Typed copy of letters from Frederick William Rowe to his family, 1914-1915 - Part 5

W.B. W. 4704
BASE RECORDS

VICTORIA BARRACKS
MELBOURNE
20th June, 1915
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
Dear Sir,
I regret to advise you that your son
Bombadier F. W. Rowe has been reported wounded
It is not stated as being serious, and in the event of
further information coming to hand, you will be immediately
notified.
In the absence of further reports Egypt
advised that it is to be assumed that all wounded are
progressing satisfactorily.
It should be clearly understood that if
no further advice is received this Department has no later
information to give.
Yours faithfully
J. M. Lean Captain
0. i/c Base Records
Mr. W. Rowe
Eskdale Road
Caulfield (V)

Gaba Tepe
July 24th
Dear Mother
Your letters are coming in regularly now the last one
I have received was dated June 8th. Thanks for remembering
my birthday. I have not received the parcel yet but am
looking forward to getting it.
I never thought I would ever spend a birthday on the Gallipoli
Peninsular. We are still banging away at Jonny Turk but have
now got him well in hand and I am still in hopes of spending
Xmas with you all at home in Caulfield.
Thanks for sending the papers. When things get monotonous it is
very nice to be able to get hold of something to read. We donot
get much news here only what we read in the papers and this is
about 6 weeks old so you see we are a bit behind the times here.
You would laugh if you were to see the way we knock about here.
I do not fancy getting in a 2½" collar I think I would have a
stiff neck for a day or two.
The censorship here is very strict and there being no news it
is very hard to write a letter.
Tell Ethel I am looking forward to the photo of baby and am
expecting it any mail now. Tell Jean I am just sending the
letters and cards to you now so she will get all I have to say
off of you.
It has taken me about ½ an hour to write this and I have had to
go some to do it in that time.
Well Mother I will close now with love to all at home and best
love to yourself
Your loving son
Fred

Gaba Tepe
Gallipoli
August 1st
Dear Mother,
I have received your ever welcome letter dated June14th also
the parcel containing the cigarettes etc. and it was grand of you
to send them I can honestly tell you they were heartily appreciated
both by myself and some of the boys. I am sorry to hear that you
have not received any news from me. I have been sending p/cards
home from the first but I believe things got mixed up a bit so I
expect you will get them in a heap. What a trying time you must
have had lately thank God everything has turned out all right,
little I thought that Ethel would be so bad in fact I was as happy
as Larry waiting for the good news. Now Mother you must stop
worrying about me I will be home before long now. We have got the
Turks well in hand now and there seems to be a Guarding Angel over
me so you have nothing to fear.
I know Mother that you are glad that I answered the call when I did.
You would not have liked me to be one of those who has to be forced
to go. Look what an honour it is to be one of those that landed
the first day. There were some glorious deeds done by the infantry
and they were run very close by the A.M.C. I will never stand by
and hear an Australian Infantry man run down when I get back. You
have heard of the landing from Ashmead Bartlett's account so there
is nothing for me to tell.
We have lost some of our men as you know but the casualties are
very light now that we have the Turks well in hand.
I have just written a letter to Ethel and it is very hard to write
so I will cut this one short and try and write a bigger one next
week. How is Dad keeping these days. Tell him it is a long while
since I had a letter from him and that it will get a great reception
even if it is only a couple of lines. You can also tell Roy to
write and let me know how he is getting on with the girls at the
Palais. Tell Jean she seems to be spending too much time with
her boys and it is ages since I had a letter from her end you can
tell Florrie that I have cut her name right off my visitors list.
As for the splinter I think he must be keeping two homes since he
has been made Choir Master and earning his 3/6 a week. Does he wear
his hair like all those other musical blokes. Well Mother I will
Cut this letter short with best love to yourself and Dad Jean Roy
and Jack and you can give Floss an extra piece of meat for me.
Your Loving son
Fred
 

Gaba Tepe
August 10th
Dear Roy
Your welcome letter I received yesterday it is about time
you dropped a line. I have been expecting to hear from you
for months past. I answered your last letter the day after I
got it so it ought to have arrived long ago. Take a tip from
me Roy do not be too keen on enlisting, one away from home is
enough at present and besides your place is at home. There are
plenty of other chaps to come away before it is your turn besides
you must remember that Mother and Dad are getting on in years
now and they need your help as much as you can. I know it stings
seeing the other chaps coming away and you not being able to come
but rest assured Roy yours is the biggest self-sacrifice. I see
you have had another go with Miss Smyth you seem to have held
your ovn all right. I believe you Storry has been wounded. I
do not know whether it is serious or not I was just told that he
was wounded.
Remember me to all the boys and girls that make enquiries about
me also the young lady at Felstead goods and also the hands that
I know in the factory. Ask Kenny how the gee gees are going
and if he is wearing Diamond rings yet.
Thanks Roy for sending the cigarettes. I have not received them
yet but will probably do so next mail. It is dam hard to write
a letter here as one is not allowed to say too much else the
letter may not reach its destination so you will have to excuse
this brief note as I have a couple more to write yet.
Your loving brother
Fred

