Cable
Date sent uncertain but may have been 5 June 1917.
However it was not received in Nelson until 29 June 1917.

Message
Well
Robinson
(Name misspelt)


Letter 47

France
21-6-17

Dear Everybody,
It is now some time since I wrote to you but as you know the NZ Division has been in action at Messines & at another place not for from there. Bde Hq was in a big dugout about 400 yds behind the front line, & it was about 35 ft deep. We went up the afternoon before the stunt & they were giving Messines a bad time with very heavy stuff. It would be hard to describe the desolation on Fritz's side. Every inch of it had been churned about & there wasn't a blade of grass to be seen.

That night I came off duty at midnight & I was told that he was putting over gas shells - an invention of the devil. But I went up & started for my bivie - gas helmet on of course. From the dug out to my bivie was 80 yds. It took me over an hour to get there for I met all the infantry coming down the sap. They all had their helmets on & were carrying a fair load too. Luckily for me I found a little dug out in the side of the sap & got in that. There were gas shells dropping within 10 yds of me fairly frequently so I spent a fairly miserable hour I can tell you. As soon as they started thinning out a bit I made a bee line for home. When I got there I found a couple of the boys there without their helmets on so I took mine off. The air was thick with tear gas, which makes one's eyes water like the deuce. It was too much for my eyes so I put my helmet on again. Luckily for me too because it turned out afterwards Fritz was mixing it with the real gas & one or two of us were slightly gassed & we couldn't speak, smoke or sleep, or read so we just sat there thinking. All of a sudden there was a tremendous shaking of everything & then another & another. They were the huge mines & were the signal for the start. Machine guns & all kind of guns up to 15 inches started going, going like mad too. We were only a 100 yds in front of dozens of machine guns & about 250 yds in front of dozens of 18 pounders which make an earsplitting noise, so you can possibly imagine the row.

When mines went up we "sloped off to the ti tree" as the saying is. That is to say we ran along our trench, which was a branch off the main one, & got as far away from it (the main one) as possible for we knew he would shell it & sure enough he did when he got his wind back & one or two came uncomfortably near us. Have you ever seen that picture of Bainsfather entitled "That 16 inch sensation". Well that describes my feelings fairly accurately. If you have never seen "Fragments from France" by Bainsfather let me know & I will send them out to you.

Well day came at last & where we dared not go the day before the boys were going as if the Huns were 20 miles away. We never got a shell near us after that night but Fritz put up a good barrage on his old ridge but it didn't do much harm as it was mostly in the wrong place.

We were relieved after 3 days up there & had a rest for 3 days. Then we went into another place where there was a big dug out also & it was just as well for the day before we came out he started shelling round near us & at times was very close indeed. Of course we all disappeared under the ground when that sort of thing happened. We were there 6 days & then relieved. They were only minor operations there however & are not worth discussing.

I sent you a cable on the 20th June telling you all was well. I hope you got it. Isn't it dreadful about Fabian. He's posted as missing & as yet they have heard no word about him. I had a letter from Aunt Maud telling me about it. She must have great self control for from the way she mentioned it you'd have thought Fabian had only a bad cold.

Well all that is all. I am perfectly well & hope you are the same.
With very best love.
Alister
P.S. Its rotten about Jack Cock too & bad luck for Ella Harkness isn't it? AHR


Letter 48

France
July 5th 1917

Dear Everybody,
The NZ mail is overdue again & we have been expecting it daily for some days now.
I have a new job now & am a horseman with two horses to look after. I am a mounted Dispatch Rider but the last time dispatches were delivered by horseman was over a year ago. We have no one over us, (there are three of us) really, but of course there are the section officer & NCOs but they hardly trouble us. Of course there is no night duty which is a great thing. The horses have to be exercised so I get another chap & we go all over the country which is very nice in summer. We each have a little tent to sleep in so its quite like camping out. Altogether its a "cushy" job. I can't ride too well but am getting along OK so far.

The other night we had a violent thunderstorm & a violent downpour for about an hour. The lightning, which was forked lightning, was the worst I've seen. We seem to have been in the storm centre for luckily it passed all around us & was not over head. The thunder was very loud & just like a big gun going off. Unfortunately my tent was pitched in a slight dip & consequently I was flooded out & had to beat a hasty retreat to the huts.

