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