My Dear Dad,
Just a line to let you know that I am still carrying on with the old company.
We are having fine weather of late and as we have been out of the line for the past three weeks we are in a position to enjoy it. At present we are in billets up in the higher country near the sea. Each day a thousand men go from the division in lorries down to the sea and put in a day there. Our only troubles these days are the inspections of which we have a good many. Today Sir Douglas Haig inspected the Division and this afternoon we have a half holiday.
The troops are helping the people here with their harvesting and every day a good many of them can be seen stooping and stacking. They are glad of the change from the eternal training that is always our lot when resting.
Much of the crops about here is cut with the scythe and sickle and threshed with the flail, although in this respect France is much ahead of Belgium.
We hear that our outward mail from 9th May to 9th June was sunk before it got clear of the submarine area. I posted some photos in different mails about that time. I wonder if any of them ever reached you.
Summer will be coming on when this reaches you and I trust you have not found winter too trying. The days are drawing in here but we should have fine weather for a good many weeks yet.
It is hard luck that the Russians have turned us down just as this time, but most likely Japan will come in and fix that front up.
The Main Body, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Reinforcement men who are still on active service are being sent back to N.Z. for two months spell at the rate of two fifty a month. Fourths next I suppose. If I can stick it another six months I may strike a trip as it will only take that time to go through the first lot.
I received a letter from Gwen yesterday and a few days ago one from Mother enclosing a photo of the old cat. He must be very old now. I seems ages since I used to sool Togo after him at Opoho.
Well I trust this finds you in good health.
Love to all
Your affectionate Son
Rawei
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Monday, October 10, 2016
Belgium 11/7/17
My Dear Mother,
Your welcome letter of 29th April arrived a day or two ago. We are still out resting and put in our time training and keeping fit. Cricket has been the order of the day for some time now. The men played the officers and N.R.O's twice and licked us both times.
Last night four of us went for a walk with the intention of climbing the highest hill in Belgium which lies two or three miles over to our left. We got there alright just as the sun was setting, about 9 o'clock, and had a glorious view of the line both north & south although it was not quite clear enough to see the channel away to the north. The scene of the first and second battles of Ypres lay to the left, that of the recent push to our front and right.
While up there we got into conversation with a Scottish Captain who seemed to be interested in N.Z. He turned out of to Cecil Humphries of Christchurch you may have seen letters of his in the papers in the early days of the war. We went home with him to his camp had had a yarn. I had met him once in Wte [Waimate] three or four years ago.
That address of Connie Fowler's reached me alright. I wrote to her and have had a reply. She has a brother, Bruce I suppose, out here with our Divisional Train (A.S.C.) I will try to look him up. Connie is in training for a missionary and hopes to be going out soon. I hope she does not do so for another six months as I should have leave again by then and it would be interesting to meet again.
Sorry to learn from your letter that Dad was bad and trust that his trouble does not visit him again.
I hope also that Mr McDonald benefited by his holiday and is himself once more.
Our letters are always liable to be opened at the base but hope I have not said too much about that hill in this letter and that it reaches you to find you all in good health.
Love to all.
Rawei
Your welcome letter of 29th April arrived a day or two ago. We are still out resting and put in our time training and keeping fit. Cricket has been the order of the day for some time now. The men played the officers and N.R.O's twice and licked us both times.
Last night four of us went for a walk with the intention of climbing the highest hill in Belgium which lies two or three miles over to our left. We got there alright just as the sun was setting, about 9 o'clock, and had a glorious view of the line both north & south although it was not quite clear enough to see the channel away to the north. The scene of the first and second battles of Ypres lay to the left, that of the recent push to our front and right.
While up there we got into conversation with a Scottish Captain who seemed to be interested in N.Z. He turned out of to Cecil Humphries of Christchurch you may have seen letters of his in the papers in the early days of the war. We went home with him to his camp had had a yarn. I had met him once in Wte [Waimate] three or four years ago.
That address of Connie Fowler's reached me alright. I wrote to her and have had a reply. She has a brother, Bruce I suppose, out here with our Divisional Train (A.S.C.) I will try to look him up. Connie is in training for a missionary and hopes to be going out soon. I hope she does not do so for another six months as I should have leave again by then and it would be interesting to meet again.
Sorry to learn from your letter that Dad was bad and trust that his trouble does not visit him again.
I hope also that Mr McDonald benefited by his holiday and is himself once more.
Our letters are always liable to be opened at the base but hope I have not said too much about that hill in this letter and that it reaches you to find you all in good health.
Love to all.
