Correspondence and photographs relating to Edward Randolph Cleaver, 1914-1918- Part 2 of 3

(2) 
Regiment since 17th Aug 1914 till the present date 
with the exception of fourteen days in hospital 
and character very good and also highly recommend 
ed this case, but there is a terrible lot of trouble 
to get it but it will be worthwhile if I can 
only see you all again if only for a month 
There has been no one under the rank of an 
Officer go this leave yet from here, but some 
have tried but been turned down, so you 
see my chance is not great, but if you never 
try you won't succeed, you could help me a great 
deal by applying at your end through Mr Wise who 
who could see the Minister for Defence Mr Pearce and it 
would come through much quicker, but I hope 
I get it granted soon, only I do not give myself 
much of a chance, but if I happen to get it I 
will cable you straight away, We have been a 
long while without mail this time and only rec- 
eived Addie letter on Saturday last the 6th Sept but 
it had been to England and goodness know what 
roundabout route it took to get there trying 
to dodge the submarines, I got a letter from 
Millie yesterday but it was dated Aug 26th and 
must have come by the direct route but I 
never got any local papers, most likely you do 

(3) 
not get them now, being out of business if so 
never mind bothering getting them especially 
for me, I will have to write two letters to you 
now as Millie is married and will write to 
Millie tomorrow night if I am home, we 
were out on outpost duty a couple of days ago 
and we seen a lovely fight in the air bet 
ween one of our aeroplanes and a German 
one, our chap brought him down to earth nearly 
on top of us. I thought he was going to 
crash into our horses but he went about 
four hundred yards further on and we jumped 
on our horses and caught him before he could 
set fire to his machine which is the first 
thing they do if they get a chance at all 
as this chap had his flare pistol in his hand ready but 
we were onto him too soon and when he had the rifle 
pointing at his head he threw up his hands which is 
best thing he could do, as we have not got much time 
for Germans especially, it is all Germans who man 
the aeroplanes here & some of them are very plucky 
when our chap landed he shook hands with him 
and said you are a better man than me, our 
chap put a few bullet holes through his water & 
petrol tanks and his mechanism run hot so 
 

(4) 
he had to come down, so they took his plane to peices 
and put it on a motor lorry and took it to the aerodrome 
and took the pilot a prisoner, we will see his plane fly 
ing our colours and fighting against them soon 
The weather is starting to get cold here now especially 
at night, but the dust and wind is awful at times 
but we expect rain at any time now, and then 
it will be the mud & wet which will be twice 
as bad if it is anything like Gallipoli when it 
snows, as looking for wood is like trying to pick 
up sovereigns, it takes us all our time to get a few 
sticks to boil our billy when out on a stunt and 
then we have to take a few peices of box and tie it 
on our saddle, I have never received the parcels 
that Millie & Mrs Crips sent me so I can say 
good bye to that lot I receive letters regularly 
from Lily Tolmie & Caiss Martin and I also got the 
Sydney Mail from Ciss this mail, I wrote to Aunty 
Polly last mail and she asked me to write through Lily 
Tolmie, so I thought it best to be sociable if it 
does her good it wont do me any harm, but I 
reckon she ought to have sent Fred over here to do 
his bit, we still get a few bullets and shells pelted at 
us but I have had the good luck to dodge them 
so far & hope to continue to till the war is over 
 

(5) 
The German aviator which we captured said the 
war will last another two or three years yet. I hope 
not but I think he knows about as much about how 
long it will last as we do and that is not much 
I hope the men who took over the business from you 
are successful, but was surprised to learn that you 
got no price for the goodwill, but hope you never 
put my saddle & bridle in with the business, as 
I hope to be able to use it again some day 
well this is all the news this time hoping papa 
health is much improved & that Addie you 
are as well as I am at present 

I remain your loving Son and Brother 
Randolph 

P.S. Hoping my Furlough is successful and will 
be home to have Christmas dinner with you 
 

Somewhere in Palestine 
10-10-17 

Dear Millie 
I received your welcome letter day 
Aug 21st and am pleased to learn you are much 
happier & feel freer which will be a great releif to you 
after so many years in the shop, I got a letter from 
Addie just a couple of days before yours reached me 
and it was dated July but it had been to England 
and goodness knows what route it took to get here 
probably via America, I answered it last night 
so I shall have to write two letters now instead of one 
which I do not mind when I have time, we have 
just finished our turn of outposts a patrol duty 
for a while & only go out on big stunts for a 
few weeks but it is very tiring work, we leave 
our camps probably at 1 o'clock in the morning and 
do not return for perhaps four days and nights and 
the nights are getting very cold here now and the 
days much shorter after dark here now at 530 
in the evening and we have to rig up all manner of 
things for lights as candles are very scarce, at the 
present time I am writing this with light from a 
sluch lamp made from old bacon fat and the 
smell & smoke is nearly blinding me, but a 
fellow is used to so many discomforts that he 
 

