Letters from Keith Shadforth Dowling to his mother, 1918

[*37865. Gr K. Dowling. 107K AFA. AIF*]
Sept 29 30th 1918
Dearest Mother -

I'm sorry it has to
be another pencil scribble this
time but it's a case of "c'est la
Guerre", & no fault of mine. If
you could see the hole I'm scribbling
in you'd understand! We blew in
here yesterday just on nightfall, &
by the time the horses were picketed
& fed. & all snug it was dark; I
had already got my eye on a
tiny kind of trench about 8 ft long
& usual width - good enough for one
passenger; I thought P & I could possibly
squeeze in, & so we set to
work, got some more or less punctured
tin sheets & made a roof; it was
raining & so we widened the lower
part so that we can just squeeze
in by lying on our sides. Is good
& warm anyhow, & also rainproof,
we had a glorious night's sleep 

after having been without any the
previous night; we came along
for another stunt the evening before
& by some mischance got separated
from the main body, whom we didn't
find till about 2.30 a.m - 6 hours
in the saddle & mighty cold too.
"Slept" under a wagon, but it was
too cold wrapped in my saddle blanket,
& spent most of the time stamping about.
There was a frost on the grass in the
morning - the first of the winter.
The stunt started at daylight & we
were of course up well before then.
I saw Bruce the night before we
left - he had been left behind to
in augurate the tanks who were
taking over from his lot, who have
gone for a "spell" - bad luck for him
in a way, as he is kept hard at
it; looks very well though. He
told me it is Brian who is
missing, as I had thought. 

3.

I had a parcel from Ab Line again the
other night - a regular box Fortman &
Mason, these big store people, put up
all tinned stuff, & very good too - One
thing that seemed a little out of place
was a tin of Turtle soup, the directions
being to "bring to a boil & flavour
with Madiera to taste", the Canteen
doesn't run to Madiera - only
cigarettes these days.
I lost Amie's Knife pouch again
yesterday in the bustle of pulling out
from where the battery had been all
day, at a moments notice. Hunted
every where for it; & had given it up
when a chap who had picked it
up came along with it, - so you
see it has had one or two escapes.
My feet are like ice - think I'll
turn in now. Feeling OK, & only
hope we get a full night "in"
Your loving Son
Keith
Shall write properly soon as poss. 

54
France
Monday: Nov 11th
Dearest Mother -
Another week has gone
by, wonderful to relate, tho' its hard to
believe in a way; things have been
pretty much as usual during the week
since we came to a pause here, tho' the
weather varies; bitterly cold at first after
the rain, then yesterday a heavy frost
followed by a most beautiful day, calm
& sunny; today is the opposite, dull,
cold wind, & looks like snow to come.
Last night for 24 hours I had the doubtful
honour of being one of the guard
at the prisoners of war cage, and here
I am still, writing in the guard room,
an ex Fritz dug out of very solid make,
where his officers on the ammunition
dump he used to have here, used to
reside. It is a tunnel well underground,
walled with elephant iron (a kind of
glorified corrugated stuff, very heavy)
with a duck board floor, 5 wire bunks,
a stove, and beaucoup Hun chats!
It was perishing cold on guard, 6
hours out of the night portion, but
its not so had now its day light
There's some chance of writing, though
the candle supply is very low; last
evening just as we were leaving our
[*# 37865: K Dowling (Gnr) 107K AFA AIF*]

2

billets I had a great haul - three letters
from you from C/o Aunt Cis, dated
30 Aug. 6 Sept & 16th Sept - the two latter,
addressed to me privately, came thro'
very well you see, and there are very
few of such a recent date t here at
all as yet; it is undoubtedly the best
way for letters. Also got one from
Father dated 6 Sept, & one from Bruce
who was back from Paris leave, & had
sent off the cable he spoke of beforehand
saying we were well - you should
have it by now.
I was sorry to hear of Bill Laidley's death
I had no idea at all, tho' it was so long
ago; Eric Doddy was speaking of him
when I saw him 6 weeks ago, & he didn't
seem to know either, then. I hope Mrs
Connor is better by now; funny I
haven't heard from Murray, tho' I've
written to him, twice now. I
wonder, tho doubt it whether Jack Maitland
will ever leave- the siege batteries
don't seem to get away so 'toute de
Suite' - he's very lucky to get into
the heavies, I suppose influence did it.
So Chas. Marsh has left at last -
I wonder if he'll ever see any of
the scrapping! Yes, you're quite

right in your guess re Mt St Quentin

3.