Rawei
Belgium 30/6/17
My Dear Dad,
Enclosed are an old pay book and some identification discs that I have been carrying for some time. The tin one I brought from N.Z. and wore until the time we came to France. I am returning them before they are lost. We moved up a bit nearer to the line yesterday but are still a fairly comfortable distance back and are having a fairly quiet time of it.
I am quite well and trust this finds you all in good health.
A N.Z. mail is expected in any time now and everybody is of course looking forward to its arrival.
I saw a chap out of Gordon's Coy yesterday and learned from him that he had got through the last stunt alright.
Love to all.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Enclosed are an old pay book and some identification discs that I have been carrying for some time. The tin one I brought from N.Z. and wore until the time we came to France. I am returning them before they are lost. We moved up a bit nearer to the line yesterday but are still a fairly comfortable distance back and are having a fairly quiet time of it.
I am quite well and trust this finds you all in good health.
A N.Z. mail is expected in any time now and everybody is of course looking forward to its arrival.
I saw a chap out of Gordon's Coy yesterday and learned from him that he had got through the last stunt alright.
Love to all.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Belgium 23/6/17
My Dear Dad,
Here I am back with my old Company again and to tell the truth, glad to be settled down once again with a definite job to do. The company in common with other units had a good many casualties in the last bust up, which I was lucky enough to miss, but fortunately the proportion of light wounds was very large.
Mother's letter of the 19th April arrived today and I was glad to learn from it that you were all well and that Mr McDonald was on the mend again. Connie Fowler's address arrived alright. I should like to have had it when in London it was just a week or so too late. However I may be over there again soon. Leave will not take as long to come round now as it used to in the ranks.
We are having a spell just now behind the line a few miles but even here we have a little excitement. We were inspected by General Russell this morning. This afternoon Fritz burnt three of our balloons so we retaliated by burning some of his and downing one of his planes a few hundred yards from our camp. All very spectacular events. Then he keeps throwning long range naval stuff back in a more or less vain endeavor to blow up shell dumps. So that we are not allowed to forget that there is a war on.
Well, I hope this finds you and everyone in good health.
Love to all.
Your affectionate son, Rawei
Here I am back with my old Company again and to tell the truth, glad to be settled down once again with a definite job to do. The company in common with other units had a good many casualties in the last bust up, which I was lucky enough to miss, but fortunately the proportion of light wounds was very large.
Mother's letter of the 19th April arrived today and I was glad to learn from it that you were all well and that Mr McDonald was on the mend again. Connie Fowler's address arrived alright. I should like to have had it when in London it was just a week or so too late. However I may be over there again soon. Leave will not take as long to come round now as it used to in the ranks.
We are having a spell just now behind the line a few miles but even here we have a little excitement. We were inspected by General Russell this morning. This afternoon Fritz burnt three of our balloons so we retaliated by burning some of his and downing one of his planes a few hundred yards from our camp. All very spectacular events. Then he keeps throwning long range naval stuff back in a more or less vain endeavor to blow up shell dumps. So that we are not allowed to forget that there is a war on.
Well, I hope this finds you and everyone in good health.
Love to all.
Your affectionate son, Rawei
France, 12/6/17
[This letter is written on paper with Machine Gun Corps letterhead]
My Dear Mother,
As you see I am now back again in France. Rather quieter than we expected to be back, but they seem to think they need us for they took eight of us away from the course we were going through at Grantham and set us straight over.
At present we are at the M.G. Base Depot a very pretty place where by walking a mile or two we can bathe in the sea. Before leaving London I posted some photographs to you. In case you do not recieve them I am posting some more under seprate cover with the same mail as this letter. As you will know the N.Z. Division has been in the last big fight and we are all rather anxious to see the casualty lists.
We arrived here yesterday and as far as we can see there is not much for us to do down here, but they will not keep us here long.
Well Mother I will write you again soon.
Best Love to All.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
My Dear Mother,
As you see I am now back again in France. Rather quieter than we expected to be back, but they seem to think they need us for they took eight of us away from the course we were going through at Grantham and set us straight over.
At present we are at the M.G. Base Depot a very pretty place where by walking a mile or two we can bathe in the sea. Before leaving London I posted some photographs to you. In case you do not recieve them I am posting some more under seprate cover with the same mail as this letter. As you will know the N.Z. Division has been in the last big fight and we are all rather anxious to see the casualty lists.
We arrived here yesterday and as far as we can see there is not much for us to do down here, but they will not keep us here long.
Well Mother I will write you again soon.
