tinpan
Silver Member
hi everyone, got in late tonight and its freezing outside[yes m.ding but that will be another post]on sat my brother has a barbers shop in the centre of town and had the floor covering replaced,under the old lino where a number of old newspapers.he kept them for me.went i went threw them a found this hand written letter from the first world war.its in a bad way and just readable as a point of interest i thought i would post it. amazing story.the letter
received your very welcome and interesting letter 3rd of june about a week ago and today i received some mail from australia to the 24th of june from yando. i am glad to know that you are carrying on the farm work in such a cheerfull spirit.i am sure you must be kept busy.i am sorry to say that my health is not too good and will take a lot of building up before i am fit to return to trench life again. the gas seems to have upset all my orgins of my body and i am doing a lot of silent suffering. they have classed me as fit for active sercice again, but if sent to the front in my present state of health i would only be a burden to my battalion and if unfortunate to come in contact with gas again it would be the end of me for i cannot breathe properly in the helmet. i am quite willing to go out and do a bit more, but it does seem ridiculous to send the likes of me back when there are thousands of our boys with cushy jobs in england who mit go and do a bit. they can tell more about the trenches than those who have experienced them. i am going to have a thorough examination before they send me back. last news from joe on the 8th inst he was well and cheerful and said they were having a very easy time. he been shining at cricket.have not heard from les for over a month and can find on trace of him.we are nearly at the end of august and i don,t think theres been one fine day.the crops here have suffered severely and i read in the morning,s paper that much of the corn is under water or floating in the fields.its bad news these times, for all the wheat is needed. the war-bread we get here is very poor stuff.how i could enjoy some australian bread and butter. well dad i was very pleased to hear the result of the federal election, and my vote helped bring about such a result i registered my vote at armentieres in france,under shell fire. i, like yourself, am surprised at the many our boys voting for the caucus party but they had the impression-as they had when the referendum was before us last year-that if no re-inforcements were forthcoming the men here would be recalled.one does hear some silly arguments here.poor billy hughes gets pulled about' some' by a few who say 'wait till the soldiers get back and put labour back in power again. i have not received any papers that you sent me with election reports.they must have gone with my parcels,where ever they might be. its over 12 months since i left victoria and i have had one parcel from griffin brothers and one from millie.so it is quite a time they ceased sending.well a little more political news. the outcome of the elections shows that the spirit of australia is sound, and the majority of people are concerned 'they will sacrifice all that is necessary to sustain australias part in the war and it,s obligations to the troops that have gone.it is now the duty of the government to give this full effect. it obtained the confidence of the people by its ' out to win the war'policy, and unless it is prepared to justify this assurance the trust reposed in it will quickly be withdrawn. the steps which are essential to make australia,s share in the war effective must be taken immediately, yet, as far as we know over here nothing has be done..we all know that voluntary enlistment has proved quite inadequate.surely the good name our brave boys have won for australia is not going to be lost because we cannot get men to fill the ranks. theres is no braver man on god,s earth than the bred and born australian. they have proved themselves to be such.they are put in front in nearly every advance and when they take a position.they never retire. the latest troops from home have not been up to standard they should be.theres to many old men and boys.anyone under 21 or over 40 do not stand hardship.we have got into such a state for re-inforcements that i believe the 6th division are being cut up to reinforce the other five. the government is faced with the choice between alternatives,either it must again consider the problem of conscription or it must admit that australia is unable or unwilling to carry out the promises which have been made,let us hope that hughes and co. will not allow such a badge of shame to be imposed upon our sunny australia.i don,t think this war will ever be won on the battlefield but will end as it begun, over a scrap of paper.russia in-action seems to have destroyed what we hoped for. if the yanks can fight as well as they can talk, we must expect big things from them.well dear father, i can quite understand what a trying time the fathers,mothers and wives are having and i am pleased to know that you are all standing the strain so nobly.in reference to that raid where sergt jack angus mentioned my name it is quite true that i took the first prisoner and jack put in a report about the work i did on that occasion.but i was not lucky enough to win one of the medals that was issued nor did i expect one.they always picked me when there was a raiding party going over the top and i have had some dreadful experiences. the worst of these was on may 27,when bert sutton was wounded and fred moore and several kerang boys killed. two hundred of us went over the top and only 47 of us returned.it was hell on earth.i was one of the first 20 out of our division to be sent to boulogne for a rest early in may.i am surprised at geo. miller putting on the khaki.we do not want married men with families to leave australia. their time has not come yet. i quite believe that dick makeham is a prisoner.i was talking to him a few hours before he was reported missing.he was on a lewis gun post and his team had only relieved us a short time when fritz raided them and succeeded in entering their trench.i was one of the reinforcements that went to their assistance. i saw in the anzac bulletin where a.n. barnes of womboota n.w.s had died of wounds on 27th may..it is evidently arthur, but i did not know he was here.you were fortunate getting water in the autumn and it will be a great help to the lambs.i read in an english paper sometime ago where you had floods in victoria. the mice must have played havoc with your wheat.i saw a picture in an australian paper a few days ago showing one nights catch on lacilles which amounted to 2 tons of mice. well dad i have too go, god bless jack