very good of 'Lon' Quigley to send the
chocolate - I hope it duly arrives; they're
very kind folk, aren't they?
It must have been nice for you to have
that chap named Dunn to explain all
the snaps of old Eric's - what a lot of
Chaps knew him, and how well
they are speak of him! I don't think
many average Australians would spare
themselves the trouble to go and look
up people they don't know, but who
belong to an old mate, unless they thought
much more than usually well of him.
I'm glad you liked the fox furs dyed -
it was a suggestion of Seraph's, who
knew how you treasured them, and
we have arranged all about the
damage; we're fixing that up when
I get back- quite soon now!
I am so sorry the little souvenirs
from Abbeville hadn't arrived - I hope
to hear they have done so soon, next time
p'raps. When old. B wrote you
regarding his Blighty leave was about
the time I saw him at Fouilloy, or
rather just before then, and I know
he was exceptionally rushed just
then, which would account for
his perhaps somewhat meagre
details of his spells: he went off 

4
with a brother Ossiper, & I suppose
that was responsible for his not
seeing all the relations &c he otherwise
might have; I have had a
slight experience of the difficulties
of cramming in as many visits as
possible into a short time myself,
& truly it took engineering; my
only plan was to cut loose from
my pals a bit, for such visits as
I could work in.
I can't make Aunt Celia out, but
then nor can you, so we won't
discuss her; its tough tho' when she
comes to running boarding bills like
that.
Yes, I saw Bruce's photo's & liked
the top boots best I think; not
very like him in a way, are they.
He looks too peaked, & when I saw
him last he was awfully well.
Fancy, little Bertie is entitled
to wear two chevrons now; still
two won't be much to skite about
worse luck - a foursome like old
Bruce's and Eric's would put
it right out of the running still
I'm satisfied I've seen as much
of la Guerre as a good many
"Anzacs" who came back from 

5

the Gallipoli stoush for the good of their
health; there's a great consolation in 
knowing that our Brigade, and 'our'
battery in particular of the Bde, is
looked up to as being one of the most
efficient batteries of the Aust. Corps,
and for genuine work, - perhaps not
for ""spit & polish", - but for being
there, well up in front, and up to
time, it has a great name. The
other batteries envy us our dinkum
officers too.!
By JOVE!!! Crikey!!!
What shall I say? We've just had
a breathless bombardier of the guard
rush into the dug out fall over the
bed at the end, & shout out some
glorious news - can't repeat it, as
it's strictly against orders to mention
the subject (or I could have filled
a book with the past two weeks'
entertaining furfies) but you just
note the date! Only hope this
is dinkum, as he swears it is!
What a Godsent Xmas box for
the world! There's surely something
in it though. Funny how
calmly they all take it though, considering
the tremendous thing

it is - there are four of us here 

6
3 reading & self writing; we're
all off again - the x magazines couldn't
wait, nor could my letter, & it
might just have been the news
that it is raining or something
that we've got. They're not an
expressive Crowd, these Aussies,
I fear me.
Well, I must cease for lack of
news for the old reason - can't tell
you of it, & also the candles'

futtering; must wait till our
rations come, with more light.
I 'souvenired' a splendid Jaeger
wool cap, one that they issue to the
Royal Horse Art'y, being crack gentlemen,
the other day; I'm going to
bring it home with me, its a splendid
thing- thick, soft fleece, Khaki in
Colour, & you can pull it down
like a Balaclava. Hush - I have
also a beautiful Fritz souvenired
Shooter too - hope I can get it home.
Much love - please excuse
the untidiness.
Your loving Son
Keith 

[*2 DRL 259
AUSTRALIAN
WAR MEMORIAL 2*]