Letters of John William Axtens, 1917 - 1918 - Part 6

19.
Belgium 27.2.1918
My dear Mother,
I hope you
won't mind this scrappy
paper but I'm writing in
bed & the small block is
much easeir to handle. No
I'm not ill — never felt
better, but it's frosty this
morning & bed is the
only place where I can
keep my feet warm. I had
to come up into the line again
last night after three days out
as one of the others developed
a temperature & had to come out.
 

2
However it’s so quiet still,
that in the line is almost
as good as being out. Ray
gave me the pudding that
you sent for me in his parcel.
I had some, but expect the
mess have knocked the
rest. It was O.K.
Had a great mail from
home yesterday — two from
you, one from Dad, also from
Glad. Davies, Nell, Auntie
Mill & several others, The
“Glugs of Gosh” by C.J. Dennis
also arrived. It’s a bit beyond
me — did you read it?
 

3
I am glad you enjoyed
the camp at Byron Bay,
it must have been glorious.
Surfing seems a thing to
dream about here. Business
sounds as if it’s doing well
now: I hope every thing will
go along smoothly in the future.
I expect Alan has started his
new job now. What do they
give him? About 2/6 a week I
suppose.
Where is Uncle Will’s
place? The post mark calls
it Boorowa & you always
refer to it as Burrowa.
 

4
Are the two the same?
Glad. Davies told me that her
brother had gone to Egypt. There
are wild rumours about that
all the Australians are going
there. I hope it’s true, but can’t
believe it.
I read a magazine tale by
Joseph Conrad last week. It
was an Italian story, quite
an unusual type though.
Does he live in England?
I will try & find him when I
go over on leave.
It seems rather soon to be
talking of leave — but I’ve
 

5
been in France seven weeks
now, although it doesn’t seem
as long as that. Leave usually
happens in about 4 months.
Did you know that Ritchie
Blunt had got married? Got
seven days leave from Camp
& did the deed, I believe.
Frank is still in England
having a good time I think. He
deserves a spell anyhow.
Ray blew in to see me a
couple of days ago in all
the glory of a new tunic.
He had managed to get his
old one exchanged. It was

6
a disreputable looking affair
with dangling shoulder straps
bulging pockets & had seen it’s
day. Ray’s standard form
of greeting is “How is it?” he
always opens up conversation
in that way.
Aunt Florrie says she has
sent you on some of my last
photos & assures me that
they are hideous. I didn’t
think they were too bad, except
for a squint in one eye, in
the proofs, I haven’t seen the
finished article yet.
Parcels are always welcome 

7
but your idea of sending the
money over to England is the
best. The things suitable for
parcels are still quite easily
obtained. Meat, butter, sugar
tea etc are very short over
in England, but our rations
haven’t suffered yet. I think
I’ve exhausted all the news.
Mind you don’t knock yourself
up, overworking.
Fondest love to you & Dad
& all the kids.
Your Son
Jack.

 

20
Belgium
18.3.18
My dear Mother & Father,
Another Aust
mail arrived a few days ago — I had
letters from home Jany 12, 13 & 27. Your
letters are coming very regularly lately
I think they must be sent via America.
I came into the line again a day
or two ago — should have been up
a week back but had a slight touch
of trench fever. Things are still fairly
quiet, the only Casualties in the Company
so far have been two wounded, so you
will see that it’s not all blood &
thunder. I had a letter from Bill Ward.
he is at Weymouth waiting for a boat
home. I think he feels fairly satisfied
to go now he has seen a bit of
the war. 
 

2
Ray will be getting his second
Blighty leave soon now — with
luck we may both be in England
together for a few days, as I will be due
for leave in about eight weeks.
The Company gramaphone is at Coy.
H.Q. not far from where I am, so
the C.O. rings me up when they’re
having some music & I listen to it
over the phone. Quite a brilliant idea
isn’t it?
I’m glad you favour the land in
some form for Ray & I after the war.
I have been thinking it over & came to
the same conclusion – pigs or
cows, or both.
I haven’t received your parcel yet, but
I got the Christmas pudding you enclosed
in Ray’s some time ago. Please
don’t send any more socks, we have 

3
more than we know what to do with
now. As the winter has been so
decent, it hasn’t been hard on socks
at all. The weather now is glorious,
bright warm sunshine — in fact
it’s so bright that we can’t leave our
dugouts during daylight, as Fritz has
his observation balloons up.
Was surprised to hear that Arthur
Treloar was lame, it’s evidently a
recent development.
I suppose you have my photos by  now,
everyone agrees that they are like me
but do not approve of the expression.
I’m afraid the expression only expresses
what I do feel like during the ordeal.
I’m glad you enjoyed the Byron
Bay camp so well – it must
have been O.K. Am looking forward
to one, perhaps next Christmas.