written in 1917 by pte. jack slattery yando victoria australia
tinpan[pics tomorrow]
received your very welcome and interesting letter 3rd of june about a week ago and today i received some mail from australia to the 24th of june from yando. i am glad to know that you are carrying on the farm work in such a cheerfull spirit.i am sure you must be kept busy.i am sorry to say that my health is not too good and will take a lot of building up before i am fit to return to trench life again. the gas seems to have upset all my orgins of my body and i am doing a lot of silent suffering. they have classed me as fit for active sercice again, but if sent to the front in my present state of health i would only be a burden to my battalion and if unfortunate to come in contact with gas again it would be the end of me for i cannot breathe properly in the helmet. i am quite willing to go out and do a bit more, but it does seem ridiculous to send the likes of me back when there are thousands of our boys with cushy jobs in england who mit go and do a bit. they can tell more about the trenches than those who have experienced them. i am going to have a thorough examination before they send me back. last news from joe on the 8th inst he was well and cheerful and said they were having a very easy time. he been shining at cricket.have not heard from les for over a month and can find on trace of him.we are nearly at the end of august and i don,t think theres been one fine day.the crops here have suffered severely and i read in the morning,s paper that much of the corn is under water or floating in the fields.its bad news these times, for all the wheat is needed. the war-bread we get here is very poor stuff.how i could enjoy some australian bread and butter. well dad i was very pleased to hear the result of the federal election, and my vote helped bring about such a result i registered my vote at armentieres in france,under shell fire. i, like yourself, am surprised at the many our boys voting for the caucus party but they had the impression-as they had when the referendum was before us last year-that if no re-inforcements were forthcoming the men here would be recalled.one does hear some silly arguments here.poor billy hughes gets pulled about' some' by a few who say 'wait till the soldiers get back and put labour back in power again. i have not received any papers that you sent me with election reports.they must have gone with my parcels,where ever they might be. its over 12 months since i left victoria and i have had one parcel from griffin brothers and one from millie.so it is quite a time they ceased sending.well a little more political news. the outcome of the elections shows that the spirit of australia is sound, and the majority of people are concerned 'they will sacrifice all that is necessary to sustain australias part in the war and it,s obligations to the troops that have gone.it is now the duty of the government to give this full effect. it obtained the confidence of the people by its ' out to win the war'policy, and unless it is prepared to justify this assurance the trust reposed in it will quickly be withdrawn. the steps which are essential to make australia,s share in the war effective must be taken immediately, yet, as far as we know over here nothing has be done..we all know that voluntary enlistment has proved quite inadequate.surely the good name our brave boys have won for australia is not going to be lost because we cannot get men to fill the ranks. theres is no braver man on god,s earth than the bred and born australian. they have proved themselves to be such.they are put in front in nearly every advance and when they take a position.they never retire. the latest troops from home have not been up to standard they should be.theres to many old men and boys.anyone under 21 or over 40 do not stand hardship.we have got into such a state for re-inforcements that i believe the 6th division are being cut up to reinforce the other five. the government is faced with the choice between alternatives,either it must again consider the problem of conscription or it must admit that australia is unable or unwilling to carry out the promises which have been made,let us hope that hughes and co. will not allow such a badge of shame to be imposed upon our sunny australia.i don,t think this war will ever be won on the battlefield but will end as it begun, over a scrap of paper.russia in-action seems to have destroyed what we hoped for. if the yanks can fight as well as they can talk, we must expect big things from them.well dear father, i can quite understand what a trying time the fathers,mothers and wives are having and i am pleased to know that you are all standing the strain so nobly.in reference to that raid where sergt jack angus mentioned my name it is quite true that i took the first prisoner and jack put in a report about the work i did on that occasion.but i was not lucky enough to win one of the medals that was issued nor did i expect one.they always picked me when there was a raiding party going over the top and i have had some dreadful experiences. the worst of these was on may 27,when bert sutton was wounded and fred moore and several kerang boys killed. two hundred of us went over the top and only 47 of us returned.it was hell on earth.i was one of the first 20 out of our division to be sent to boulogne for a rest early in may.i am surprised at geo. miller putting on the khaki.we do not want married men with families to leave australia. their time has not come yet. i quite believe that dick makeham is a prisoner.i was talking to him a few hours before he was reported missing.he was on a lewis gun post and his team had only relieved us a short time when fritz raided them and succeeded in entering their trench.i was one of the reinforcements that went to their assistance. i saw in the anzac bulletin where a.n. barnes of womboota n.w.s had died of wounds on 27th may..it is evidently arthur, but i did not know he was here.you were fortunate getting water in the autumn and it will be a great help to the lambs.i read in an english paper sometime ago where you had floods in victoria. the mice must have played havoc with your wheat.i saw a picture in an australian paper a few days ago showing one nights catch on lacilles which amounted to 2 tons of mice. well dad i have too go, god bless jack
written in 1917 by pte. jack slattery yando victoria australia
tinpan[pics tomorrow]
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Amazing story,thanks for posting it.
