Miscellaneous records and correspondence relating to George Leslie Makin, 1915-1919 - Part 3

3/.
The same old chum, he went to England & I followed him
I beat him back, but he returned at a time when
we were having a very hard time in August 1916. I
was then Lewis Gun officer & we went through rather a
hard time together on the Somme, if I wanted anything
when we were out on rest I only had to ask for
it & George saw that I got it 
In the Regt the boy's loved him & would do
anything & go anywhere with him, which give's you
their idea of the man he was
The Officers in the Regt alway's called him
or knew him as Old George, he was respected & loved
by all who knew him
Dear grief stricken mother I know that this
will not open the wound any more but maybe it will help
you a little to know what a fine life he led over here, how
well liked he was & also to try & convey to you the deep felt
sympathy that all George's friends & the boy's who have ^had the
good fortune to serve under him will feel when they
have the news, & no doubt many will write you letters.
Mother I cannot write more as my head is
too full with the knowledge of my great loss, maybe it
might be my good fortune to return home some day 

 4.
then I can tell you more at present I cannot do so
but will endeavor to write you later.
I've tried to send you a letter telling you of
what we all thought of your dear son but I'm
afraid I've failed but I sincerely trust that this
letter will help you out, believing as I do that if
tis my fate to go I will go happy with the
knowledge that I have done my duty even as George
has done his & knowing that we shall meet again
in the future which to us poor mortals that we are
remains shrouded in mystery
Dear mother of my beloved chum you
will meet your loved boy again of that I'm sure
& the joy of the reunion will wipe out the
grief & pain of your present great loss as surely
as we know there is a Maker he takes but
he also give's back so console yourself Mother &
think only of the reunion to come
Once more I tender my sincerest sympathy to you
& the rest of your family in you sad bereamemt 

5/
& great loss
Believe me to be sincerely yours
Tom. S. Parker
Lieut.

[1 DRL 473]

P.T. Law & Co.

WHOLESALE FANCY STATIONERS
LEATHER GOODS IMPORTERS

AND INDENTORS.

P.T. LAW

J.H. CLARKE

Carson Place,

287a Little Collins Street,

Melbourne, 30th August, 1917.
Mr. P.G. Makin,
91 Harold St.,
MIDDLE PARK.
Dear Sir,
Will you please call tomorrow (Friday) in regard to your
application for position on our staff, and present original
references from your former employers.
Yours faithfully,

P.T. Law & Co 

37 Holland Park
London W.1.
25-5-19
Dear Mrs Makin
Many thanks for your welcome
letter of the 6-2-19 which has just reached me
here. It may please you to know
that Vic [[Turin?]]'s younger brother managed to get
eight day's leave for the purpose of obtaining a
photo of his cousins grave and also one of Georges
resting place, but unfortunately I had to leave
Belgium before he returned to his unit otherwise
I should have brought one home myself
and if I can find the youngster again I will
see if he was successful in his endeavour's to
obtain that which will be a record of the
bodie's resting place of my chum and your dear
son. His soul does not rest there I'm sure
and I am certain of meeting him in the year's
to come when I am also gathered into that 
great company, and assuredly he will be
awaiting you with his arm's outstretched dear
mother, his love for you was so great and
splendid, you were to him his ideal for
all women, xxxx the mother who bore him

2/
I could talk of George for hour's, but his loss
even tho it be for a few year's will mean a
lot to me and my mind goe's back constantly
to the chum's I have been parted from, and
two stand out head and shoulders above all
others Vic [[Turin?]] and George. as two of the whitest
men I've known, and at times I felt that
somehow I should be with them, not to be coming
home as I do not consider myself as worthy as
either of them. I'm by no mean's
inclined to be morbid, I know, I'm coming
home to the finest mother on this earth, what
I may have suffered is ^as nothing compared to the
suffering and anxiety that a mother must
experience during such an awfull time
as the past four year's, have been
Suffering as we know it on this side is
as nothing to that of a mother who lose's a
dear one, all the hope's of year's smashed to
atom's leaving behind it to ease the thing
the knowledge that the sacrifice has not
been in vain that the end we have all
strived to bring about has been attained
by the noble way the boy's who have gone 

3/
to rest gave up their live's for what was to
them an ideal for such the war was to
George and many other's
Mother tell's me that Jim has arrived
home unfortunately for me I did not have
the good fortune to meet him on this side
but, I'm glad he managed to come thro -
and return to you
I am, amazed to hear from you
that none of our officer's wrote you to comfort
you as George was such a general favourite
with all, the boy's loved him because
he never showed fear and ever looked
after their wellfare, in the line, and, out
he was allway's their Officer, but, at the
same time their friend and the Digger
appreciate's every little thing done for him
to his face he was Mr Makin in the huts
he was named as we named him in the
mess "Old George" which in itself speak's of the
high esteem he was held in by all rank's
For me he was my chum which 
meant all to me more I cannot hope to 
convey by letter or tongue tis beyond my 

4/
power to do so
I shall endeavour to locate or
find out something about the remainder
of George's stuff and if I am successful in
finding same will forward it on
I have just recovered from a fairly
stiff bout of pneumonia and xx am at present
resting at one of our Officer's Convalescent
home's just outside London but go up for a
board on Friday next the 30^th I hope then
to be able to get a cable thro that I
am to leave England for that dear homeland 

and my loved one's
Mother is disappointed I know at
my extended stay on this side but I
fancy the dear little woman understand's
that I would have been home long 'ere this
if it had been in my power to do so.
You see ^up till the time the war
claimed me and I did not dare to think
of home untilx twas drawn to the end
that we desired, then and only then
did one allow oneself to dream and think
of that return journey 

5/
but the weary period of waiting is
drawing to an end and I hope to make
a start in the right direction
I hope to have the pleasure of
seeing you then for your's was the last
face I saw before the boat moved off on
the greatest adventure of my life
You are the mother of my dearest
chum and one of the whitest boy's who
helped me over many rough stone's when
he was in the position to do so in
whom I confided most of my trouble's
and they were at time's rather numerous
if I felt blue I went to him and came
away feeling better for it
So mother of my chum I'll finish
this epistle trusting that we meet in
the near future an that my tongue may
be able to tell you that which I cannot
write and thanks for your charming
tho - sad letter to me because it has
brought me nearer to my homeland and
shore I love
Sincerely Your's
T.S. Parker 

No 8. British Red Cross Hospital
Boulogne 12.8.18
Dear Mac
So sorry I had to piss off just
as the fun was beginning. but I stopped a
fairly large shell which caught me in the Knee
& a few small pieces in forehead. I went
to a dressing station & then on to White Chateau
& they sent straight to C.C.S at Vignacourt
where they operated on me & took my leg
off above the knee (Right).
I saw Frank Corlett here with a
crack on the knee also, write and let me know
how you all got on Mac as I am dying to
hear, but of course trust it will be O.K.
Send my pack & valise to A.I.F. Kit
Stores 110 Greyhound Road Mac & any mail to
C/o Miss. D.M. Tilly - 56 Geraldine Road Wandsworth
S.W.18
Write soon Mac Old Soul
best of luck
Neil