Letters from Frederick Warren Muir, 1914-1915 - Part 13

destroying the enemys sap; after which the game would start over afresh in
a new spot. One night after exploding a mine a party of our chaps crept
out to occupy the crater only to find it already in the posession of a band
of Turks next night our men took posession earlier and when the Turks
arrived there was an unpleasant surprise awaiting them.
must conclude for the present with
Love to all,
Yours affectionately
Fred.

Anzac Cove
Gallipoli
Sunday 31 October 1915
Dear Mater,
"Once more into the breach". After an
uneventful holiday of seven weeks on Lemnos
we find ourselves back again in the trenches
again at the old address. We received our orders
to move with characteristic suddenness on Tuesday
night and early on Wednesday morning moved out
of camp again with all our goods, & chattels. Our
road took us through a seemingly interminable
stretch of hospitals and the nurses and convalescents
all flocked on the road to bid us "Farewell".
We embarked immediately on arrival at the wharf
but as a stiff southerly gale was blowing we lay
in the harbour till Friday evening when the wind 
had abated sufficiently for us to set out. We
were rather crowded on the boat but managed

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to make ourselves comfortable nevertheless on arriving
at Anzac we were surprised to find ourselves in the
midst of tents which had sprung up during our 
absence. Things have been much improved in the last
few weeks preparations for the winter being actively
pushed forward. Yesterday (Saturday) went back
into the trenches again and soon felt quite at home.
We have been lucky enough to secure a very
comfortable spot this time. Everything is very quiet
along the whole line & especially quiet on our
front. At times there are quiet spells when not a shot 
is fired and a newcomer might imagine that hostilities
had ceased. "Beachy Bill" sends over a few shells in
our direction now and again but this does not
trouble us much. Of course we do not look forward
to winter in the trenches with any great degree of joy
but I think we will get on fairly well in our
present trenches.
I am enclosing a clipping from the 
Peninsula Press on the weather here which may

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interest you. We will have plenty of opportunity
to test the truth of these profecies during the next
few months. At present the weather is extremely variable
and reminds me of the rhyme of the little girl who
"when she was good she was very very good
when she was bad she was horrid.
When it is good the days are warm & mild and all 
that one expects of the ideal Mediterranean weather
but the next day may be cold and sleety with a
chilly wind blowing. The cold has however
accounted for most of the flies although certain
other insects still survive. Our appetites too have
sharpened up wonderfully since the cool weather
set in and we are sometimes hard pressed to 
spin our rations out.
Your parcel with shirt, comforter etc
arrived alright & was very acceptable there is
no need to send any more writing paper at
present; I have been flooded with it during
the last few weeks. Everyone who writes sends 
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a few sheets; most of the other fellows are
in the same boat. It is rather disappointing to 
get a thick, fat looking letter and find it 
consists mainly of blank paper. Just before
leaving Lemnos I posted under registered cover
Princess Mary's Gift Box, & Pencil Case, also a couple
of cartridges, oil can & shrapnel bullets which
may be interesting to people at home. I enclose the
receipt for it. let me know if it arrives safely.
Did the copies of the Peninsula Press etc which I
sent in a couple of letters arrive O.K. We seem 
to have been very lucky up to the present as all
my things have be turned up. I am looking
forward to the arrival of the box with the cake etc.
Any luxuries of this sort are much appreciated
in the firing line. Can you send me along
a woollen khaki shirt, with breast pockets.
Gowings or one of those places will supply one
pretty cheaply (15 inch neck).

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I see that young Bill Beach has distinguished

himself by inventing the periscope rifles which

we use here. I did not know till I saw the

notice in the paper that is was the Beach I used

to know. I saw Henry Neaves the night before I

left Mudros, he is in the 13^th Battalion & will

be over here before long. George Fishlock is

back again now & looks very well.

Our mail has not come along yet

but we will probably get it in a day or two.

I will write again when it comes to hand.

