Letters from Fred Leslie Biddle to his Mother, 1916-1917, Part 15 of 24

France
8.11.16

Dear Mother,

Another batch of old letters

has arrived dated July 10^th & 23^rd. It's a

case of better late than never.

I am very annoyed at the idiotic

business of putting me down as "severely

wounded". How could I be if the 

frontal bone was not even dinted; & I have

not even had headaches.

The attitude of the Casualty Clearing

Station is simply that head-wounds are

considered risky until a close inspection can

be made. Mine was so dangerous that 

I was only kept in bed till the X Ray plates

were developed, & was allowed out every

day as soon as the wound was dressed

before I had been a week in England.

I hope my letters have convinced you before

this that the wound was not serious.

We are in the thick of things once again

2

& have struck a patch of very bad weather.

When it rains in France it makes no

mistake about it.

However altho' covered in mud & the

horses often up to their bellies in it, we're

still cheerful.

I think I told you in my last that

Geoff Strahan was badly wounded. He

went through the Casualty Clearing Station,

but is given a very slight chance.

However he's got a great spirit &

will fight strongly for life. We are

all hoping (almost against hope) that he 

will pull through, but are sure he will

never fight again.

It's awful bad luck.

Ernie Ernie Holmes died very shortly

after he was wounded. He had no chance.

At present owing to the grouping of the 

batteries I have no job right up in the line

but am administering the brigade in routine

matters from the wagon line, so you'll be

3

glad to know I'm not very much in the 

way of the Hun hatred, although of course

still within range.

News is very scarce & it's a job to

find anything of interest now.

I received a letter from Arthur Paterson

which I am answering this mail.

Was very pleased to find that Uncle

Walter has picked up a good deal & to know

that uu Uncle Job & Aunt Fanny were keeping

so well. Please thank them for their good

wishes for me.

How is the building trade now? I

suppose Father has finished the Show Ground

work & I hope something else has turned up.

Love to Father Isabel Noel & your

own dear self from

Your affete son
Fred

8/11/16

I have just remembered that this will

probably be the last mail before Xmas.

Please give all friends & relations my

sincerest compliments of the Season.

I hope that at 92 Vale ^st, it will 

not only be a very Happy Xmas, but

the beginnings of a much brighter New

Year
Fred

France
1/12/16

Dear Mother

Letter writing has

been an impossibility during

the last few weeks, but am taking

the first chance now that we are

'out' for a week or two.

Well everybody in Australia

seems to be getting married. I

wonder if fear of being called

up for service had anything to do

with it.

Glad to know that Isabel 

is working at the boxes but think

that if the show is a 2^nd Bde Comforts

Fund it shouldn't be left to individual

favour which batteries get the stuff.

However it's not my business of course.

 

2
except that we don't want inter -

battery jealousies.

I daresay the batman (Lee) will

get his box all right.

How did you like McCrawford 

& Kathleen. Both are rather reserved

till one knows them. But I'm sure

you will have liked them very much

in a very little while.

I notice you are addressing letters

c/o Horseferry Rd. This is always

a mistake. They should continue

to be addressed to the unit who

put the right address on as soon as

they know it.

Cables through the Red Cross are

also quite useless. They cannot

possibly trace people quickly.

3
If you know anybody who has

a relative wounded, tell them this.

It will save lots of time.

This is some country for cold

rain & mud. I've never been so

frozen & have been wallowing in

mud up to the knees with an 

occasional step into a shell hole

with mud up to the thighs. I got

stuck in the mud a few days ago

& had to be hauled out by half-

a-dozen Tommies.

We don't mind the scrapping

but hate the cold & wet. However

we keep cheery & really I am very

fit except for the last remnants of

a cold.

4
About a week or so ago I attended

a conference of officers under Genl

Rawlinson's 4^th Army which lasted a

week & went pretty closely into the

lessons of the Somme offensive.

During the time we visited an

aerodrome, saw some most marvellous

flying by a French aviator & were

taken up for flights.

I did about 25 minutes in the

air & enjoyed every minute of it.

The extraordinary thing was 

the feeling of absolute safety.

We are very busy refitting &

training & altho' in rest I find

very little spare time so you must

excuse a hurried & brief letter

5
Don't be alarmed if letters miss

occasionally, because conditions in

the line make it very difficult

to write, but I will probably send

you a Field Post Card if I have

to miss writing.

I expect to hear from Hollis

from England any day & expect I

will be able to manage leave

towards the end this month or

the beginning of the New Year.

Best love to all at home including

your own dear self & kindest

regards to all friends.

 

Your affete son Fred