Lists (None yet)

Login to create lists

Tagged (None yet)

Add Tags

Comments (None yet)

Add New Comment

4 corrections, most recently by Lenore - Show corrections

CHRISTMAS BILLIES Owing to the large number of letters referring to Xnmas billies that has Peen received, we have had to condense than owing to p:essure of space. The following is a copy of a letter received by Master Geoffrey Wilkin son (a St. Thomais' Grammar School boy), Ascot Yale road, Ascot Vale* Shear Geoff,-I write to thank you for the billy which you so kindly sent. "I hope you spent an enjoyable Clhrist mas. I am in hospital at present, but .:hoipe to be out and about again in the "course of a day or two. I had a fair ly good time at Christmas under the circuristances. There are only two more Australians in the same ward as myself, and I am- pleased to say that ;they are getting all right. I was in ,Port Darwin, in the "Northern Terri tory but left there and enlisted in Brisbane. I have been over here since July last. I hope.you are getting on well at school. PTE. T. DRISCOL' . Miss Cook, Ashby," McPlherson st, received the following acknowledgment of Xmas billy: As one of theboys from Gallipoli, it falls to my lot to write you this note of appreiatiot of your kind action of sending such a fine collection in in the Xmas billy. We have with us a chap who is acquainted with you and your   people. He is Gordon Williams of'As cot Vale, and he wishes to be remem bered to you all.     PRIVATE GEORGE LLOYD. The folloing':letter acknowledges re ceipt of a Xmas billy:sent by Mrs. F. Wood :;of ."Evington,'" Mt: Alexander roid,; North Essendon:- . I :was the very' lucky. chap wholre ceived your Christmas billy., It made Christmas Day a very happy one,'taid I appreciated the contents.' It is the first' gift and the first letter'that- I hive received fiom Australia, because I iam not a native born.. My home is in Londoin, lint I spenit seven. years in Australia, mdstly. in Queensland and. New Soueth Wales. It' was in Sydney' that I' enlisted. Althoitgh I hivte three. brotliers serving, in the,British forces in France, litake pride in the fact that 1 belong: to the Kangaroo contingent. PRIVATE D. CHISHOLM. -Miss Stella Richards receieved the foi lowing:- - . Just a line to let you ,klnow.that your billy was received; and appreciated. We all had great fun unpacking,` and were all like schoolboys again, and it's jolly nice to know that the home folk are thinking of us. 1 dame from ilos man, Sydney, N.S.W.. We use the billies now for ? ater, anid for keeping. any luxuries in. s ,o VW ILL RUNT. The"follosiing letter was received' by Mr: R.I ice, 635 lit: Alexander road, Moonee Ponds:-- I 'take this oppotunity,' of thanking you for the billy can, which I had the pleasure of receiving on Christmas Eve. It is nice- for the boys over here to know that the people in Australia aire doing their very utmost for us to spend as'pleasureable a time as possible, and I can assure you that we all appreciate' their efforts. The contents of the billy cans helped to brighten up our -Christ mas considerably. E. DICKENS. Mrs. H..P. Bull (late of Moonee Ponds) received the enclosed acknow ledgment of a Xmas billy: Just a short letter, thanking you kindly for the Xmas billy. The one I received from you was grand. It is nice to know that the people in Aus tralia think of us. I am in the 1st Brigade, coming from N.S.W., but my people live in Mooneoe Ponds. We are at present camped at a small place in Egypt, where a great battle was fought between the British and Egyp tians in 1882. It really seems as if we cannot get away from places where war has been. PRIVATE WILL HATTON. Mrs. Tankard, 44 The Parade, Ascot Vale, received the following:--   A note to thank you for the billy can and the many useful things which it contained. I am afraid your billy can should have gone to someone else, be cause on your postcard you, wrote   "Dear Hero." I don't think I am quite a hero yet. It is not three months since I left Australia, and I have never been to Gallipoli, or fought for my country elsewhere. I am simply a com mon private who is waiting his turn. However, I think there was no short age of billy cans. So as the real hero did not go without, perhaps I have not done much harm. I was surprised to find that so many useful things could be put into one small billy. I tried to put them all in again after I had emptied them out. Ifound I hadn't enough billy cans. One thing that I found in my can will be a source of pleasure to me these evenings. That is the insect powder. I did not forget to give my tame fleas a merry Xmas, I can assure you. PRIVATE H. O GREGORY.   The following' was received by Miss F. Skinner,-Tennyson street,: Essen don:- . I beg to ackniowledge receipt of Xmas billy, for which I am "extiremely thankful. 1 have had some very nar row escapes, but, thank; God I ltive pulled `through after five:months;- with only.but: a chip off of, mn left l~and,. that iras caused bjy a shell that'burst about.three yards off. ?We were .ell cared for this Xmas;, Ap art"from, your billy can, we 'received a Xmas pudding between. two men; also shirts; socks, mitts and handkerchiefs: Clothing we have an abundance of; -the trouble is in the carrying of it whlen shifting. The following is a.letter received by Miss Iss -Nairn from a soldier to whom she sent a billy can: SThanks very much for your surprise billy can. " It contained such a variety of things that for a while I thought I was in-a shbp again. There was quite a lot of excitement among the boys while they Sere opening their billies. * SIGNALLER. V. CLAES. The following has been received by Miss W. Sproston, Filson street, Ascot Vale: Just a few lines to thank you for the billy. All the articles were exceedingly useful-the cocoa, cigs., sardines and numerous other things, which were in deed very welcome. I have travelled round Victoria, and am quite familiar with Essendon; also the place which has a similar name up in Queensland. Many a time I have strolled through Queen's Park. I should be delighted   to be able to do so soon again, too. SAPPER W. J. McANULTY. Mrs. Thos. Leartonthi has received from Arthur H. Hirst, ant Auistralian soldier, an appreciative letter acknow ledging tihe receipt of a Xmins billy sent from the Essendon Red Cross Society. This soldier saw a niumher of billies In belled "Essenidon," so that tile local people twho sent them will kinow they reached their destination. Hirst writes that the spirit of the men is wonderful, and Australia need never feat the result of the war iwhile sthe Shas such fighting men. Mrs. Learmonthl also received a let ter from anothler soldier, James Hen derson, in which the writer describes the journey from Mudross, where they were landed after the evacuation, to Egypt per troopshlip then open trucks. Whlile on the Peninsula, the soldiers were allowed only a quart of water a day, ald washing was out of the ques tiont. Hendlerson therefore appreciated tile clhange to Egypt, whelre there was plenty of water for all purposes. He also receissed a billy. Private HIarry Breaker writes, thanking Miss Baker for the contents of the billy which lie received, and which was sent by her. He thanks the Australian ladies for the part they aire playing in looking after the comforts of the troops. S. Perret, of the 7th Battalion, re ceived the hilly sent by Miss Fanny. Leverett, of "Sans Souci," Grosvenor street, Moonee Ponds, and has written expressing his appreciation of the gift.

Digitisation generously supported by
State Library of Victoria
Digitisation generously supported by

Zoom

plus
thumb
minus
left
thumb
right
up
thumb
down