Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 3, 26 January to 8 November 1916 - Part 8

70.

France, 8th April,

1916.

(Posted at Outersteen,  

April 10th.)

Staff Capt. Pollock,

 7th Light Horse.

Dear Sir,

I have something in the nature of a grievance, and

yet, Sir, I trust that it will not be entertained in the light

of a grievance as I have absolutely no ill feeling in the 

matter; but simply in justice to your good self and in fairness

to myself, it is that I crave a hearing to my plain statement 

as follows.

On June 28th last I saw at midday, from my "off duty

look-out" over Victoria Gully, the flashing of bayonets in

the sunlight and the bursting of shell out over Chatham's Post.

Judging at a glance that there would be a whole lot of trouble,

I ran down for my medical haversack, and without waiting to

change my knockabout trunks for trousers or even put on

puttees, I hurried off for the scene of activity.

Passing along the narrow traveling ways leading out

to Chatham's Post, I met and attended to many undressed wounded

cases. I could see clearly that the doctor and his staff

were overtaxed. I hurried on and, after gathering the 

position of affairs from Capt. Dods and seeing the number of

casualties further out, I took up a wounded man on my back and

returned out through the traveling way to where Capt. Welsh

and Capt. Kay with a party of 1st Field Ambulance men in the

shelter over Shell Green. I acquainted the officers with the

position out at Chatham's Post and with Capt. Kay and about

ten stretcher bearers, I came back the dressing station at

Chatham's Post. Here Capt. Kay remained the bulk of the

men while Pte.  Strout, Pte. Bladin and myself came on past

Capt. Dods' post and into the firing line and worked amongst

the wounded until the retirement was completed, and at about

which time Pte. Strout received a broken leg. I take it, Sir,

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that you are well aware of the work done and the risks taken

that afternoon, as on my arrival, after the field was cleared,

at the top and outside dressing station with a wounded man on

my back, you came forward and took my name and unit. I

thought at the time I was in for trouble at being so

indifferently dressed but when the names of Bladin, Strout

and Richards of the 1st Field Ambulance appeared amongst the 

"mentioned in despatches" I was proud as well as surprised.

As Bladin told me neither he or Strout had their  

names taken on that eventful day, I presume they were

mentioned by our own officers. And if so, he had no

opportunity of seeing the work done that day. Now, as I

recently saw that Pte. Strout, 1st Field Ambulance, has been

awarded a French decoration for work done on 28th June, I

at once decided to write acquainting you, Sir, with the

outcome of your distinct compliment to me for my work on

June 28th.

If anything, Sir, could be done in this matter now,

without injury to Pte. Strout, I would be grateful.

Yours obediently,

No.25.  Lce/Cpl. Richards, T.J.

1st Field Ambulance,

1st Australian Division.

P.S. I have had no conversation on this subject or have I

done anything up to the present with anybody at all. I

left Sydney October 19th, 1914, have never been crimed, on

sick parade once only, and spent 28 weeks on Anzac.  T. J. R

Staff Capt. Pollock,

7th Australian Light Horse,

Warley Barracks, Brentwood,

Essex. May 25th.

Dear Richards,

In reply to yours of April 8th. I can well remember

you and what you did in the action at Chatham's Post on

June 28th, 1915. At the time I brought your name to the

notice of the officer (I can't remember who it was) who

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would have the mentioning of any men for extra good work. He

assured me that he had himself noticed your splendid behavior.

Of course he may have mistook my description of you, though I

am sure I told him your name. As you see, I have gone back

to the Imperial Army and now have no influence whatever with

the Australian Forces. I am very sorry you got missed out

of the despatches as you most certainly deserved a real good

mention.

I am afraid nothing I can do now would be of the 

slightest use to you. All I can say is, that I shall never

forget your conduct that day and at least you have the satisfaction 

of knowing that you did your duty right well.

I may also tell you that you are in very good company.