Best Love to All.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Belton Park, Grantham, 2nd May 1917
My Dear Bob,
Just a line to let you know that I am over in England. I was sent over here on the 20th April with about a hundred others to sit for commissions. The twelve Machine Gunners were granted this right away, the others had to go to an Officers Training Corps. So that now you find me a 2nd lieutenant in the N.Z.M.G.B. Sent down to Grantham, the M.G. Base for the British Army, to train and be trained in the art of training others.
While in London buying an outfit I found it necessary to draw on you through Messrs Bruce & Lion for another £20. The £25 that the military people allow one is only enough to buy about half of the kit that is required.
I was sorry to learn that you had had a fire and trust you have not been overworked on account of it.
The submarines seem to be sinking a lot of shipping and amongst the others must be getting some mail boats. At any rate we have not had a N.Z. mail for some time now.
We do not know how long we will be left here in Grantham, but hope to be away from France for another six or eight weeks yet. By which time no doubt the present offensive will be reaching its climax. This is a very pretty place, hilly with a good bit of timber scattered about in the form of small woods. The N.Z. Depot along with a good many others is in Belton Park, the property of Lord Brownlow, a place of about six square miles very prettily laid out. The weather for the past fortnight has been perfect and by its warmth is doing a great deal to make up for the lateness of the spring.
Just a fortnight ago we were marching back from Neuve Eglise in Belgium to St. Omer where our Brigade was to have ten days training before marching back to the line and going over the top. I left them the night after they arrived at St. Omer, took the train to Boulogne stopped the night there crossed by boat to Folkstone and arrived in London by train the same afternoon. It snowed most of the way on our march back from the trenches, it took us three days, so that we appreciate the change in the weather over here.
Well Bob I hope this finds you in good health.
Best regards to all
Yours Sincerely,
Rawei
*New Zealand Machine Gun Battalion
Just a line to let you know that I am over in England. I was sent over here on the 20th April with about a hundred others to sit for commissions. The twelve Machine Gunners were granted this right away, the others had to go to an Officers Training Corps. So that now you find me a 2nd lieutenant in the N.Z.M.G.B. Sent down to Grantham, the M.G. Base for the British Army, to train and be trained in the art of training others.
While in London buying an outfit I found it necessary to draw on you through Messrs Bruce & Lion for another £20. The £25 that the military people allow one is only enough to buy about half of the kit that is required.
I was sorry to learn that you had had a fire and trust you have not been overworked on account of it.
The submarines seem to be sinking a lot of shipping and amongst the others must be getting some mail boats. At any rate we have not had a N.Z. mail for some time now.
We do not know how long we will be left here in Grantham, but hope to be away from France for another six or eight weeks yet. By which time no doubt the present offensive will be reaching its climax. This is a very pretty place, hilly with a good bit of timber scattered about in the form of small woods. The N.Z. Depot along with a good many others is in Belton Park, the property of Lord Brownlow, a place of about six square miles very prettily laid out. The weather for the past fortnight has been perfect and by its warmth is doing a great deal to make up for the lateness of the spring.
Just a fortnight ago we were marching back from Neuve Eglise in Belgium to St. Omer where our Brigade was to have ten days training before marching back to the line and going over the top. I left them the night after they arrived at St. Omer, took the train to Boulogne stopped the night there crossed by boat to Folkstone and arrived in London by train the same afternoon. It snowed most of the way on our march back from the trenches, it took us three days, so that we appreciate the change in the weather over here.
Well Bob I hope this finds you in good health.
Best regards to all
Yours Sincerely,
Rawei
*New Zealand Machine Gun Battalion
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Grantham 29th April 1917
My Dear Father,
Here I am settled down at the Machine Gun Base after five days kit leave which I spent getting fitted out in London. While there I drew on Bob through his London agents for £20 this together with £5 I drew when on leave in November last makes £25 in all and I will be glad if you will ascertain from him what expenses were incurred in the transaction and square the matter up. I will mention this in my next letter in case this one goes astray.
For the last two months that I was in Flanders we were up in Belgium territory in the vicinity of Ploegsteert and Neuve Eglise. While at the last place were making big preparations for a push* and it is more than probable that the N.Z. Division will go over the top there before long. From Neuve Eglise we came on a three days march to a little place called Quelmes near St. Omer, where we were to do ten days training to make us fit for the trip over the top. The morning after our arrival at Quelmes three of us were ordered to report at St. Omer prior to entraining for Bouglow and Blighty.
Since coming from the Somme I have been shifted round a good many sectors Amentiers, Lorentic, Fleurbaix, Bois Grenier, Ploegsteert (Plugstreet), Neuve Eglise, and at all of them we had a fairly good time as things go in the line.
Things are going well in France at present and it is to be hoped that this year will see the end of the war. I for one am full up of the whole business.