Gaba Tepe
August 15th
Dear Mother
I received your letter dated June 27th yesterday it being
the first I have received for about three weeks. I did not
think you would know anything about me being wounded until you
received my letter ss I asked them at the clearing station to
keep back about a couple of weeks. My letter must have been
delayed or you would have got it first. You know by my previous
letter that the wound was nothing and I feel no affects from it
at all. I am glad they have traced Harold Seeley I myself have
made several enquiries about him but have never met with any
satisfaction. I do not suppose that Tom French has any idea of
coming away I think he would take a fit if he was here. I met
Fred Stageman on the beach about four days after he landed here.
He was trying to get away on account of his eyes (cold feet).
I do not know how he got on. I am glad Ethel is well again. I
am longing for the photo of Keith he must be a bonny little chap.
I suppose he will be crawling before very long now. It is sixteen
weeks now since we landed here time has gone very quickly and we
have plenty to occupy our minds. The Turks are splendid fighters
and are playing the game as fair as any other civilized race
could be expected to. I know I would sooner face them than I
would the Germans. You hear a lot of tales about their atrocities
but take it from me do not believe them. Sandy McDougall and Stan
Lister are both in good health. Sandy got a scratch on the head
about a month ago but it was all right in a couple of days and
he is dodging about just the same as ever now. I got letters from
every one at home this mail even Jacks and Jeans also another box
of cigarettes. I think they came from Fred and the Table Talk and
Sydney mail so you see I have got something to read for a couple
of days. Roy was saying in his letter that he wanted to come away
and you would not let him. I am glad that he is not coming there
are plenty more in Australia to come yet before it is his turn.
One out of the family is enough.
Well Mother there isn't any news I can give you and I want to
write to the others so I will close with best to yourself and
all the others at home.
Your loving son
Fred

Gaba Tepe
August 15th
Dear Dad
I received your welcome letter yesterday it came as a bit of
a shock as it is only the second since I have been away but still
I know what letter writing is with you and Mother writing every
week clears you.
I am sorry my letter did not reach you before the Defence Depart-
ment notified you that I was wounded they kept it back a bit and
my letter must have been delayed. I knew how mother would worry
and I tried to avoid you knowing about it altogether but could
not do so. Remember me to Fred Clapham also Sep Brown when you
see them. I suppose Sep is the same as ever; by the way tell
him that Bert Richmond is a Military Policeman in Alexandria. I
laugh every time I think of it. You know by the papers how things
have been here and of the number of casualties we have had, but
the chaps here are still as game as ever. The warships have done
marvellous work here and I can tell you they treat us Australians
real well. When I was at Lemnos I went aboard the Swiftsure the
sister ship to the Triumph and talk about a feed. It makes my
mouth water to think of it.
The Turks are putting up a great struggle here and are fighting
very fair they are a splendid race in regards to physique nearly
all over 6 feet and broad with it. I do not think they are treated
too well on their side and those that have been captured seem to
be very happy that they are away from their own side.
It is four months now since we have had a decent feed and I can
tell you I will not be sorry to have another though I cannot
complain as I am in the best of health and not losing any flesh
and am pretty hardy on it.
Flies are the worst pest here but as the weather gets colder they
will disappear altogether. We never hear of a case of disease
so that is one thing that we can thank our lucky stars for.
News is scarce Dad so I vill close with best love
Your loving son
Fred