Many of the bravest men and most conscientious workers in this

war will have to content themselves with the knowledge that

they always tried to do their best. Writing despatches

after an action is a very difficult thing and many a good man

gets passed over. I am very sorry you have had such bad

luck. I was wounded after going back to the Imperial Army

and have been a long time getting right. I am fit now and I

hope to go out to France soon where I may run up against my

old friends in the Aust. Divsn.

Yours   truly,

R. V.  Pollock,  Capt.

Irish Guards.

France, June 4th, 1916.

To Captain R.V. Pollock.

Dear Sir,

I am grateful to you for your letter of May 25th, and

I thank you most sincerely for same. You honor me, Sir, and

doubly so do you honor the country I represent in this grim

struggle.

Yes, if I might say so, I am sorry indeed to think

that your services have been withheld from our little army;

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we want good, fearless officers, Sir, and cannot afford to

lose a single man who saw us through that Gallipoli business

so gallantly and well. We'll miss you! Our loss will be

the Guard's gain.

You can well imagine that our men are enjoying the

change from the weary and desolate Egyptian zone, here in

France.  Our starved eyes and dulled minds had a glorious

feast during the journey of 65 hours that it took our train

to come from Marseilles. Such rich, fertile lands, so great

a range of delicate green tints and beautiful Spring blossoms.

Never for a moment during the daylight hours were the carriage

windows free from the eager, weatherbeaten faces, staring in

amazement at nature's wondrous panorama. It was paradise!

More than that, it was paradise eclipsed. "Streets paved with

gold" would have been tawdriness itself compared with the

lovely white cricket pitch roads that twisted like a silken

thread amongst those mighty rural effects in the southern

part of France. It was all so wondrous that I was at a loss

to appreciate even my childhood pictures of the "heavenly

abode".  Big, white clouds, harps, angels and suchlike.

Here, in the north, it was clearly winter on our

arrival and the transformation which the country has undergone 

in reaching its present summer stage was truly grand.

Springtime, more especially in the northern part of Australia,

is little more than a springboard to dive/^off from winter into

summer. So, well you might guess at the display of childish

enthusiasm with which our boys have followed nature's rapidly

changing tableau.

The conditions under which we now live are very 

different from either Egypt or Anzac. The methods of

fighting are also incomparable. Anzac was more open and

free, there seemed to be more dependence upon the individual

man or unit; and the contour of the country gave our fighting

men something more allayed to a fighting chance than he is

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likely to get over here in surroundings so level and with

but scant protection from big gun fire. I trust, however,

that our men will have an opportunity of showing themselves

to advantage, win for themselves the respect of the enemy

and the esteem of all whom they might have the pleasure of

fighting beside.

I am sorry to know that you have been wounded, and

ere this, Sir, I hope you have regained your former condition

and again able to assist in our common cause.

Again, in conclusion, I thank you heartily for your

kindly attention,

Yours sincerely,

L/Cpl.   Richards.

April 10th. Monday.

We received orders to be ready to move off at 9 p.m.

today. This, of course, now that we have so very little to

get ready, was an easy matter. In columns of four we

marched out some 3½ miles to Outtersteene, just past Merris.

Here we put up in very dirty rooms that had been recently

occupied by the 5th Field Ambulance. To get the different

billets clean meant a lot of work, but it was well done and 

I slept better than for some days past.  During the day we

saw a whole lot of  aeroplanes  flying around and also saw a

whole lot of shooting at them, the burst of shrapnel making

distinct clouds of smoke all along the wake of the aeroplane.

Observation balloons are up at a few miles interval -

only 3 can be seen from our position. It seems that we are

in a horseshoe with trenches all around us. The star shells

show up plainly even in the moonlight and it appears to be a

circle of trenches around us.  We get no information at all

here now about the movement of our own men. Rumour has it

that the 2nd Division are already in the trenches and some

wounded have already gone out. English papers are obtained

75.

here 24 hours after issue in London by second-in-charge for

½d paper.

April 11th. Tuesday.

