Letters from James Joseph Makin to his family, 1915-1916, Part 1 of 12

A Company, 
9^th Battalion,  
Show Grounds, 
5/10/15 

Dear Mother,  
I am writing you a few 
lines as promised. I have not heard 
anything further about the A.M.C. 
yet. The 9^th Battalion is going to 
Broadmeadows on the 15^th as reinforcements. 
It is being split up into  
3 lots of 300 each to reinforce the  
4^th, 7^th and 8^th Battalions at the front. 
They expect to leave at the end of 
the month. This speaks well for 
the Albert Park boys who have had 
only 6 weeks training, whereas some 
of the Show Grounds' battalions have 
have been here 12 weeks and are not 
even thinking about leaving. 
Yesterday our company had a 
day in “the trenches”, - some of the 
real thing constructed and being 
elaborated about 2 miles away on 
the Saltwater River. They are laid  
out and constructed on the latest 

2/ 
approved lines and gives one quite 
a realistic idea of what trench 
warfare must be (making allowances 
of course for the absence of snipers 
"Jack Johnsons", "Asiatic Annies", &c ). 
Some idea of the excitement and 
danger attached to bomb and hand- 
grenade throwing was gained by 
a violent bombardment of clods of  
earth by the warlike spirits just 
full of a diet of bread, jam and 
coffee.  They knocked some real good 
fun out the game and incident- 
ally some who were not looking out 
for "bombs". One would be greeted 
by a shower of clods frome one part  
of a trench, and after a counter 
attack on the position it would be 
usually found that the quarry had 
escaped along a communications trench 
into a dug-out or another part  
altogether. The work of our company 
was to level off the parapets to 
a regular height, and it was done 
with a will, the boys appreciating 
the change from 6 week's squad 
platoon and Company drill. 

3/ 
What would have been an 
interesting and enjoyable day was 
spoilt to a degree by the heavy 
showers which came on at intervals,  
necessitating a retreat to a dug-outs 
and shelters.  The wet trenches and  
pelting rain brought home the discomfort 
of a winter trench campaign more 
vividly than columns of newspaper 
descriptions. 
Today our company is known as  
the "duty company", that is, it has to 
furnish the guards, picquets, fatigues, 
orderlies &c for the whole camp. So 
a consequence there was no leave granted 
either today or tonight, and all are 
on duty of some sort from 6 o'clock  
tonight to 6 tomorrow night. I am 
one of six supplied to the Army 
Service Corp for picquet &c and at 
present am watching (or supposed to be 
watching) some stalls full of straw. 
My shifts are from 6 to 8 tonight 
and 12 still 2 in the morning. It 
is getting near 8 now and I will 
have to stop when my relief comes on 
the scene. By the way, I have been 

4/ 
sitting on some bundles of straw and 
have got a bit "chatty" (to use Ern's 
expression). 
I was not missed whilst on 
my week end leave. I got in with- 
out being noticed on Sunday night. 
I had an appointment with the 
dentist this afternoon but could 
not get off. It will will keep I suppose. 
My toothache has almost gone. 
You must excuse this scribble 
which is written on my knee and 
in a bad light so that I cannot 
see the lines on the paper. 
I will probable be on leave 
Thursday afternoon. If so I shall 
come home to tea, but things are 
far from anything definite being 
arranged with any certainty. 
There is a picture or vaudaville 
entertainment here every night but 
it is too cold to sit in the open 
for long. 
My time is almost up so I  
will now finish off with love from Jim 

At sea, 
nearing Fremantle, 
14/2/16. 
  
Dearest Mother & Father, 
In case you do not get my diary,  
which I am posting at Fremantle to avoid 
censorship, I am sending you these few lines. 
I am enjoying the trip pretty well so far 
and the weather has been good on the whole. 
I am sure of getting ashore at Fremantle 
as I have been chosen for a Military  
Patrol to remain ashore after the others are 
due back and pick up the stragglers. 
A day on shore will break the monotony 
of the boat which is sure to increase, as 
we have 3 or 4 more weeks to go yet. I 
have not seen a paper since last Monday 
and feel a bit hungry for war news, but 
I daresay we will get used to it. We  
expect to reach Fremantle this afternoon or 
this evening and get off tomorrow. I suppose 
you thought the note I sent from Adelaide 
very rough but it was written at the last  
moment. I had been seasick and could  
not write until the morning we arrived there. 
I cannot give you much more news 
than is on the diary; indeed it is hard 
to find any to write at all. 

After I leave Fremantle all my letters  
will be censored and news will be scanty. 
Letters are not to contain the following :- 
Names and places of dispatch, 
Names of escort, 
Number & description of troops, 
Disposition of forces, 
Route and Ports of call, 
Criticism judged harmful, 
Reference to larger units or commanders, 
Ships met on route, &c e&c 
I may not get an opportunity, therefore, 
to send anymore instalments of the diary 
for some time, unless by someone returning from 
Egypt. 
I got paid 35/-, that is, up till 7/2/16; 
so you should get 24/- up till 15/2/16. 
We expect to be vaccinated any day now. 
I have not drunk a cup of tea since I 
came on board; I cannot stand it at all. 
I am sending a postcard of the "Warilda" 
with this letter. 
Give my kind regards to Harry and Essie. 
They can read the diary and it will save me 
writing a separate letter. Do not let any of 
the pages go astray; it would be better to put 

a fastener through them. I hope you 
made a satisfactory explanation to Auntie 
Kate about not letting her know when the 
transport was to go out. I have got to  
write to Sheehan's yet and explain. 
I must now conclude this ragtime 
letter as I am stuck for something to 
say. I will promise you something 
better next time. 
Your affectionate son, 
Jim