Letters relating to Cecil Charles Harpur Baldwin, 1916-1918

Australian
1st ANZAC CORPS

B.E.F., FRANCE,

25th February, 1918.
Dear Mrs Baldwin,
Thank you so much for thinking of sending me
the extracts from Sydney newspapers containing an
appreciation of your boy's splendid service in the
A.I.F.   As I see that Colonel Moore has given you all
particulars of the fighting in which your boy was killed,
there is nothing further I can tell you.  I should,
however, like to express my deep sympathy with you in
your irreparable loss.  I am sure your boy was as good a
son as he proved himself to be a soldier, and it is
indeed a heavy blow for you to bear.
I am so glad that he was awarded the Military
Medal in recognition of his great courage and devotion to
duty in our heavy fighting at Pozieres in August, 1916.
He was employed carrying messages under heavy sniping and
shell fire, and was obliged to pass over ground, where
many casualties were being incurred. This he did
continuously throughout the day, and later he volunteered
to/
 

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to bring up parties to the front over very dangerous
country. By his splendid example of bravery, coolness
and determination under very trying circumstances, he
inspired confidence in those with him.
I am sure you must be very proud of your
son’s record, and though your loss is indeed a great
one, yet I hope that it will be of some consolation to
you to know of the esteem and admiration in which your
boy was held by all who knew him, and how gallantly he
gave his life for King and Country, and all that we
hold dear.
With my kind regards.
Yours sincerely,

WR Birdwood
2 DRL 324
AUSTRALIAN
WAR MEMORIAL

Picture - see original document 

HE whom this scroll commemorates
was numbered among those who,
at the call of King and Country, left all
that was dear to them, endured hardness,
faced danger, and finally passed out of
the sight of men by the path of duty
and self-sacrifice, giving up their own
lives that others might live in freedom.
Let those who come after see to it
that his name be not forgotten.
Sqt. Cecil C. Harpur Baldwin, M.M.
3. Bn., A.I.F.
 

Printed letterhead- see original document 
(3)
1916
was in Egypt, and I have not been in
a town since, but when I get in a
city I will send them some little things.
Remember me to Rena
Well mum tell Dor, I will not
answer her letter this time, but will
write letter later, there is very little
more to say so I will say aurevior for
the present and I hope you dont worry
unnecessarily and that you are happy
as possible.
I am, my darling Mum
your loving Son
Ces 

P.S love to all at home
& tons for yourself & plenty of kisses
 

{Show this to Harry
{When I come home I will start a business of some kind, perhaps
{Harry & I will be able to start in the case line or something
25 June 1916
My Dal Darling Mother
I am now in Hospital with the
Mumps and I feel in the best of condition, and as it
is a lovely day, and I am writing sitting in the sun, I feel
almost as though I was in Australia. Of course while I am
away from the battalion I will not be getting any of
your letters, but I will only be away a couple of weeks so
when I get back I will answer them immediately.
Yesterday I left the hospital I was in to
go to the main Mumps Hospital, and I had a glorious ride
in a Motor ambulance of about 30 miles, the scenery was
lovely comming along, and we passed the through a couple of
fairly big towns.
In this hospital I am very comfortable.
and am practically better although I will have to stay here for
3 weeks or so. We have lovely wam warm beds with nice white
sheets, and splendid food, including puddings which I had
nearly forgotten the taste of, it is a splendid rest and
although I will be pleased to get back with the battalion
I will make the best of it, also I have had a complete
issue of new undercloths including 3 pairs of socks. All the
xxx nurses here are very nice that is as many of
them as I have seen, I believe there is a nurse Doyle
 

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here but so far I have not seen her, when I do I will 
see if she is a relation.
Well Mother mine I have very little
more to tell you, as news is very scarce, but I will
write again soon.
By now I suppose Flo is with you, and I
hope you are all very happy at home, and that the
home is looking very nice, also don't work too hard,
and don't worry about me as there is no necessity for
it.
Give my love to Flo, Harry, Peter, Dor,  
Ven & June & tons of love & kisses for yourself Darling
mum, and please don't worry but try and be happy,
and it wont be long before I am with you once
again.
Well mum I xx just feel as though I
would like to write you a long letter, but I
cannot find anything to say so I will say aurevior and
I must see it I can write a fairy tale to you in the
next letter, these short letters must be very disappointing
but it is not really my fault.
Well aurevior darling mum
for the present. 
I am, my darling Mother

your loving son

Cec
P.S. Don't worry,

Be happy.
 

