Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1917 - Part 3

Well I have nothing more
I can say so I will close
from your loving
Brother & Son
George

France
12/3/17
All at home    
I received four letters from home
by last mail and one from Les & one
from Linda March & she asked me to
try and find one of their friends
who has been missing for some time
but there is little hope for anyone
who has been missing for some time.
I thought Cyril March would have
joined by now but she said that
he had not.
Les did not say much ^in his letter. Nothing about
his trip to England or what he is doing
No news of Jim so far but that
address in the letter that was returned
was sufficient to find the camp but
where I saw him last just before
he went into isolation which is a
long time ago
We are in to the third month of the
year & no termination of the war

in sight those ^though the enemy have evacuated
a terrible lot these last few weeks & are
still being driven forcibly back but on the
whole very few prisoners are taken for it
seems he is holding the line very
thin & for hours at a time you never
hear a gun fire but still we go on
mostly by silent work which is far
more nerve raking to the enemy
For the last week or so it has
been a fair bit cold with cold winds
one day in particular for it froze the
water to two inches deep. There have
been two falls of snow this month
but they have laid no time but it
is always great sport when it is
about.
There seems to have been some stife
about the Conscription but on the
whole I think it was for the
best that it was not passed for
any one over here who has been
through it never wishes to bring
another to front if he can help it
to put up with the hardships of

this life for it is not all that can be
desired but a terrible lot of us will be lost
for a soft job when all this trouble
is over for they never have had such
a paying job in all their lives
I will look up Jim Hughes when I 
get a chance
I could not make out why Kit wrote
from Ararat & she never said why
she were there
Well I have nothing more to say
So Au Revoir
From your loving Son & Brother
George

France
18/3/17
All at home
I received two letters by
the last Australian mail & also a
letter from Alex Gunn & he said
he had heard from Les & you
by but since I last wrote I
have had no word from either
Jim or Les
I have just been getting along
the same and there is very
little to interest any one especially
her it is an every day occurance 

but the fall of Bagdad &
Baphume livened things up a bit.

The cold weather has about run
it's course for now there is
plenty of sunshine but it rains
very often
You ought to have received by
now the money I sent along
When I get word of it arriving I
will send some more for it as
better for you to have it than
me to draw it & spend it for
it will come in handy after
all this strife is over.
Long before you receive this
you will have heard about
the Revolution in Russia &
there are wild rumours going
about that the Czar has been
dethroned & the Army has joined
the people in the revolt. If it
is all true things will not be
too nice looking for us.
I wrote to Jim & looked for
him in B Coy for that is
the Coy that he said he 

would be in. The battalion is
not far away so I will try again
I have not heard from Les since
he returned from Leave to England
Well I have nothing more to say.
Hoping you are all well
From your loving son &
Brother
George

France
28/3/17
All at home
No mail has arrived for
some time but it is expected every
day now
Well the war is still going on much
like of old, only that we are moving
all along the line for every day
news reaches us (sometimes rumours
of another advance & capture of
prisoners or the fall of some large
town as it has been today. We
One can expect something happening
after the roar of the guns for
the past twenty four hours
to say nothing of the usual
canonade & at times you would
think that the noise could
not be intensified but in at a
given time more & more guns

begin to bark & throw their
deadly missiles till it is impossible
for any one to hear another speak
& man has to sit under that &
endure it till it is time for him
to go over the top, but worst
of all the barrages is when
it is flying at you, or both
sides are having all their guns
speaking. That's the time you
are waiting for the shots or
shells to come & throw you
out of the trench or shell hole
that you are in, clinging on
huddling to the g stray blast
wall & nearest the enemy &
escape this terrible schrapnel
This is bad & does a lot of harm
but nothing compared with ours
for it must be absolutely
perfect hell for any man to be
under it no wonder th our
men have found the Germans

chained to their posts & to their
guns. The Austn have done some
splendid work in this front since
last November for they are continuously
day after day gaining ground but
it has to be paid for & dearly
at times
I have not heard from Les or Jim
for ages now I wrote to both a
couple of nights ago
I am well only my left hand
is a bit on the poisoned side
but I am absolutely sick of this
life & the sooner it all ends
the better for one & all
Nothing more this time
With fondest love
From your son
George