Letters from Francis James Burton to his Family, 1914-1917 - Part 1

[*Hurry up with the form.

Mother as I must get
it*]
Broadmeadows Sept 27^th 1914 Sunday.

Dear Mother & Father
I have not written to you 

for a good while but it was on account of 

us going away on Tuesday & I had no time 

to write to anybody however we are not going 

away now on Tuesday & I dont know exactly

when we will go. We had everything ready

to go away & orders came not to as there was 

supposed to be German Cruisers outside the bay
& they were frightened we might get sunk.

Things are going on just the same as usual 

down here & I hope that you have had some 

rain down there by this. We marched through 

the town the other day & I got a [[bucking?]]

when we were marching home. My horse

fell down with me but it was not his

fault as some of the chaps were drunk

behind & bumped him. I never got a 

scratch but was very lucky as I was right 

[*I just received two letters & a telegram from Jessie & she told me she was 

talking to you the other day so I got a lot of news from her dear.

She said she has not had a letter from me for 5 days but they must

have got lost*]

on the Curb & could have got smashed up

very easily. A car load of us went into the 

City that same night & when we were coming 

home the driver ran into a trolly load 

of wood that was in the middle of the 

road without a light on & smashed the 

car terribly. I was sitting in the front

with the driver & was the only one that 

got hurt at all & mine were only mere

details. I got my nose cut open & my lip & 

chin & also a knock on the temple but 

nothing else. I was stunned for a few mts

but would not have has minded if I was 

out for a ½ hr as I imagined I was at home

while I was stunned & I tell you it was 

a lovely feeling. I am alright again 

now but then I think of bad luck

is still sticking to me just the same 

as it was when I was home but it 

must take a turn for the better some

day. I hope you are all well down 

home mother as all the boys are here

at present. I hope Geordle's paw is alright 

by this & suppose he is turning out

about a hundred this year or is he 

only dagging them for dad. I would 

like to be having a go at one now

for a change. Bill was over last night

I see him often. I must close dear mother 

& father with love to all from your loving son xxx

"Frank"

(Pyramid Camp) Cairo

Egypt

Jan 15^th/15.

My Dear Mother & Father, 

You cannot imagine how

pleased I was to receive your dear old letter the 

other day & to find out that you were all well as 

it leaves me & all the other boys at present. I also got 

quite a number of letters from home & two from

Jessie. I have not received your letters that you 

addressed to England yet but suppose they 

will come later. I will not forget to sign that

paper when it comes & next time you write 

Mother, dont forget to tell me how much money

you are receiving per week that I left behind as 

in some cases the parents are not getting the full

amount. I left three shillings a day behind for

you to collect, that would be 21s per week as we work 

on sundays. I am Corporal of the guard today

& all the remainder have gone on a Route

March & will not be back until tonight.

I would have liked to go with them but suppose

I will get enough of them before it is all

over. They have the full kit with them & it is 

a good load for a horse to carry. There is 

some talk of us having a scrap with the turks very

shortly but do not know if it is certain.                                     

5

or not however if we do it will do away with

all the nervousness & have us in good form for 

the Germans. I was very pleased to hear that 

Jack & Amy had passed to a higher class & hope

that they do the same every year. I wrote a

letter to each of them last week & put it in with 

yours. Tell Mary I thought that she would not 

turn old Eddie down & to tell Lavler Duncan it 

is just about time he got those teeth fixed &

come to the war. I am glad that there is good 

feed over in Gippsland but suppose you have 

to pay a big price for it. Old Nuske is a 

lucky old bugger to get wheat in such a bad 

year & 7s a bushel takes some packing. Dad

must write me a letter & tell me what crop he 

is going to put in & what paddocks & in fact

everything as I still take a big interest in 

those things although I am miles away &

cant help but still it is nice to know those 

things. M Well Mother & Father things are going 

on much the same in camp & we are known 

as a crack Reg so that is not so bad.

This camp is just like home now & you can

get almost anything you want, that is if 

you have the (Oscar Asche). Money speaks all

languages) I am glad that affair is quiet over

[*Rest of no interest*]

Egypt. Cairo

Mena Camp.

Jan 28^th/15.

My Dear Mother & Father.

We have just finished

tea after a very hard afternoon's work. We had

a bayonet charge of about a mile & finished up

by going about ½ way up a big sand hill & don't

forget it was all done on foot & every inch of the

way was sand over your boot tops so ask Gordle

how would he like that before a tea of bully beef

& bread. The horses are not getting much work now

as they are very low in condition & they are saving

them for something more important than practising.

I have not heard from you for a good while

now mother but I feel quite confident that you

are writing as often as possible. I got all my

letters in one big bunch last time so suppose I

will get the next lot just the same. Our troops

leader (Mr Lawson) told us the other night that we

would very likely be fighting the turks before

long so that means we will be shifting camp

before very long & I hope by the next time I

write that I will be able to give you an account

of what it like to be under fire. If you

[*Rest of no interest*]

Gallipoli Peninsula

10^th/9^th/15.

Dear Mother & Father

While my two mates

are having a few mts sleep I will drop

you a few lines, We are in the Firing

Line & my two mates are jolly fine

fellows. We occupy No 5 Post which is a 

very good one to sleep in & also to get a

good view of the Turks Trenches which

are only 40 or 50 yds away from us.

