Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1916-1918 - Part 6

crumpled to dust, and not a stone of the small church was
left standing. It was strange to see big 8" shells unexploded
sticking up with their noses buried alongside marble covered
Vaults. Just a little further along the road on a ridge were
crosses showing where "Scotties" of the Cameron & Gordon Highlanders
had fallen. The Scotch regiments made their attack over this
ground right through Mametz Wood, and the graves of their fallen
are shown by these crosses. I was through a good bit of Mametz
Wood and crawled into a hole in a trench there to put in the
night. It reminded one of Gallipoli only there was mud
everywhere. This "bedroom" of mine was, as I say a hole in the
ground. I couldn't turn  round in it & couldn't sit up very easily.
I got my blankets spread somehow though I wiped my, muddy
feet of few times on them in the process, I wasn't too sweet on
my "possy when I saw the rats galloping about in the dusk
but any post in a storm, so I went to sleep and was
awakened by a large sized rat running all over me. That
prevented further sleep for awhile & the guns shook the
ground all round. Anyway I dozed off again & awoke at
daybreak. Still wet & cold but I decided to quit my
possy for good. I don't like rats, quns don't worry be much now.
Well I looked round for another all day, with no luck, so we rigged
up a break wind with boxes & slept out. That night we got shells
for a change, just to relieve the monotony a bit. One shell came into the
Battn camp, and it was really wonderful how our bombers escaped
The small shelters or bivonacs were quite close all round, yet
 

the shell came, blew away the cite of the bivouac with about
30 men init (made of waterproof sheets) blew an overcoat to smitherens
put a bit of shell though one of their water bottles & didn't injure
one of the men. Most remark able. And there were hundreds of
men all round too, & sent the dirt over to where we were on the
otherside of the road. Round about us you couldn't move 6 feet
without dropping into a shell hole. Our guns must have put the fear
of God into the heart of Fritzy when Mametz Wood was taken, and the
trees are all cut down to about 8 feet off the ground with shells.
Here again are more graves & I saw some marked To An unknown
British Hero",  and also "To an Unknown German Soldier."
The advance has passed far ahead of this now, but it will be years
& years before this  ground regains its normal appearance if ever.
The wet weather has hampered the operation a great deal, and all
the troops are chafing at the delay. It can't be helped as the road
are in places absolutely impossible. I stood & watched them pulling out
horses that were bogged, harnessing two & three other horses & mules
on to drag them out of the mud! Small water carts had to have 3 & 4
horses in shelf then though. Of course the main roads are better
but even they are muddy enough! I have been sent back to
Albert till the Battn comes out & we have a comfortable billet
now in an old factory. We keep the fire going all day & make
things very comfortable. We are very fortunate to be out of the mud
for awhile. There are 3 of us here, the shoemakerSrgt, myself
& one of the old hands of the Battn, looking after stores left behind.
People are begining to flock back to the town now, & we dont
 

get and shells in here now
The town is very much knocked about, however though
not nearly so bad as YPRES (pronounced EE -PRS).
There are any amount of cottages here for the taking and
no rent to pay. They'e not up to Burwood standard
at present however. They are without gas, little water, the
baker has left the town, likewise the butcher, tailor, etc even
the landlords, and boarding house keepers. It is bachelor
town at present, any of the fair sex, are by day of being curios,
Six months will make a big difference on the appearance
of things though it will be years before the beautiful church
with its wonderful statute recover from the bombardments.
There are all sorts of troops to be met here.
Canadians, & So African, New Zealanders, Austns West Indies, Scotch
Irish, English, French, Senegalese (French Colonial) farther back,
and many others
Well I will conclude, I received Card from Hal this week, Thiffin
is still with us.  Excuse me not writing to you all individually.
I expect Joe will be sending you a photo as me taken when in Blighty.
Goodnight, best wishes for Xmas & New Year
Your ever Wes/.
Got Mothers card too recently, delighted to hear from hereself.
With love to you all 
(OVER)
 

I have noticed that
letter are now addressed
QMS. Rather regret to say that
this address is somewhat premature.
I was Acting Q.MS at Divisional Shops
but when it closed down for the
Big Push I had to be content to
forego my claim for permanent rank for
awhile. Hope I shant have to wait too long
meanwhile I am Armr Staff Sergt.
I expect Joe will be sending you a photo
I had taken in England, 
Wes/.
 

