Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1916-1918 - Part 15

 be a soldier? Glad to receive the “DINKUM OIL”
about us going to Italy, though it comes a bit
late as we are on one way to Palestine now (I
don't think) the next latest "oil" is that Fritz has
sent word over that if we go to Palestine he will
totals us but I we go back to Austa, he will
escort us there to make sure we dont happen anything.
RATS. I don't think we are going any where. We’re
like the chap who was asked where he was going said
“Nowhere, I’ve been where I’m going.”
Well, good night, and I hope this year will see
us all home again.
Don’t worry a bit, Mother I’m as right as can
be. Love to you all. Don’t forget to help
yourself to some of that money whenever you want
anything.
Au revoir, bon soir, Cheerio.
Your loving son
Wes/
With lots of love.
 

[*63*]
France
14-2-18.
Dear Bro Fred
I am making my effort to you this week
Pleased to be able to say that the letters have been coming
through much better lately, papers are a bit behind occasionally
Australian papers give a man the pip. I opened one Italians
nearing Trieste", were the head lines and all the time one
knows just what has happened since then. Ugh? it seems
like a special form of mockery. And it also makes one feel
somewhat out of tune to read that the shearers or the wharfies
or the charwomen’s union are telling the Govmt. how the war
should be run, or else they are agitating for increased wages, owing
to the difficulty in obtaining food, and meanwhile the Old Home
Land is run on bare cupboards and sacrifices unknown to many
to Australia. I feel as if I’d like to carry a 4.5” howitzer round
looking for I.W.WITES and Catholic Federations, etc. in Sunny Australia
They’re too far from the war, and after over 3 yrs of it, a great many
of them are more concerned about our chaps marrying Home girls
then they are over the winning of the war. They used to talk about
getting the Russians to fight for us, well we’ve got to fight for the Russian
and everyone else it seems now with the exception of France perhaps and
eally I marvel as to where all the men have come from to do it. Suppose
you have seen the figures as to the number of men from the Empire making
up the Forces: England about 60%, Scotland 8%, Ireland 3.2%,
Colonies 12% (includes Canada, Aust, NZealand S.Africa). Scotland with approx
same population as Australia has sent twice the number of men. And
why should it be so? However they seem to be deaf and blind to
 

all appeals in the way of producing receipts for us
I don't think we shall ever be relieved. They really did send
two away per Battn just this last week for 6 months, two months
clear in Australia, but at that rate we shall be well into the
next great war before we all get a spell. I haven’t too
much to growl about, we are “out” resting at present staying
at a sleepy farm house back a bit from the line. I can hear
the guns banging yet, but still we consider ourselves as good
as being at home almost back here. It’s when you get up towards
the line and hear the bombs at night that you begin to “get the
wind up” then you wish you were surfing at Manly or Anywhere
else your side of the pond. Since of these billets away from the
line are comfortable enough others are not. It depends a great
deal on whether the troops in before you have been well behaved.
If they’ve been troublesome, burning fires in the farm outhouses, or
stealing poultry, (a frequent offence) or breaking the pump, well lookout
as the French people will lend or give you nothing.
The Q.M. store crowd are usually on their own somewhere and I have
a fairly steady lot of chaps on our staff. Things go much
better always, when the Rum ration is cut out. There isn’t too
much rum to be got away from the “forward area” and now it
is usually only issued when a Battn is in “the line” or front trenches
of men to 1 part is the ration, and there are some who don’t take it
you can bet I don't encourage the consumption of it, and I’m
pleased to say there all only 3 or 4 rum drinkers on my staff.
 

