Letters from Geoffrey Gordon McCrae to his family, July - September 1915 - Part 4

ANZAC 3.9.15

Dearest Mother Father & Helen.

Nothing much has happened since I

last wrote just the usual daily shelling & bomb fighting

at night. One of the reinforcement buds new to

the trenches made us laugh the other night a bullet

struck the steel loophole and went [[swinging?]] away

into the night the new chum asked what it

was he was told it was a ricochet oh he

said and do we use them too. The Colonel is

still absent. I am enclosing a copy of a

Turkish note we have occasionally thrown

into our trenches. I don't know what it is all

about but still it will be a relic of this Gallipoli

stunt. I am in the best of health and am not

yet weighed down with my responsibilities I 

went for a swim last night the water was

very phosphorescent and we looked like sox

many electrically illuminated beings in the

dark water leaving a veritable trail of liquid

fire as we swam. From the summit of the

dark hills above us came the constant crackle of

rifles and the thuding explosion of many bombs

and behind swept the long rays of the searchlights

from Nagara & Chanack you see we do our battling

under rather weird circumstances. No more news

Much love to all

from

Geoff

3.9.15

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Mrs G.G. McCrae

Calvin Street

Hawthorne

Melbourne

AUSTRALIA

1 DRL 427

4/13

LONE PINE

ANZAC

7.9.1915

"Garston."

243 Miller St., N. Sydney.

Telephone 11 N. Sydney

Hours of Consultation:

8 to 9 A.M.

2 to 3 P.M.{ (except Saturday

7 to 8 P.M.}  and Sunday)

Dearest Helen

Thanks so very much for

your letter for the flowers and

the apt little verse about big

Lizzie but most of all for

the news of Maude. She has been

most loyal. Today I received

some photos of her and my

heart is rent with a great

yearning. One is especially

good I suppose you have seen

it, she is reclining on the

grass in the shade. It looks

as if we are going to be here for

months & months & months the

whole world has under estimated

the power of the Hun and his

accomplicies if Bulgaria comes

in with them as it is at present

rumoured locally, we are going

to have a hell of a time here

The Dardanelles are not forced

on us for drifting into idle 

and careless ways. Do those

weekend camps still flourish

as they used and is real

religion so [[if moved?]] as it

was. Dont think I have

become a religious maniac

because I haven't I only

think that the world as

a whole has brought these

evil days upon itself

if one is honest with oneself

you find how mean onex

has been in the past,  only

when he is hurt or we fear

of it doe we run to God but

when the world was running

smoothly how little

did we appreciate this 

goodness and tell them

so. Now I see the whole of

Melbourne is crying to Him

publicly at noon each day

surely this shows signs of

a great awakening —

over

1 DRL 427

# 03

and the opening of them is
daily becoming a matter of
greater difficulty. I am not
a pessimist nor do I in any 
way doubt that we will
eventually accomplish our
object but of this I am
certain that it will cost
us thousands of more precious
lives. Day by day I sit
and watch the Turks
making these positions
stronger and stronger daily
and each day Australia
appears to fade further &
further away from my
longing eyes. Still we are
out to do the job so must
not complain if it is more
arduous than we expected
We live in a desolated
paradise were once grew

[*As I write
the guns
will follow
[[?]] forth
with every
[[ate?]] & 3
Taubes all
flying over
us Farewell
much love
from
Geoff*]
green shrubs and flowering
plants now lie their
burnt & shattered stems
in a barren desert torn
and sent by shells and
scarred by many trenches
edged with torn sand
bags & tangled barbed
wire everywhere lie the
blackened & festering remains
of Australians & Turks
who have given there
country their devoted
service unto death They
have made the great
sacrifice and we honor
both alike. This was is
chastening the earth and
is perhaps Gods judgement

ANZAC
7.9.15
Dearest Father & Mother
I thank you very much for your letter
but of the forty of which you speak I have
only received eight and devil a parcel
I have not seen anything of Winifreds £3.
The Colonel is away ill so I am still
in command Swift is well poor [[bypar]]
lost his brother int he last scrap on
our left when we captured Hill 60
he was lying out wounded and he
moved so the Turks shot him if you
are wounded here you have to [[fake]]
death or you will surely bey shot
Arthur Dodd is looking awfully well
just come up here from Helles I
have not yet got your Fleet & Convoy
but look forward to receiving a copy
I am feeling very well and enjoy
being C.O, I have just been going
round visiting the newly arrived
Australians and have found them
old friends lots of old Melbournians
and people I used to soldier with
in the spring times of Peace

The weather here is perfect at present
and Tommy Turk has been very
inactive for the past fortnight (touch
wood) We are having a rest every second
day from the trenches and we are then
able to swim and stretch our legs
this is essential because one position in
the front line is a cemetry trenches are
cut through the middle of a dead turks
can see portion of their bodies one side
and their legs the other in addition
there are bodies festering in the sun in
front and behind the [[Jurry]] line we
get all we can by means of a [[grap?]]
and being there but the odour is thick
and 48 hours up amongst the dead men
is as much as you can stand at a time
in addition the place is alive with
vermin (a bequest from the Turks) so
sleep is not easy. It is wonderful what
you can stand when you are put to it
I wish I was back amid the flowers you
have sent me also nearly all our fields
have been denuded of greenery. I hope
you are all well
Much love
from
Geoff
1 DRL 427
2/11

ANZAC
11.9.1915
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
I thank you for letters of
27th July I will be very glad to get
the chamois vest as already the
chill of winter makes itself felt on
our thinned out blood. Things have
been abnormally quiet here lately
we are in one of the most exposed
positions and have only lost one in
four days. Jackson came back
yesterday but also he is very
jumpy and consequently worries me
a lot asking where every bomb explodes
whether it is ours or the enemy's and any  
one who moves past head quarters
during the night he wants me to
get up and ask them who he is
and what he is doing. You can
hardly blame him having been away
so long, but its a curse being awakened
every half hour or so for nothing. Its
bad enough trying to get to sleep despite
the lice with which these trenches are

infested. It is remarkable the number
of old Grammer boys are out on this
stunt I believe we hold the record
for the public schools. Gerald Burston
seems to be having a rosy time I
am awfully glad you and Mrs McKenna
have made friends. As for falling in
love with anyone in Alexandria
I have never seen anyone since I left
Australia who can compare with
Maude and my affection for her is
as staunch as ever, and her letters
and yours are the bright spots
in this dull and sordid existence
A side of our trench caved in today
and we had to carry out
the remains of some Turks & Aust
soldiers which have been there
since the eighth of August they
absolutely fell to pieces and the
stench was horrible. If we ever get
back we will be able to put up
with anything. No more news
All in good health
Much love from
Geoff.