Gabe Tepe
Gallipoli
Oct. 13th
Dear Ethel
I received two letters from you yesterday without dates.
I think one must have missed the previous mail but it was none
the less welcome for that. In your first letter you mentioned
about me being in the hospital the second time, that was only
through having a pain in the pinny "Gastritis". I was back again
in about 10 days. In your second letter you again mention that
Len Aspinall had written saying I was in the hospital the third
time. This was a close go. I never want to experience it again.
It happened about 4.00am. I and three others were sleeping in
the gun pit one Dave Morgan was on guard. The first shell the
Turks fired a 6" howitzer came right into the pit, struck the
tyre of the wheel and burst. I was sleeping right under the gun
with my head almost touching the wheel that was struck. Needless
to say I woke up when the shell hit. I didn't know much for a
few minutes. Tiny (you remember the tall chap you used to all
laugh at) pulled me out (ho was in the pit et the time) and helped
me into the Trench. I woke up then but felt very seedy. Another
chap helped me down to the doctor and he dressed the wound I had
on the eyebrow also a few scratches on the forehead. He also
gave me a wee drap but it wasn't much good. I couldn't taste it.
To go on with the story I was all right by this time (bar my head).
I went back to the pit again to see what other damage had been
done. In the meantime Tiny's nerves had broken down and he had
to be taken to the hospital and W. Collins who was sleeping the
other side of the gun had his hair and eyebrows singed. He did
look a character. The concussion threw Dave Morgan out of the
pit and he got his face knocked about a bit through coming in
contact with the sides of the pit. Both Morgan and Collins had
their eardrums fractured. Bad I believe and were sent away and
they are still away, in England I believe. My ear drum was
fractured but only slightly. I went away to Lemnos for treatment
and was away about 10 days. It is now as good as ever it was.
If you had seen the gun pit after the smash you would have said
that it would have been impossible for anyone to get out alive
pieces of the shell were all over the place. The gun was smashed
a good deal but thanks to our Ordinance Dept, we had it in firing
order again before night. The gun pit was in a terrible mess.
Sandbags down and timber smashed all over the place. I tell you
my Guarding Angel must have been looking after me that morning.
The cuts I got in the head wero caused I think by pieces of the
shield, or some of the tools which were thrown about by the burst.

-2-

You mention in your letter about Mr. Gillison being killed. You
know what a fine fellow he was. Roy knows what kind of a sport he
was he has been camping with him. But none of us knew the real man.
It was here where he appeared in his true colors. He was here there
and everywhere always cheering up the boys and having jokes with
them always wanting to help them when anything was doing nothing
was too much for him no matter what sort of a day he always had
his smile up and in the thickest part of an attack he would be up
in the trenches with the boys helping them in every possible way.
He was the idol of the battalion in fact everyone was talking about
him. If any of his battalion got shot you would always see Mr.
Gillison there first in fact it was not a common sight to see him
stretcher bearing or helping a wounded comrade cheering him up and
joking with him all the time. He feared nothing. The grandest man
that ever wore a soldiers uniform was lost to Australia when the
Turks got Mr. Gillison.
I have received two more photos by your last letter of baby and
yourself. Fred is also in one of them. Tell Fred though I mention
him last he is not least as he knows.
What a fine boy Keith is. I can just imagine how proud you both
are of him. Mother tells me in her letters what a good little
fellow he is. I vill give you a couple of lines out of a letter
I received from Aunt Lou yesterday (They say Ethel's baby is a
Bonza, I have not seen it, but I hear its nose is like Grand Pa's
Nuff sed). You cannot beat Aunt Lou can you. The group of three
photo is a splendid one of you I was surprised to see you looking
so well again. It is also a good one of Fred when he hasn't got
his glasses on.
The cold weather is setting in now but thanks to yourself Mother
and Mrs. Tipton I am well prepared for it and have also got a decent
waterproof dugout so have nothing to fear. I am sorry to hear about
Les Storry I think he must have had a bad time here. The sights
we see at times are not too good but we are hardened to them now
in fact they have a tendency to make one very callous.
I am glad to hear that things are so good at the factory. How well
your stuff must be taking. I can see things looking pretty rosy
ahead, no more than you both deserve. Thank Keith for the almonds
and raisins they were tip top. Thank Fred for the cigarettes. I
received two more boxes this mail, it is very good of you to send
all these things. Thank goodness they are not going astray.
Well Ethel there is no more I can think of at present so will close
this letter with best love to yourself Fred and Keith and remember
me kindly to Mr. & Mrs. Tipton
Your loving brother
Fred
PS Excuse mistakes & erasures

Gaba Tepe
October 13th
Dear Mother
I received 2 letters from you yesterday dated 22nd and
30th August. You mention about being wounded again. I have
just written a letter to Ethel telling her all about it so
you will be able to see it. I am sorry Roy has been ill but
trust he is all right again now. I received a letter from Aunt
Emma yesterday, she is a character. I mentioned in
Ethel's letter that it was from Aunt Lou, you might correct it.
I have not been able to find out anything about Harold Seeley.
He might by chance be in one of the hospitals or even a captive
so let us hope for the best. Sandy McDougall is still away
sick. Stan Lister is also away on a three weeks spell. I think
my turn will be next trip. They only take us to Mudros. You
mention about Mr. Gillison what a grand fellow he was. I have
told Ethel in her letter what the boys here thought of him.
That is a bit hot about Mrs. Scanlon and the £10. Don't ever
send any for me because I have plenty and am now drawing the
extra money for the stripe. I got a letter from Sep yesterday
it was very decent of him to drop a line. I am getting the
parcels and papers all right I do not think many go astray now.
It is your birthday next month so I wish you many happy returns.
There is nothing to buy over here suitable for a wedding present
so I will leave it till I get home. Best love to yourself - Dad
Jean Roy and Jack.
Your loving son
Fred