A letter to hand from father, dated 9/3/16.  It was

indeed a despondent letter written in a mood that I hope

seldom troubles him. He stated that he felt as though he

was in the way and did not know what to do when his

compensation expired in October next. He also blames mother

for having too much tongue. This has been mother's great

failing and it must be when she looks back upon her lost

opportunities caused to some extent by father's belief in

God providing for him instead of his paying more attention to

earthy matters and making for a settled life instead of 

devoting so much time to Church matters.

Today has been wet and cold, the country around is

already so sodden that soakage is impossible, therefore the

water lays on the top of the ground in puddle holes while

the whole surface gets very slippery indeed. I found that,

like the football fields of England, it was easier to run

than to walk, but this theory got a setback when in front 

of the Y.M.C.A. hut I came down and to save my clothes, I

sprawled about on my hands and feet. The Y.M.C.A. have a

very comfortable place with a piano and papers as well as

ink and writing paper for the free entertainment of the men.

They also run a canteen with cocoa 1d. and cakes at 1d.

cigarettes, tinned fruit and chocolate are kept in small

quantities, but as the Imperial canteen at Merris is so

handy and so thorough, we are alright. There is no other

place for the men to go in Outtersteen but to the Y.M.C.A.

and the estaminets. In the latter places there are often

decent looking women, cheap liquor and a good warm room with

a stove going strongly. Today being payday, the foolish

element naturally, from the strength of their minds, got

annoyingly drunk and made a sickening noise until "lights

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out" at 9.30 p.m. I sat in an estaminet (pub) until I had

three glasses of white wine and then went home to read.

No spirits are sold in these places, so there is no reason

for the fellows getting drunk on the light French beer or

the nearly-as-light 1d. or 3d wines. Of course, there is a 

good lot of champagne drunk at 4½d or 5 francs a bottle, and 

this, though light, will make the fellows drunk.

April 12th. Wednesday.

I intended writing to father at once but I have put

it off, now I must get down to it and try to reassure him

that he is  labouring under an illusion. Yet I can see it

all so plainly - mother and dad have been up against it to

some extent for years. I don't quite understand it all,

but mother has told me that I could never conceive or perhaps

believe their troubles. Anyhow, it's an awful business and

it hurts me exceedingly. I know that Bert will grieve also.

It seems a great pity that the whole family does not think

and believe alike. Father's love for the Church does not

seem to take effect in any of the family. In fact, most of

us are neither one thing or the other. In mind, I think

we are absolutely materialistic, in action, a weak half and

half, just drift along in a dreamy mood hoping for the

best but without strength enough to hit out fiercely on the

worldly path and make a certainty of a fair share of life's 

good things hereunder and leave the world to -- work itself

out on the results of life as we lived it down here.

Today was again wet and very windy. There was no

usual route march this morning, the fellows were ordered back

to their billets again. Anyhow, a non-com. was wanted to

take three patients in a motor ambulance to the Clearing

Hospital at Baileau^eux. Although I was comfortably settling

down to write up some of my long standing correspondence, I

did not mind being disturbed, as I am always keen on breaking

new ground and as Baileau^eux is nearer the firing line and is

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also a fairly large country town, I went away quite happy.

It was raining and the road very slippery for motor

traffic particularly as the road is very narrow and half?

round so that in passing another car, and there are some huge

cars on these roads, there was always a big chance of skidding

off into the deep gutters that line the road.

The weather was too bad to see much of the townsfolk

at  Baillaux^eux but it is a large town, about the same size as

Hazebrouck. There are many clearing hospitals about as all

the wounded from the Armentieres front are evacuated through

Baillaux^eux.  The wounded are motored to Bailleaux^eux and there

sorted out and entrained.

April 13th. Thursday. Dogs  and  Horses.

