Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1915 - Part 7

were broken through before I

left Egypt & went too far to

be of any good so had to

have them out.  I do not seem

to get any more strength

back into my leg and the

sole of my foot will always

be xxxxx nerveless.  Some of the

chaps that joined the 1st Rifles

with me have stood up through

the battle so far and have

been promoted and some of

them have got commissions

bad luck on my part for

not standing it for a while

longer but I may have a 

chance yet.  Tomorrow xxx

England will be twelve

months in War.  It seems

no time since it was begun

I thought I would be on my

way back to Gallipoli by

the beginning of August but

 

2.

there seems to be no hurry in

sending us back.  I suppose they

have plenty to keep pushing things

along, for many men are leaving

here every week for the Peninsula.

I have heard nothing of Les or

Jim.  Les's mate wrote to his

sister in Chester in Wales &

she wrote to me saying he was

still in Egypt.  He wrote once

to me & I wore straight back

but did not get any answer

so I thought he had shifted.

I am mess orderly today & it

is time for tea & I have to get

it ready so I will now close

I remain

Your loving son

George

 

I sent 5 badges home.  You ought 

to receive them before this note.

 

 

Epson

Surrey

7/8/15

Dear Het.

I received your letter dated

Sunday 27 June.  The first Australian

letter I got since the first week

in April, so there must be a

large number waiting some

where for me.  You said Les was

complaining that I did not

write to him I think the

boot is on the other foot for I

wrote three times & never got

an answer.  I heard through an

indirect way that Les has left

Egypt at last. His chum wrote

to his sister in Chester

in Wales & she wrote to me

& told me.  Les sent me her

address & I went there for a

few days when I was on furlough

It never seems to stop rain

ing in this place. You cannot

go anywhere without an

overcoat & they are such big heavy

things to carry.  I hear that Bert

Glasson has got a commission

but do not know if it is true

but good luck to him if it

is so.

Alex McIntosh from

Ellam is at Weymouth. He

wrote to me this morning & 

said it was a good place

to keep away from.

Our Battal 

was the first one from Aust.

to win the V.C.  Poor Chap

did not run very long after

getting it.  He got hit next

day.

Major Rankin is recommended

for a D.C.M. for leading a

charge, that never took place

for he never left his dug

out on the night 27 April when

the charge was supposed to have

taken place.  Did you ever

receive any of the things that

3.

I sent from Egypt.

I sent some of

our Rising Sun Badges home a

few days ago.

I do not know 

how long I will be here but

am in no hurry to leave

as it is a second home

to us.

I wrote to Les before I

wrote this one.

The mail is

cleared in about 20 minutes &

I have to walk about a quarter 

of a mile to the P.O. so I

will ring off.  Remember me to

all

I remain

your loving brother

George.

 

 

Y.M.C.A.

August 9 / 1915

 

Dear Bess,

I have received no letter from you since last March

but I had one from home last week.  It was

dated 27 June so it did not take long to

reach me in Surrey.  I have shifted my quarters

since I wrote to you before.  I had to get some teeth

out and they were taken out so badly that an

absess formed behind my left ear.  That went away

& then the glands of my throat became swollen

& I was packed off to the hospital again

I have been here five days & likely to be

a while longer.

Les has left Egypt for Gallipoli

at last.  I heard of it by an indirect way.

His chum, wrote to his sister in Wales, and

she wrote & told me about it.

Alex McIntosh

from Rainbow is at the Depot at Weymouth

 

 

He writes to me fairly regularly.  He says it is a 

good place to keep away from &  I am going

to try to get there just before the boat sails

& then I will have no drill to do.  Jack

Stewart from Aubrey is the only Warrack chap

here.

I do not know if I told you that I sent a

few Australian badges made into brooches home

a week or so ago. There is one for you if they

every reach Aust.

Today has been lovely but most

likely tomorrow you cannot go out without

an overcoat for you cannot trust the

weather.  I thought I would be back into

the firing line before now but I will not

be back before September if alls well & most

of the heavy fighting may be over which I

hope will be the case.

 

 

3.

I was not home for last Christmas & do

not see much chance of this one

either.

I have made a lot of friends wherever

I have been and that is the only past time

I have is answering their letters.

I hear that

Gert Glasson has got a commission so he

must have stuck through the fighting yet.

Many of the NCO's have received comm.

There was not a Nom com left in our

Platoon within two had days after we

landed & then the officer was bowled over.

It is near feed up time so I will ring

off.  Hoping you are well & not for

flogging the kids too much.

I remain

Your loving Brother

George

 

Copl. Y. Murray

 

Epsom

Surrey 

19/8/15

 

All at home

I have received no more

letters since the one dated June

27th.  Many of the chaps around

me are getting their Australian

mail regularly so mine must

be lying in Egypt.

I got the

Warracknabeal Herald that

you sent and when I read

it and passed it onto

Jack Stewart from Albury.

I have been discharged from

the hospital but I do not

feel much better and I

cannot swallow anything

hard.  I think it must have 

started from the teeth I

 

2.

had out.  The teeth that the

band of my plate goes round

have decayed away.  I have

to get them out and

have a new plate but

I do not like the idea, for

the dentist is a brute at

pulling teeth.

I do not

know when I will be

going back but there

seems to be a big move

afoot among the conval-

scents for they are getting

sent to the base as soon

as they are ready.

Our

Brigadier who was rumoured

 of having turned