Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927)(about) |
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Thursday 19 October 1916
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1 correction by AimeeCat - Show corrections
Soldier's Letter."
Corporal Leslie Giles writes home under date 24th July, from France:
Just a line to say I am still in the land of the living. I cannot say much except that we are within sound of the big guns and do not know the
moment we may come within their
range. We are ready to do our share when the time comes and are needed. I saw a man of Felix com- pany yesterday, and he had seen Felix that morning and left him in
the thick of it doing great work. They all speak very highly of him in the battalion, and he seems well- liked by his men, and I hope he comes out of it. You will be pleased to know that I have been recommen- ded for my commission. It came as a great surprise to me when our officer commanding told me today.
Of course I may not get it, and I never expected it, so do not be dis- appointed if nothing comes of it. It
is not for anything I have done, for I have everything yet to do. I sent out field service postcards the other
day, but there should be an Adelaide mail somewhere for me. I see an
N.T. "Times" occasionally, and it is
quite interesting. I had news of
Mr. Bliss the other day. I was sur- prised to hear he was in France with some of our reinforcements. I saw Aplin to-day, (of McIntosh and Ap- lin, of Woologorang). He knpws Harold very well.
Writing again under date August
51h, from France, Leslie says: tó¡
1 liave been getting ijn tjhfe Jyvayi
again, and have again, escaped luck- ! ily, although this timje it wa?s a jdi|n¡ kum gio, anid^ a bayonet'¡charge against the Huns. I can, tell you it was pretty willing, and not at ajil a p^ace m winch the insurance companies
would like to see¡ their policy^ hold-' ers. I considered myself luckyi when
¿ had to drop out earjl^ in thjei ad- , vanee with a shrapnel wound in nl^i right thigh. It missed jt^ie bone, and so I could walk and make my way' back as be^st 1 (çjouM through alboat two miles ot "Hell let loose," which, however, was nothing compared' tp what the boys werie lacing in, the ad- vance-and they had a io)ngi way to, go. 1 should liked to have reached me German trenches, but as it was' not too many, of our boys reached' their objective. The land wbs a äea ot shell holes, anything up to, 7 arifd 8 feet deepi and as manyt yards wide. Communication trenches and roads were not to be found. Whjat were once certain villages in the hands of the Germans in the earjy part of |the advance-not one brick was left upon another. Dead toen, were lyjng] every- where, and had been for, daypj just 'where they, fell. 1 had n¡ever been in anything quite like u before, and candidly, 1 never want tpi again.. I expected to be killed every, moment by the big "shells when making my way back, but luckily managed to reach the dressing station, and was sent straight away. Our .guns had opened out an intense bombardment, and as we got further back and nearer the guns the terrible roar was something to remember. They are very good indeed to one at th|e dif- ferent dressing stations. I am in a good hospital here, but expect to bfe sent on to 'England1 >ny( day, now;
I will send' ypu a leíble from there so that you will not have |he same anxiety you had before. I cannot get any definite late! news of! Felix, but understand he carnie out of! i| alright. They went into action a 'few d^ys before, we did, anfdi iti js| a week ago to-day, sincjef I Waa ¡hjt. Pretty near all the Australians will have been here in action ere this, but some" good wk>rk has beenijdome. Mr. Bliss came and saw me twice Êinpe I have beer* lhere; hjei is> i;n{ourj
reinfordementls -. I saw young, Dowsett, formerly of the Adminis- trator's office, wounded, oft a stret- cher, just before we (went Into acjfcioii; he-waa badlyf Jp in, titófc© placet, J
hßve no love forj shrapnel, but the majority, of the wounds are very) Blight 1 ami glpp\ to &ay¿. Hope to write you long account pf a -gopd time in England. Thjs will serve, to, iet you 'know, my^ wounds jare |np|t ven- ous, and I hope soon to be balde in my, company, again; long betöre the Var is over I fajm) at raid*. '.
Leslie, writing again from the Mil- itary, Hospital, lrcwsham Hill, via Farnham, Surrey, England, under date loth August, saysj
1 have arrived in England at last, and strange to say am located in jypur county, Pater. 1 arrived here two^day^s ago trom1 St. Jjohns Ambu- lance Brigade Hospital, Etaples, France, from, where 1 directed to you my, last letter. My journey, was via Calais, JDovertown, to Jjently,
where we detrained tor here. ii sent off va cable to the Australian liase this morning, asking them to get same despatched, as 1 k!h|c|w you iwill be .advised) of kny (casualty by thje Defence people, and i want, to re- assure you. it shcukt run "YVcnn dled slightly; progressing; ho&pnal, Farnham, Surrey.' 1 was abou,t two weeks in hospital in t ranee, anld) was well treated and got on splendidly. 1 underwent gas and had miyl wounds opened up, and thank* to a heal tivy, constitution it is heal mg beaut i tully, only, needing to be dressed once a day. 1 can oear, my; weight om, both feet, but cannot walk1 wijtuout assis- tance. This Hospital is in the heai(t of the country, 42 miles 'frorm Lon .¡don, and the nearest town (Farnham)
is 3 miles awaytj fwjh|i|c(rtf I understand ¡is noi» a large towjn. i^shoukL' nave preferred somewhere near a dil riving metropolis; but one must be con- tent wherever he is sint. itt ist good to know that one; is really[ in; uki England at last, and when my, tuin come» lui iLonvuitscenue 1 expect about 14 days lurlough, and after- wards a concentration camp some- where near London. I expect toj, be here a month or two, anyway, 'this hospital has accommodation tor, 120 beds, and contains british, Canadian, and Australian soldiers. 1 have had no time to learn much about tine neighbourhood. Must content my seit until 1 can move about, it seems pretty "scrubby" round here judging by, the iorest bordered roads we traversed by motor ambulance from Bently. 1 shall drojp a moje to; pur people in Essex and look themi up later on. The Red Cross people ans very good and have already been round. Naturally, 1 lost everything 1 possessed, as per usual, except the contents of tay-, tunic'pockdt winch are saved at the C.C. stations, and you leave uniforms, boots, hat and put- ees and all there. One gets ino tnd of cigarettes given by kind ladies, »but 1 afh Wailing ^br. a $>fet of shavxiig tools 1 It seems funny buying stamps again. One gets out of thje habi^ on active service. ¡ '