Letters from Frederick Warren Muir, 1914-1915 - Part 11

There are of course many rumours as to our

destination but we do not know anything definite

yet and for the present are quite content to remain

here and have a good rest. An occasional faint

echo of the guns from the Peninsula is the only thing

which reminds us of our past experiences.

Will write again shortly. Best wishes to everyone,

Yours affectionately 

Fred

Mudros

Lemnos Island

19 Septr 1915

 

Dear Mater,

I have received 3 or 4 letters from you lately

some of which I have answered but my letters will

probably be delayed owing to the censorship & postal

arrangements being upset in our moving. I will write

you a long letter during the next few days as we

have plenty of time to spare at present. You will

notice from the above address that we have now left

the Peninsula & are back at Mudros in a rest camp.

We are being well treated here & I am feeling

much better already. It also  However, I will tell you

more in my next letter. I also received your packet

containing socks & handkerchiefs. You seem to have a

happy knack of sending along just what I want.

Socks & handkerchiefs of course are always welcome;

the dark handkerchiefs are best, as light ones get dirty

too quickly, &, anyhow, one invariably loses them before

long. The Boracic, too, was very acceptable as it is

unprocurable here even from the doctor & I have had

a few septic sores on my legs which have been

slow in healing up, taking Boracic, I have been

over

using the good old army remedy - bathing with boiling

water & having them painted with iodine twice daily.

I am pleased to say, however, that they are healing up

well now.

I am looking forward to receiving your other parcel

The cake will be very acceptable - luxuries of this sort are

very scarce here - it is over 6 months now since I

tasted a piece of cake. I gather from one of your letters that

you did not send the half sovereign - this does not matter

as we were paid as soon as we arrived here. As regards

the comforter, scarf etc which I asked you - if you have not

already sent these, do not send them except the gloves, as

aunt minnie sent me a Balaclava, muffler & pair of mitts.

which she knitted herself & are very nice & warm.

Do you think you could send me a Xmas pudding. It

ought to keep alright & would go through the post alright if

packed in a tin.

Lady Hamilton, Sir Ian's wife is taking up her residence

on the island for a while & is going to distribute gifts etc to the troops

from the Peninsula.

You need not worry about us at present as we are living

on the fat of the land - eggs for breakfast every day - milk in our

tea - and a small bottle of stout or beer every night. I

will write again as soon as our postal arrangements

get going properly

Best wishes to everyone

Yours affectionately

Fred

West Mudros

Lemnos Isd.

1st October 1915

 

Dear Mater,

As you will observe from

the above we are still resting here & are

settled down fairly comfortably now. I

am feeling very much better although

there is still room for improvement.

My leg too has healed up OK is

alright now. There is of course very

little news as things are rather monotonous

here after the Peninsula. In any case

there is nothing wildly exciting on the

island at the best of times - the Greek

villages around here do present any

marked degree of dissipation. However

we are getting a perfect rest - we only

do 2 hours work a day & the rest of

the time is our own.

I had another letter from Mrs Vert by

last mail also a parcel of cigarettes I am

writing to her by this mail. The Dean is

at one of the Hospitals here but I hope to

see him tomorrow (Sunday) I see by

the papers that H.E. Budden & W.F.A

Larcombe are coming across here on

account of the Red Cross. Both these are great

friends & clients of Mr Macgregor & I

know them both well. I hope to get in

touch with them over here. I will let

you know if I see them.

We have been getting all kinds

of gifts since we landed here - singlets

shirts, shoes, cigarettes, writing pads, towels

etc & so are getting pretty well

equipped again. We are expecting

another mail in a day or two so will

write again after that, all your

letters & papers come to hand very

regularly & are always welcome.

The weather here has been quite

warm for the last few days so we have

been able to enjoy a swim in the

harbour. As a rule it is a bit too

cold for swimming. I must close

for the present as I am just going

across to the village to get something

for tea. My appetite just now is pretty

healthy & I think you would be

surprised if you see what I

get through in the course of a day.

Best wishes to all in Ununderra

Yours affectionately

Fred
 

PS.  Mr Budden is the by architect (Kent

Greenwell & Budden) & I think he is a 

relative of Budden of Wollongong. Mr

Larcombe used to share our office at

131 Pitt St. I think you have heard

me speak of him.

Fred.

On Active Service

WITH THE BRITISH 

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

 

Sampi Camp

West Mudros

5 Octr. 1915

 

Dear Mater,

I wrote you a letter yesterday but just after

posting it another mail came to hand bringing your

letter of 22nd August also letters from Dick O'Donnell &

Ruby Seaward as well as a big bundle of papers & a

couple of copies of the Weekly Tale Teller which were particularly

welcome.

We are of course quite settled down here now

The Y.M.C.A have rejoined us again & have erected a

big recreation tent with plenty of writing materials magazines

& papers, games and also a piano & gramaphone. Concerts

are held here almost every night & open air concerts

are also held at intervals. We had quite a decent

cone camp fire concert on the hill side last night. The

New Zealand band contributed the musical part of the

programme & there were a variety of other performers including

a Scottish piper who tickled many popular rag-time

airs out of his pipes. A number of nursing sisters from

one of the Hospitals came across to hear the performance.

We have , too, cricket & football grounds here and the Navy

also have a Recreation Ground close to us so that we

see some good matches.

I think I have already told you that the Dean is

now attached to No. 3 Australian General Hospital. I

expected to have seen him on Sunday but another chaplain

came across in his place. I did not know he had been

wounded till a few days ago. I may see him through the

week as I am going across to have a couple of teeth

filled. I had one filled this morning - the dental rooms

are well fitted up and the work is quite good. Major

Munro Ferguson - a brother of the Governor General was

at the Hospital this morning having a look around.

We still continue to get gifts of all kinds from

the various funds, all of which are very acceptable. We often

find a little note inside a shirt or comforter wishing

the wearer luck & safe return. Sometimes these notes are

signed "Mother" or something similar but in the

case of younger damsels the full name & address is generally

given probably with the hope of developing a romance. We

received a consignment of cigarettes & tobacco the other day

from the Overseas Club towards which all the school

children of Great Britain subscribed one penny each

last Empire Day. There was also parcels of tobacco from various

people in Australia & a big batch from the Victoria

On Active Service

  ______________

WITH THE BRITISH

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

   ______________________

Y.M.C.A.

1915

 

Racing Club.

Thank Miss Hughes for the handkerchiefs for me - tell her

they came in very handy. Ruby Seaward says in her

letter "I am very sorry to hear you are ill in Hospital" I

do not know where she gets this startling information from.

Remember me to Billy Oyston if you see him - he was in

this battalion before being wounded. Tell Dick I will write

to him by next mail.

Remember me to everyone,

Love to all,

Yours affectionately

Fred.

 

PS. Can you send me along a dozen new blades for a

Gillette safety razor. my stock has run out

I am enclosing a piece of poetry from the London

"Times" which rather took my fancy. I think the