Arndell Neil Lewis

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About the author of this site: Hi, my name is Fleur and Arndell Neil Lewis is my great uncle. I am Hubert Lewis’s (his brother) youngest grandchild. I am wanting to share Arndell’s his letters home from WWI and other important documents and parts of his life (before and after) including amazing artifacts from the front lines. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to know more or have information about Arndell you’d like to share.

  • Short letters home – 8th & 9th March 1917

                                                                                                                                             At sea again
                                                                                                                                             Thursday
                                                                              (pencilled in later: After leaving Durban posted Cape Town)
                                                                                                                            (pencilled in later: 8th March 1917)

    Dear Mum,

               Last letter I wrote was written just before we were going into port (Durban). I found I couldnt write from shore so sent a little book of views without any names etc. to show where we were. I couldnt wire, No soldiers were allowed to. I believe Miss Paramore got one through as Miss Allan knew the censor. All letters posted on shore were censored & all civilian letters are censored. You mustnt expect any wires atall. I dont know whether we will even be able to send one. All letters from this part of the world are kept for a month or so. We have done a record trip so far & are a day ahead of time. You have no idea of the care they are keeping taking. False sailing notices, slippering Slipping out by dark etc. we feel very safe now, and very important. Still “Nurse” (escort) as we call her is rather a nuisance. She has to be saluted when ever she passes but everyone standing to attention round the decks.

    Please excuse this writing, I have left my fountain pen down stairs and this is a mid Victorian with chopsticks.

    We got into port on Tuesday. There was no land in sight when we went down to breakfast. When we came up a slight mist lifted and we saw ourselfs only about ten miles from a very high grand coast. Think of comming coming across the water for a three fortnight and striking the exact place not a yard out. There was no excitement atall when land was hove in sight. I suppose because everyone realised gradually that land was quite close. When we sighted a little bit of Australia after having being out of sight of land for about two day although only a speck in the sea everyone went mad with excitement. It wasnt a very warm day, when we and the sea was quite calm. As we got closer we could see the land rose from beaches very sharply into very rugged hills about 2000ft high, everything looking very green and well cultivated. The harbour is in dredged river The mouth of which is sheltered by a breakwater running a running out from a high green headland with a very big light on the top.

    You run nearly a mile up the a river, like the Yarra except there were very few ships there, at the top is quite a large turning basin. There is just one very wharf running along one side. It has some huge crains all along it. The centre of the town I about two miles from what they called the docks. We were alongside by 11. At 1.30 everyone was en disembarked. We couldnt be given leave that night from the wharf as it would upset the traffic too much so were marched up to the city, about 2 miles. It was a very hot, muggy day, a typical Sydney day in Summer. We w had all had enough by the time we were finished. The first thing that struck me was the tremendous number of natives there. I afterwards learnt there were three times as many blacks as whites. There are ricshaws everywhere.

    Friday (9.3.17)

    Thousands of them and the men dressed most wonderfully, with huge bufflow horns. And a big headdress of feathers. Their clothes are most brif brilliant & any parts of their bodies showing are painted in wonderful designs, real nightmares. They run with a most peculuar stride wabbing from side to side nearly enough to make you sick. They have The Ricshaws have a little wheel behind and every-now and then the man will rest by kicking you right back onto this wheel and himself going up with the shafts and resting there while the whole concern runs along. One of the first things I saw after dismissal was nine of our men in three ricshaws, they are only built for one, having a race down the main Street, the men all whipping their men as hard as they could with riding whips.

    Please visit Australian Army Museum of Western Australia to see a photo of one of the rickshaws Arndell mentions – click link here

    I wouldnt like [word scribbled out] (nearly a mistake) their the climate there from the specimen we got. It was the first day to I got had unpacked my drills. Yesterday was very hot too but this morning is quite chilly again. The town is not by any means large (Durban). The European population is only about 30 000. It has here and there buildings as fine as any in Melbourne but the streets on the whole are about the standard of Liverpool street. Everything looks dingy and dirty and most buildings are made of either concrete or red brick. The town is built on the edge of the harbo harbour which is really the a saltwater estuary to a river. There is a fairly high ridge or bank running along the shore. and Above that it is level for about a mile. Most of the town is built there. Behind that the hills rise very ha sharply like upper Davey Street. And the The residential quarters are all up in that part and have a splendid view everywhere.

    I have never seen a place built quite like that one. It is what I should immagine Colombo is like, a real tropical town. The people there live as if they were in a hot climate and not like Sydney. The vegitation is the first thing that strikes you. Palms everywhere, along the streets in gardens etc. There The chief tree is a very big bush one like a big Morton Bay Fig with very large light green leaves. The vegitation looks more like New Zealand than Australia. In the centre of the town is a little Square nearly as big as Franklin Square, on one side is a tremendous block of buildings. You will see it in the books of views I sent you. It is four times as big as the Equitable in Melbourne, to much larger in every way than any building in Australia, built Bu of stone halfway up with a concrete to top. On the other side is the post office, not a wonderful building, the Military headquarters, and other large buildings.

