Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1916-1918 - Part 14

have shells on the daily menu then you have
bombs and I just hate being woke up during the
night to partake of bomb pudding, with machine gun
sauce. The back areas bo used to be fairly good
when you only had shells to deal with but just
imagine yourself trying to coax yourself off to sleep
when all there is between you and bomb splinters
is a piece of 3/16 corrugated iron, or the canvas of a
tent. Nowadays when men sleep in tents, they raise
a low wall round about them about 3ft high or
else they dig down the floor below ground level resting
the pole on a box in the centre. These bombs have a
big surface effect, but yous all right behind a
sandbag or two. Of course if he drops it ON your
tent then you’re NAPOO (no more). The aerial torpedos
are different they dig a hole big enough to bury
all that are killed by it and a bit to spare. Anyway
you can bury two big horses in a hole made by a torpedo.
You can guess the effect if one were to drop on your hat
while you were wearing it.
We here fierce rumors of what Fritz intends doing
on this Western Front and even where we are now.
I don’t think he’ll get for with all the men he has
at Command now. If he couldn't reach Calais
in 1914 I dont think there is much chance of
 

him getting there now. Some of them may of course
but not the way they intend going.
This part round here has been fiercly contested ever
since 1914. Just behind us lies what is said to be
the highest point in Belgium. Mount KEMMEL, and
it gives a commanding view right up to Ypres and for
miles around us. In the churchyard at the bottom of the
hill lie a few brave men of the Liverpool Scottish and
Oxford Hussars, also some Frenchs soldiers who fell in
1914. The church itself as per usual has been badly
knocked about. The village itself has been shelled but
not nearly so bad as some of the Somme Villages. We all
camped in a part of a building used by the Y.M.C.A. and
though well ventilated it isn’t too bad for a war residence.
It has been wonderful weather this winter so far, quite
a picnic to last year. If we had only had some of
this dry hard weather last winter, Fritz would have
got it in the neck pretty hard. He seems to have all
the luck somehow. If we can manage to beat him off
to this Spring we ought to give him a bit of hurry
up when the Yanks get going. I think they will be
all right especially in aircraft work. They’re a
a bit late but better late than never. Russia has
let us down pretty bad, and it is a great pity as
Fritz was feeling the pinch bad. Then Australia
 

has turned us down by the latest figures, and so
good bye to our chance of getting back fr'a spell,
‘Tis said here that Fritz dropped pamphlets along the
line congratulating the Australians on turning conscription
down. Australia is a great county. D'ye think that
if Fritz were allowed to send them a few 15” souvenirs
they would wake up. Perhaps they would expect
him to drop them away in the Never Never or the Austn
Desert, and, doubtless, he would be only too pleased
to oblige and leave MANLY and beautiful MOSMAN, and
Surry Hills severly alone. M'Yes I don't think.
While I’m writing this the guns are banging and rolling
men are under orders to “stand to” at a few minutes notice.
We never leave the doors without a gas mask with us,
Of course it is very silly of us, everything would be quite
all right if we all turned in and left Fritz alone.
Australia says its all right so why worry?
There are bigger problems to settle than the question of who
shall be top dog the Prussian militarists or peaceful France
and Britain. There is the price for mouse killing or rebagging
wheat, or the terrible iniquity of a card system to deal with
so why would they bother about one little bit of a scrap
while the parish pump wants repairing. Tut, tut.
Well, if that parish pump gets a 15” shell dropped
 

On it with, it won’t want repairing, and if MC Tudor
and his gang bump their noses up against a gas
shell all the anti votes in the word won’t save them from
having a very bad headache at the best of it.
Some of the men here are just as much to blame. They
live in a little world of their own, and are continually
gazing upon themselves and their efforts through a huge
magnifying glass. And very often their numbers run about
6000 in their units, which shows they considered long
before they honoured the Old Country by coming to fight for her.
UGH! TAKE ME HOME. I’M DISGUSTED
Well I haven’t much more of any interest. Our men are
in the line at present, some of them, those in support
are very thankful that Fritz built such fine dugouts
round about Messines, they’ve been very useful this
Winter. You might give the enclosed cattery to Mr
Strongman or send it on to Francis Wilson. I sent
some bills on to them from Blighty for propaganda.
I had a letter from Gladys a week or two ago.
Well I do hope you are all well and have not felt
the effects of the strike too much. If I can be of
any further financial assistance just say so.
I hope Mother is well and not worrying
about me, I’m home & dried as we say
 

sitting here tonight alongside a stove made
from an old Oil drum. Plenty of tucker, had
a parcel lately from Canada also a bumper pie
from Wal’s folk, and yesterday more cake
from Mrs Hannah. I’m one of the blokes who
want we war to go on for ever.
I DON’T THINK.
I got some September papers from Australia this
week, letters are as scarce as sugar in Blighty
though. What has happened are the pen & ink men
all on strike?
Remember me to all the Randwick men tell Tom
Young that if I find Unionists fr voted solid against
Conscription I’ll be done with Unionism. I’m done
with Laborism anyway.
So long best of love to all, hope you have
plenty work. What’s Elsie doing for her crust?
Writing letters to lonely soldiers? Perhaps she’s been
canvassing for ANTI votes. Tell her I’ve got plenty papers
[*about me its the return of the beast Yours ever Wes*]
 