Well Goodbye for the present. Best Regards to all.
Your affectionate son, Rawei
[Notes:
*I think he is referring to the Battle of Messines here.
There is a photo of Neuve Eglise here.
Really interesting website about the WWI archaeology of "Plugstreet" here.
The book "With the Machine Gunners in France and Palestine" is available in digitized form here. It describes the movements of the machine gunners and their roles in the various battles, and is quite useful for matching the contents of these letters with the course of the war.]
Here I am settled down at the Machine Gun Base after five days kit leave which I spent getting fitted out in London. While there I drew on Bob through his London agents for £20 this together with £5 I drew when on leave in November last makes £25 in all and I will be glad if you will ascertain from him what expenses were incurred in the transaction and square the matter up. I will mention this in my next letter in case this one goes astray.
For the last two months that I was in Flanders we were up in Belgium territory in the vicinity of Ploegsteert and Neuve Eglise. While at the last place were making big preparations for a push* and it is more than probable that the N.Z. Division will go over the top there before long. From Neuve Eglise we came on a three days march to a little place called Quelmes near St. Omer, where we were to do ten days training to make us fit for the trip over the top. The morning after our arrival at Quelmes three of us were ordered to report at St. Omer prior to entraining for Bouglow and Blighty.
Since coming from the Somme I have been shifted round a good many sectors Amentiers, Lorentic, Fleurbaix, Bois Grenier, Ploegsteert (Plugstreet), Neuve Eglise, and at all of them we had a fairly good time as things go in the line.
Things are going well in France at present and it is to be hoped that this year will see the end of the war. I for one am full up of the whole business.
Well Goodbye for the present. Best Regards to all.
Your affectionate son, Rawei
[Notes:
*I think he is referring to the Battle of Messines here.
There is a photo of Neuve Eglise here.
Really interesting website about the WWI archaeology of "Plugstreet" here.
The book "With the Machine Gunners in France and Palestine" is available in digitized form here. It describes the movements of the machine gunners and their roles in the various battles, and is quite useful for matching the contents of these letters with the course of the war.]
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Grantham 29th Apl. 17.
My Dear Mother,
Here I am at training camp which until I return to France will be my headquarters. This is the training centre for all the M.G. Corps in the British Army so that you will know there are a good many soldiers about. We are about thirty miles west of Nottingham out in some fairly hilly country and in a place which after the flatness of Flanders strikes us as being very pretty.
This morning we all marched into the church in Grantham to attend an Anzac Memorial Service. About five hundred Australians and New Zealanders were present. The church is a fine old building and has in it a chained bible a relic of the days when bibles were scarce and much sought after.
Gwen will be teaching now I suppose. How does she like it?
The food controllers are making a great many restrictions here as regards the sale of almost anything eatable although as yet they have done nothing the army rations much.
This week I go to a gas school for a course of a few days, while the following week I go to a place a few miles away for a six weeks course of training. After that I will be returned here before going to France again so that I will have at least seven weeks here and possibly twice as long before returning.
I hope the McDonald's trouble is not proving serious. I saw Gordon just before leaving France when he looked well; but I did not see him when he was in London on leave a few days ago.
Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits
With Best Wishes,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Here I am at training camp which until I return to France will be my headquarters. This is the training centre for all the M.G. Corps in the British Army so that you will know there are a good many soldiers about. We are about thirty miles west of Nottingham out in some fairly hilly country and in a place which after the flatness of Flanders strikes us as being very pretty.
This morning we all marched into the church in Grantham to attend an Anzac Memorial Service. About five hundred Australians and New Zealanders were present. The church is a fine old building and has in it a chained bible a relic of the days when bibles were scarce and much sought after.
Gwen will be teaching now I suppose. How does she like it?
The food controllers are making a great many restrictions here as regards the sale of almost anything eatable although as yet they have done nothing the army rations much.
This week I go to a gas school for a course of a few days, while the following week I go to a place a few miles away for a six weeks course of training. After that I will be returned here before going to France again so that I will have at least seven weeks here and possibly twice as long before returning.
I hope the McDonald's trouble is not proving serious. I saw Gordon just before leaving France when he looked well; but I did not see him when he was in London on leave a few days ago.
Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits
With Best Wishes,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
[From Granddad's photo album, with his handwriting. He is in the middle row, on the left.]
