Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1915 - Part 11

Epsom

Surrey 26/9/15.
All at home

I do not know where

my letters are going for I have 

had none for a long time.

The last one I got was the one 

that Alex Gunns letter in it 

and that as a long while ago.

I do not know when I will

be getting any more for I am 

shifting my quarters to Weymouth

so that is the last stage before 

leaving England I cannot 

growl for I have had a long 

run of being away from the 

firing line for two days fighting. 
It will be getting very

cold by the time I get back

and you cannot go about 

here without a coat for the 

cold days have set in & it 

rains nearly every day now

I am losing weight instead of 

putting it on. Never eat more 

than one meal a day & not 

2

much then.

When coming to this 

camp I kit bag& was placed in 

the store room, and when I 

came to draw it, it could 

not be found anywhere.

In it were three changes of 

underclothing and an English

uniform and a lot of little 

things that I have since I 

left Egypt. They are going to

issue me with a new kit

Do you ever hear anything 

about Les. I have seen Murray’s 

in his regiment being killed

and wounded but none of 

them were him.

I had a Post Card

from his mates sister

telling me that her brother 

had been severely wounded 

& shortly following that she got 

a letter saying he was worse.

Before she got away to see, she 

received a telegram saying 

that he had died. He died in

3

a Military hospital at Devonport.

There is a chap in the same ward as 

me who knows Les quite well. They

were in the same troop. 
He said Les

was alright when he left but you do 

not know how long you are safe

when in that inferno in Gallipoli. 

I will have to close if this letter

is to catch the mail

I am as well as can be expected 

I am

Your loving brother & son 

George

Epsom

Surrey

1/10/15.
Dear Bess
I got your letter dated 8th August

on the last day in September it was 

the first I received from you 

since leaving Egypt. I never got 

a letter from home by the last 

mail, but I suppose there is some

about for me.

I have been a long 

time in England. Much longer

than I ever thought I would be.

I do not want to stop here

much longer for it is getting

very cold. We had the first 

frost for the year this morning.

I got a new plate of teeth

and they do not fit at all

they are suction and they make 

your jaws ache

There was a 

pillow fight the other night & 

I got my right thumb sprained 

and it is agony for me to write

You never said if Jim has joined 

yet and the last letter I got 

from home they said he had 

been rejected. I had a letter from 

Les a while ago. He was well

then but you do not know 

how long you are safe for 

when you are in the firing

line.

I had a letter from

A. McIntosh of Rainbow He

was one of my mates &

came over to England 

on the same boat as I 

did. He is at the base at 

Weymouth now.

A terrible 

lot of Australian people

come out to see us in the 

camps & hospitals & they

treat us very well. Give 

us anything we like to ask 

for.

I had a letter from Alex 

Gunn & he told me all

about his troubles & said

3

he would like me to go to see

him before leaving England as he

cannot get down. I do not see 

any chance of ever getting up 

that way.

I am feeling pretty well now

& will be at the base in a few 

days now.

I will now close from your ever

loving brother

George

Goodbye till we meet again

Peel House 
Westminster

London 

10/10/15
All at home

I have finished my furlough but I am

put off from day to day and they will give me

no definite idea with what they are going to

do with me. I report one morning and then 

I get a pass for to report next day. That 

is how I am being humbugged about;

but in the spare time I have a good 

chance of seeing the noted places in 

London. I haven been to the House of 

Parliament Westminster Abbey (old & new)

Art Gallery Museum Zoo any and  many

more places of interest. I can find my 

way about as easily as if I was living 

here all my life, but the streets do not 

run parallel to each other. They branch 

off at any angle and you have to watch

yourself or you can get lost very easily

but you can easily be put right by the 

police for they are a very obliging body of 

 2

men. They are big fellows all well over

six feet.

On Tuesday (9th) was what is called 

the Lord Mayors Show, It started about 

ten and finished about four. It was 

composed of 86 different regiments of 

soldiers and with about sixty bands

so you can guess it was a fine 

night. It would have been a grand 

turnout only for the rain for it never

stopped from the beginning till the end.

About 850 Australians & about as many

N. Zealanders were brought up from 

Weymouth for it. There was only one 

regiment that looked as well & 

marched & behaved better than

them(the London Scottish) the 

Light Horse were mounted on 

the yeomanry horses and they were

a picture to watch but they were

wet through & through.

I met Jack Cartwell in London

3

This is a good place to stop. It is only 

for soldiers & sailors. You are well 

looked after and plenty of good clean

food.

By the time you get this letter it will

be Christmas. Another one from home.

The last one on the water and this 

one more likely will be in Hospital.

It will be over twelve months since

I left Australia's shores but the time 

has flown for it seems no time 

at all but I am getting a bit 

discontented now, and would 

like to be out of the army and home 

once more but it may not be 

long now well lets hope so.

I have no more news so I will say 

goodbye and wish you all a merry 

Xmas & a Happy New Year and may I see

you all again before long

I am your loving son & brother

George

Do you ever hear anything about Les

Epsom

Surrey 15/10/15.
Dear Dad,

I have not received any

letters from you for over a 

month; but I have been told

that a lot of my letters are 

on the peninsula, so I can

say goodbye to them.

We have been told that the 

first four brigades have 

been relieved for the winter

and that they are going to 

do garrison duties.

When the 

Zeppelins came over London

at the beginning of this 

month it was a lovely

sight to watch the anti

air craft guns shells exploding

against the dark

clouds. When the search lights 

played on the Zepp's it showed 

them up lovely they looked 

like a very large silver cigar