Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1915 - Part 6

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from the Commercial Bank Warrack. He was shot
through the hand. When we left the Lecangbhoon
we went on to a Destroyer & that took us as far
as possible then we had to get into little boats
& go ashore in them with a perfect hail of lead
around you all the time & many a time it hit the boats
but not many were hit. We stayed on the beach all day
and the coldest time I ever spent. We did not take much
to notice of the shrapnel but it made us duck for cover
at the first. We started for the firing line on Tuesday
morning but many or one did not reach it. Our
Company Commander was sick on the morning we went
up so our Second in command had to lake us but he
did not reigh reign too long, for he got shot down & died
almost instantly so we had only our Platoon Commanders
left & two of them got bowled over before night so we were
in a happy plight. That night I with a few other were
told off to guard a gully & see that no one went up
or down it. We were under a perfect hail of Lead all night
The shots were coming from all directions. I got one through
the seat of my trousers and another hit my bayonet but
the nearest shave I had was a bullet that went through
my cap & pulled out some hair with it. It gave me a
fright. The rap a chap on my right was shot through the
head & never moved while the one on the other
side was wounded but I lasted the night out & went
to sleep too. We retired a little & had a good sleep. After
that we got an order to retire to where we had left the
night before & when going there over half of us never reached it.
 

3
for we were shot down as sh soon as we showed ourselves
I got mine just below the knee & an inch higher up I would
not be walking about none. One I did not know what
hit me for it was like some one hit you with a
piece of iron with all their might on the shin.
It knocked me down & I laid there till one of my
mates who saw me drop came & bandaged it
up for me. that bandage was on from then till Saturday
& I tell you it was smelling pretty high by then & I
could not see my toes for the instep was swollen
with sight of them. It took me till four o'clock
to get to beach about three miles but it seemed 
like 23. I was carried, hopped & carried on a stretcher
to the beach while we were being sniped at all the
time. The Turks do not consider the Red Cross at all.
I was left on the beach with hundreds of others waiting to
be taken aboard the troop ships I was taken on board
the Galeta & put in a bunk & when my boots & socks 
were taken off the sock of the left foot stood up. It was

stiff with blood. I stayed in that bunk till I got to Mesenteric
& then was taken on board the Indian Hospital Ship Goorkha
to be taken to London England and was a 14 days
trip but I saw Malta Gibraltar & many other islands
When crossing Biscay all the port holes had to be shut
for it was if only rough but it never made one
sick. We arrived on South Hampton on Sunday 16 May
& got into the train for Manchester about 3 a & arrived 
in Manchester about 6 that night. We were treated 
well all along the line. We were taken in cars
through the city & the streets were crowded.  We were taken to a
Military hospital on a place called Fallowfield & put a
fortnight in it & then later with a lot of others
 

to the Shetford R.C. Hospital. We are allowed out from 12
till 7-30 but that is to be cut down to 3 to 6., but that
will not work to well with the Australians but it will
be alright with the Tommies for they are to frightened to do
any thing out of place, not the same as us for we are over
the fence when ever we please for there are other attractions that peg
us out. I have never been caught out yet. I got a letter from Les
while he was in Luna Park Hospital with a bad eye.
He sent me the address of one of his mates who lives only
a few miles from here & I wrote to them & they told
me to come & stay the lenght of my furlough with
them. I will go for a few days. I will be going on furlough
in a few days time & fr after that such have to go back
to the Base in London, & from there to our new Australian Base
in Islay. So If if I have the luck to reach there I will
see more of our Allies countries before I go back to
the firing line
I will tell you all about the sights
of England the next time that write if I am
spared to ever have the chance.
Poor Charlie Thewlis
& has been killed as has been many more Warrack
boys, but some have to die.
This is all this time so
I will close praying that you & all at home are
quite well
I am your loving Brother 
George
Les said that Jim has joined under
Colonel Hutchinson
George 
XXXXXXX
 