[*44*]
Somewhere in France
Nov 13/16.
Dear Bro Fred
It is some time since I wrote you but you
must not put it down to forgetfulness. I have been
trying to make one letter do for you all. One gets so tired
of talking about war & there is so little else to mention
about here that I hardly know how to begin.
However war news is interesting to you so I must try to make
my letter worth while writing.
Well to begin we are still flopping about in mud. If ever
a returned soldier says that another blokes name is 
"MUD" we shall all know what he is without further
explanations. I gave you some idea of it in my last
letter I think, I can't attempt it to express myself
further on the subject of Somme mud without an
increased and enlarged vocabulary
Just an instance or two. A pack horse with rations on
its back for the firing line slipped and fell into a
shell hole on the road up.  The horse disappeared
altogether in the mud in the hole and was smothered
in mud, neither horse nor rations, not even the bridle
was recovered. Then I heard of if men who jumped into
a shell hole to avoid a shell-burst. Two of them were
drowned in the mud. I simply cant convey any idea of what
it is like, 10 horses to move small loads, horses dead, dying
and lame all over the place. Mud is a a much greater and
stronger enemy than Fritz at present, and I'm quite
 

sure if we could get a fortnight of good dry weather
we would knock spots off him. Prisoners are
brought in every day, and by must be having a rough time too
especially with our bombardments for I tell you the number of our
guns passes belief; and when they begin to play in ernest it is
simply awful. As a Tommy laughing said the other day.
"Well were having a devil of a time, and we're winning."
So what must Fritz be having?
And another yarn. One of our chaps had been ordered to escort
one German prisoner back to headquarters, about 3 miles from
the line. After a terrible "plodge" through the mud, he arrived
there and sitting back for a pest, he observed to the other chap.to another "Well! I'm  a born Australian, & I'm trying to do my duty like a good
soldier but bringing that - All this way through theh mud is
more than flesh & blood can stand. I ought to have put a bullet in him."
XXX ". But you might have been shot yourself for doing that."
"Oh!  well, I'd have had some satisfaction out of it anyway" he said
Recommenced some distance away from where the above was written
We are now back in peace- land for a short rest, away from the
immediate neighbourhood of war, and an occasional aeroplane
or motor transports are the only reminder that there is a war on, though
we still hear the guns booming at times, I passed through Amiens
yesterday & had a good look at the very fine, Cathedral there
I am sending some postcards of same on to Sydney. I got a
post card from Wal Yesterday, thanks for Birthday greetings
they arrived in time for to day is the 18th Nov. I note re
 

box having been sent on; I also, hope it gets here
Did you ever receive a cushion cover in Belgium colours
I posted it about May or June last. I hope my last lot reach
you O.K as they are rather nice, I am sending you something
along too it may be later in reaching you. I am wondering how
to Coal strike is affecting you are you hard up or have you
financial trouble at all, if you have drawn all you can
you my account let me know, I can't get near our field.
cashier at present, he's always a Good way back from us
but if you want anything to help you along I have plenty
to draw on here. I see conscription got a knock back it is
a great pity & shame, as some of the mew here ought to be
relieved from further active service, They'll have to get
men somewhere & without delay too. We are all mounting
golden A's on one shoulder colours that is the Anzac men, and
what with gold stripes, colours, etc, we're like a picture gallery.
Shippin to still with us, & is seeing some soldiering now.
I am O. K with the exception of colds & minor ailments nothing
to growl about much. I was left behind in Albert on the last
trip to the line; as they won't put such as I, shoemakers tailora
etc in the immediate danger zone. Of course we make near
acquaintance with big shells at times, but were usually
pretty safe. Remind me to all who enquire
Love to Mother & all at home.
Yours
Wes/.
 

