Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1917 - Part 2

France
29/1/17
All at home      
Again I try & write some
news but things are just about
the same but Fritz is getting too
active for my liking for in one
night he hopped over in
fifteen different places but was

repulsed though in some places
he came at our side three
times, but around Geoudcourt
the fourth brigade went over
& took three lines of trenches
and a few hundred prisoners
but they suffered severely I was
not with them for I am

now in the fourth divisional
Salvage corps so for a time I
shall be away from the line
and missing all the stunts
It has been extremely cold
for the last week but

Wednesday topped the score
for in Albert it was eleven
degrees below zero & a cold

wind blowing so you can
see it is not like the
weather you will be having
now. All the ponds & any

thing that will freeze is frozen
even to the bread which

we have to saw for you

cannot cut it
It has been some snowing

all day & before long it will

be frozen
I have had no mail for
some time nor have not heard
from Les or Jim
I never received the hamper
from Griffiths Bros but
it may have gone done in

the Arabia

I have run out of any thing

to say so Au Revoir hoping
you are all well as I am
from your Loving Brother
now
From your loving Brother

& Son

George

France
15/2/17
Dear Lena
I received your ever welcome letter
a few days ago and last Sunday I got
the parcel that was sent from home
& the things in it came in very handy
especially at this time when one cannot
buy any thing
I have traced Jim to when he was
discharged from hospital just before
Christmas but from then I have not
found any trace nor have I of
Les either but I hope that you
hear from them more often than
I do
The cold is very intense of late &
combined with the cold wind &
the frosts it is a wonder any
one is alive for the French
people say that it was the coldest
winter for many years for in
the area where I am now the
thermometer went below freezing
point for two days & there was 

a water fall & that too frooze over
I have had a lovely cold for
many weeks & cannot get
rid of it
Our artillery never gives the
enemy any peace for they keep
nagging at them all day long
& nearly every night we have
a raid or af a pop over
I have left the battalion &
gone into the 4^th Divisional
Salvage Coy but it is not
a much better job
I hope you have a good
holiday
I have nothing more to say
So Au Revoir
from your loving brother
George

Bess would you send these
letters back to me because
Mum has not read them
yet. I found Jim's so it
is here too. We have not
heard any thing further
from the front yet
Love
Lena
 

France
17/2/16
Dear Bess
I received your ever welcome
letter with a few more from
home You said or those at home
said that you had changed
your address so I will address
it to the School It will find
you I hope
You must be getting tired
of the old School for you
have been there a fair length

of time
Do you ever hear from Les or
Jim I have written to them
again & again but cannot
find any trace of them &
my letters are never returned
to me
There are wild rumours that
the war will be over by
August so lets' hope it will
 

for I have had my innings of
it & will not be the least

sorry to give up my job
I have a brute of a cold but
now that the worst of the
cold weather is past I
may be able to get rid of
it. All the ice & snow is
beginning to thaw & it is
nothing but mud like the
old Mallee stuff
I have left the Battalion &
gone with the 4^th Divisional
Salvage Coy & it is not

a bad job either
I have nothing more to
say so Au Revoir Bess
From your loving
Brother George.
 

France
25/2/17
All at home
I received no letters from
the last mail but it is rumoured
that three mail boats from

Aust have been sunk so we
will have to go without mail
for some time.
I had a letter from Les while
he was on leave in England
the first for a long time
but I cannot find Jim but
his Batt. has just gone
into the line so I may
strike him when he comes
out again
The cold weather has broken
at last and all the snow
has gone but with the fogs
& sleety rain has made
the place into a quagmire
I met Harry Bilby out
 

of Craigs shop & also Tom
Callaway They were both well
& going strong I did not know
about Len Twyford & Norm
Stevens being killed
There is a strong rumour going
about today about the Germans
evacuating to a depth of a
dou dozen miles over a terrible
long front but there cannot
be too much in it for a
few shells are going over
our heads tonight but
they may be his thirty
mile range Guns
I saw Major Woollard leading
his men out for a rest I did

not have a chance of speaking
to him

This is Sunday night & a
little of over twenty six
months since I left & I
have had a very good
run during that time