Letters from Guy Hartley Arnold to his Father, 1915-1916 - Part 1

I have put  
on one stone & a half 
since I have been in camp am 
13 stone 7lbs now, so this 
life suits me doesn't it. 
  
2^nd Reinforcements 
2 Battalion 
1st Infantry Brigade.    5 February 1915. 
  
My dear Father, 
I was glad to receive 
your letter the other day; I am afraid 
it would not be much of a holiday 
for you in the hospital, with a poisoned  
leg; I hope it will soon be better, it 
seems a terrible climate for ones' blood. 
Have you seen Tom Burton yet? I saw 
him down Sydney about a week ago, 
with a fellow that was working at 
Mac Bride's; I was surprised to see them, 
they told me all the news. Tom promised 
to call in & see you when he got back. 
We had our final leave about a week 
ago, I spent most of my time in Sydney; 
we had a very good time, I should have 
liked to have got up & seen you before 
leaving, but it was a little too far. 
I don't know for certain when we sail 
yet, but I don't think it will be 
longer than two or three days, we have 
the greater part of our equipment now

we have our top coats to get yet, & a few 
little odds & ends. 
All our reinforcements marched through 
the streets of Sydney yesterday, the crowd 
gave us a very good cheering, I did not 
expect to see half such a big crowd. 
Have you heard Kenneth has joined again; 
they kept him messing about so before he 
could get in the Navy, & I think the 
money ran short; so he went into the 
hospital for his opperation, & joined here about 
a week ago. I have just been getting 
him transfered into the same company 
as myself, I think he will be fixed up 
for certain to-morrow; you see he has 
had a couple of years in the O. T. C. in 
the Old Country so he knows his drill; Quite 
a lot of the fellows out of our Coy have been 
discharged & put back into different Coys 
just lately for getting drunk & over stepping 
their leave, so that there are plenty of 
vacancies for us to get our friends & relations 
in the same Coy. 
I had a letter from Mr Lennard, brother 
to Mrs. Swann, asking me to go & see them 
but I never got the letter until after

I got back from my holidays so I  
think it doubtful if I shall be able to 
see them. I wrote to Mr. Lennard & 
Uncle Swann yesterday. 
I don't know whether you received that 
money I sent you some time back  I 
sent up three pounds, I would have 
sent you some more this last pay, only 
I could not do it as I spent it all 
during my final leave & also I let  
Kenneth have a pound as he was short. 
I am leaving you three fifths of my  
wage inc three shillings a day, it will 
start from the day we leave Australia; 
I hope you will accept it as nearly all 
the fellows our leaving about the same 
to their parents. I case you don't receive 
the money regularly you must write down 
to the military authorities, I don't suppose 
you will receive the first payment 
till nearly a month after we sail, so 
I should not worry them unles they run 
too long after that, we get payed paid fortnightly 
so I suppose you will receive the money 
fortnightly.

I am sorry to hear about Grannie's 
death, it must be a great blow to you, 
being away from your Mother at the end. 
I hope you will have good luck in selling 
the place, if you are still determined in 
selling; I hope Rupert will stop with you; 
I don't like the idea of going away & leaving 
you alone. I suppose when Kenneth fills in 
his form, he will leave three fifths of his 
wage to you. I don't want you to worry 
about that seventy pounds, I would rather you 
kept it, as I am more capable of earning it, than 
you, at your age. 
I am glad the cane is looking well, I was 
surprised to hear about Wilson wanting 
to sell out. 
I think you better address my next letter to 
Egypt. I was talking to an old man in Sydney, he 
told me he had four sons at the in Egypt & one at home 
& his Mother had just written to tell him (son) it was his duty to join.  
Pretty patriotic  
wasn't he. 
With best love                                                         
Your affectionate son 
Guy Arnold

Pte. G. H. Arnold 1311. 
B Company 
2^nd Batallion 
1^st Brigade  
Gallipoli 
31^st October 1915 

My dear Father, 
I haven't had 
a letter from you just lately, 
but I hope you are quite 
well, I so look forward to 
your letters delivered back 
at the Old Peninsula 
again after two months 
holiday, I feel a different 
man to what I did when 
I left it, I never felt so 
run down in all my life 
as I did then. 
I hear you have been

having a few Zepplin 
attacks on London just 
lately; I wonder our aircraft  
can't cope with them 
a little better. 
We have had some rather 
cold windy weather just 
lately, I am not looking 
forward to the long night 
watches during winter too 
much, but I suppose it 
will have to be done. 
I hope you have heard 
from Kenneth by now, 
he has not written to 
me yet, but the last  
letter I had from Aunty 
Mary, said that he 
was on a hospital boat, 
off Egypt so that he 
might have gone to Egypt, 
Malta, or England, for all 
I know; I hope it is 
to England, & then he 
can take a good long 
spell, & get some furlough 
off, to come & see you 
all. 
I wish I could get hold 
of some interesting news 
to tell you, but everything 
is practically the

same day after day. 
There is pretty heavy 
bombardment going on 
night & day here, with 
the big guns. 
Give my love to 
Mother & Margery, when 
you see them next. 
Your affectionate Son 
Guy Arnold.