 Printed letterhead - see original document.
24/9/16

My Dear Mother,
As the post does not 

go for some time this will not be long as I am
sending another later on.
I am sending you the
addition to Fragments from France, and I
hope you get it after you have seen let
Joe have it, and ask her to let Gordon
have a look at it. We are having a
good time at perst present and the tucker
is good we are having a rest at present
also. It will please you to know that
 

Printed letterhead - see original document.
(2)
I have not now got two 2 stripes and also that
they having have given me the Military Medal,
so far I have not got the medal, but
General Birdwood presented me with the ribbon
to -day at the same time as he gr presented
many other chaps with ribbons & medals.
Well darling l will say aurevior now
as there is nothing further to tell you, but will
write later on. Give my love to all at
home (home incudes Guildford of course) and tons
of love kisses for yourself
I am, my darling Mother

your loving son

Ces.
P.S. Don't worry darling
Be happy

6th Dec, 1916
My Darling Mother,
I received your
letters dated Sept. 16 &, Oct 3rd to-day
and am answering them now.
As usual I was to delighted delighted
to get them, but mum do not worry
about my not getting parcels, papers
etc., I have had quite a number of
parcel & papers from you so do
not worry about them, also we
are being supplied with warm
leather coats & warm gloves, and
so for the weather  has not been
very cold. The cable I did
not get, but that does not matter
much as I will be able to get
it when I produce my pay book
at the bank.  Also I imagine that
little Peter was christened & the please
 

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remember me to Win. The parcel
with the Christmas cake, nuts
lollies etc. I received and you
can bet I enjoyed them.
Yes Harry & Peg would be
happier at home in Rose Bay
than anywhere, and I am
pleased Flo is with you, as xx
she xx loves home, and I
don't think she was happy
away whereas also Ven, has a
better position. Yes I to got a
new Australian uniform & most of
our chaps have Australian clothes.
At present we are out of
the trenches having a good long rest,
we have good huts & fires in them
so you can guess we are very
comfortable now, and all provisions
are being made to make us feel
the cold weather as little as possible.
My leave is not very far off
 

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and no doubt in a couple of
months time we I may
have the pleasure of seeing
England. Where is B., G., Cox you
do not say, as I have not heard
anything about him since
have been at France, and I
have not seen Muir Purser
since we arrived at France,
but I believe that hes is now
in command of some battalion
or other the 36th I think.
You will notice that I wished
you many happy returns of your,
birthday in some previous letter
and I do hope you enjoyed it
darling mum. Your having had paid
Twilight is very good, but no doubt
you are pleased, and needless to
say so am I. It must be
lovely weather now in Australia
especially Sydney, and the
garden must require the hose
 

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so it was good luck the
rain came.
Well duckie doo
I will say aurevire for the
present and I hope you
will not worry specially
about little things, and
remember the papers exaggerate
things greatly, and most of
their descriptions are rediculous,
to say the least of it
Love & Kisses to all
at home & remember me to all
others who count & tons of Love
& kisses for yourself
I am, my darling

Mother

Your loving son

Ces

xxxxxxxxxx
P.S. Don't worry
Be happy

 

Printed letterhead - see original document.
21st May 1916
My Darling Mother,
I received a letter
from Dor, and I am pleased the everything
appears to go well at home.
We are now out of the trenches 
and as I had the best of times in the trenches, &
I wish I was back again. The first part of our stay

in the firing line I was on what is called listening
and we were out in front of the trenches all
night and slept all day, our duty was to
listen for any unusual noise in the enemys
lines, and to stop patrols comming too
close to our trenches, it was much better work
then observing in the firing line, but the latter
part of our stay in the trenches, I was laying
barb wire entanglements in front of trenches,
and I did 3 hours work xxx laying wire
at night, and had the rest of the 24 hours
to myself, and I can tell you it suited me
 

Printed letterhead- see original document.
(2)  

down to the ground laying on  I my back for          
21 hours. We also had splendid tucker, so

I spent all my cash on food, and so did               

the others, we had Pork sausages for breakfast
toast butter & tea or cocoa for dinner
we had stew, toast butter & tea for tea

we had meat & vegetables, toast, butter, tea,
& tined peaches & condensed milk which
served as cream, we also had quaker oats
for a couple of breakfasts, of course we
had a drum on which we could cook
things. You can see by the above that we
lived fairly well, also I eat a good deal
of chocolate, so I am feeling pretty fit.
I am pleased you gave Dor, a hanky and
I am only sorry I l  was not able so send both
Flo & Dor, a present but of course my cash
would not run to that, also I would have
liked to send June & Peter something but
I did not have the cash at the time I