I think Robertson) one of my mates shot

a Turk this morning. The Turk was

looking through the Loop Hole & Robby 

shifted him alright. The bullet went in

the loophole so if the old Joe Bourk

didn't get hit he was very lucky.

I was observing from 5 to 6 this morning

& saw the old (Joe's) waving some of our

lads a mess. It is very funny, some

II

of the things they do. We have breakfast

at 7 O.C & two men are detailed off

as mess orderlies every morning. Col

Sinclair & Arthur Fairfax are our mess

orderlies this morning. I can guess

pretty well what breakfast will consist

of as the menu is not altered

very often. Bacon is the main for

breakfast with biscuits & jam sometimes

bread to follow & for dinner stew is

nearly always on & for tea we have

rice. We get condensed milk also:-

1 tin ^daily between 8 men & it is very

good to put with the rice. At odd

times we get fresh meat so on the

whole we get fed very well. One

thing is you can always manage to

get a belly full & I think that is

the main thing. I remember that

old proverb of yours quite well. What

III                   

won't fatten well fill", & that is the

motto of the Army & a very good

one to. I was round to see Jack

O'Callaghan a few days ago & found

him looking well & wishes to be

remembered to all. He is very wild

about Uncle putting his photo in

the paper when he was wounded &

wrote poor old Uncle a very stiff letter

so I am afraid Uncle will not put it

in again if Johnna gets tug.

I had a letter from Pat O'C a few

days ago & he is well & wishes to be

remembered also. Pat is in the 3^rd

Aust General Hospital nursing to

the sick.) at Lemnos Island which

is not a great distance from here.

Tom O'C is over here on the left of

our position so will not be able to

see him as I am on the right flank

IIII

He just arrived here a few days ago

so should be well yet although heavy

fighting has been going on where he

is. I have not dropped across Uncle

Tom yet but would very much like

to do so as I would like to see

him before he went into action.

Jim Casey & Tony Cannard were both

well when I last saw them & wished

to be remembered to all. I suppose

Geordle is busy ploughing now & it

must be ploughing well. I would 

not mind giving him a hand but

suppose I will have to wait a while

longer before I can have a luxury

like that. I had a letter from

Mary Jane; Amy & Alice 2 days ago

but did not receive your's Mother but

I believe there is another mail in

today & most assuredly yours will be

[*Rest of no interest*]

[*I was 22 on the 2^nd A.G.H. Ghezireh

22^nd I am getting old Mother*] 25^th/12^th/16

Dear Mother.

I could not let 

Xmas pass by without writing

you a few lines. It was

such a different Xmas to the

last one I had. We were out

on the desert & our dinner consisted

of Bully Beef & biscuits but

this one was a contrast. We

had ha a dinner that reminded

me ever so much of our own

Xmas dinners at home only

not quite as nice but it being

active service I think we win

easily. Every thing was nicely

laid out by our kind sisters

& orderlies & everything went off

first rate. We received a nice 

little present this morning

2^nd A.G.H. Ghezireh

29^th/12^th/1916

Dear Ann, 

Just a few lines hoping to find you all in the best

of health as it leaves me at present other than "Hernia". I hope you

spent a very happy Xmas as we had a very nice time owing to our

kind brave "Sisters". They gave us a treat I tell you. It was just

like home again. They are as happy & nice that it makes a

bloke feel pleased with himself for being here just to find out

the worth of our Australian girls. I have not heard from you

for some time but I think it is owing to me not being

at the front however Frank Phillips is saving my letters for

me & I will get them in a day or two. He is well & wishes

to be remembered to you all. They just came back from

the front yesterday after putting in 8 mths there so I

think they did well. I hope you have a good harvest

& that Bert gets it off safely. By all accounts things

are booming over there this year but some poor beggars

can never hit it. When I get out again I will send you

over something from here as a souvenir of Egypt. How is the

charmer getting on? Well I hope & I will close now with fondest love

to Bert, Violet, Laura, Baby & yourself hoping you have a Bright New Year.

From

Loving Brother Frank. xxx

II                     

from the "red cross". It was a

nice little tin box containing

a tin of cigarettes, a tin of tobacco

box of chocolates, packet of envelopes

pack of cards, led pencil & a nice

little christmas card so don't

you think that very nice. I just

got a nice little christmas card

from a sister & I will take it

with me into action if ever I

go into it again. I hope I do

& that will not be long

before I am alright again.

I was awake at 4 this morning

& I pictured you all sitting

down for Xmas dinner as your

time is 8 hrs ahead of ours over

here. I knew you would be

thinking of me Mother & now

3

you know that I was thinking

of you also. I hope you enjoyed

yourself also & that you bought

yourself a nice present as I told

you to. I would liked to have

walked in on you when having

dinner but xx suppose I will

have to wait until next Xmas

to come that dodge. Well dear

Mother we have such a nice lot

of "sisters" over here, you need

not worry that your boy is not

being well looked after. They

are simply Angels in our eyes

Mother after being so long at

the front & the nice kind ways

they have with them. I suppose

all the girls were home for dinner

& you must have been a merry

family. I will never forget the

fun we used to have at Xmas

time

[*Rest of no interest*]