    Oh. bye the way that big building contains is all the Administrative offices town hall, printers etc. on a third side is the Municipal Swimming bath, like the one at Christchurch (to be continued)

    This letter is getting too big so will start another envelope it doesnt cost anything.

    Letter continued – Friday

    But what is so peculuar about to the place is the way the buildings ha are designed. Everything, shops, hotels & houses are built as long low bungaloes. They are largely made like arcades with little gardens all round. To The shops are mostly like shops in an arcade but the arcades are beautiful all paved w with coloured slabs in designs and supported by columns of different shapes. Th No roofs are of glass, usually tyles and mostly very low so you can almost touch them.

    The houses are all long low buildings with flat roofs and very wide verandahs all round, and all ways plenty of pillars. All the houses are built either of white stone or red brik & white bricks. The teers of wht white houses, set in beautiful gardens and lawns back on the side of the hills look very pretty. They have a few tram lines there, double deck trams like ours, except not so large. We

    We marched up to the Post Office and dismissed there. Everyone was pretty tired then. All hotels were cl closed to soldiers without a permit. Only officers got a permit. I will send it back to you when I have finished with it, a weird & wonderful blue pap card half English half Dutch like all their placards stating that I. me Could be sold one drink at a respectable pub, and no more than one & none if not sober & I had to consume it on the premices, etc. etc. There were The civil police looked to the carrying out of the regulations and not a single soldier was drunk. It was really a splendid thing and should be done in Australia.

    In their camps they have wet canteens under proper Supervision & no soldier is allowed to get drink except there. It works wonderfully well. After the march must of us went to leave our cards, (words scribbled out) on the —– club which had invited us all to make use of its buildings. We got some “light refreshment”. It is a most beautiful place, right in the centre of the city. You reach it by means of a long succession of low pretty arcades with gardens down the centre & offices off them. The club was more like a big rambling stone var verandah than a building, and had a succession of stone terraces right down to the shore. After going there, about 3PM. Three of us hired a car and went for a run round the town for an hour. Then I a did a little shoppingg Shopping. There was very little I wanted, some bootpolish, metal polish, a lot of foolscap & writing paper & ink that was all. I found a very nice tea room & had 2 iced coffee & one iced fruit salad. The shops shut at 5 there. I then went round the town a little, saw the cathedral, a very small but pretty building.

    I had to take the patrol in the evening but that entailed about as much work as City Patrol in Melbourne, but it came on to rain a little which made things still more unpleasantly n muggy. In the evening I had dinner with the Heritages & Clarkes at a rather nice hotel. I have never seen a building like it before. It was a succession of long wide verandahs covering as much ground as our garden. All the waiters were Indians of whom there are a number in the place. I spent the rest of the evening wandering about. There wasnt a single case of anything wrong in any way. The men behaved perfectly. At 11 those who to hadnt gone back to the boat had to fall in & were marched back. I followed with the patrol about half anhour later. There were no men on shore after 12.30.

    The ship was wro rotten that night, sealed against coal & as hot as possible. I was orderly officer and so didnt bother going to bed. I curled up in a rug on deck so as to be at hand in case of any trouble between the soldiers and the blacks who were on board in hundreds working. The noise was something awful, coaling on two sides & all our own crains loading coal into the holds, blacks screaming or sh singing all night & a train ala along side on the wharf taking a delight in runn seeing if how many times it could run up & down that bit of wharf and how many times it could whistle when as it did so.

    There were hordes of natives working at the coal the whole time we were there, yelling & singing, and making a hideous row. On. Next It was funny watching on the bossed, making them work. These were natives dressed something like a policeman with a pill-box on & a lot of buttons & medals all over. These would lay into men every now and then with a shamboe. I have always heard that Zulos & Kaffas were well built men but these we saw were very small, like Japanese, strong but very few taler than about 5 ft 6. They are just blacks from the back country. They come down quite voluntarly & get work for about a month then return to the Kralls till they have Spent all their money. They don live in quarters outside the town boundary.

    On Wednesday it was raining hard. We had planned a route march in the morning as the authorities requested that no leave be given before 2.30. but we had to postpone it. The ship was to sail it 6P.M. so no leave could be given. It stopped raining in the afternoon and then men were taken for a march for about three hours. I was still orderly officer so I co didnt go, and wasnt very sorry. The orderly officer at a port has a rotten time, All running about & fixing things up. Orderly officer on bore board is not a job to be chased after not the soft thing it used to be in camp. To be continued.

    Sorry something has gone wrong & I have forgotten how to stop this.

    Friday
    Letter continued
    (pencilled in later: 9.3.17 between Durban & Cape Town posted at Cape Town)

    We slipped out just after dark, all lights out, no smoking on deck after 7P.M. All ports blackened. Only a couple of lights in the passages and salons and, no lights near doors.