[*45*]
Still in France
Dec 3/16.
Dear Mother,
I know you must be sometimes disturbed by the irregularity
of my letters. I'm not so good at corresponding as when I
set out on this great and extended tour. We're not allowed
to write about some of the more interesting things and to talk
the same old daily routine over and over again wouldn't interest 

you. However, the time passes quickly enough, and very often
we don't really know what day of the week it is, nor the date
of the month. The cold weather is trying us all, and we look
anything but a cheerful army these cold nights and mornings.
Then last month was so very wet here, and our men had
a trying time in trenches They didn't worry much about
Frtiz being in front of them with bombs, bullets & shells, but
the MUD was something awful and quiet beyond description
Nearly eveny man in the Battn is coughing & sneezing, and
The men who broke loose from Liverpool and played up, are
quiet enough now. We get pretty well fed, and now the Xmas
parcels are coming to hand we have lots of good things.
I reced parcel from Wal & Win this week and it was very
acceptable, especially the singlets, I was just wondering how
I was going to get rid of the Lousey (chatty )ones I had on as we
havent been able to get any washing done for a month, when the
problem was solved by these new ones arriving. They couldn't
have arrived in better time, as I don't see any prospects of a
washing day for some time to come yet. That is one of the
troubles we have, trying to keep ourselves clean, especially when
we are moving from one billet to another each day going to or
from "the line". Then, we have to sleep in some of the dirtiest
OVER
 

old bug walks anyone could find, and you itch and scratch
for days after at the thoughts of it. They are always spreading
the yarn that the 1^st Divn is to be relieved & to go to "Blighty" for
a spell, but were given up hope of that and now that Compulsion
is defeated it will mean us remaining here till the finish. I
only wish some of the anti compulsion men had seen the men coming
back from the front when we were there last month, it was as
much as flesh & blood could stand. I was grieved to hear of Jim
Hannahs death. We haven't been near the 13^th since we were
coming back from Pozieres. I asked about him then but couldn't
hear anything of him. I shall try to find out more about him
if we come in touch with the 13^th again. I liked him well
though I saw so little of him. I haven't written much to England
since I came back, and Joe will be wondering as to what
has happened, just laziness but I shall try to atone for it
when I do write. When one is cold and lousy and miserable
dirty it doesn't make one feel inclined to sit down and describe
things in detail, he feels more like kicking the regimental mascot.
Just had a word with Shippin, he says he's standing the cold
allright but he's not in love with the MUD at all, which
isn't surprising at all. Today has been very fine but cold,
Good appetites this weather and as we have a good cook,
we don't take much hurt around the Q.M store.
I hope you get all the parcels I have sent I have one more to
send yet & with a few odds & ends in it. I am sending a trifle
with this letter (£5) for yourself to go to the sales with or any other
old thing. Hope you get it safely.
In good health
Your Afft sone
Wes/.
 No more at present
Happy New Year to you all

[*46*]
Still in France
Dec 16/19
 Dear Wal & Win
Many thanks for the
parcel you have sent me also the card, which have reached
me in good order, and have been demolished with punctuality
worthy of the good stuff provided. It is a strange coincidence
that parcels for one usually land just as we are about to
move somewhere. That isn't strange (the moving I mean), as we
are like the boy who was always on for a hiding because he was always
going into mischief or coming away from one. So we are always
on the road to a fight or just coming away from one. This means
that parcels, on arrival have to be put to death early and sudden
a rather popular duty with us. I was much pleased to receive the
singlets as I had one or two very dirty ones by me, owing to a lack
of facilities for washing and to tell the truth some troublesome
bedmates, that we are forced to carry about with us like Sinbad
had to carry the Old Man of the Hills, were beginning to make their
presence felt to an uncomfortable degree. We don't' mind a few
couldn't realize we were soldiering if we don't carry one or two
families of them on our wanderings but, when they get arrogant
and begin company drill and forming fours up and down our noble
figure well, we've got to attack them with bombs & bayonets, and
If they won't evacuate their positions we hang them & then position
out in the balmy (?) are of Sunny (?) France.  By the way.
this Sunny France appears to be huge joke just now. It has rained
every day here. Since I don't care when, and the same old mud
that sticketh closer than a brother/ much closer at times) that we
experienced on our last trip to the PUSH is still hanging round
men, horses wagons  lorries and everything movable & immovable
If only Kaiser Bill or his noble offspring were condemned