[Same photo, cropped and contrast-adjusted]
Douglas Rawei McLean: middle row, on the left.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Sunday 22nd April, 1917, Premier Hotel, London
My Dear Dad,
I arrived here from France with a draft of about a hundred and twenty on Friday. On Saturday morning the twelve of us who were going for commissions in the Machine Gun Corps were paraded before Gen. Richardson who told us were all old hands and had been recommended for good work on the field that we were to be granted out Commissions immediately. So now you see me as 2nd Lt. in the N.Z.M.G.C. with seven days leave in which to buy my kit before reporting to the M.G. base at Grantham.
It will be at least a month before I am returned to France very likely it will be two or even three. We consider ourselves lucky in not having to go through the usual six weeks course at an Officers Training Corps. School also in missing the next push which our fellows will be into before many weeks are gone.
My address will now be 2nd Lt. M.G. Corps. N.Z.E.F. France.
Gordon McDonald is over here somewhere on leave just as present but I have not struck him as yet. He will most likely be down at Rochester with his uncle. I am going to take a run down there some day this week.
They allow us £25 for kit allowance but it cost about £50 to get fitted out so that I will probably have to draw in the next day or two. I will do so through Messrs Bruce and Lion Cooper's London Agents with whom Bob made arrangements for me to draw.
I was sorry to hear of Mr McDonald's sickness and trust that he has quite recovered before now.
Best Regards to all
Your affectionate son, Rawei
[First page of letter below, showing letterhead of the hotel. Click on the image to enlarge]
I arrived here from France with a draft of about a hundred and twenty on Friday. On Saturday morning the twelve of us who were going for commissions in the Machine Gun Corps were paraded before Gen. Richardson who told us were all old hands and had been recommended for good work on the field that we were to be granted out Commissions immediately. So now you see me as 2nd Lt. in the N.Z.M.G.C. with seven days leave in which to buy my kit before reporting to the M.G. base at Grantham.
It will be at least a month before I am returned to France very likely it will be two or even three. We consider ourselves lucky in not having to go through the usual six weeks course at an Officers Training Corps. School also in missing the next push which our fellows will be into before many weeks are gone.
My address will now be 2nd Lt. M.G. Corps. N.Z.E.F. France.
Gordon McDonald is over here somewhere on leave just as present but I have not struck him as yet. He will most likely be down at Rochester with his uncle. I am going to take a run down there some day this week.
They allow us £25 for kit allowance but it cost about £50 to get fitted out so that I will probably have to draw in the next day or two. I will do so through Messrs Bruce and Lion Cooper's London Agents with whom Bob made arrangements for me to draw.
I was sorry to hear of Mr McDonald's sickness and trust that he has quite recovered before now.
Best Regards to all
Your affectionate son, Rawei
[First page of letter below, showing letterhead of the hotel. Click on the image to enlarge]
Thursday, March 20, 2014
France, 5th March 1917
My Dear Mother,
Your letter of the 24th December arrived today and I was glad to learn that you had enjoyed your Xmas in Dunedin and only hope had an equally good time when in Wellington for the New Year. But Bob would see to that of course.
We had a fairly good time during Xmas & New Year for the New Year we were in the trenches during Xmas we were stopping at a farm. Do you ever see "Fragments From France" sketches by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather
[The rest of this letter is lost.]
Your letter of the 24th December arrived today and I was glad to learn that you had enjoyed your Xmas in Dunedin and only hope had an equally good time when in Wellington for the New Year. But Bob would see to that of course.
We had a fairly good time during Xmas & New Year for the New Year we were in the trenches during Xmas we were stopping at a farm. Do you ever see "Fragments From France" sketches by Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather
[The rest of this letter is lost.]
Friday, January 31, 2014
France, 24th February 1917
My Dear Dad,
Your letters of 12th Nov and 17th Dec arrived a few days ago and I was glad to learn that all was well with you. The papers you send come to hand alright. My photo certainly makes me look thin but the fact that I was wearing a tunic made for a six foot two man has something to do with that. I am far from being thin now.
Enclosed is a photograph which first appeared in the London papers. It was taken on the morning of the 15th* in Switch Trench which the 2nd Brigade had just taken from the Huns. The Rifle Brigade had just gone on to take more trenches in the direction of Flers. We had just dumped our gear in this shell hole and were having something to eat while the officer in charge discovered where he wanted our guns put. There were nine of us there with two guns we had only lost one man getting there but it was at a spot about two hundred yards to the right that four of us got hit next day. The men in the photo are Pvt. Coup (afterwards killed) Cpl. McQueen (a 4th reinforcement now sergeant) and Lt. Hayhurst (our section officer, now Capt. Second in Command of the Coy) the infantry man walking behind went up in the air before he went many yards further. The war correspondent who took the photo was a cool hand, big shells were landing all around him, earlier in the morning he had taken the first photographs of the tanks in action. The sector we are in just at present is very comfortable as far as we are concerned. The trenches and dugouts are dry and as we have a trolley running close by we do not even have to carry our gear in and out of the trenches.
