Letters from Frederick Warren Muir, 1914-1915 - Part 10

is our turn in the trenches, however, so I suppose
we will not participate in the festivities. It is
almost 12 months, too, since we left Australia
but it seems more like 12 years.
I am writing this letter in one of the 
Turkish trenches which we captured the other day.
The trenches are very strong & comfortable but
are of course in rather a mess at present &
decidedly ^odoriferous odoriferis. Do not forget to send along
some papers as we have been short of news
lately. A few Bulletins a couple of sixpenny
novels would also come in handy, if you have
any about; as we get very tired of continually
reading of nothing but the war as we see enough
of the real thing without reading the newspaper
accounts of it. I got hold of a copy of Jane
Eyre the other day & found it rather restful to
the mind. I think I have received all your 
letters & papers up to the present but we are
expecting another mail during the next few
days.
There are quite a number of letters
which I should answer but of course during
the last couple of weeks we have had very
little time for writing, however I will write
them all by degrees. Remember me to every
one in Unanderra & around.
Yours affectionately
Fred
x
P.S. I do not quite when this will reach you
but will take the opportunity of wishing 
you many happy returns of Sept 20th
as it should reach you somewhere near
that date
X
Fred

Anzac Cove
Gallipoli

24 August 1915
Dear Mater,
Another mail came in yesterday & I
have just received a letter from you & one from
Edie. we were very pleased to receive the mail
as it is some little time since we had one & mail
day is about the only thing we have to look forward
to just at present. Your letter is dated 11^th July &
the last one 28^th June so I think there must still be
another one to come.
The socks & handkerchief will come in
handy as we are unable to wash our socks here
& so must just wear them till they are useless &
then discard them. As to handkerchiefs I lost
my last one about 3 months ago & have not seen
one since. You might send me along a few
cheap ones. It is no good sending anything

expensive here as everything inevitably gets lost.
The weather is beginning to change here & the 
increasing cold at night tells us that we will have
to prepare ourselves for the winter before long. I
should therefore like you to send along the following
items in case we have to pass a winter campaign
here.
(1) a balaclava cap, one that will draw well down round

the neck.
(2) a woollen scarf (not too bulky)
(3) a pair of gloves (leather lined with wool)
These are about the only things I want at
present. You might however send me along a
pocket bottle of smelling salts, it may seem a
queer thing to ask for but the stench in the
trenches at times is almost unbearable.
As I am away from civilization
I cannot send you a birthday present but
am enclosing a cheque for £5 so

that you can get something. Let me know
if you get his O.K.
(Personally I am still well & unwounded
& hoping that it will not be long before we get off
the Peninsula. As you will see by the envelope
I cannot tell you any war news in this letter
but will write you again shortly. I was asking
after Harold the other day & one of the
Light Horse told me that he is still allright.
Cannot think of anything more to say
at present. Hope you are all keeping
well. Remember me to everyone,
Yours affectionately
Fred.
X
P.S. A few papers have just come to
hand. I am pretty well off for
stationery now as Dr Kay has
sent me a big bundle from Aus.
X

Anzac Cove
Gallipoli
2 Septr 1915.
Dear Mr Macgregor,
After nearly five months of warfare here I

am still alive and well having up to the present dodged all the
shells, bullets, bombs & other kindly attentions of the Turks and
hope in the not too distant future to be able to return & take
up a bomb proof shelter in the old cellars under 31 Pitt St. Just
at present we are resting out of the trenches for a few days & in
consequence having rather a quiet time although the enemy have 
an unfortunate habit of sending over a few 'big high explosive
shells just at meal time which is apt to take away ones appetite.
After experiencing a few to crowded hours of life here one begins
to long for the licensed clam of the L.T.O. or Stamp Office again.
You will have gained from the newspapers a slight idea
of our doings here, although the official news seems to be remarkedly
scarce & the majority of the "letters from the front" need to be taken
with the proverbial grain of salt. We have found the Turks rather a
tougher propositions than we expected when we set off. He is an
expert at trench work & their artillery is not be to laughed at 
we got a rough handling during the landing operations & during
the following few days but once we were established we easily held
off any Turkish attacks & so things almost reached a deadlock
 

for a couple of months. Now however we have taken the offensive &
very severe fighting has been in progress for some weeks. Our brigade
make the opening move by attacking & capturing a very strong
Turkish position called Lonesome Pine Ridge. We are still holding this
position although the Turks have given us a warm time there. Of
the other fighting on our left I cannot say anything as we do not
know for certain what is happening there.
In my new position the enemy's trenches are only about 10
yards from ours & there is a constant interchange if bombs between
the two. These bombs are one of the worst things we have to contend
with now. They inflict horrible wounds especially when they fall
right in the trench. We are of course quite used to bullets & shrapnel
now but these bombs & high explosive shells are over the odds.
 We view Italy's participation in this campaign with
interest as this may tend Turkey to a more reasonable
frame of mind, otherwise it looks as if we are booked for a winter
campaign here which is a thing none of us desire. In fact I think
we will all be pleased when the time comes to say goodbye
to this Peninsula - our experience here have been none too
pleasant.
I must stop for the present as the Censor has placed his

veto on long letters, but will write again before long. I suppose
neither of the Mr Palmer have called for the front yet or their
respective Saucy Janes. Best wishes to the firm & everyone at
31 Pitt St. Also kind regards to Mrs Macgregor & the

