My Dear old Pal,

You just have 

no idea how I feel after just

hearing of your dear Brother's

death - Jim, I am all

knocked out and would give

all I possess to be with you

at this moment. I know what

a wonderful attachment yours

for Les was and, believe me

Jim, I feel for you from 

the bottom of my heart.

I sent you a 

wire just now and felt in

doing so, what a poor way

of conveying one's sympathy

it is. Still Jim, the words

2.

in that wire, as do the 

words hereon, came right from

my heart.

I feel, too, and do for 

you, for your dear mother -

as you say the news that

you are giving and to brave

the awful risks of travel, will

be an addition to the grief

this awful news will be

responsible for.

Edie and Paddy

were in to see me and poor

old Edie is dreadfully upset

and cried like a child. Jim

old man, she has a very soft

spot for you and I am sure

her grief is genuine.

Look Jim, I am

3. 

a rotten hand at writing a

letter of condolence and I am

sure that you know my

feeling is genuine and is a

direct outcome of my great

respect and, may I say love,

for you. I look on you as

my only real Pal since I've

been in London.  Nuff sed.

Do cheer up old 

soul - this is a time for

big sacrifices and God knows

you & yours are but one of

many grief-stricken families.

It's hard old pal, but do

try and say with me "Thy

will be done"  I won't say

more. -

Yours always

Freddy.

1 DRL 473

P.S.

I hope to see

you on Friday.

I do want to have

a yarn with you -

letters are but a poor

way of conveying my 

thoughts and feelings so

do come up old pal.

My regards to Jack

I wrote you from

H/Co’ this am

before I knew

the sad news.

France

27.9.19

Dear Mother of my beloved Chum,

T'is with the greatest sadness & sympathy

that I attempt to write you this letter as I have just

received the awfull news that my one great Chum & the

whitest ^man I have known has passed away.

No doubt you will have received the

sad news long "ere" this reaches you through the Defence Dept

but  they will not be able to give you full particulars, but

I will try & do so.

T'was towards the end of August & we had

to do a stunt. George went in with out C.Coy in the leading

move my own platoon was in his rear to back him up 

if needed but our stunt was highly successful & we 

attained all of our objectives at a very small cost

Fritz left us alone for 48 hours or so but the

third night he slammed Gas shells into us from 12.30

until 5.30 next morning & twas one of these shells

falling short that caught George in the leg, he had to

be carried out through an area which had been subjected

to the most intense front of the Hun bombardment & was

so bad that the Doctor, the field Amb  boys & the stretcher

2.

bearers who attended George had to be evacuated with

Gas soon after

Every endeavour was made to get George away as

speedily as possible & every thing was done for him at

xxxour end, he arrived at hospital eventually & had his

leg amputated but afterwards died from the effects of

Gas Gangrene & shock.

The news has just reached me from the Bn as

I am at present on a G.H.L. Course in the east & the

shock has been violent as George meant more to me than

I care to say, he was a splendid chum in the old

days before this cursed war arrived to make so many

home’s sad, when we joined up together with Vic Lusic

I was able to find out his real value & what a splendid

chum I had.  In Egypt we had some grand 

times together & we three stuck very much together, then

came “Anzac”   Vic was killed & I was wounded leaving

George to carry on for us, when I returned he was

a Sgt, then he gained his commission & no one deserved 

it more, as he had gained ^ through his regard of the Turks &

many gallant actions a great name

Most people on obtaining their commission contract

a swelled head for some reason or other but George remained

[[?Evry]]