Until a few days ago it was freezing hard here but now a thaw has set in and I suppose we may say that winter is over now and must look forward to a month or two of mud before the weather finally clears up, and then the push.
We have just heard that our NZ mail has been sunk in the Channel, hope it is not true.
Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
*Rawei is referring to the 15th of September. The operation he is talking about is now known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.
The photo referred to in the letter was lost, but a nephew of Rawei's, Peter G., found this photo (from the Imperial War Museum website) which fits the description and dates.
"Troops of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, New Zealand Division, rest in a shell hole, Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15 September 1916 Catalogue number: Q 184"
Your letters of 12th Nov and 17th Dec arrived a few days ago and I was glad to learn that all was well with you. The papers you send come to hand alright. My photo certainly makes me look thin but the fact that I was wearing a tunic made for a six foot two man has something to do with that. I am far from being thin now.
Enclosed is a photograph which first appeared in the London papers. It was taken on the morning of the 15th* in Switch Trench which the 2nd Brigade had just taken from the Huns. The Rifle Brigade had just gone on to take more trenches in the direction of Flers. We had just dumped our gear in this shell hole and were having something to eat while the officer in charge discovered where he wanted our guns put. There were nine of us there with two guns we had only lost one man getting there but it was at a spot about two hundred yards to the right that four of us got hit next day. The men in the photo are Pvt. Coup (afterwards killed) Cpl. McQueen (a 4th reinforcement now sergeant) and Lt. Hayhurst (our section officer, now Capt. Second in Command of the Coy) the infantry man walking behind went up in the air before he went many yards further. The war correspondent who took the photo was a cool hand, big shells were landing all around him, earlier in the morning he had taken the first photographs of the tanks in action. The sector we are in just at present is very comfortable as far as we are concerned. The trenches and dugouts are dry and as we have a trolley running close by we do not even have to carry our gear in and out of the trenches.
Until a few days ago it was freezing hard here but now a thaw has set in and I suppose we may say that winter is over now and must look forward to a month or two of mud before the weather finally clears up, and then the push.
We have just heard that our NZ mail has been sunk in the Channel, hope it is not true.
Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits.
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
*Rawei is referring to the 15th of September. The operation he is talking about is now known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.
The photo referred to in the letter was lost, but a nephew of Rawei's, Peter G., found this photo (from the Imperial War Museum website) which fits the description and dates.
"Troops of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, New Zealand Division, rest in a shell hole, Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15 September 1916 Catalogue number: Q 184"
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
France, 7th February 1917
My Dear Mother,
I have just returned from a three week course at a M. Gun school and came back yesterday to find your parcels and letters awaiting me. The [illegible] was very welcome although you must not think that we are not well clothed or fed either.
Enclosed is a diary of a days work which gives you some idea of our life when things are quiet.
One of our chaps is a bit of an artist, enclosed is his latest poetical effort "The Greasy Cook". Doubt whether this will pass the censor. I'll write at greater length in another letter.
Best,
Love to all, Rawei
[Enclosed note- Diary of a day's work]
8/2/17
As near as I can give it this is a record of yesterday's events. It gives you a fair idea of the routine we carry on in trench warfare. Sometimes things are more exciting- when there is something doing.
7/2/17
Arrived back from a school of instruction yesterday after a three weeks course consequently do not feel very keen when one of the chaps wakes me up at 5 am. However get up, put on fur coat, muffler, sheepskin gloves and climb up the ladder out of the concrete dugout. It's still dark, the ground is still white with snow and it's still freezing hard; but about a pint of hot tea puts a brighter complexion on things so we proceed to business and together with two of the gun team, the gun, 1000 rounds & a clinometer set out to give some of Fritz's tramlines and crossroads and early morning strafe. Out of our trench along a hedge into a trench and out of it we go, through what is left of a farm house, and here we are in another trench. Then there is a matter of aiming marks and degrees of elevation our indirect fire commences or should, but the gun is just about frozen by this time and has to be coaxed before she will go properly. The firing finished we pack up and go home again. By this time it is 6.30 am and I have put in a morning report to our section officer who luckily is bivied close handy. Wake him up report all O.K. then return to wake the cook and help him to prepare breakfast- porridge, bacon, bread, tea- stir the porridge for him and incidentally keep myself warm.
After breakfast we clean out our dugout and by [illegible] two of the six bunks in it make sleeping accommodation for nine. Put down a wooden floor, the cement is altogether too cold to sleep on. Timber for the purpose is very hard to get but we are seldom at a loss for material and...
