Letters from Norman Griffiths Ellsworth to his Mother, 1916 - Part 25 of 28

116^th Howitzer Battery, 1^st Aust Division  
N^o 1 Boyton Camp, Via Salisbury. 
England. Nov^r 1^st 1916. 
  
My Dearest Mother, & all at Home, 
Well here I am 
again, back in "Blighty", & promotion at last, 
— Yes, Battery Sergeant Major in a 4.5 inch 
Howitzer battery, just being formed to complete 
the 1^st Division. 
It was a very pleasant surprise 
to me, as just as I was about to leave Etaples 
for the front, the telegram came thro' saying that 
I had been selected as a Battery Sgt Major 
in the new howitzer battery, being formed in 
England, & that I was to be sent to England 
as soon as possible, so after 4 days, in 
which the necessary approval, & transport 
arrangements were fixed up, I left camp at 
2.30 am., & walked down to the Etaples station, 
where I was to catch a train for Boulogne at 
2.43 a.m. — The train arrived at 
7.10a.m. so I finished my sleep, or tried to, 
until the train actually did arrive. 
Of course, 
passenger traffic is an after thought in France, 
as there is mostly ammunition trains, & other 
traffic going all the time, night & day, — & 
at a distance of about 50 yards, or even less, 
but eventually the train did get in, & up to that 
time, I tried to sleep, but my attention was arrested 
by the peculiarities of 2 French railway shunters, 
who were at work, sorting out trucks etc, & 
blowing their trumpets at the engine driver, who 
always blew his whistle back at them, & the 
arguments that they had appeared to raise at the 
official correspondence regarding the shunting 
operations, quite repaid me for any loss of sleep

2 
Our train was mostly filled with men going 
home on Leave, & the engine driver seemed to  
think that there was no great hurry, so let his 
engine take its time. 
On arrival at Boulogne, 
we were marched to a billet, until it was  
time to go aboard the steamer, so I went & 
got a hot breakfast. 
At 10.45 a.m., we were 
marched to the wharf, where the same steamer 
which carried me to France (the "Invicta") was 
loading up the Leave men. — I had to  
report to different officials, (being sent home 
on duty), but once on board I made myself 
comfy. 
We left at 11. am, & went swiftly across 
as the sister ship to ours (Queen) had just 
been sunk by German destroyers. I often 
wondered why they do not put more destroyers 
in the Channel, as the steamer traffic is just 
crowded like Chapel St on a Friday night, & there 
is only one destroyer to be seen at any time, 
but we had 2 fast destroyers with us on this 
journey, & saw nothing of "Fritz". 
Outside 
Boulogne, we saw the remains of the "Sussex" 
& several masts of sunken steamers in 
the Channel, which by the way, is not 
very deep, but quite deep enough to bathe in 
I suppose. — As usual, the Australians 
on board were the only ones who would not 
put life belts on, (myself included) — What 
a peculiar lot we are, aren't we? 
I was mighty  
glad to see the cliffs at Folkstone again, & as 
we accomplished the journey in an hour & 
a half, I did not experience the usual 
mal-de-mer, than goodness.

3 
The weather was fairly rough too, & the sea  
very bumpy, — (to use a nautical phrase) 
& she acted the fool a bit, but "I scorned  
the insult", & refused to be ill, but at the 
same time, I reflected on the advisability  
of a Channel tunnel. 
On disembarking at 
Folkstone, we got into a special train which 
left at 2.30 p.m., & we had a non-stop 
run to Victoria (London) & reached there at 
5.45 p.m., where the people were waiting 
behind barriers to greet us. 
I hastened to  
my usual lodgings in Waterloo Bridge Road, 
(a Temperance Hotel) & then dispatched a  
telegram to Harriet, informing them of my 
whereabouts, & then I sent off letters & 
parcels of my Chums in Etaples, (with 
which they packed me) to their various 
destinations by post, as they would never 
pass the censor in France, & so you see 
how we wilfully break Kings Regulations. 
This 
done, I had a hot bath, & clean change of 
clothes, & then had a lovely tea & went & had 
a look around London, & home to bed, as 
I was pretty tired after travelling since 
2.30 a.m, & my word Mum, talk about 
clean sheets, & a springy bed — why 
I did appreciate it indeed. 
I did not wake 
up until 8.30 a.m., & the landlady had had 
my boots & leggins cleaned, as the mud of 
France does not improve ones appearance, & 
then had a lovely breakfast of calfs liver & 
bacon, & toast, & coffee, & I did not think 
anything could be so nice. 
I walked around  
London after breakfast, & purchased an oilskin