This year’s fighting will be the heaviest of all I think, and
so far as I can see the issue will be with those possessing
the control of the Air. I mean the ABSOLUTE control of the air
That superiority which will prevent the one or the other from
observing the strength & movements of troops. This is as important
as anything this coming offensive. I fancy the British and
French will be called upon to fight hard against the reinforced
Germans. I hope America will be in time to help. They will be in
the air I’m sure though as to their fighting troops I’m not too sure.
I wish we could find some way to solve the question without losing
so many good and useful lives. These wayside cemeteries get
me thinking. If I had my way I would compel the Kaiser & Co.
to live all the rest of their days in one of these cemeteries. The wooden
crosses would act as reminders day in & day out of the results of war,
and if they didn't die as lunatics I’d devise further reminders.
More rumors are flying about re the Aussies leaving France. These
rumors are like the salt to the meat, we'd do badly without them as
they help to add interest to the day’s work. They usually die in their
first childhood and we awake some morning to some newly invented
yarn, told by the Orderly room cat or the Colonels groom etc.
I have been considering whether that idea of giving a medal to the female
relatives of those who enlist ever came off. Did Mother ever get one? how
would Jim Hannahs mother stand be for that?
We are being issued now with red & blue service chevrons they are
they are worn like the French [sketch-see original] upside down and they ail nind shorter
than the others. The red is for 1914 and 1 blue for each years service
 

after. If a chap lives to get home again he'll look like old
Santa Claus or a Xmas tree, what with stripes & badges.
By the way I am sending herewith a souvenir for Elsie tell
her I do not desire an expensive frame for it, something
chaste and sweet in old oak would do. You get one of these
illuminated testimonials every time you go on leave to Blighty.
They say they are now extending leave passes to ROME. Oh!
Ye Gods! fancy me knocking at the door of old NERO’s house
some fine morning asking the way to the VATICAN to kiss the
pope’s toe. Yes I dont think.
Well I think I’ll wind up, nothing worth writing about
we’ve plenty of tucker & clothes, the only scarcity is in
leave passes to Australia.
I hope dear Mother is keeping well also Elsie and all
of you. I wish I could get home for a yarn with you
all. It will finish this year sure enough.
Cheerio! Bon Soir
Love to all
Wes/.

 

[*64*]
Somewhere. 24/3/18.
Dear Folks at Home
Having received two post cards from Elsie and a letter from
Fred today, receding that my letters are remarkable
for their non arrival, I am taking opportunity tonight
to send a few lines. In the first place I’m pleased to
acknowledge receipt of the parcel from Aunt Hannah
which arrived in good order. The Cake was O.K and the
sweets perfection, by the way who made them. Also the cigars
were “tre bon”. I have returned the box with one or two souvenirs
in, and hope it reaches you safely. Should there be
anything in it likely to suit Mr Strongman for a souvenir
you can let him have it. I intend writing Aunt sometime
soon if Fritz doesn’t interfere with my plans.
I’ve had enough of Fritz this last fortnight. I got two
whiffs of his gas, and now I'm coughing and spitting
like a cab horse. The other morning he put over about
7000 gas shells in 4 hrs. It was early morning, a
beautiful spring morning, and I couldn't help but
enjoy the whistlings of the birds. I had to go up to the
line with rations that morning, at least the transport
takes them and either I or Private Master reports at Head
Quarters. We met the gas a mile or two up the road and
had to complete the trip through it. It lies just like
a fog in the dips, one sort smells like mustard and
the other like heavy lilac. I was on a bike and
riding up a bit hill, felt some difficulty in breathing
 

with the mask on. So I took it off just to see if it
were really bad and on putting it on again some of
the gas had got on the mouth tube. I tasted it at
once and felt it burn the inside of my mouth. Didn’t
think much about it then, though it made me cough
a bit and my eyes water, but now ghee! What a sore
mouth I have, like as if I'd been licking red hot
pennies. I’ve still got a bit of a cough too but not
so bad as a week ago. The man who invented gas
for this diabolical purpose has a stone where his heart
ought to be, and had I my way I would let the
Kaiser & his gang have just a little whiff of it every day
until it killed the whole brood of them. He also was
sending a lot of 9.5”’s shells over that morning, they’re
bad enough too, but you can get in a hole and dodge
them a bit or cut across country away from where
they are lobbing, but gas goes everywhere, into the
holes & corners and stops there.
The big offensive we have been expecting has opened down
the Somme again, and I expect we’ll be on our way
there soon. I do hope they will be able to give Fritz
a terrible bad time. I expect he will score in some
parts he’s bound to, but I think he will have to
fight for everything he gets. I wish I could
 

