Letters from Francis James Burton to his Family, 1914-1917 - Part 1
For God and For Country {Hurry up with the form
For King Mother as I must get
it
Military Camp.
Broadmeadows Sept 27th 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 for 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 [[?]]
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 [[?]].
She said she has not had a letter from me for 15 days but they might
have got lost
on the kerb & could have got smashed
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 lips &
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 striking 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 al-
right 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
Frankie
(Pyramid Camp) Cairo
Egypt
Jan 15th/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
Rest of no interest
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 bucket 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 ([[?]] [[?]]). Money speaks all
languages) I am glad that affair is quicker
Egypt Cairo
Mena Camp
June 28th/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 a 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 top so ask I [[?]]
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
10th/9th/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 ate 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 Home & Robby
shafted 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
11
of the things they do. we have breakfast
at 7 o'c & two me 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 out with the rice. At odd
times we get fresh meat as 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
111
won't fatten well fill, & that is the
motto of the Army & a very good
one too. 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 Jack 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 Johanna 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 3rd
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
1111
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 your will be
Rest of no interest
I was 22 the 2nd AGH Ehizireh
23rd I am getting old Mother 25th/12th/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
in the desert & our dinner consisted
of Bully Beef & biscuits but
this one was a contrast. We
had had 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
2nd A.G.H. Ehezireh
29th/12th/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 as 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 got 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
11
from the red cross. It was a
nice little tea 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
home is 8 hrs ahead of ours are
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 us 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
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