Amy

“A” Company

No. 4 Officer Cadet Bttn.

22/4/17

Dear Amy,

I had a letter from Daisy yesterday. My letters have been coming regularly, so I am lucky.

Many of the lads have not been getting their mail. They messed it up somehow altering the address when they came here.

The weather is lovely now- haven’t seen snow for a week and it’s getting quite warm. Ice-cream carts are working the streets already and the evenings are drawing out. The place is growing pretty too.

We got our photos taken – the Australians in a group. I’ll send it and the book. I had intended getting a picture of myself to send but will wait until I get my harness on.

This course has about 15 weeks to run so I expect to be a commissioned officer. I’ve been getting through the exams OK. At first I was a bit dubious about them but am used to the work now.

I’ve been getting my teeth fixed up too while in England and as we get ten days leave when we get through looking forward to having a look around. Any of us who have been sent here from France get free railway passes too so I am thinking of looking at the map and going as far as the train goes. We got five days leave at Easter and I used it to go on top of a motor bus and went wherever it went. When they put it in the sheds I got out, went for a meal somewhere then to the theatre. It was a pretty good day. London is fine for theatres and so far as I could see is just as gay as if no war was on except there are so many military men about. The lights are fewer and shaded but people who know the city say it is just the same as it is in peacetime. I suppose there is no need for the city to be down in the dumps until it really is bad.

We have plenty of work here but it is very pleasant to take and being a schoolboy is good fun.

Socially we mix with the best people and are treated as officers and Br. officers are treated well.

They have a great reputation as gentlemen and I feel the three months or so I spend here will do me good when I go back to France. I’ll have a better trip than before although the latter part of it I hadn’t an officer over me and can manage the work all right in the Field but three months schooling will give me a lot of useful knowledge. Wearing nice clothes and gloves and seeing others work is very easy to take. We get twenty five pounds to spend on clothes when we get through. I’ve had eight pounds of it in the uniform I wear for walking out. The Tommies get fifty pounds but only draw seven shillings per day pay. We Australians get one pound a day and it’s easy to spend, too. From what I have learned we don’t get any clothes issued when we get commissioned, but our pay will clothe us. We will get 3 shillings a day Field Allowance when on active service. I think it is so we can get a few extras from the mess. In the town they ask for the address when we buy anything although we have very big pockets in our tunics it looks untidy to make ports of them.

We get put in charge of this place for the day (Acting Orderly Officer) Every cadet must salute the OO of the day. We have an old hand to go about with us to save us from being too foolish while on the job which is the inspect quarters generally, take charge of the parades attend court.

We must do the job properly, too, because if we pass a place and it’s not in order we get on the mat the next day and may get awarded no evening out – C.B (Confined to Barracks) or extra duties which maybe carrying a pack up and down on sentry when we could have been having a good time. The Orderly Officer of the day must see everyone is home when he should be.

If someone comes home late and isn’t reported AWL the Orderly Officer gets his award. (punishment?) I haven’t learned yet why it is called an award.

On parade we are taught to be in charge. Some of the lads get a wee bit more officious than is necessary for the job. A Tommy was put in charge of the Australians. He “shimied?” us up and made us do it several times. He got a stage whisper telling him not to be so foolish – which he ignored, lost his head and invited the nearest man to him to fight after the parade, got a good thrashing and lesson too and some advice from a Dinkum OO on handling men.

It’s a pretty good education taking charge in turn because if the job is handled well, all the lads want you to succeed, but if someone is foolish and fancies himself too much he gets a lesson he’ll never forget.

A favourite trick is an organised raid by a Section (12 men) against some other Sect, rooms when buddy gets heaved out of windows etc and flying water is used for ammunition. If we who are raided have caught any prisoners of the Enemy, Lord P. do the clean up under direction of the Victors by good tactics. A section awarded in recent raid got raiders trapped in passage and with fullicious fire trapped the section who had to surrender then clean up.

Love to all, Stid.

page 5 of letter from Oxford

New College Oxford

Dear Amy

This is a magnificent place. The organ is said to be the finest in the world. So is the chapel we have church. Parade once on Sunday. But here all Services through the week when we may or not go as we like. There are lots of memorial stones on the floor and walls of people dated back a long way. The windows are very fine everywhere about the College. I got a letter from you today.

Love from

Stid

No.4 Officer training Bttn.

New College, Oxford.

10/3/17

My Dear Amy

I’ve just got through my second exam. The first one I just scraped through. I had a wee bit to spare this time but I’m feeling more confidant.

I am in splendid quarters, good food and a really nice room with a fireplace. It’s a change from field work.

(???) is very nice ??? hobb??? comfortable not always ??

