Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1916 - Part 2

Abbey Wood

Kent 20/1/16

I received a couple of letters from you

this week also one from each of Allen Mercer

& Ray Marchant. I got a card from Eva Wyatt

of the Police Station.

A Gunn wrote to me and told me that he

received the money alright and that it will

help him along very well in these hard

times. He says there is hardly any work to

be had and it is two wet to do any thing

out of doors.

One of the letters I got from you was dated

April 2 (Last Good Friday) so it took

a long time to find me.

I wrote a letter to Bess but she doesn't

seem to receive them.

Hughie Cameron said he received a letter

from Lena and he said he had answered

it right away.

I hear the fourth Brigade face going into

the desert in Egypt so that will

2

not be too bad for the spring. I am in the

draft to go back but the doctor will not pass

me on account of my right eye for the

sight is far from being good for I had my

jaw bone cracked and it effected my eye.

We have a fairly easy time here now,

between leave & football matches.

I have only heard once from Les since

he left the Peninsula.

I have nothing else to say now

So I will say Goodbye

From your loving Son & Brother

George

Abbey Wood

Kent  8/2/16

All at Home

I have been waiting for a letter from

you and one came this morning also a

parcel with a pair of socks in it and

four Warrack papers which I read &

passed on to Hughie Cameron.

I had a letter from Allen Mercer but it

was very old.

The last letter I got from Les was

dated Jan 24, and he was then

in Heliopolis & was quite well

but had to knuckle down to 

hard training again. He was complaining
about the cold for it he

said it was below zero for

days but it has never been so

cold here.

When I was called up to go back

with the draft to Egypt the doctor

would not pass me on account

of my eye & ear so I have been put

in the temporally unfit class to come

up again in fourteen days for another

examination

The High Commissioner & General Les

Newton Moore came to this camp

to inspect the troops. They gave us

a good lecture first then we

had a march past & then

another speech & then dismissed.

The work in this camp gets

very monotonous.

A lot of our chaps all dying in

London for hardly a day goes by

without there being a military

funeral.

I am writing to Les straight away

so I will close.

From you loving Son

& Brother

George

Abbey Wood

Kent  8/3/16

Dear Lena

I received your ever welcome

letter a few days ago and an writing

to you though I also wrote home

I have not heard from him

since a letter dated February 5^th

so do not know he is progressing

I am doing guard tonight. It

is the first guard that I have

done since I left Egypt and

I have nearly forgot all the

rules of it. It is the most ragtime

kind of a guard that was

ever given sentry duties. It is

made up of all the different

units of the colonial forces & half

of them never did a guard in

their lives, but we all ploughing
along somehow.

The cold weather is playing

up with my chest for I am

never without a cold, and the

snow seems to blind me but it

is great fun snowballing that is

if all take it in good part.

There is a rumour of the 1^st & 2^nd

divisions being brought here but

I do not think there is any

truth in it for the one that

are here have not played the

game too well and we are

getting a bad name like the 

Canadians.

I have not much to say this

time so will close

From your loving

Brother

George

Abbey Wood

Kent 18/2/16

All at home

I have just received a letter from Dad

and another one from Lena. I heard from Les

about a week ago. He was complaining of

the hard training that he had to do.

The Officers of the 14^th Batt gave all men of the

14^th a Military Ball.  She Some came from

Weymouth to it & I hear that it was a 

great success. I did not go for in the

morning I had four more sl teeth out

and have to get another plate made.

On Australia Day we had a good day of

sports and on Monday next there is

to be another sports day. There are to be

all kinds of races.

On Feb 16 1200 Anzac's paraded through

the streets of London and then to

St. Margaret's Church in Westminster

Abbey. It was a memorial service to

all the colonial troops who fell

in Gallipoli I went to the pictures 

a couple of night - following & saw

the procession.  They did look grand.

Alex Macintosh of Ellam came from

Weymouth to this camp & came &

saw me. He does look well & weighs

13 stone while I weight 12½  not

too bad for me.

The mail closes tonight so I will

have to hurry to catch the post

I have just written to Les

This is all this time

From your loving son &

Brother George.

 

Abbey Wood

Kent  

21/2/16

Dear Lena

I received your ever welcome

letter the beginning of the

month.  It did not take long

to find me this time for it found

me within forty six days.

Sports were held in this camp

today between the Colonial

& English soldiers and our

chaps held their end up very

well for they won most of

the principal events

One chap who competeded in

the two miles walking race

was taken ill and taken to the

hospital and he has since died.

It is said that he strained

his heart and there is to be an

inquest into the matter.

I am writing to Bess & to all

the little boys who are writing

to me. I hear fairly often from

Alex Gunn and his three

children are getting on very

well.

I will tell Bess all the news

So I will close.

From your loving Brother

George.