[*62*]
Somewhere in Belgium.
20/-1-18.
Dearest Mother.
1 I have received so many letters cards & parcels
lately that I must really try to return the
kindnesses, and so, on this quiet Sunday night,
I sit me down to scribble a few lines. My home
thoughts are always strongest on Sunday nights
and I wonder sometimes how it would feel to
be walking to the Strathfield church with some of
you. One day is very much like another here and
it is only because cetain days have certain
issues of tucker, etc, that we are able to tell where
we are On Sundays we get an issue of matches
and cigarettes, and on Thusdays dried fruit instead
of jam and so the weary wheel goes round.
Then on Sundays there is a church parade in the
mornings when the men are "out of the line,"
At present we have a SergtMess in part of an
old building used as a Y.M.C.A, and there is always
a Song service on Sunday nights. It is good to sit
and hear the Old hymns sung by these men. The
singing is very hearty much different from the
Regimental Church parades, and most of the
men have learned out here that life and death
are problems worth consideration. All sorts of
 

2
men attend, Tommie's Scottie's and Colonials and
one of our Corporals was just commenting on the
earnestness of the Tommies during the Service
quite different from the Australians he says, and
I might add that he is an Ausn.
Well we are having a good time at present, though
our men have been in the line a good long spell
they have only had about 7 casualties. It is a
very quiet part hereabouts, though it was warm
though last year. The big guns are banging
away around us but, after ypres and the Somme,
well, our chaps say there isn't a war on at all.
There are few air raids and a good job too the
air raids round Yres get a chap "bluffed", and
I shan't forget our last few weeks up there.
This old village has had a bit of shelling but it
isn't too bad compared to some I've seen.
We are much interested in the fact that the people
who formerly lived here have been allowed back
again this last week to see what their old houses
require to put them right. They are quite
cheerful about it too, and one would think they
were coming back to brand new villas instead
of old tumbled down places. One poor chap
 

3
couldn't find his house at all There was a
place where it had formerly stood but no sign
of a wall When a place gets badly knocked
about by shell fire the often full it down and
use the bricks on the roads. The old priest of
the church came along too and walked round
his old church with a notebook making notes
His roof badly wants a patch and the old
clock is "finish". A curious sight here is a
shell which has stuck in the I wall but proved
a "dud" and didn't go off.  Just off the footpath
in the main street or road is a solitary grave,
I stopped up to see the name plate on the cross,
and found it was a Northumberland man, a
L / Col Bell. I often wonder where he came from and
how he fell. It is beautiful country round here
a place called Kemmel Hill seems, to have been
a country pleasure resort though it has suffered
severely as a result of shells and owing ^to the troops
cutting trees down that interfered with their
machine gun fire. It is said to be the highest
point in Belgium and the view from there is
very fine. The weather still keeps good quite
a mild winter compared to last year. We
have not had much rain and and only a cold
 

4
snap now & again.  This past week has been
like the first days of spring, beautiful
sunshine though to day has been very foggy.
I don't take much hurt for clothes, it is awkward
at times when we are up in places where there all
no civilians to wash for us, but we manage
somehow till we go farther back, then, we have a
grand clean up. Half the pleasure in feeling
nice & clean is given by having felt
unutterably dirty and lousy beforehand.
One chap said he could not understand why
Napoleon always had his hand inside hi
waistcoat and when we all got back to Sydney
and clean clothes many of us will be still
doing the St. Vitus dance act from habit.
When you feel them bite first you search for them
and slaughter them, but they multiply faster than
You can kill them and as you live, and scratch and
let live. Lots of socks come along from the
Comforts Fund, though I must say that some
of the knitters have a poor idea of the length
of a man's foot. They must be thinking
yards not feet, and I was amused by one
of our Sergts showing me a pair to had
 

on and the heels were half way up his leg
- nearly. Anyway I'm quite guilty they
wouldn't have passed your tests Mother.
People are very good though and one ought
not to find fault; still such socks are very
bad for a men who have to march long distances
I've told you all about my last visit to Blighty
and whom I saw. They are sending men away
much quicker now Still I hope the war is over
before I go back. Things are getting very short in
the food line everywhere. I have been catching
up a bit of back ground in letters lately having
written wal, & Else & Mr Belus. I still owe some
yet. Letters have been coming more regularly
lately. I was pleased to read of Fred's promotion
must write him shortly. Wish I had been coming
home instead of answering letters. I felt a bit
flattered to read that I had topped another
Honour Roll, how many am I on now for goodness
sake?  wish I was on somebodys pay roll at
Randwick again. Well, I'm looking for Aunts
Richmond River parcel, must try to write them also.
Wals sister sends me word to day they are sending
me some more pies from PIELAND. Who wouldn't