Love to all,

Yours affectionately

Fred

Anzac Cove
Gallipoli

18th Novr 1915
Dear Mater,
Our mail arrived yesterday -1300 bags of it. I got

your letter of 19^th & 20^th September - & also letters from Edie

& Uncle Charlie & Aunt Minnie. Uncle Charlie says he is

sending along a parcel of goods for Xmas per the 1^st Battalion

Depôt. Your registered letter also came along reply enclosing the

two ½ sovs which will come in handy as we are short of money

at present. We expected to get paid before leaving Lemnos but were

disappointed. I am sending to England for a few things - a

Thermos flask, some beef tea cubes etc which will come in handy in 

the trenches during the cold nights. No papers have come to hand yet

but these will be along in a day or two I suppose.

Everything here still remains very quiet. There is a

little artillery firing through the day but our position is not much

troubled by shells. The Turkish lines are from 200 to 400 yards

away from us across a gully, this accounts for our comparative

peacefulness as we are out of reach of bombs and close

observation. There is singularly little rifle fire even at night     

and after a long spell of silence one is sometimes tempted to

think that the enemy has gone for a holiday. Opposite our post 

the Turks are busy building intricate barbed wire entanglements

in front of their lines. They work hard at this all night and at

intervals we send up a flare light and snipe them as they 

run for shelter.

I think that the Turks are biding their time hoping that

the severe winter will prove too much for us. These hills are a

bleak & cheerless place to spend the cold months as we have only

a limited space at our disposal and there are no comforts to be

obtained close at hand. In France, of course, the men withdrawn

from the firing line can withdraw to some snug little village 

for warmth & shelter but we are quite removed from all

civilization. Many of the British soldiers whom I have met out here

say they would rather be back in France as, though the fighting

here is not so severe the conditions under which we live are

much more rigorous. At present we are living a kind of

semi-subterranean existence tucked away in all manner

of unexpected burrows and tunnels, which are both fairly

shell proof & weather proof. The average Australian is quite an

adept at making himself comfortable under even the most

adverse circumstances and once we have had time to settle

down here we will soon make ourselves comfortable. Owing to the

lack of candles we have already been forced to improvise lamps

made out of jam tins filled with fatted and a wick made of rope 

or rag. So that on the whole although I we do not look forward  

to the coming winter with any degree of pleasure I do not think         

we will have any difficulty in weathering it.

By a strange perversity of the human frame I am

now feeling much better than I did all the time I was at

Lemnos perhaps a diet of bully beef & biscuits is most fitted to

my constitution. We are still managing to live pretty well here

as we have some porridge, cocoa etc left from Lemnos but it is

rather difficult to obtain groceries here. The Y.M.C.A have a

canteen on the beach where they sell cakes etc and I believe 

they are going to extend it.

Washington Souls make up a preparation known as

Pedre Pomade" which they advertise as sudden death to all the

insects & vermin which infest the great unwashed. You might

send me along a tin & I will try it. The vest advertised

in the enclosing cutting should prove a very useful

garment. Will you inquire the price & if it is not very high

get the tailor to post me one. If the price is at all high do

not bother. I will send you along a cheque shortly as

soon as I hear whether you received the last one safely
Xmas is beginning to creep on us rapidly now

& as the authorities allow us to put greetings on the Field

Service Cards I am sending out a few.
With Best wishes to all,

Yours affectionately
Fred
Do you ever get the Red Magazine th now? I borrowed one

the other day & it was quite a treat plenty of good stories

& nothing about the war.

Anzac
Gallipoli

15 Nov 1915
Dear Mater,

Am still alive & keeping well. Received a

big batch of papers yesterday, Sunday Times, Bulletin, Local

papers etc from you & a big stack from K Williams.

We are have quite settled down to the routine of

trench life again. There is not much doing here but of course

we are busy digging & making ourselves secure against the 

winter. On our immediate part everything is very quiet

but there is a little activity on our right Our howitzers

keep up a desultory bombardment of the Turkish trenches

and there is bomb fighting nearly all night and The

machine guns, too, keep busy all night. The destroyers keep

their searchlights going on our flank all night & send

over a few shots occasionally. A cruiser happened along

the other day & bombarded Maidos for about half an

hour. We could hear the shells bursting [[orciously?]]

away in the distance. We are quite close to Gaba

Tepe now, & can see the ruins of the old fort quite

plainly. The Turks still hold the place but are afraid to

show much activity on account of the warships. They

managed to get a machine gun into action from there

the other day but it was quickly put out of action