Mrs Palmers
Yours sincerely

FW Muir

 

Anzac Cove

Gallipoli

8th Sept 1915

Dear Mater,

Another mail has just come to hand unexpectedly & I got from you

dated 18^th & 25^th July also a P.C & some papers & envelopes. The mail is not all sorted yet

so I suppose there are some papers etc to come yet. Was lucky enough to be able to beg
borrow several magazines & books after last month have had plenty of 
reading matter which was most acceptable as we have had plenty of time on 
our hands lately. We had a canteen ship in a few days back & so 
were able to live in luxury for a day or two on such unaccustomed 
delicacies as tinned fish, chocolates, biscuits, cocoa etc - a very pleasant 
change after a prolonged course of bully beef.

We had rather a lovely time last spell we had in the 
trenches. The Turks made a couple of attempts to rush our trenches but were

very half hearted about it & few of them approached very close xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx after

this they kept us busy with bombs all night & made things rather 
uncomfortable for a while. These bombs are truly an invention of the devil 
the concussion & noise when they burst in the trench is very trying & one has 
to be constantly on the watch to dodge them & when only one drops on 
it a time you can you can smother it with a blanket but when 
three or four arrive together the situation becomes strained.

Time is slipping by towards the end of the year again
 this time last year we had hoped to be home for this Xmas but we

have given up all idea of that now as the war unfortunately does 
not show any signs of an early ending. Do not forget to let me know 
if you got my last letter all right. I may get you to send me some other 
things later on but it take such a long time to get an answer back & 
much may happen in the meantime.

I went down to the beach the other day to see Les Newman & found 
that he had gone to hospital. I could not find out what was the matter but 
do not think it was any very serious illness. Things have settled down 
again after the heavy fighting of a few weeks back & everything is comparatively quiet
again. The Turkish artillery has not troubled us much lately for which on all 
money we are devoutly thankful.

I must close now for the present but will write again before long 
Hope to have some good news to tell you in my next letter. Remember th me
to all my old friends & with love & best wishes

Yours affectionately

Fred

West Mudros

Lemnos

Dear Mater,
In my last letter I think I promised

you some good news and you will no doubt be 

pleased to know that we have now been withdrawn

from the Peninsula and are now in the rest camp

on the Lemnos Island. For a long time we had

heard rumours of being relieved but we'd not put

much faith in them so we were all the more

pleased when they came true. We spent a couple 

of days in the trenches with the new troops to get them 

into the way of things. The last night was rather an

uneasy one for most of us as there were plenty of

bombs flying & we had an inkling that an unkind

fate might knock us out during the last few boys

hours is that we did not breathe very freely till we

got outside the trenches again. However we got away

without incident and embarked about midnight on

Wednesday September.

  xxxxx Next morning about 8 o'clock we got under weigh

& none of us felt particularly sorry when the coast of

Gallipoli faded away and disappeared in the distance

Two months under fire and in the dirt and discomfort of

of the trenches have proved about as much as we could stand

moreover the fighting during the last month had been very severe

& exhausting & the winter was beginning to creep in so that

we were not relieved any too soon. We arrived in Mudros

Bay at about 12 o'clock & on disembarkation were very dismayed

to find that we had a three mile march to negotiate. However 
we successfully surmounted this difficulty although it was

a very wary and untidy band which finally straggled

into camp - very unlike the troops who marched out of 

Cairo three months ago.

Lemnos is hardly as green & smiling as it was on the 

occasion of our last rest but nevertheless is very pleasing

change from the Peninsula. We soon settled down to the routine

of camp life which was not very irksome as during the first 

week we did not do any parades at all & even now only

do two hours drill per day just to keep us in form. Day by 

day other battalions & units came in till now we have

quite a large camp, situated on the western side of Mudros

Harbour. All the hills around the harbour are covered

with camps & hospitals - French, English & Australian

we get the best of food & now that we have new clothes

and uniforms we look quite respectable again.

The weather here is rather on the cold side and we

have had a fair amount of rain. One heavy thunderstorm

flooded us out & we were forced to set to & move our camp

onto higher ground. We Our camp is surrounded by

Greek villages from which we are able to get a few - very

few- delicacies. While a swarm of itinerant vendors

around the camp sell the usual goods at exorbitant

prices. Tomatoes & grapes are cheap & plentiful but rather

on the small side. Butter is scarce with us just as it is

in N.S.W - we can get tinned butter for 2/- per lb which is

not too bad and native butter at 1/6 which is

unmentionable.