No 1 Aust. Auxiliary Hospital
Harefield Park
Via Denham
Middlesex
4/7/15
Dear Dad,
I wrote to Bess last week so I will write to you this
time. All the Australians have been put into a
hospital that is entirely Australians. The Ground's
bul buildings doctors and nurses are Aust.
I am to go on furlough tomorrow Monday,
first have to go to London then to Weymouth
after that Io am to have fourteen days
leave. I am going to Chester a few miles
from Manchester, Les sent me the
address. He got it from his mate &
told me to go there while his mate
also wrote asking me to go
Harefield Park
the place where I am at present is only
14 miles from London but you can hear
no sound at all.
Saturday we were given a
concert and a party & every one that came
we Australians
 

By the time you get this letter the war will
be going close on twelve months. It does not
seem six months since I left home for I have
seen so much and so many different countries
When I leave England I have to go back
to old Egypt then to the Dardanelles. I hope
it is finished by that time
This Hospital is
not so well governed as the Red Cross that
I was in for you have to buck up for your
meals
There is so much to say and I will
write to you when I get on furlough all's
being well So I will close
From your loving son
George
 

Shetford
8/7/15
All at home
I am back in Manchester again, Friday
2^nd July at 9-30 at night the officer in charge
of the hospital told us that we had to be ready
to go at 9-30 next morning. We left & went
to Denham 16 miles from London but we
did not stay there long as it was so quite
after what we were used to so we put
in for furlough and got it on the following
monday when we had to go to
London I stayed in London All Monday
& part of Tuesday when I came back
to Manchester from here I am going
to Chester and then I have to report in
London on the 20^th to go to Weymouth
to be shipped back again to the firing
line.
It is now over three months since I
had a letter from you's so I suppose
all the mail is kept in at the Base in
Egypt.
This place does nothing but rain, rain
You hardly ever see the sun shining
 

I wrote to Bess last week and told her a bit
about the sights I have seen since leaving
Egypt
I have not heard from Les or heard
anything about him, and he said that
Jim had joined and is in the 21^st Bat.
That Bat. has been in action but there
have not been many names published
yet.
We were given sixteen days leave and
about half of the money that was
due. It was close on three months since
we had the last pay & some of them
abused it as soon as they got it.
By the time you get this letter I will
be on my way back again but there
cannot be any of the old 14^th left now
for the all the Reg. No's are very high
I will now close with love
from George
 

Epsom
Surry
22/7/15
Dear Dad
I have had my fortnights furlough
and reported in London on the 20/ but the doctor
would not pass me as fit for service as my leg
is stiff yet, so I have been sent back to the
hospital again to go under more treatment and
have some teeth looked to.
Epsom is a lovely place
for whereever you looke it is nothing but lovely
green hills and lovely forests.
I l spent my
furlough in part in Manchester Chester &
Liverpool. There are some lovely old ruin
castles around Chester and I have been
through three of them and around the old
city wall & into one of the dungeons.
I was
taken into the cathedral. It is the most magnificent
piece of carving that is in England
On the Sunday night before my furlough
 

was up, the manager of one of the largest
munition factories took me to see all the
making of the guns shells and armour
plates. I saw guns in the making from
the 18 pounders which are three inch to the
15.5 ones which fire a shell weighing close
on a ton, and the barrel of a 15.5 guns
is 60 feet long and weighs close on 100 tons
I was to go again on Monday but had
to go away before twelve that night
By the
time you get this note I ought to be
on my way back again. I wish
have better luck this time and stand
a while longer
I have not heard anything of
Les or Jim and do not know where
they are
I will close now from your
loving son
George
 

Epsom
Surrey
3/8/15
Dear Mother
I think I have missed
this weeks mail but I will write
it now & it will most likely
go on Thursday.
A lot of Australian
mail was delivered in the
Camp but I did not get
a single letter so I do not
know how the old place is
getting on. This is a lovely
country for rain for it has
not stopped for two days now
There was a carnival held
in the Hospital grounds on
Aug. 2^nd & would have been a
good turn out only for the
rain. The Australians carried
off most of the prizes taking
three quarters. I have had both
sides of my face swollen up
since I had some teeth out
The ones that Newmann put
the emery wheel on. The tops