[censored-half of page cut off]
...as possible but as the ground is as hard as iron it does not give us any immediate prospect of work.
Leek stew and rice custard. Draw the sections rum, issue it. Have some hot cocoa and go to bed about 10.30 after a quiet day.
The place we are in is one of the quietest about the [half a page missing] well out of range of the Minnenwerfers and he has not put a shell within a hundred yards of us since we came here so that we are having just as quiet a time as if we were three or four miles back.
I have just returned from a three week course at a M. Gun school and came back yesterday to find your parcels and letters awaiting me. The [illegible] was very welcome although you must not think that we are not well clothed or fed either.
Enclosed is a diary of a days work which gives you some idea of our life when things are quiet.
One of our chaps is a bit of an artist, enclosed is his latest poetical effort "The Greasy Cook". Doubt whether this will pass the censor. I'll write at greater length in another letter.
Best,
Love to all, Rawei
[Enclosed note- Diary of a day's work]
8/2/17
As near as I can give it this is a record of yesterday's events. It gives you a fair idea of the routine we carry on in trench warfare. Sometimes things are more exciting- when there is something doing.
7/2/17
Arrived back from a school of instruction yesterday after a three weeks course consequently do not feel very keen when one of the chaps wakes me up at 5 am. However get up, put on fur coat, muffler, sheepskin gloves and climb up the ladder out of the concrete dugout. It's still dark, the ground is still white with snow and it's still freezing hard; but about a pint of hot tea puts a brighter complexion on things so we proceed to business and together with two of the gun team, the gun, 1000 rounds & a clinometer set out to give some of Fritz's tramlines and crossroads and early morning strafe. Out of our trench along a hedge into a trench and out of it we go, through what is left of a farm house, and here we are in another trench. Then there is a matter of aiming marks and degrees of elevation our indirect fire commences or should, but the gun is just about frozen by this time and has to be coaxed before she will go properly. The firing finished we pack up and go home again. By this time it is 6.30 am and I have put in a morning report to our section officer who luckily is bivied close handy. Wake him up report all O.K. then return to wake the cook and help him to prepare breakfast- porridge, bacon, bread, tea- stir the porridge for him and incidentally keep myself warm.
After breakfast we clean out our dugout and by [illegible] two of the six bunks in it make sleeping accommodation for nine. Put down a wooden floor, the cement is altogether too cold to sleep on. Timber for the purpose is very hard to get but we are seldom at a loss for material and...
[censored-half of page cut off]
...as possible but as the ground is as hard as iron it does not give us any immediate prospect of work.
Leek stew and rice custard. Draw the sections rum, issue it. Have some hot cocoa and go to bed about 10.30 after a quiet day.
The place we are in is one of the quietest about the [half a page missing] well out of range of the Minnenwerfers and he has not put a shell within a hundred yards of us since we came here so that we are having just as quiet a time as if we were three or four miles back.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
France 28/1/17
My Dear Gwen,
Just a line to let you know that I am still going. I am at present down at a school on a three week M.G. course, we return to our units in another five days or so. It is some time since I wrote to you, as a matter of fact I have been waiting for some letters to arrive. Since the Somme my letters have been going to England and wandering through the hospitals before reaching me and since coming down here I have of course received no mail as they hold it for me with my Coy.
I trust you got through your exams all right, and are having a good time. There is not much to write about here unless it is the cold which is fairly severe. We are much warmer up in the trenches than we are down here however the climate does not seem to prevent me from putting on weight.
I hope this finds you all in good health.
Love to all, Rawei
[Note]. I've added a page with a photo of Rawei's family, taken around the time he went away to the war. Click on the link on the side bar or go directly by clicking here]
Just a line to let you know that I am still going. I am at present down at a school on a three week M.G. course, we return to our units in another five days or so. It is some time since I wrote to you, as a matter of fact I have been waiting for some letters to arrive. Since the Somme my letters have been going to England and wandering through the hospitals before reaching me and since coming down here I have of course received no mail as they hold it for me with my Coy.
I trust you got through your exams all right, and are having a good time. There is not much to write about here unless it is the cold which is fairly severe. We are much warmer up in the trenches than we are down here however the climate does not seem to prevent me from putting on weight.
I hope this finds you all in good health.