    We are running along nicely again and expect to be ashore again tomorrow. Then no more ports, at any rate I hope not. The biggest trouble of the whole trip. I don’t know any more. No one works very hard to day on board and I dont think there is much to growl at. The men havnt yet got quite too bored. I dont think they ought to be atall unless we are delayed.

    We are half way there now probably and havnt touched on half our subject matter. To-day the men are having a washing parade as it is the last time day washing can be done in fresh water as we are to be placed of on a ration of water of one gallon per man per day in case of emmergencies. There is always something to take of interest. Rumours spread like wild fire around the ship and everyone increases it them until they become quite amusing. One day we sighted a speck on the horizon & of course it was at once put down as, “the” submarine, it is always the, su someone got glasses & spoilt it by finding that it had sails. But it didnt take long to explain that as it was Monday that was only the washing hanging out on the periscope. Every boat is “the raider”. We have past several and always speak of them as raiders. Today a speck appeared on the horizon and someone was looking at through a strong teliscope. Just then Mr. Clarke came up & asked Mrs. Clarke if who was sitting there if she had seen his identity disc which he had mislayed. She hadnt and he jus had just said “I wonder what I shall do” when the officer who had the teliscope said turned around & said “Dont worry old chap she is only a hospital ship I can see the big red cross”. But we feel we quite safe and awfully important when we pass another ship.

    We overhauled the hospital ship at dinner time, quite a big one with Tommys Tommies on board. We parade with liftbelts and waterbottles daily always, not because it is necessary but because to decrease the numbers of men who would have to run about the decks & ladders in case of accident. With the large numbers of men we must have it is necssay necessary to keep stairs, passages & decks a clear as possible. A good deal of fun has been caused by this washing parade. I dont suppose any of the men have ever washed (clothes) before. The popular was is to tie a long string bit of string and throw it overboard for a a couple of hours. Then put it under a shower bath. Some men are develloping into real washerwomen, and quite a lot are paying more extravigant mates to do their own washing. All the ladies are being dropped to-morrow and there will be wailing & gnashing of teeth. Ev Some people are very sad even now. I havnt seen much of any of them. Mrs. Clarke will be back in Australia I suppose as soon as this. I think all the rest are staying, for some time at anyrate. I must endeavour to put on the brake now or will be running over the edge & missing the mail, which closed 6 hours ago, but I know the censor.

    I may write again but I hardly think I will be able to get it censored & into the bag. You certainly wont get any telegrams. If I am ashore & the shops are open I will send something to show where I am.

    It is a long time since I heard from you.

                                                               Arndell.

    (written on board R.M.S. Osterley)

  • Short letters home – 5th March 1917

                                                                                                                                               Near land.
                                                                                                                                               Monday evening.
                                                                                                                                               (5.3.1917)

    Dear Mum,

               Just a very brief note before we get to shore. We expect to be about noon to-morrow and it will be rather nice to have a stretch. Ver Unfortunately I am on orderly officer from 6.30P.M. to morrow night. I have been most horribly busy to-day & even for the last few days. To day we paid. It was a very hard days work & I feel as if I would like to lie down on the deck & go to sleep. We had to start the pay books, and I had been working for the last two days on ammounts, pay sheets & acquittance rolls besides parades. & when we were finished I gave the padres a hand censoring for two hours. We will have a trying day to-morrow too I expect. Yesterday we were at dinner, up to then the we had had for a fortnight a regular pitch, & suddenly that changed to a roll, most marked. Everyone said at once, we have changed at last. & we from then we have been running at right angles to our former course.

    You cant expect much news from me yet I havnt time. Things may get better later on. I will wire tomorrow & also try to write again but I dont know what luck I will have.

    Good night at present

                                               Arndell.

    (written on board R.M.S. Osterley)

  • Short letters home – 2nd March 1917

                                                                                                                                               Friday
                                                                                                                                               (2.3.1917)

    Dear Mum,

               We are still pushing ahead, and still no nearer anything. I had no idea before there was so much water in the world. We are having a delightful trip. One day about Monday or Tuesday it was a little rough but absolutely nothing to speak of. Since then there hasnt been a single ripple. For the last three days the sea a has been quite like oil. Just an almost imperceplable swell. This boat is very steady and absolutely no vibration. You said at first to take care of the ladies but I believe we have ladies on board but I havnt had time to look yet and I am quite sure most of them havnt stired from their cabins.

    Mrs Clarke is hardly ever up. I have a tremendous amount of work to do, but it is very nice and just fits in and fills in the line time. I havnt had time to start any books yet, but I must say I dont feel wonderfully energetic. The parades take up most of the day and there is often quite a lot of routine work to be done some days there will be enough to keep me off parade for on an hour or so and other days very little atall. I spend a good deal of time reading up notes & work. In the evening we usually have either concerts, etc, band, lectures on various interesting subjects by the Captain, or a Mr Gullett the war corespondent who is on board or by a Y.M.C.A. organiser who was 2 years in Egypt & Suez. The Col. gave us a talk on the taking of German New Gunney Ginney Guiney, a or something of that sort. The whole ship is in darkness & has been since we left Australia. All ports screened at night, deck lights either out or painted black. The boats have all been overhauled and swung out and provisioned, but of course we dont expect anything for a time yet. One of these days when it is perfectly smothe we will do some real boat drill, getting into & lowering the boats. We expect to be in the next port bout next Wednesday, (pencilled 7.3.17) exactly three weeks, from embarkation, and a fortnight from Australia. We havnt a quarter run through our available supply of lectures although the other units are almost altogether run out. That note book I was writing has been a perfect godsend to me. I thought so.