We have had several falls of snow but cold is not half as bad under good living conditions. I can admire it much more than under Field Service where it is Hell with a capital H. Yesterday snowflakes an inch across were falling or waddling down – very pretty. The ground gets very slippery. The kiddies make snowballs and usually take up positions at corners to throw them.

We are supposed to be officers in the making and some of our chaps see it as an insult to get a snowball thrown at them. it hurts their dignity and then they get more of them.

There are twenty six colleges in Oxford, twenty two represent the university New College. The other day we saw a picture of Sir Walter Raleigh when he was a student. Cecil Rhodes went to the same college. Students with square-shaped caps and black gowns are more common than ordinarily dressed people. Pictures of the Old Masters are here, too. They are quite familiar to me from reading “Boys’ Own Paper.”

Sunday today and all the colleges have their bells. There are some very fine chimes.

We go for a route march all day tomorrow. We don’t see much sun now. The little of England that I’ve seen is very pretty. There are some very fine gardens and lanes about. We get invitations to dinner where the butler takes our hats and sticks and kowtows so it would be very easy to feel quite big.

Love to all from Brother Stid.

No 4 Officer Cadet Bn

New College Oxford

3/3/17

Dear Amy

This is a fine place I am in now. Life is first class and clean. We get plenty of work and study and after a month I am a little more confident than I was at first at getting through but will have to work at it. They expect us to know a good lot about military things. There are so many things ??? with it. But I am not real ???

I haven’t got into good working order yet to study. It’s pretty dry learning drill movements to do them to the letter. So as to take charge of a unit. It’s learning to be M.C. for military ?? Should be where we Slope arms etc. The ?? we had a day out in the country (and open as could be found near her at “Cowley” and it was as good as a picnic. We carried packs – much lighter ones than we carry on Service but still it’s monotonous playing tin soldiers after a couple of years more or less Active Service

But buzzing about drilling I am not keen. The game is worth the candle though. So if I can get keen will be able to get through. But it seems wasting time drilling drilling day after day. I sometimes I’d be as well employed at home.

N Ogilvie is in England still drilling so he has been at it a long time without seeing action. I haven’t seen him. He can’t get leave or can I but by his letters he is sick of drill drill drill and feels he would have been much more useful had he kept at the plow of course he will probably get into action to clean up the job and may even see a lot of active service… man when get gets there. But doesn’t it show what a great experience it is to train men in war time. And there are many hundreds of thousands still training. I think England will be strong when the weather gets warm enough to go ahead (next summer). Hasn’t next summer been mentioned a lot like tomorrow. Still the war goes on. I think I will and this coming season is … will be a Godsend. 22 m the union that represents the university mentions picture galleries. There are plenty so it is a nice place to live in. Mortar board caps and gowns are much worn. Old men, women and youngsters all don them. They seem a bit quaint at first. There are lots of officer schools here too and the lawn is full of khaki. Principly cadets in skin tight uniforms. By the way I got my tailored uniforms yesterday and had to put it on for be inspected by the Captain before taking delivery from the tailor. It seemed a skin fit to me but I had to go back to be taken in at the knees. It must be skin tight in places and as big as possible in others and it seems odd for a while. Claptrap finishes. Love to all.

Your Loving bro Stid

(Stick to my old address)

Dear Amy:

I have been here 4 days. If I can make good will leave an Officer in 4 months time. It’s a magnificent set of buildings (Founded 1386).

Is old fashioned as is the town which is all Colleges more or less. The Comfort is grand compared with my last few couple of years. There is a lot of work to do but it’s pleasant and interesting. Doesn’t change my address. The old one will always find me. Ere you get this and yours gets here the time will be nearly up.

Love to all. Stid

(On Oxford stationery)                                             “A” Company,

No.4 Officer Cadet Battallion,

New College. Oxford

Dear Amy,

I came to England this morning to this college to commence a 4 month course of training. If I make good, I will be an officer when it’s over. I’ve been a Sergeant since January 24th and my Colonel said he has every confidence in me and would give me the commission if I could make good at a military school so I’m a lucky boy to be here especially if it means I will miss the rest of the beastly cold winter in the trenches. This is one of the finest colleges in the world. It’s a magnificent pile of buildings and many of England’s greatest men have been taught here, so it is a great privilege to be here. I have been enjoying the building all day but haven’t seen much of the inside yet. There are about 150 cadets here – 30 Australians. I am the 18th Bttn. representative and will be called Cadet Hull, I think. Anyhow, letters addressed with my name and this address will find me here. I will write to the rest of my brothers and sisters more regularly now that I am in pleasant surroundings. I have a nice room with electric light and the life here promises to be very fine. it takes living up to from a monetary point of view so it’s just as well I get a sergeant’s pay.