(2) 
does not take much notice now, as long as he 
gets through somehow, so say you think there 
is a chance of us first contingents chap getting 
home for a holiday so did I for a while but 
things seems to be hit in the head here, but 
I have taken it on my own account and I put in 
an application for three months leave of absence 
to Australia under what is known as com 
passionate leave, but it has, last Sunday and 
today is Wednesday and I have not heard any 
more of it up to date, but it takes a good while 
as it has got to go through a lot of red tape 
my reason for so doing was on account of Papa 
serious illness and I had to attach Addie letter 
to the application, it would be grand to be 
home for Christmas if only for a few weeks 
to see Papa once again before he is taken from 
us as he has been a good Father to all of us 
and sometimes I cannot hardly realise him 
being so sick as he always looked so healthy 
I told Addie & Papa to get Mr Wise to try and 
get my furlough through as you know men in their 
position can do a lot by seeing the Minister 
of Defence, but my Commanding Officer gave 
me a very good recommendation to go on 
 

(3) 
to the different Generals which it has got to go 
through, I seen the recommendation as some of it 
was that I had been with the Regiment since 
August 1914 to present date with the exception of 
fourteen days in hospital & character very good and 
"etc" I forgot to tell you that I have more good 
conduct stripes which means one for every 
year of active service, so you see I must have 
been a good boy, which reminds one of school 
days again, I do not run foul of them much 
but sometimes I have got to go off if I think 
I am in the right, or some of them would tramp 
le you under their feet if you would let them 
but not for me, I care for none of them I do 
my bit and that is all I care about them 
One of our aviators brought down a Turkish plane 
with a German pilot in the other day nearly on top of 
our horses, I was a grand sight to see them fighting 
in the air, but when he landed we were on to him 
too quickly before he could burn his machine so 
Jacko is one pilot & one aeroplane shorter to 
bomb us which he does with vigour now & again 
especially when out after Jacko's scalp, "Jacko 
is the name we give the Turk" I am infring 
ing the law by telling you this but I cannot

help it as it was so grand to see him come 
a cropper as just a half hour previous he 
was bombing us. I have not seen Louey 
Jackson for about two months but he 
looked well then a wished to be remembered 
to you & Bob and wished you every happiness 
in your new sphere of life, which I do also 
He ought to look well as he is out of all 
weathers and plenty eat not like us go to 
bed with empty stomachs very often and the 
sky for a roof very often, enclosed so will see what 
has been my home for months, but it wont 
be any good when the rain comes which we expect 
any time now at present the dust is awful at times 
you talk about the dust in Sale it is nothing to 
over here, I laid down one night to sleep and had 
to dig myself out in the morning well I think 
this is all the news this time hoping yourself 
& Bob are in the best of health as it leaves 
me at present 
I remain 
your loving Brother 
Randolph

Palestine 
26-10-17 
Dear Papa & Addie 
Just a few lines to let 
you know how I got along with my application 
for furlough which I wrote & told you in the last 
letter I sent to you. I had bad luck and my 
application was returned to me marked insuffic 
ent evidence as I told you I attached Addie's 
letter to the application and there was something about 
me not receiving the parcel and saying that 
you heard that the fat Officers are not back 
ward at keeping them for their own use. I was 
brought over the coals for it and severely reprimanded 
as they said the writer was liable to prosecution 
but my C. Officer did not seem to mind as he is 
a worldly & level headed man, and he reckoned 
that is what spoilt my chance of the furlough 
but never mind, I suppose all will come right 
the end, a fellow might just as well run his 
head at a brick wall as try and fight them 
as they have the best end of the stick by 
far everytime, the only chance one has is 
to force things kindly. I received the parcel 
which Addie sent ere safely and the plum 
jam you sent as an experiment was

(2) 
lovely and kept well also carried well in the syrup 
tin which was a very good idea. I also took the salts 
next morning and have made and eaten all the 
porridge it was altogether a nice parcel for which 
I thank you very much, I have been off duty 
this last three days and have been in the doctors 
tent, but am feeling alright again now, the 
doctor said I was run down and wanted a 
few day spell, he fed me up on arrowroot 
Bovril & tinned chicken which was grand 
after so much Bully Beef & Bacon, but I am 
feeling grand again. Tonight, I seen a few "Gipps 
land Times" which young Jenner had sent to him 
I see where some of the Hospital men & W [[Corkhill?]] 
and also Bishop Phelan have been sqabbling 
amongst themselves, if they want fight they 
out to come here and they will get plenty of it 
well I think this is all the news this time hoping 
that papa is keeping well now 
he is out of business and plenty of rest and less 
worry, also give my love to Millie. 
I remain 
your loving son & brother 
Randolph