    We have seen absolutely nothing since we left civilisation. Not a boat of any kind. Occasionally a solitary albatros looks at us but we see very few of them. We ran through a small school of flying fish yesterday. They were being chased by some huge sharks and were in a hurry. In the last few days we have seen some huge schools of porporses but they dont go with us, We appear too fast for them and they soon drop behind.

    One thing that surprised me was l was the little sun shine. I dont think we have seen the sun for more than an hour since leaving Australia. but one of the ships officers told me it is always like this down here. It is still very cold & not comfortable after 4 oclock without a coat, and this is summer. The men are all in good spirits and quite happy. The food for the men is perfect. Butter however is rather short throughout the whole ship & both the troop decks & the saloon is only allowed it for breakfast.

    After leaving (I nearly forgot) (word scribbled out) think we will have to be careful of fresh water. We may be two months out. One gallon per day per man is to be the ration. Also water bottles are to be kept filled as in case of emergency. We have had no ‘crimes’, except one man overstaying leave at the last port.

    And there has been no serious sickness on board except bruze bruised shins, knees, & hands, and we had one man broke his wrist this morning. He fell slipped on the deck, but it is not a bad break. A seasick man is taken as a huge joke. I heard of one case of a man who was awfully ill in the troop deck one night. He was a making a terrible noise & was having a bad time. Someone suggested that he was dying and should be taken up to the doctor, but all the sympathy he got was a sleepy voice saying “well let him die & perhaps he wont make so much noise.” They are really like a huge lot of big children, and are our lot are far and away the best in every way on board.

    I will finish now as the censor has asked for the letters as soon as possible & wants letters in instalments. I will write again

                                                               Arndell.

    (written on board R.M.S. Osterley)

  • Short letters home – 24th February 1917

    note at the top of the letter:                                                                                                    1st Saturday out.
    Return soon please don’t loose these                                                                                 (24th Feb 1917)

    Dear Mum,

               This is the second weekend since we left Melbourne and the time has absolutely flown. I havnt yet had a moments spare time. And havnt started any books atall. I got your wire and later your letter at our last stop (Freemantle). We had really a lovely time there. I suppose you saw the place when you were through. We were alongside by 2 and all off by 3.P.M. Leave was granted till 8P.M. not very much but a better than nothing. I had to go ashore with the men & see them into the train & then come back & dress. I got out my new suit. There is a train every ½ hour & it only takes 35 mins. to run up to the city. A very pretty place. I got a car & went round a bit, got some stationary, & went to Govt. House, but the Governor & Lady Barren were out. I saw an aide. They had asked me to stay to dinner at 8, but that was impossible as we even if I had asked for leave we were to leave at midnight & I couldnt have got back. They leave this week.

    I saw all round and had dinner at the Savoy Hotel with Miss Paramore & Co. A rather nice new place. We got a car & ran down the river to the steamer at about 40 miles an hour along a very pretty & good road. We didnt get off at midnight owing to the lumpers refusing to work overtime. In the morning we went for a route march for an hour round the port. Just at noon as we were going wireless was received that all lady passengers for England were to be put off. You can imagine the commotion. Everyone was howling at everyone else. The captain was beset by ladies all talking as hard as they could. We had to stop and then the question was raised as to whether those ladies could go to Cape Town & whether it ment meant all ladies or only those booked to England – quite a lot including Mrs. Heritage. They had to cable to England for authority. and it was 5 before we received word back. Any ladies were allowed to go to the Cape but a lot went ashore of their own accord. It was quite late when we got away about 6.30. It was blowing outside but not very rough. By that time I had quite got my sea legs and now I dont care how rough it wa is. I dont feel it atall. The next day it was like a mill pond, no wind or swell, and yesterday even smother.

    Thismorn morning it was raining hard and pretty rough. The rain cleared off by breakfast time but the old tub is rolling & pitching a good deal.

    I fe dont feel it in the slightest except you cant walk or stand straight. We have only two men really seasick. They have been sent to hospital. We have very little sickness on board. The weather is most extremely cold. Even in the sun you must wear a coat to be comfortable if you are not moving about, & we I let all the men wear coats on parade when not doing “jerks”, if they want to.

    We are all having a most enjoyable time. The work drill is not very strenous but fills in time and leaves the men plenty of time for games etc. The ship is very crowded. I go on parade as often as I can which is usually only in the morn afternoon. & do the “administration” work in after hours. We are seriously inconvenienced by not having an office. I am far too frightened to open unpack my trunk. All the few drawers are full of papers.