It’s as cold here as in France and although there is a fireplace in my room fuel is not supplied and being my first day I haven’t made any arrangements. There are two other men in the room and by tomorrow night we intend getting a fire. We had a fine dinner tonight and compared to the life I have had, this is grand. Lights out must be at 10:30.

It’s nearly it and the routine is strict.

So good night.

Love to all, Stid

France, January 31, 1917

Dear Amy,

I got a letter from you recently and have some from Daisy and Maude. Tell them I will write soon.

The IWWs are a lot of miserable humbugs – even a dog will fight for his home so a man is lowdown when he won’t.

I would like to be able to mix some of Australia’s sunny climate with this for a mont. it would make it more pleasant in both places. This is a beastly cold land. It is all white with snow now and we had 16F of frost two nights ago and when the wind blows across the snow it is rotten but we have managed to get along without ill effects so far. It will be getting warmer from now on. It’s easy to get sore feet, sore hands or face. We use oil principally on our feet. I’ve been wearing my boots full of sox and it’s a good idea for the cold but they stop the circulation and unless the foot is rubbed it is very easy to get frostbite and lose a toe or two.

I was made signalling sgt. on the 29th. They sent me to a military school for N.C.Os for three weeks and I got a 1st class report. The Colonel told me he was sending me to a military school for officers for a few months in England and will give me a commission if I can do well there. I am under orders now to be ready to go at an hour’s notice. The Adjutant told me the school is only a matter of form and I am to get the commission anyway. So, I am a lucky boy. The trip to England will be pleasant and a good rest, too.

In fact I am being sent as much for the trip as anything from what I can learn. The officers have generally been very friendly with me for some time and I look forward to wearing the star. The Adjutant sent for me to do a special job some days ago. he had used several others and they didn’t satisfy him and he said Get Arthur on the job and it will be done. You see I am getting good at blowing my own trumpet but I mention it because those I love at home will be pleased I am getting up the ladder which means more pleasant work than at the bottom and it’s so much nicer to be working a team than with ones own hands. For a month I have had the section on my own without an officer over me and I find I like it so in the future I will have the job altogether.

Best regards to all, Love from Stid

France, Dec. 18, 1916

Dear Amy,

I am a little away from the section at a Military School. I will only be away for a few weeks. I am pretty lucky that it is in the middle of winter because it is much more pleasant – better and drier than being on duty. It’s pretty cold now- ice nearly always, rain almost every day- only a drizzle. I haven’t seen it rain hard here like it does at home but the ground is always very wet and it has snowed a couple to times lately.

I have been made a corporal which means 10/- a day to me and makes me more comfortable. There are lots of things- food and warm clothes- that extra money brings and in this cold weather a pair of warm gloves means a lot. We have our gloves on always when not writing, drilling or handling rifles or gear. Usually gloves don’t last very long.

We get plenty of work at school, drilling between lectures. We have to move quickly to get a wash or shave or clean up but it is very pleasant compared with wallowing in mud and plenty of work keeps us warm. some days we wear Great Coats all the time. Everyone gets a turn drilling the others. It’s something like being an M.C. at a bush ball except an M.C. must be very particular about detail. I am at an Infantry School, by the way, but haven’t dropped my Specialist job.

All the trees have lost their leaves and the country that looked so pretty when we came is looking very dull and wintry. I give a good lot of attention to my feet to save them from chilblains and frostbite. I wear several pairs of socks and cork insoles. They need changing often.

We can get one day old English newspapers daily and have been getting good news lately. Huns talking peace, even though we know peace won’t come right away, it’s a sign he is going down. We can easily notice he hasn’t as much metal to throw as we have now and we can tell by the amount of time we spend out of the trenches. It’s great to get a week or so to recover, get warm again and get washed and cleaned up. In this wet country it’s really rough- a few days in the wet without a change – perhaps snow one night and ice the next. It is pretty hard at times, but a lot is done to try to make us bear it with food and one thing or another. We have to use whale oil on our feet pretty freely to stop them from freezing. It doesn’t make them warm, but it’s supposed to save the bite from killing the toes altogether. There are many canteens where we can get food, underclothes, tinned fruit etc.

I am feeling very hopeful that the Hun will be smashed next warm season. He is a hard nut to crack but the British and her allies are growing stronger.

It’s awful the way earth, trees and villages get pounded up. Sad affair – any of us that have the privilege of returning will, I think, be much better men for having gone through it all. No one else could realise what continual wet, snow and ice means to men who carry all their clothes on their backs. See the old swagman and load him up with extra gear then put him in drains to walk and work brushing against the muddy sides, falling or being knocked over in the mud. It’s not unusual to get enough force from an explosion to knock mud all over a fellow and cause him to fall over.

Looking forward to my guiding star getting me home for next Christmas.

Love to all, Stid