Letters from Geoffrey Gordon McCrae to his family, July - September 1915 - Part 1

2.7.15.

Gallopoli Peninsular

2nd July 1915

Dearest Mother Father & Helen

I have sketched on the back my

impression of the landing of the famous

25th April, as I thought it would be of interest

to you. Things have been fairly quiet lately.

Yesterday I had a rather nasty experience

I was observing from one of our advanced

posts and using a periscope one of their

snipers smashed it to pieces with a

bullet my eyes were filled with dirt

and powdered glass and my face chipped

with splintered glass. It gave me rather

a shock. I got my eyes cleaned out by

our doctor and my face powdered with

boracic. My eyes are beginning to get

right now but they felt awful all

day yesterday. We have not had any

mail lately so I cannot do much off

my ow bat as censorship is of a necessity

strict. Someday I hope to be able to tell

you freely all things which I am now

experiencing. I am in splendid health

notwithstanding. I get awfully fatigued

scrambling over these precipitous hills in

the heat. Please God this trying time will

soon be over. I am beginning to feel the

continuous strain, as regards nerves. The

least little argument gets me horribly

irritable and moppy I try to keep a hold

on myself but often my frayed nerves

give rent to anger. I hope you people

are all well and happy also Maude to

whom give my love. Wishing you everything that

is good & pleasing.

I am

Your loving Son & brother

Geoff.

1DRL 427  2/11

Diagram - see original document
Lone Pine Ridge Balloon
HMS Queen Elizabeth
Sari Bair
 

Cpd

GGMC

IN THE TRENCHES

7.7.1915

Dearest Mother Father & Helen

I find my new job rather

strenuous but of absorbing interest

for the first forty eight hours I was

here I had but two hours sleep

I engaged on intelligence work for

the General Staff and find my

ability to sketch very useful. I

often work with Jess. For the

last two days they have been

pouring high explosive into

us from their six inch howitzers

they are very powerful and rather

terrifying when they come in at

the rate of 100 in about three

hours but you have to treat

the situation philisophically and

and pray to God the next one is

not going to get you. I am in

excellent health and much happier

now I am always got plenty

to do. I have just received some

letters from you which have 

been doing the rounds of

the hospitals looking for me

I think we will be the most

easily pleased individuals

extant (those of us who are 

lucky enough to get out of this

show alive) We sleep in dusty

blankets in holes we wash when

we can and our menu is awfully

primitive nearly always bacon

bread & strawberry jam breakfast

dinner & tea I havent had my

boots or clothes off for a week so

you can imagine how we will

revel in the feel of clean linen

and the luxury of a bath. I

have no time to write more thank

you all for your letters also Dorothy

Much love to all

From

Geoff

1 DRL 427

4/13

Dearest Mother Father & Helen

Brother Turk has got

me again and I am lying
in the same bed in 1st Aust.
Stationary Hospital as I occupied
a month ago. I dont think
you would recognise your own 
son if you were to see him ∧  my face
two days ago it was an absolutely
featureless swollen mass with
two slits where my blackened
eyes struggled hard for sight

there is not a square inch of

whole skin on my face and

now that the swelling has 

commenced to go down the

Doctors say I look exactly as

if I have got supporating

smallpox. I am not allowed

out as ted Bryant feels I may
get Erysipelas. They say I
will get on alright. How I
got in this condition is as
follows on Monday we were
[*14 .7. 15 -*]

(1)

ordered to make a vigorous demonstration
to attract the enemys attention. We succeeded
at any rate in drawing his artillery
fire our guns seemed powerless to cope
with it whether their silence was intentional
or not I know not at any rate we 
suffered a two hours solid bombardment
from nearly every Turkish gun with
High explosive shells our trenches were
terribly battered We had to place our
men in tunnels whilst a few of us
remained out in that awful storm
of splintering steel. I admit I was
terrified but there was nothing for it
but to stick it. Shells were continually
screeching round me others striking very
close showering us with dirt and 
[*128*]
(2)

suffocating us with fumes
6 in Howitzer shells fell
shaking the earth and
filling the air with 
[[scattering?]] fragments and
inky black smoke.
suddenly there was a
blinding flash and sharp
pain and felt myself reel
and fall into the bottom
of the trench in an
avalanche of earth. The
signaller who I had with
me dropped me into a
tunnel and washed my
bloody face with his handkerchief
and water bottle
I rested there until a lull
came in the shell fire where
I made my way to the
dressing station I had a
look at my observation
post and found that
a shell had burst in
(3)

parapet and blown the contents of the
sandbags into my face luckily
the fragments of the shell missed me
The doctor sent me down to the beach
and I was immediately sent on board
a fleet sweeper The Turks seemed
annoyed at my getting off so lightly
and proceeded to shell the sweeper
until she sailed for here. Well it
is an advantage to hold Field Rank

when you are wounded. The skipper
invited me into his cabin and I had
a lovely lunch and afternoon tea.
The "Acquitania" is here never was
there such a mamoth ship. Col Bryant
welcomed me with open arms he
comes to see me two or three times
[*127*]
(4)

day and is most affectionate and tells 

all the patients how he loves me so

you can rest assured that I am receiving

the very best of attention ever as a

father would give to his son.  Helen

I thank you very much for the tooth

cleaning gear which has successfully

run the gauntlet of the Post Office sharks

who have swallowed up the rest of

my presents. I have used it to my great

comfort  I also thank you for your

news of Maude and other kind words

you have spoken of me. Somehow or 

other I have not heard from mother

lately. If you want to get an idea

of the fighting I have been actually

taking part in lately read more writing

[*1 DRL 4272/11]

(5)

in the [["Green Curve?"]].  We have been

lucky in that our Elections have not 

[[?]] us though on one occasion

we had defective [[ammunition?]].

I don't think I have anything more

of interest to add so will bid you

farewell.

Much love to all

From

Geoff

1st Australian Stationary Hospital

14th July 1915

[*126*]

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