    The troops are all wonderfully fed and that compensates for everything else. We have very good fruit for everyone on board & plenty of it. The saloon has some lovely fresh figs. I have eaten plates of them. I have never seen better or nicer ones.

    Everyone is jumpy this afternoon. We are going to have an alarm & everyone to fall in at boat stations in lifebelts, & passengers included. It is a nuisance as we cant sleep till it is over. All waterbottles have to be kept full, and all the boats have been inspected & provisioned. There will bea a certain amount of confusion at first but with frequent drills we ought to get better.

    It must come soon so I will get down stairs to be ready.

    I will write again.

                                               Arndell.

    (written on board the R.M.S. Osterley)

  • Short letters home – 19th February 1917

                                                                                                                               Near Land
                                                                                                                               (Near Freemantle 19.2.17)

    Dear Mum,

               I couldnt write much last night.

    I havnt had a second to my self yet. I went to bed early last night & hadnt finished all I should have done. We are another day on our way. This morning was fairly smothe but still a good swell. At dinner time we ran into squalls with a good deal of flying Spray which made everything damp. It is still howling but not so very much rougher than before. We sighted land about midday first just near where the first contingent got to, and have been about 20 miles out since. A very wild rocky coast with tremendous breakers.

    The men have been much happier to day. They are getting better. This evening was the first time since the last call stopping place that we have seen any life on board. All the ladies have been down. I have felt quite well and not been able to work as usual, which is a good thing. I am pretty if used to the ship now & last night got right from the rear hold, by the bunkers & store rooms to the fore hold, in the dark. It is quite a job to not to get down a wrong ladder or not to go in the wrong direction. We hope to get in at 2P.M. to-morrow and to get a little leave. There are several things I want but nothing much. We are just about settled down now and properly organised and will start on serious training after we start again.

    I dont havnt been on in through a whole parade yet. Just one continued run up & down stairs, writing notes & forgetting things. The C.O. is awfully decent, not atall standoffish but very strict. He has all the officers up nearly every day. One day he said he de oughtnt to have to teach officers to be gentlemen but if things didnt improve he would have to. What the noise about was one officer wearing dirty white shoes & a waxed mostache at Mess.

    I cant wait any longer I will write a line tomorrow

                                                                               Arndell.

    (written on board the R.M.S. “Osterley”)

  • Short letters home – 18th February 1917

                                                                                                                               Right out.
                                                                                                                               (18th February 1917)

    Dear Mum,

               I havnt had very much time so far for writing. I sent a letter from our last port of call. We were alongside by day light. We had first parade and a full dress parade at 9. It was a most uninteresting place and very hot and as were we were due to sail at 3P.M. Leave could not be granted. We went ashore fr about 10 and went for a march till 12 along a most uninteresting road. We were back about 12 and were alowed to break off for an hour on the wharf. There were quite a lot of people down. We had 45 South Australians and they all had their families. We were rather late leaving, it being 5.30 before we left. We were out of sight of land in an hour and havnt seen it since. I have still got a good deal of work to do. We had half of yesterday and all to-day off. This part has a bad name but not it isnt as bad as I thought ¾ of the men are out of action. Yesterday morning was very smothe and the men had a lovely dinner of ros roast pork & plum pudding etc. They Our troop-deck gave the cooks three cheers. By the evening it had become quite rough and at tea-time they counted the cooks out for the pork & plum pudding. We have had a fair sea since about 4 yesterday. Just a steady pitch. Not what you could call rough but enough to turn you up in time. Some of the men are very ill and most are quite quiet. All the padres were out this morning and we could have no regular church parade but a y voluntary service was conducted by “Mr Y.M.C.A.

    At the last port of call they fixed up a large canvas ventilator from the top of the aft mast to our troop deck. It has been quit a tremendous improvement. Our deck is quite clean. If men are fel felling sick they can usually get to the next troop deck above before accidents happen. You should hear the cheers & yells when anyone is sick. More or less well ones will get two y very far gone ones & stand them up together and have bets as to which one is sick first. Even those who are bad are getting plenty of fun ought out of it. It is still rough and not as easy as it might be to write.

    Will write again later

                                               Arndell.

    (written on board the R.M.S. “Osterley”)

  • Battle of Broodsiende – 1917 – part five (Anzac Ridge, November)

    I am getting through this very slowly and I dont think somehow it will get finished.

    There is one man who deserves great praise for work between in October & that is General Birdwood. He got a very bad name indeed especially with the infantry because he allowed the Australians to be pushed in time after time while on single English unit made the slightest attempt to do their bit. When Birdwood brough in the 1st Anzac Corps and took over the chief most important portion of the front, everything was at a standstill. After the Capture of Pologon Wood the heavies were too far back & being English cowards werent keen on moving forward. The light railway people when wanted to push their lines forward just sat back and said impossible. Birdwood connected up his office with the head light railway officer by phone & wouldnt let him rest for a moment. Before a year that officer had never been seen outside Poperinghe – except when it was shelled –  Birdwood so worried him that he went up forward daily. He worried everyone until they had to move their old stove pipes forward & it was his energy that enable us to hang on.