4 
overcoat (a bobby dazzler) for ₤2, as it is 
winter here now, & these are the only things 
to keep one dry, so it is money well spent, 
— then I met several old acquaintances, 
including my old gun lead driver (A.H. Clyne) 
whom I last saw on April 25^th on the "Karroo" 
when I left to land on Gallipoli, so you 
see one meeting was a memorable one, 
— in fact, we kissed each other, — 
in Piccadilly too. 
It is as well to mention 
here whilst I think of it, that my last 
day in the Artillery Training School in 
Etaples should be visited by Albert, 
King of all the Belgians, & I was drilling 
the battery at the time, & I pulled them 
up to attention on his arrival, & I then 
saluted him, which he duly acknowledged 
— He then, with the rest of his Staff, 
stood & watched me put them thro a 
Gas attack, in helmets, & how to set up 
a "barrage" fire to prevent the enemy 
coming thro', & wasn't I fluent, too. 
He 
is a fine looking chap, & I knew him 
instantly, altho' we had no intimation 
that he was coming whatever, but any 
thing can happen now-adays. 
Well to get 
back to my London adventures. — that 
night, I went to see Oscar Asche & Lily B. 
in "Chu Ching Chow", & found it to be 
consistent with his "Kismetian" style of 
play, built up out of Ali Baba & 40 Thieves, 
only he had introduced a weird kind 
of singing into it, & of course was very 
lavishly staged, & the costumes, wonderful, & there 
were plenty of dinkum niggers of both sexes

5 
He is still the "gruff" surly affair, but 
Lily is much stouter, with a double chin, 
& her voice was deeper I thought, & I  
think, hardly as nice as formerly. 
I liked 
the play inmmensly, & had an oyster feed 
afterwards, & went back to bed. 
Next day 
I left for Tidworth, (Salisbury), at 8.50 am  
to report to our Head Quarters, & I thought 
that I was going to the 3^rd Divn at Lark Hill 
as I knew that Major Churchus had 
been applying for me, but on arrival 
at Tidworth, they said that they thought 
it was an 18 inch Howitzer battery I was 
going to, but they wasn't sure, had they 
knew that I had been made a Sergeant 
Major, (which was more than I did) & I 
had to go to Boyton, some miles further 
on, & here I found that it was a 4.5 inch 
battery for the 1^st Divn, so I am not going 
to be a "Hard thinker" (3^rd Divn nickname) 
after all.  
I think that Major Biddle 
got me this job, & it was decided at 
the front, & not at in England, — 
anyhow, we will be here until after 
Xmas training, so we are very comfy 
for the winter. 
Major Harris is my O.C. 
& is a good sort, & the N.C.Os have 
promised me their full support, & 
the men, (who are a mixture of Light Horse, 
Artillery, & D.A.C, men, from the various 
depots around England,) are a good 
stamp of chaps, & I think will give 
me a good time

6 
Our accomodation is very good, — being 
in five big huts, with fires etc, & we 
have 4 blankets each, & more if we  
want them, so we can't growl at that. 
I am sending you a cable this week 
that I am in "blighty", so this will not 
give you such a surprise as the cable 
will. 
I cannot help thinking what a  
— fool Yardley is, & he is absolutely  
hated by everyone as his name is —. 
He will never give up his "cold footed" 
job at Weymouth, & so he is a cur, & 
no longer a friend of mine, as he broke  
the promise that I had exacted from him, to come 
to the front with me, & "make good". 
Well 
Mother, I suppose you won't mind me 
being out of France, but I'll promise you 
that I'll make up for lost time when the 
116^th Howitzer battery get going on Fritz, 
& it is mostly lyddite, & High explosive that  
we use, & they are lovely little guns, &  
only need 6 horses, (like the 18 pounders) 
to pull them again, & they can play the 
devil with an enemy trench, too. 
Now, I 
must close, wishing you all the good 
wishes for Xmas time, & with the fondest 
love to you all, & hoping that you are 
as happy as I am. 
Believe me 
Your loving Son 
Norman. 
Again 
Keep your eye on 116^th Howitzer Bty

116^th HOWITZER BATTERY 
11 NOV.1916 
* 1^ST DIV.. A.F.A. * 
116^th Howitzer Battery, 21^st F.A.B^de. 
1^st Australian Division. 
N^o 1 Boyton Camp. Codford 
Salisbury; Wilts; England 
  
