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

N^o 1 Boyton Camp.
Codford. Wills.
Dearest Mother & all at Home,
There is a
mail going outwards tomorrow, so will just
drop you a line to let you know that I
am still well. I wrote to you 5 days
ago so I haven't any news this week.
I
got a letter from Charl yesterday, for which
I thank him very much, & his good wishes. —
also to the young ladies whom he mentions,
and of whom I have no knowledge, —
still I reciprocate their good wishes.
The
parcel has not yet come to hand, but
I have not yet given up hope, & expect
that some of the postal corps have helped
themselves to it, (as per usual), but never
mind, —  like Mr Macawber, I am
waiting for "something to turn up" (the parcel)
We are still getting our equipment
& I am a very busy person, & have very
little time to myself. —  and another
thing,  — yes! I must tell you, I

have to absolutely nurse the Officers(?) of
this battery. Major Harris is very little
with us, - as he has his wife in London
& a motor car, & he has had his horse
& [[?]] days forage, & groom sent up to him,
& the other officers (?) know nothing.
(absolutely) & I am just tired of simply
making them do the right thing at the
right time. It fairly makes me
sick, & I am more determined than
ever not to take a "Comm", (that is
if it is offered me) as there are too many
"fops" in officers clothes at present.
The latest excuse is "we can't
spare our Battery Sgt Majors, but I have
a Bombardier I can recommend". that
is the tale nowadays.
I suppose I must
not growl, but it certainly makes me
think very hard to have to put up
with it. These officers ? have never
been in action.
Well. I hope you are
all well. My fondest love to you
all Your loving son
Norman.

Australian Commonwealth Military Forces Logo
N^o 1 Boyton Camp.
Codford. Wills
Dearest Mother, & all at Home,
There is very
little to say this week, so I hope you will
excuse a short note.
I have been very
busy this week thro' horses arriving from
the remounts & what with allotting ing
them to the N^os 1, & picking out hacks
from draught horses, & putting signallers
& telephonists up on them & most of them
very poor riders, we had a little
amusement as well as work.
I have a
very fine horse, & he is in great "nick"
& of course I am just it, now.  A
lot of the horses are recovering from
ringworms, & other skin diseases, but
they are a very sturdy lot on the
whole, & should do very well with
a little training.
I received a letter
from you & one from George this week

2/
& was glad to know that you are well
It is very gratifying to know that
George is getting on so well with the
Govt contract work, & I hope that he
gets plenty more of those jobs.
Rupert is
now a big boy I suppose, & I hope he
is getting on well at school.
I have not yet
received your Xmas box, & so I have
written in to the Postal corps about it.
I am sorry that dear Aunt Hannahs
kindness in sending me the vest should
be miscarried by careless postal authorities
Tell her that I thank her very much, &
I do appreciate her kindness.  —  I hope
she is well.  —  also Mrs Algie.
How
are you all at Home? - I am in
the best of health thanks.
No more
news at present so will conclude with
fondest to you all
I am
your loving son
Norman.

N^o 1 Boyton Camp,
Codford; Wills.
My Dearest Mother, & all at Home,
Just a line to
let you know that I am in the best of health, &
that I received your welcome letter acknowledging
the receipt of my Cable informing you of my
return to England, & my promotion.
You state
in the letter that you had forwarded on to
me a parcel of clothing, etc, & also a leather
vest from dear Aunt Hannah,  — this I
have not received yet, but the Xmas mail
from Australia is very heavy, & is not yet
delivered by a long chalk, & I expect it to
turn up by any mail.
It is extremely kind
of you & dear Aunt Hannah, & I am very
grateful to you both for your kindnesses
from time to time in sending me the parcels
of clothing, which is more than welcome at
all times.
I got a very pleasant surprise to
receive a Christmas box from Aunt Mabel
at Winchelsea, in the shape of 2 lovely
cakes; a tin of shortbread from Ede; a tin
of cigarettes from Thelma; chewing gum, &
a lovely pair of sox, & a nice cap comforter
as well, & I have written to her by this mail,
thanking them all for their kindness.
It is
too kind of them altogether, seeing that
they have Jack at the front,  — & I'm not. 

2/
Anyhow, it is not my fault that I'm not at
the front, but I will be there soon, I hope.
I
also received a letter from dear Mab,  — also
a "Table Talk", showing that conceited, cold
footed puppy Flintoff, parading himself
to the girls in Collins Street.  — Ask him
if he knows that there is a war on, please;
I am
sorry to learn that Floss is leaving you, and
Mab will miss the best pal she ever had.
The
news about poor Beattie Miller quite staggered
me, & I hope you will express my deep sympathy
with Mrs Miller in her loss.
I was very
surprised to learn that poor Amy Ellsworth
had left so much money.  poor
old Amy had apparently resolved never
to marry, & to provide for her future.
Now
with regard to Yardley's photo. - It must 
go;  — If I had have said things about my
parents to the Medical Board (about inheriting
certain family weaknesses) that he said, and
just to get away from the front,  — well
I would rather be struck dead in trying
to utter them, rather than face them again.
I
tell you the fellow is a coward, pure & simple,
& I won't tolerate his rotten photo in the house
under any consideration, — sentimental
or otherwise, so the sooner you get rid
of it, the happier I'll be about it.

3/
If he had any decency in him at all, he
would have availed himself of the several
opportunities given him to make good,
& clean his dirty name, but he hasn't
& he prefers to remain in England with a
"cold footed" job, so that he may be assured
of seeing Melbourne again.
Let me tell you
this Mother, & all at home, that if I had
said one hundredth part of the terrible
things that he said about his parents,  —
then I will never come home to you".  —
and to see the way that the "cow" swanks
about Weymouth,  — with his police badge
on his arm, — & his tailor made clothes,  —
well I have more respect for the dogs on
the road than I have for him.
I have not
told you one quarter of the things about
him that I could, —but I'll say no
more for the present.
Well, to change the
subject;  — My O.C. Major Harris has
got his D.S.O.  — also Phillips, my old
O.C in the 4th Div Battery, & that goes to
prove that they are throwing D.S.Os to
anybody who holds their hand out for
them, — so there is nothing to covet in
this decoration now.
We are fitting out
fairly quickly now, & our horses arrive
to-morrow night, so the rest of this month
will be devoted to hard training, & then
perhaps we will be in France next month.

4/
The spring offensive (next of month) will
be something gigantic, & we must be prepared
to make some more sacrifices, so just tell
that dirty swine Frank Austey & his
rotten crowd of I.W.Ws, that we will
want 16,500 re-inforcements per month.
Why
in Heavens name can't the people assert
themselves, & have him & his crowd put
away, instead of listening to his twaddle
about the Govt intro-ducing Black labour
& Chinese husbands into the country",  —
 — and that we should hire Russians
& Indians to do our fighting.
We can't
make out what is coming over the country,
tolerating people like this in your midst.
I
am quite convinced now about the Labour
party. —  Hughes was the only man
in the whole show.
Well, my dears, I think
I have come to the end of my weekly
story, so after making due enquiries
after you all, & hoping you are well,
& thanking you again for the letters &
parcels, I will conclude with the
fondest love to all relations, and an
extra ration for you all at home,
Believe me to be
Your loving son
Norman.
P.S. I am having
3 days with May Tilton in London. 8^th; 9^th ;& 10^th
Jan
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