    Our drivers were wonderful. Every day along those roads. Our men worked without any supervision. They were told so many trips to the battery and every man did his whole trips. We used to allow them to choose their own time & work together in pairs. Each driver filled up the first time at the dump and then as long as he delivered his loads no questions were asked as to where he got it. There was so much lying about that sufficient could be salved. In this way we saved many casualties. Now the Tommy or Royal Artillery discovered something in some Antideluvian drill book. They used to form up in parties of 40 or 50 and proceed to cart ammunition. They always used to have an officer in rear to see they all did their work properly but as soon as a shell would come near the officer would vanish & very soon all those Royal drivers would be all over the country, mostly on foot with ammunition going everywhere. Our diggers used to follow these parties & as soon as that happened as it did every time we got the ammunition. Drivers to my knowledge the driver of this battery being pushed for time got wedged in the traffic behind some Tommy ammunition waggons. They had emptied pack & just opened the back of the Tommies waggons & filled up their packs. The Tommies would have arrived through the barrage with empty waggons, hurray. Once a Tommy battery had evacuated their position as they were being shelled – the cowards – about 50 of our drivers passed on their way back for more ammo, saw the opportunity & took it & when that battery returned – they should never have gone away, most of their ammunition was gone. Good oh.

    I have seen a body of diggers arrive at full gallop & pinch ammunition from a battery in action. The greatest recorse was shown but our drivers and we were certain that all we had to say was so many round wanted before such a time and every round was there before that time. We had great difficulty in getting stores, sandbags camouflage etc. The Tommies used to be able to get so much that they did not know what to do with it all. We used to relieve their minds of the strain – We always got what we wanted although the Tommy authorities wouldnt give it to us. But up to date we have never pinched a Tommy battieries guns or men – unlawfully. That is an honour to come.

    I was only down at the waggon line a few hours when we heard of the decision of the heads that the 1st DA was to weak physically & numerically to remain in action. And it was decided to keep only one brigade in the line. Our brigade was to be pulled out to Dickiebusch for a fortnights spell, and then was to go back and releive the 2nd brigade. The next day the battery pulled out. It was a wonderful relief to everyone to know that there was no one up there but Dickiebusch was not place for a rest, it was nearly as bad as forward although we were lucky in having several nights of very bad weather. But everyone was done. In the three months fighting the battery lost two majors two captains 17 lieutenants and 319 others. When we pulled out there were for NCO the OMS two corporals just back from hospital and three bombardiers. Not an officer or NCO could speak a word or walk half a mile owing to gas. We were up to strength in horses & had about two horses to every man including NCO & gunners & had to mount gunners in the teams to move. After a few days at Dickiebusch we got the glorious news that the Corps was being pulled out. That meant we would go back for another spell. As we were half out we had to move first and got orders to at daylight next morning. That was the 14th November. The two brigades went into Dickiebusch in the 27th July virtually as they left Australia in 1914. They came out in November as completely changed as if they had gone back to Australia been discharged and re recruited.

    Only one battery Commander – Major Selmes DSO and two lieutenants of all the officers who went in with the Division marched out again. The infantry had a rough time too, but they as They had heavier casualties at Posieres & Bullecourt but they disliked the Ypres Stunts more, chiefly because they scarcely saw a Hun the whole time and because we knew so well that the German casualties were so small as to be almost neglig nil. We were beaten out and out, the biggest set back the British troops have had in their war. Far worse than the failure to gain any decision on the Somme.

    One of the greatest factors towards knocking the spirit out of our troops was the failure of the Air Saviour – also Fritz used gas day & night killing hundreds of thousands while we were scarcely allowed to fire a round back. A few heavies would fire 50 rounds in reply to a million rounds of all calibres rained down on us. You heard them and you still hear of our men saying, we will go through anything stick the very worst of the Germans can do it only they would let us use gas shells but even to this day our knock kneed authorities wont let us have gas shells. This has more to do with knocking out our troops than anything else. The English Governments policy is sacrifice on our own men, if we can save the lives of a few Germans. We wouldnt have had so many men going to hospital if we had had gas shell as they would have stuck anything to get some of our own back.

    All that is probably news to you.

    Another thing that had rather a depressing effect was the constant feeling that we were Australians, therefore people to live in the front line but not to be allowed into the back areas, not to be allowed to mix with the earths best. Socially inferior to all other peoples – outcasts. This is exactly how we were treated. The numerical superiority of the English enabled them to do this with ease. When you went back even only to Poperinghe – there you found the English officers but non up rear the line. They used to get special leave often & anything they should happen to want. Indeed this has been an east war for the English.