Old Fritz has been coming over at night on bomb dropping stunts the last week or two. None have dropped particularly close to us but his planes have passed over head & I can quite understand the feeling of the people in England when the Zepps come over. They fly fairly low & as it is moonlight at present we occasionally caught a glimpse of them.

I have had no further news of Fabian. Betty wrote to me but made no mention of him.

Will you ask Mrs Sadlier if she got my letter of about 1st June's date. I had written 4 letters (it took about a fortnight for that) & put them in a green envelope & addressed it to the base censor. I posted it in the afternoon & the mail is usually collected in the morning. The next day we shifted. That night Fritz started shelling a big naval gun - a 1/4 mile from us. He was well away from the gun but he was right for our camp. After two or three shots we bolted & didn't come back till daylight. Well he had landed one fair in the signal office where the letters are usually kept. There were no signs of the letters however so I'm wondering if they had been posted the day before or blown to smithereens. You might ask Uncle Norman the same & also tell him to keep out of the infantry if he gets called up. Also to get a commission if he can.

I see by the "Press" that Phil Grewes & Jack Bailey are in camp. Four more "Presses" have arrived since I last wrote.

We have just heard of Russia's new offensive. We are all hoping great things of it. The Allies will have a chance of all going together now.

I was very amused at Mrs Adams' tricks in ringing up Barclay & Dr Gibbs. I would have liked to have seen Mrs Harrison' expression when she was told. This new job suits me well & I am very well. Remember me to the people I know in Nelson.
Best love to you all
from Alister


Letter 49

France
20 July 1917

Dear Everybody,
Five letters yesterday from NZ - My largest mail for some time. There was one from each of you. Fancy not getting any mail for 2 months? - I hear the submarines got into some & so the services are disorganised. I write regularly too. The longest I've been without is one month.

The weather is very hot now but it is very changeable & there's been a fair amount of rain lately.

We have just come back from a week's spell in the country & very nice it was too, We had a couple of cricket matches & won both fairly easily. We were billeted in a farm - where there was an orchard but the fruit was not ripe which was lucky for the French.

This Frenchy went in for chickens, ducklings & goslings/ if that's what young geese are called as well as goats, sheep & horses. All fed on the orchard grass. We also had our meals under the shade of the old apple tree & countless dozens of the 2 legged feathered tribes mentioned above used to come & eat our scraps & what was in your plate too if you didn't keep a weather eye open. We used to get great fun in watching the sizes of scraps young ducks could eat & their endeavours to swallow same & prevent others getting it. The amount they can stow away is enormous & large bones are the only thing they can't swallow. We missed them when we got back.

The French farmers are the stingiest meanest lot of human flesh I've ever come across. Scotsmen are not in it with the Frenchies.

Had to stop there for a bit as one of my horses got tangled up in the rope. Harry Cook is camped just opposite me for the time being. He is some officer's groom I believe. I also met Adolf Semmer this morning. He is bugler for his battery & looks very fit.

Its terrible about Fay isn't it? Georgie tells me he was 16000 feet up & had his wing shot off. I don't give him a chance neither does his wing commander. Had a letter from Jack Chaytor & he wishes to be remembered to you all. Also a letter from Don who apparently was under the impression that Jack Cock was still flying round. He also said that the Germans near the frontier were starving & that the only well fed ones were the soldiers.

Did you tell Mrs Sadlier about me writing to her & that possibly my letter may have been blown up. Ditto to Uncle Norman & tell him to keep out of the infantry.

I had a letter from Phil Graves & he says he has joined the infantry in spite of my advice. He was silly not to join the Med Corp after 3 years at Varsity. He will regret it shortly especially if he strikes a winter in the trenches.

I was much amused, Nancy, of your story how you got introduced to Clarry in Gilk's tea room. I can imagine how you felt.

To show you how useful those postal notes are to me:- On last pay day I drew 40 francs & had about 20 paid to me from sundry debtors. Two days after that I had 15 frs left as some kind person went & took a loan of about 40. So when I had spent that 15 all I had to do was to cash the notes which saved me from borrowing. I have a £1 worth to fall back on now.

If you are ever short of cash Dad don't hesitate to help yourself to my lot in the savings bank. You might let me know how much I have occasionally too.

Had a cake from the Ruckers today - a nice one too.

Am glad to hear you are all OK & hope you continue the same. I am OK too so don't worry about me.
With best love to you all
From Alister

Click to read Letters from World War 1 - Part 13
Click to read Letters from World War 1 - Part 15

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