My Dearest Mother & all at Home, 
I have just got 
a letter from you, & one from Mab sent on to me 
from Harriet Cole, dated 11^th September, & was so 
pleased to know that you are all well, as these 
are the only letters that I have received since 
I left France, altho' a friend of mine over there 
who was in the same Camp, (J.D. White, ex Melb 
footballer) promised to keep all my mail, and 
readdress it on to me as soon as he got a 
letter from me informing him of my whereabouts, 
& altho' I have sent 2 letters to him, I have not 
received any mail, but I know what delay 
occurs in France over Mails, so do not anticipate any doubt of them. 
You see, when I left 
Etaples, all that I knew, (as far as my instructions were), was to proceed to England, and 
on arrival there, to report to A.I.F. Headquarters Tidworth, Salisbury, so I could not  
give our camp Post Office staff, any definite instructions where I was going to, so 
this accounts for the delay. 
Now, with regard 
to myself. — I am in touch with May 
Tilton, (who is at Birmingham) & will try & 
get up to there sometime next week, as my 
O.C. (Major Harris) has ordered me 4 days 
leave, with more to follow, & he says that 
I can have as much as I like, so you see

2 
he is awfully decent to me, so I hope to be  
able to see her (May) soon. 
I expect also, to run 
down to Gravesend, & stay a day or two with 
them, & give them a couple of £, as they are 
not too financial, & I know that it is welcome, 
altho' they simply fight against taking it, 
but you see, I'm the boss there, & I'll stand 
no argument of that sort. They are asking 
after you all, & send their love, & all the  
rest of it, & want to know when you are going  
to write them, but I tell them the news as 
a rule, & all about you. 
Things are going on 
very well i n the battery, & Major Harris seems 
awfully pleased with me, & I can assure you 
that it is a treat to be with somebody decent 
after all this time, & it is needless to say that 
I will give him my full support. 
The first thing 
he did, was to shake hands with me, and then 
he asked me for my Pay book, & endorsed my 
promotion in it, so I am now on 12/- a day, 
which brings my daily rate for issue up from 
2/6 per diem, to 4/- per diem, so I have to 
buy a "Sam Browne" belt, & one or two other 
necessaries to keep up the dignitary of the rank, 
but of course, there is no necessity for me to draw the 
full amount every pay day, so it can accumulate 
(thats a good word isn't it?) until I want a little 
extra for leave etc. 
We get what is called "Half 
fare railway warrants" when we go on leave, but 
fares are fairly expensive for all that, as we are

3 
some distance from London. 
The autumn is now here, 
& it is quite impossible for me to adequately describe 
the beauty of the local country, as every tree 
has a different colour, — and such colour too, &  
to see the fast running streams, with their falls 
here & there, & the old waterwheels, & the old fashioned 
country farm houses with their thatched 
roofs, which look so very snug & cosy, & the more 
that I see of the English country, the more delightful 
it appears to me, & the more infatuated I get with 
it, & do not mind how long I stay in it. One 
cannot see too much of it, & I often & often wish 
that you were all here to see for yourselves, and 
then you would see how very very difficult it 
is for one to describe, & more especially me. 
The roads 
are quite different to those in Australia, and they 
wind & curve in all directions, & for one who 
takes the pleasure of a motor drive, cannot but 
be impressed at each blaze of beautiful scenery 
that bursts in on them at every turn in the 
road.  For my part, I have had many and 
many such drive, & I cannot get enough of 
it. 
Honestly speaking, 75% of the English people 
I think, do not know what a charming and 
delightful country that they live in, as they seem 
to spend all their time "herded up" in towns & 
in factories, offices, etc, & hardly ever diverge 
from the usual routine of daily toil. Lots 
of people here tell us that "we Australians can 
tell them more about England than they know 
themselves", – – and that is a fact, too.

French coin for  
Rupert inside 
value 2 ½d 
4 
  
Well, having waxed a little poetical, it may as 
well, perhaps, we wise to come back to earth, so to  
speak. 
Our training is somewhat hampered by the 
fact of having 2 huts of men in Isolation for the 
Mumps, & these men are not available for duty, 
but by Xmas time, we will have of coats off 
to it (metaphorically speaking). 
Now, with regard 
to Mabs letter, saying about Nathan, Dyson etc, & Col 
Tiveys brigade being wiped out. Surely you don't  
think that I am one of that sort that wants to 
keep in England, whilst the other boys are getting 
a rough handling. It is all the more reason 
for me to get out of Blighty to lend them a 
hand. I am sorry that she wrote that, but 
I hope that she, or anyone else of our family, 
will not write, say, or even think that of me again 
A man hasn't done his share until this 
war is finished, so please note, & initial etc. 
We 
are all more than disgusted with the coal miners 
in striking, in Australia, & please let it be known 
that the boys at the front, who any are going 
thro' hell, for the likes of them, will have 
something very solid to say to them when this 
war is over, & it won't be complimentary either. 
Well my dears, I will close up now, 
hoping you are all well. Give my love to 
all relations & all the family, & my best 
wishes for Xmas & the forthcoming Year 
Believe me 
Your loving Son 
Norman 
  
1 DRU 266