scover some means of wiping out in one blow all
his dirty crew. He has been shelling back in places
this last week or two where he hasn't shelled for a long
while. It is going to be a bitter fight this year, but
if we can manage to pull through this year we’ll.
win, as he will have shot his bolt. He is putting
in all he knows, gas, shells, bombs, but I think if we
could stick it in 1914 we ought to do it now.
I wish we were through with it anyway, not that I’m
downhearted, but I do feel a bit war weary. A month
in Allendale would do me a power of good just now.
A chap would be able to sleep there without his gas bag
under his head and without running a risk of being
lifted out of bed with a bomb or a shell. Still there are
lighter sides to this life. We saw a soldier driving 3
nice young pigs the other day away up towards Hill 60
and you have no idea what a sensation it caused, much
more than if Fritz had started a new “hate”. I guess they
will have to have a wide awake picquet or sentry on those
porkers every night. There were many envious eyes and
breaking of the Commandments at sight of them. Our
QuarterMaster had a very nice horse, very fast on the road.
It disappeared the other night. When they can steal a
horse what chance has a pig got. I liked that horse
too have had several trips on it and she was a favourite
with us all. Someone else must have liked her too
 

I had a great job the other day. I had to take cha
of two bottles of Cognac Brandy taken from two Fritzy
prisoners the day before. Don’t quite know why I
should have been given the job. I had some qualms
of conscience at first but reckoned that I could be
doing a worse job than holding Old Booze a prisoner
in fact I wish they would make me jailor of the entire
stock in France. Somebody would squeal before long
I know, but some chaps would do their job better, and
there wouldn't be so many cases of Rumitis and Whiskeyitis.
Tell Elsie either of them is worse and costs the Govt more
than Lazyitis. Well I hope you've got some letters from me
by now. Joe has lazyitis too I think. “It is the War” I think
As to that money I don't quite know whether you sent that
£30 to Joe or not, I have a recollection of asking you not
to I think. Still if I want more I will get you to cable
it as the other way is too risky & slow.
I put in an application for a discharge to take up Munition
work but don't expect anything to come of it. No hope of
relief for the Anzacs I’m afraid. New Zealand & Canada have
relieved their men.
With love to you all
In good health bar the effects of gas.
Best of love to Mother
Wes/.
 

[*65*]
Dear Folks at Home,
No3 Australian Auxiliary
Hospital.
Dartford. Kent.
April 30/18.
I know you will be looking for a letter to see how I am
progressing. Well I am almost as fit as I ever was
and am expecting to be marked OUT any time now.
That means that I either go on furlough 14 days or to
one of the camps in Blighty for a further spell. It would
be all right going to a camp for a bit if one was sure he
had not to go back to France at the end of it but
when one can't be sure. Well, I would just as soon go
over there and be done with it. Anyway I’ll see what
the Doc has to say that this week. We are still fastened
up here as there is smallpox in Dartford. Of course we
get out, never knew them able to keep Australians in
a place yet it they wished to get out, so I have had
two trips to Woolwich about 6 miles from here. I was
there yesterday, Sunday, and I tell you it would
surprize you to see the thousands of well dressed girls
going into work on night duty at 7 pm.
There seems to be plenty of money round about Woolwich.
I was also up at the Anzac Memorial Service held in
the Central Hall Westminster London on Anzac Day.
Lovely service very impressive, then there was a big
concert in the afternoon. I hardly know where I
am after so much twisting and turning round France
seems af as if it were all a dream and I daresay
I shall wake up someday & find myself back where