France 31/8/16

Dear Mother,
We are now a good many miles behind the firing line having a spell after three months in the trenches.
Since coming out of the trenches a few days ago we have travelled a good two hundred miles by rail and road for the most part through land that we passed on our way into the trenches the first time. The place is now a picture. Despite the lack of men to work the land it all seems to be in crop and everywhere old men, women, and occasionally French soldiers are busy harvesting.
The fields and roads are all unfenced here and one can march for days along the roads without seeing a fence except in the villages which lie along the roads every mile or so. Even the smallest village has a big stone church and at most of the crossroads there is a crucifix or wayside shrine of some sort. The spires of these churches jut up above the trees which line the roads and surround the villages and so make excellent marks for artillery fire.
I do not know whether I told you before but I was made a lance corporal two months ago. Not very rapid progress for nearly two years in the army but I had to start again when I joined the machine gun.
We are training hard while out here. Today we were to have taken part in some field operations but rain stopped that so we did a ten mile march before midday and are now in our barn writing, sleeping, playing cards.
Well, I hope this finds you all in good health.
Love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei

France 12/8/16

Dear Mother,
Enclosed are some photos of some of the Canterbury section. I hope to have some of myself to send you when we go out in a day or two for a spell.
We have been having fine dry weather for the past month or more now and as things have quietened down a bit here are not having such a bad time just at present. I trust you are all in good health as for myself I am well. This is a very short note but there is little that we may write of.
Love to all,
Rawei

France, 6/8/16

Dear Dad,
Just a line to let you know that I am still going strong. We are having a fairly quiet time just now but are still in the trenches with our prospective spell apparently about as far away as it was three months ago. Still we cannot growl, the Brigadier, Brig. Gen. [illegible] seems to have a lot of time for machine gunners, and allows us privileges not enjoyed by others. Twelve months ago today we made the advance on Gallipoli, at nine thirty we moved out of Happy Valley for the left.
Conditions are very different here, the shell fire is heavier for one thing, but no one who was through it would ever wish themselves back on the peninsula.
A week ago I posted you a book "Fragments from France". The characters in the sketches are of course exaggerated but both the incidents and the surroundings as drawn are fairly true to the real thing and give a better idea of things as they are than yards of the stuff one sees in the papers.
Herewith are a few snaps taken in Egypt. I had them printed in France here a day or two ago. They have not turned out very well. Mother sometimes enquires after young Hamilton he is still in Egypt with the mounteds and I enclose a letter which I have just received from him which gives you a fair idea of how they are faring.
Trusting you are all well.
Best regards,
Rawei

Somewhere in France, 25/7/16

My dear Mother,
Just a line to let you know that I am still in good health. I came out of the trenches yesterday and am now in billet in the town here. We had been about eight weeks in and I am now out for four or five days spell but expect to have a much longer spell shortly. We are in a fairly big town here which has once been a very busy place, now however most of its manufactories have closed down and only those civilians remain who cannot afford to leave. There are soldiers clubs and canteens here, a picture show & baths all run for our benefit so that we are fairly well off.
Your parcel containing the vermin proof shirts, socks, etc. arrived all right a week or so ago. I came across Jim Fleming, Bob's brother, the other day he is in one of the ambulances and seems to be getting along all right. I intend to have my photo taken before I return to the trenches, but am waiting to get a new rigout before doing so at present I am a bit ragged.
A New Zealand mail is expected in any day now, no doubt there will be letters for me and I will write you again. Thanks for the presents & goodbye with love to all at home.
Your affectionate son, Rawei

France, 14/6/16

Dear Gwen,
The letter you wrote me you wrote from Wellington in January was a long time in reaching me but it arrived alright about a fortnight ago. I am glad you had such a good time while up there. We are in the trenches now for the second time since coming here. This seems to be a very wet place for although it almost midsummer we have just had a weeks rain and no prospect of its clearing yet. Of course this makes things grow so that between the trenches there is a field of grass two or three feet high. When out in billets last time I saw Gordon McDonald who is in the 1st brigade he looked well. I think I mentioned it in my last letter but in case it did not reach you my address is now No. 2 Coy. N.Z. Machine Gun Corps. N.Z.E.F. Enclosed are a couple of views of Anzac which I have been carrying about for some time. The photo is taken from the lower end of the beach looking towards Suvla Bay the one in colours is taken looking down towards the entrance to the Dardenelles. We hear all sorts of rumours here as to how long the war is going to last but we do not take much notice of any of them. 'Fritz' is reported to have stuck up a notice in his trench a few days ago which read "Fire high boys. The war will be over in eight days". That was when the first account of the last North Sea fight came through. He is not so optimistic now I think.
Well Gwen there is not much more I can write about.
Give my Best Regards to all at Home.
With Best Wishes from your affectionate brother,
Rawei

France, 21st May 1916

Dear Mother,
We are now in the trenches and as the weather is fine are not having such a bad time. Except when there is a bit of shelling going on here things are reasonably quiet. There is a cuckoo that flies over our trenches night and morning giving its peculiar cry and in a hole next to our gun and dugout a cat with three kittens has taken up its abode. It lives on the mice and rats that are so plentiful here.
Tomorrow we go out for an eight day spell into a fairly large town that is close by. There we get hot baths and clean clothing. I have not come across Gordon since leaving Egypt. His brigade left from Port Said and although they are somewhere near us we do not know exactly where.
We have an orchard just behind us and the gooseberries and currants are just ripening. With you of course the fruit season will now be over. I hope you have done well.
I do not know whether this will pass the censor or not, but will close now with best regards to all from your affectionate son,
Rawei

France, 6/5/16

Dear Bob,
Many thanks for the camera and films which arrived today. Unfortunately we are not allowed to keep cameras under penalty of court martial so I am returning it by this mail. The films we are not allowed to post. We are lucky to have arrived here just at this time of the year as the weather is now becoming warmer and the mud of which we heard so much should now be drying up.
My address is now 2nd Coy. N.Z. Machine Gun Corps. It is useless for me to tell you here of our exact position or probable movements as such information does no pass the censor and at any rate the papers will no doubt keep you informed as to our movements.
We are getting leave to visit England. About four or five go from our Coy. each weekend and I am looking forward to the time when my turn comes around which should be in about six weeks time.
Well I trust you are all in good health.
Kind regards to all.
Yours sincerely,
Rawei