Yesterday Ned Reynolds and I jumped on to a big motor

waggon and rode into Hazebrouck for a few hours. We were

lucky also in getting a lorry right back to Merris again,

after seeing some pretty girls and getting a meal. The

stores in Hazebrouck are very decent for a village town and

anything a soldier is likely to require can be obtained. Yet,

like all the villages I have seen, no attempt is made to

supply troops with meals. Eggs and chipped potatoes can be

got here and there. Yesterday Ned and I had quite a long

discussion before an estaminet keeper condescended to build

us an omelet with coffee cake &c. These "pubs" are only

open between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. for

soldiers. I suppose there has been but little demand for

meals from the English soldier and to a great extent the

Australian only wants something to eat chiefly because he has

money to spend. And, by jove,  he does spend it recklessly

too. I bought some cigars and fruit for the motormen. By

the way, it is surprising how they get fruit up this far

at the present time, particularly oranges - apples of course

are different. Hot house grapes at 1½ francs a lb. are dear

but they are nevertheless mighty good.

78.

At a farmhouse this morning I saw, somewhat to my

surprise, a light wooden wheel, some 10 feet in diameter,

which they told me was used to churn butter and that a dog

worked the wheel to drive the churn. While I was looking on

the woman running the farmhouse, there are very few men about

nowadays, came out with a fair sized dog, nothing extraordinary 

about it, opened the gate and placed the dog on the inside

path of the wheel which is about 14 ins. wide and as the dog

started to talk, or rather, to run, he remained in the one

place while the big wheel ran reasonably quickly around

underneath him. The big wheel had fixed to it at cogwheel

which formed a gear wheel and drove a shaft, the churn being

attached to the shaft. The dog kept going for about two 

hours each day.

Some of the farm carts are most peculiar looking

affairs, some of them have three wheels like a perambulator.

The horses are fine looking animals, mostly on the big side;

for light work mules are used. Strange to say the farmers

drive both horses and mules with one rein only. The usual

bit, or more often than not a curb bit and a barring rein

to keep the horses heads well up and arch their necks, a

rein from each side leads over the collar and from there a 

single rein is attached and used. Judging by the good

straight furrows made, the farmers seem to have got control

over their horses too. But then the farmers are mixed up

with their horses to such an extent that I suppose the horse

is guided more by words than reins. I have never seen a

whip used yet, although in the south of France I saw nearly

every ploughman use a goade stick on his bullocks and cows

used for ploughing.

It is 8.30p.m. I have just returned to my attic

home which is shared by 21 others. It is well ventilated,

yes, doubly so, as the windows have long since disappeared

and tiles are in many places missing from the roof;  when I

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wake up in the mornings I can see a bird busily building and

chirping pleasantly, through a hole in the roof. I met

Jose Stevenson this evening (of Wallaby fame), we had two

bottles of champagne (6 francs) and talked of old times. We

then passed on up the road and dropped into another pub.

and had two more bottles of champagne, this time the wine

came from Epernay "1822" and it was glorious compared with

the awful Reims stuff of 20 minutes before.   This "shouting"

business is a miserable, yet an elegant, sort of game. If

one fellow buys a bottle the others consider they must do

so also. And so fellows are enticed to spend more than

they otherwise would.

As I am writing, several of the are talking

and, instead of the usual woman and wine topic, it is the

peculiarity of the farms in keeping cattle, pigs, horses and

fowls right against, and sometimes, actually in the underneath 

part of the house itself while the straw saturated with

urine and dung is stacked for manure right in front of the

building. This seems very unsanitary, yet there is no

disease. In Egypt things are much worse and are really

dirty, while the custom about here cannot be considered

dirty, but in Australia the animals, fowls, &c. have to be

a long distance from the living house.

April 14th. Friday.

I read "Daily Mail" this morning and found its

pages full of reports that would gladden the heart of any

German to read. First, one reads of the relief party to

General Townshend at Kut being repulsed, in Mesopotamia.

This is sorrowful reading. Another failure on top of so

many is trying to understand and annoys me considerably.

It looks like another General Gordon tragedy. Next comes a

report of the uselessness of the air defences and the fact

that Britain has dropped from first place back to last place

in her air attainments. Both Lord Derby and Lord Montague