    The direct result of this struggle was the English rout on the Somme in March ’18. The official casualty lists have never been published for the scrap but I have heard on good authority that they were about 300,000 killed, and 2,000,000 wounded and more or less gassed. That may be too big a figure but I think it somewhere approaches the truth. The Germans may have lost 100,000 in total casualties. Why? Because the German command’s greatest idea is to save men. When we had one standbag to protect us from everything the Germans had all of them concrete ‘pill-box’ that would withstand any fire. When our bombardment would open they withdrew all the men they could and the rest were peacefully safe in the pill boxes. The numbe The total result was very little for us for the expeditions. You can hardly unimagine the Germans doing such a silly thing. The whole British strategy is advance within range of your guns, give the enemy time to withdraw & get ready for you then have another go. 1000 yards gain is worth to (two) million lives. No Englishman can thing (think) big.

    This is the end of the letters we have in the family’s possession.

  • Short letters home – 15th February 1917

                                                                                                                               At Sea
                                                                                                                               6P.M. Thursday 15th

    Dear Mum,

               I dont know where were are, where we will be going, what ship were are on, whether or not we have met any other ships, anything about any higher command or whether we are here or not. It seems quite funny getting away, like some mistake. It seemed quite wrong not going back to camp after the embarkation. and Yet we hardly know whether we are better off here or on a transport. The accommodation for the men is most disappointing I have been very busy so far. To give you some idea I only just now saw Edie Paramore since leaving the wharf and havnt had time for a word yet. I have a decent cabin, on the second deck just above the dining Saloon, but trem terribly small. There is another officer with me, the dentist, quite a decent sort. There is scarcely room for both our trunks. I have such a lot and a number of papers. We havnt an office but hope to get one soon, at any rate after Cape Town. I have to do all writing in saloon.

    The foo feeding in the saloon is very simple, three courses and no selection. We have mess at 7.30 each evening. The troops are right down at in the very bottom of the ship in 5th deck. It is rather stuffy & terribly crowded. There is no space atall between hammocks when slung and just sitting room at the tables. The troop decks are not fitted up atall well, they havnt kit racks and all the conveniences like that of an ordinary troop ship, but still we will shake down all right. The food for the men is excellent, and the utensils are good and everything is clean. Their menu is almost the as the Saloon and quite as good as the officers mess at Maribyrnong. We have a good parade deck ground. A quarter of the boat deck. It is airy and better than most parts and we are all together. We are very crowded in regard to deck space, and only have room to move stand. The troops have half the boat deck, and the lower deck, and the forecastle for parades.

    We did a whole days parade to-day 5 hours. It was quite good and went off well. I find I cant make my voice carry for a lecture over the whole deck occupied by our crowd, except on very still day so I will have to do every lecture twice over. I think by the time you have run from the top d Boat deck to the troop deck down 6 ladders and back again a dozen times, you have done enough jerks for the day. I have had a tremendous lot of running about so far but I suspect there things will settle go down and go ahead quietly and smoothly.

    It was very hot in Melbourne and last night and stifling down in the troop deck but it is quite chilly to-day, a lot of the men wearing cardigans. There has been a chil cool breeze all day but the water has been wonderfully smoothe. Just a gentle roll. Hardly noticable except when the men are standing to attention. Still some of the men are a little turned up and some quite sick. We wont get leave to-morrow but may go for a march. The same in a few days time. We were very rushed at the last getting off & I just missed Dad on the pier which was a pity and I didnt say good-bye to anyone. I wont have a seconds’ spare time, all the time, and have plenty to do.

    I got up half an hour too early this morning owing to the clock.

    We have been out of sight of land since this morning and before that were about 20 miles out. We saw a small whale this morning but absolutly nothing else has happened.

    I cant send love because of the pard padres who would give anyone 28 days right down below for such a thing or else take it all themselves. Most unromantic things padres, They will hear things if they ask for it.

                               Goodbye.

                                               Arndell.

    (written on board the R.M.S. “Osterley” using it’s paper)


    Note on the back of the letter:

  • Short letters home – 13th February 1917

                                                                                                                                                      13th February 1917

    My Dear Mum,

               Thanks for your wire which I received this morning. I have very little to say. It was very hot to –day and yesterday. To day was as hot as any day I have ever experienced and we had to parade in all equipment and even rolled coats. When we were finished the perspiration was right through my tunic.

    It is a terribly close night. And I suppose it will be hot to-morrow. Dad is out here now and there is a concert in progress. I was down there for a little but came back just now. I have had two rather trying days and am feeling rather tired. I wont get more than a couple of hours sleep to-night but I expect I will make it up on the boat, although there will be a lot of things to fix up. We have revelli reveillie at 4A.M. and leave camp at 6.30. I hear the boat is not expected to get off till 3P.M.

    I will write as I have time. Good bye for the present with much love & kisses.

                                                               Arndell.

