Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1917 - Part 12

chaps trying to get away from the forward
area for it is not all milk & honey when
the snow is inches deep & every thing frozen
hard but by all accounts this war will
not last much longer( thats if you can take
any notice of the rumours going about & some
of them started by the German prisoners
themselves) This last week has made a
vast difference in the line for the enemy
have received a mighty heavy push &
very effective too and our boys have put
up the grandest of fights beating all the
celebrated German divisions hands down
but they have paid for it heavily especially
when the objective is some very important   
ridges or knoll and at these places
the fighting is hand to hand & the best & coilled coolest
man always comes out on top.
Fritz has been giving England a rouse
up with bombs & behind the lines too
but the damage he does is very slight for
the bombs are dropped haphazard
He will quickly drop all his load of
bombs and away if he gets caught in
our search lights for it dazzles him & 

gives our air gunners a good object to shoot
at.-
I am sorry to hear that poor Nell had to be
shot for she was a very good horse & will
have to be replaced.
I have heard no word about Jim &
cannot find out anything more nor
can Les the last time I saw him
Well I have nothing more to say so Goodbye
for this time hoping  you are all well &
that we are all home before long
I am
Your Loving Brother
George. 

Belgium
Sunday 14 - 1917
All at home
I have received no letters
from you by this mail nor
have I heard from Les but
today I found out where he
is camped & I am going to look
him up but when I get time
at night and issue rations
have tea it is pitch dark.
so have not much chance
of going anywhere & for the
last week it has been
nothing but rain & cold winds
proper winter weather setting 
in fairly early.
I met Harry Billy a few days
ago. He was off into the line 

with his Battalion He is the
only local chap I have see for
a long time
there is a lot of paper talk
about the war finishing this
year well some of those
writers ought to be out here
for a few days & they would
soon change their tune for
when men have to live in
mud & water up to their
knees for a few days & have
all the iron foundries of
Germany thrown at you
it past a joke the things
they write & they say we
are winning we may be by
a small margin but I say 
God have mercy on the other
side if they are loosing 

The planes have been given England
another turn but it will not be
much longer for the weather will
be against them but then they
turn their vengance loose on
those nearer from where they
can do two trips in the night &
sometimes in the day.
I have found no more trace of
poor Jim though I have asked
men out of t his company. They
know no more than you told me
I have not much to say so will
stop short Hoping you are all
well
I am
Your loving Brother
George. 

France
29-10-17
All at home
The cold weather has set in
properly now rain mud wind & plenty of
severe frosts. This mornings the crowner
so far
I have not seen or heard from Les since
l came back from Leave but a lot
of the Light Horse are getting split up
and being put into the infantry, very
hard on them I think but we are
needing men f to reinforce the battalion
very badly for the old battalion went
into the line this time two hundred
and fifty strong instead of over a thousand.
They cannot get enough men
to keep them up to fighting strength
I have gone back to the old battalion
again for I got tired of (Salvage Corps) doing nothing
In fact I got disgusted with my self

I have received no letters from you for
a few weeks but I think an some
mail arrived at the Brigade Post Office
today so I hope for news by it; for letters
are the only ties one has out here
just in civilization & thats. all
The day I found the battalion up I had
to go into the line & altogether the
unit stayed there eight days but two
of them were the worst days I put
in since being in France, for between
bombardments day & night rain
mud shells & cold, it was enough
to kill a man. Another chap & I
sat for two days in a shell hole of
water on an outpost with a blanket
over the top to try to keep out the
rain & a fallen tree in front to
crouch close to where the shells
came too close. My feet were
absolutely frozen for I stood or sat
in water for about forty hours & 

3
frosty weather too. While in the front line
we had nine bombardments and some
very severe ones but out of our company
only one man was slightly wounded. A
marvellous feat. Nothing like the first go
hardly any one left. That was when
the battalion made the twelve thousand
yards advance & held it all the
ground they took. They advanced through
swamps knee deep in mud & full
of shell holes & a mass of broken
barbed wire.
My hand is that so cold that I can
hardly hold the pen for it is
freezing now goodness knows what
it will be like before the morning
and I have to be out early too.
I met Archie Franklin today I did
not know him but he knew me.
Jack Elliott is still going strong so
is Stan Bosley He is a Sargeant-Major 

Alls being well I will write again in a few
days after the mail has been given out so
I will close this short one hoping you are
all well & that we are spared to meet
again ere long God be with poor Jim
where ever he is
Your Loving Son.
George. 

France
31-10-17
Dear Het 
I received your ever welcome
letters today with four more from
home & one from Neil Marchant 
It was up to me to receive some
for it was some weeks since I had
any but now I am back in the
battalion again I ought to get them
regularly.
I have not seen or heard from Les
since I came back from England
He cannot be receiving my letters
In one of the letters from home I
got t the snapshots that you took
about home I would not have
know Lot by the photo - but Flower
& Lofty are the same know
them any where.
Christmas will be very close by
the time you receive this. Alls