Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1917 - Part 5

nothing from Jim
Many people (that is the soldiers) are
of opinion that the war will be
over within a few weeks. It seems
like it for the Allies are continually
taking big hauls of prisoners & material
& by the stamp of the Germans that
I have seen, one of ours is every
time equal to three of them; for
they seem to be half dead
stupefied some say by our
continual bombardment, and it
is xx no wonder that our chaps
can break through the celebrated
Hindenburg line with such easiness
when it is manned by such
men, the only thing that one 
when it is manned by such
men, the only thing that one
is afraid of, is their numerous
machine guns for they have one
to about every thirty men

& when they can fire upwards 600
rounds in a minute it is well
to be out of their road. Their heavy
Artillery is not much for when
we give it a bit extra, they become
very erratic in their firing, landing
them very often in & behind
their own trenches then up goes
their distress signals & their
fire ceases.
I am writing this before I go to
work for the mail closes tomorrow
so I will ring off.
From your loving brother & Son
George. 

France
4-5-17
Dear Bess
I got a letter from
you by the last mail & 
glad to see ^by it that you are well
& back kid whacking again
With yours I got four
from home & one from P.
Kinghorn
What do you think of it
due to take a school of
her own I bet she wont
like it too well. 
What gave you a fright
when you went to have

your photo taken for you seem
very much scared.
I have just written home
so I will have to cut
you short this time No
word from Jim or Les.
Your loving Brother
George. 

France
4-5-17
All at home
Received three letters from you
by last mail also one from Willie
Kinghorn telling me about Rod.
MacKenzie's Death also that Jim
had been wounded but I do
not know where he got it
from for you never said
any thing about it, nor Les
either
We are having right royal
weather sunshine all day long
but the nights are a bit on
the cold side very much th
like the Egyptain weather 

There is some talk about 
the oversea troops not getting
any mail from Australia for
ten weeks, so we poor chaps
will have to wait close one
four months for a letter
from home but all may
be over by that time
for things are going ahead
for by tonights paper the
British took 20 000 prisoners
within the last months
I am going to write to
Headquarters to find out
about Jim & if he is
wounded what Hospital 

he is in
All the other chaps in the hut are
in bed so I will ring off
Hoping you are all well
From your loving Brother
& Son George.
The photo is a good one
but Bess must have
had a fright just
before it was taken 

France
2-6-17
All at home
By last mail I received
four letters also one from Gilmour
Naismith. I was very glad to hear
that Grandma was about well again
I was with Les last Sunday but
have not seen him since but I
was told that his unit had
gone up to the line so it may be
some time before I see him again
I am in fairly quiet place
now only an occasional shot
but plenty of air shooting & some
very pretty work too
Lena as now top dog in the
hospital now & I can just
imagine her ordering the others
about I never thought she
would stick it like she did
It is lovely warm weather 

2
Hawthorn hedges all in bloom
also fruit trees but the best is
the green fields & trees after
what it was on the old
battlefield where one would
never see a live tree in a
day's walk for they were all
simply blasted out of the earth.
I have done nothing for the
last three weeks but it is a
spell well earned for it is the
first time I have had off since
I came to France which is
twelve months ago & during
that time I have seen some
awful sights, men with you
simply blown into pieces
& you a few feet away
come out unhurt
What do you think of the casualty
lists (that are appearing for from
week to week at the rates
they are going there will be 

no Australians to be taken
home
Tell me all you hear about
Jim for I have done my
utmost to find out about
him
I am quite well From your
loving brother
George
You ought to receive a
parcel about the
time you get this