    (written on paper from Officers’ Mess, A.I.F. Artillery Camp. Maribyrnong, Victoria)

  • Battle of Broodsiende – 1917 – part four (Anzac Ridge, November)

    The road down from Anzac Ridge was a sight that I dont suppose you could see anywhere else in the world. For three miles you could hardly find a space to step off the road without stepping on at least one dead horse. That is a literal fact. In places there were half a dozen deep, muddled up with them were smashed & whole waggons, ammunition waggons, every assortment of gun from 18prs to 9.2 hows. All more or less smashed & pushed off the road. Millions of rounds of every sort of ammunition. Motor engines, all kinds of stores. Everything smashed to pieces. In the wh Thousands of dead Fritz & plenty of dead Tommies but not one Australian body. Over the whole battlefield I never once saw an Australian killed & left. The Tommies seemed never to care. They were renowned for running away and leaving wounded but they made absolutely no attempt to bury their killed. Practically every Australian who was killed forward were taken to a rear cemetry but every one with whom that was impossible was buried decently & a nice cross erected by his mates. The English appear to have no feelings in matters like that. It was most noticeable.  When under the worst fire on Anzac Ridge I got a letter from Bruce saying that his unit – the 58th Brigade R.F.A. who had only been in a fortnight were pulled out to enable all the officers to attend a big sports meeting at Poperinghe. (Poperinghe was a major logistics and recreation hub behind the Ypres Salient, where various sports meetings and divisional horse shows were regularly organized to maintain troop morale and physical fitness. These events were a common feature of life behind the lines, encouraged by military authorities as a break from the front-line horrors) One of our battalions had done 8 days in the line & had a severe time. They were compelled to stay in another day to enable a certain battalion of the 29th Division to attend these races. I believe there were Tommy officers from every part of the front there, come out of action, left their jobs, – deserted to attend these wretched sports – and then we wonder why the English are hungry because the Germans still have the channel ports. These English think of nothing but sport, racing hunting cricket etc. It seems to me that Australia is the only country that habitually puts work before sport.

    When we got into action I went up to the posy. We had a rather rough walk up but got there all right. For the next week the Canadians were going for Passchendaele. It is a great pity that we couldnt do it but the Australian Corps was done. In spite of that we would have done it but the Canadians were fresher, and there are some rather kind people somewhere who thought that it was the complete annilation of the A.I.F. should not be carried out at that time, in spite of that happening being the highest ambition of the English staff. The Australian Corps were on the right of the Canadian Corps and were advancing each day to support and conform to the Canadian advances.

    For about a week there was a scrap nearly every day. The Artillery barrages used to be good to listen too. On Anzac Ridge we were in front of practically all the guns and to hear a barrage you should be in front of it. We has a lovely view of the country from our battery position. We could see Broodsiende, Zennebec, Passchendaele, Holhurst Forest (Houthulst Forest), Proven, Poperinghe, Ypres and Pologon Wood. The whole country was shellholes and in every shellhole there was a gun. Flashes seemed almost continuous. The noise was so great that it was almost impossible when controlling the battery to hear your own guns go off. But you have seen good descriptions of all this. The other side was not so nice. That is when the Germans did the shelling. Every night for the whole hours of darkness we were shelled with 77mm gas shells, plentifully mixed with 4.2 H.E. At dusk regularly you would hear the pop pop pop of the Yellow Cross gas shells – Mustard gas, probably the worst of the lot, sometimes near, some times well away – 100 yards -.

    Occasionally he treated us to 8in & 11in but most of the bigger stuff went back behind Westhoec. For a few hours during the day he wouldnt shell us but not often. In those days if he wasnt putting the shells right in your dugout you didnt take much notice of them. But still the continual bombardment & the continual atmosphere of gas told of on everyone. The road of course had a standing barrage always. Still it was hardly a job to be hankered after and you didnt find anyone – expect our Colonel going there for a picnic. I only took a small party – two of our telephonists up with me as people taking larger parties had had heavy casualties at times. We just took a phone, a lamp & something to eat. We left at about 4 in the afternoon because although we had to go some distance in the open to about 300 yards in the read of our front posts it was better to risk that than to walk along the duckboards in the dark & it was always considered the proper thing to do, to arrive at any place in time to let the person you were releiving get right home before dark.

    We got up all right & let the nex other people get home. There wasnt much shelling on the way up. One 77 was rather close, so close in fact that I put my foot into the hole it made in the duck board before I could stop but buried deep in the mud and did no damage to anyone.

    Right past out dugout ran the Helles Track a rough track of duck boards & planks just laid on the mud which supplied the whole Broodseinde front. At night there never stopped the continual shuffling beat of the passing parties, mostly carrying up rations & stores or going to or returning from work. No one could have lived in the country if it had not been for the mud. It deadened the force of most of the shells. The old tin hat was a great protection there as most of the pieces fell blew up in the air & fell nearly vertically. You always had a shell hole handy to get down into & you could always (?) on 50% of the shells going into a hole full of water.

    One day I went right forward to the crater in Broodseinde Ridge for divisional O.P. As we were being As the whole division was being worked as a unit only one O.P. was necessary. A great many casualties were caused getting to & from this place although when you got there we had a pill box at least 6 feet thick of solid concrete to live in.