Love to all, Rawei
[Note]. I've added a page with a photo of Rawei's family, taken around the time he went away to the war. Click on the link on the side bar or go directly by clicking here]
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Trenches 26/12/16
My dear Mother, I have just received your letter of 29th Oct and am sorry to learn that you had not then received my letters of 16th Sept. I did not at first think that my name would get as far as the casualty lists. I have not come across Gordon since the Somme and did not know how he had fared until I saw Stan Green in London. We are having a quiet time here for Christmas, plenty to eat and a house to live in. The house it is true is somewhat the worse for wear, but keeps out the weather which at present is not bad at all. We have had a few light falls of snow but do not seem to feel the cold somehow. Before coming into the trenches this time we were inspected by Sir Douglas Haig. He looked very much like the photos we see of him in the papers.
Well there is not much that we may write of here so I will close. Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits, love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Well there is not much that we may write of here so I will close. Trusting this finds you all in good health and spirits, love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Sunday, November 20, 2011
France 18/12/16
France 18/12/16
My Dear Dad,
I received your letter of 31st September yesterday. The cable you sent on 28th arrived a few days later having gone to different hospitals in England and France before reaching me here. I did not reply to it as you should have received my letters long before this. I was really not much hurt, my steel helmet stopped most of my share of it, so that beyond a jolt on the head and a small piece in the thigh which is still there I escaped. Two others who were with me then are still in hospital. The fourth man was afterwards killed.
We are at present having a very quiet time. This is low lying country here and things are very damp, but we are well provided for and do not feel the cold much.
The papers you send arrive fairly regularly as do the parcels I receive advice of.
I returned from England three days ago and have been putting in the time since then at a gas school. It is in the charge of Dr Borrie who is Divisional [illegible] as Officer. You will know him, he is the one that played football for Otago.
It is quite likely that we will not spend Xmas in the trenches.
With best wishes to all for a Happy New Year,
Your affectionate son, Rawei
My Dear Dad,
I received your letter of 31st September yesterday. The cable you sent on 28th arrived a few days later having gone to different hospitals in England and France before reaching me here. I did not reply to it as you should have received my letters long before this. I was really not much hurt, my steel helmet stopped most of my share of it, so that beyond a jolt on the head and a small piece in the thigh which is still there I escaped. Two others who were with me then are still in hospital. The fourth man was afterwards killed.
We are at present having a very quiet time. This is low lying country here and things are very damp, but we are well provided for and do not feel the cold much.
The papers you send arrive fairly regularly as do the parcels I receive advice of.
I returned from England three days ago and have been putting in the time since then at a gas school. It is in the charge of Dr Borrie who is Divisional [illegible] as Officer. You will know him, he is the one that played football for Otago.
It is quite likely that we will not spend Xmas in the trenches.
With best wishes to all for a Happy New Year,
Your affectionate son, Rawei
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
France 6/12/16
My Dear Gwen,
Here I am in London at last on ten days leave. We came over a week ago today and since then I have managed to see a good deal of the place. Every where there are Overseas Clubs and similar institutions which are run entirely for the convenience of the Overseas troops. While in Edinburgh I met Linus Walker, he was on furlough, and I had his company down in the train yesterday as far as Leeds where he was going to relations. He has a bit of a limp and expects to be sent back to NZ soon.
Scotland is a fine country and the people are very hospitable, if I have the luck to get more leave I would spend most of it up there, for by the time you have seen the sights of London you begin to long for some fresh air and sun and the north seems to be the place for that even at this time of the year when everything is white with frost both day and night.
Enclosed are some views of Armentiers, the place in which we have spent most of our time since coming from Egypt. It is an ancient town substantially built, but now for the most part in ruins. I am also enclosing a Hun Field Post Card, which is their equivalent of the ones we use. I got that in the last bit of trench we captured before leaving the Somme. We took the trench with the assistance of our artillery and liquid fire at two o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and I had to put my gun in a part of the trench that had previously been held by four german guns. We got the guns their teams were for the most part dead. Fritz tried to bomb us out of that twice. I had quite a collection of curios at this place but of couple of Maoris got down on them so that all I came away with was a telescopic sight for a machine gun that will post if I can from here. Now I must go and see if I can get some (illegible).
Goodbye for the present,
Love to all, Rawei
Here I am in London at last on ten days leave. We came over a week ago today and since then I have managed to see a good deal of the place. Every where there are Overseas Clubs and similar institutions which are run entirely for the convenience of the Overseas troops. While in Edinburgh I met Linus Walker, he was on furlough, and I had his company down in the train yesterday as far as Leeds where he was going to relations. He has a bit of a limp and expects to be sent back to NZ soon.
Scotland is a fine country and the people are very hospitable, if I have the luck to get more leave I would spend most of it up there, for by the time you have seen the sights of London you begin to long for some fresh air and sun and the north seems to be the place for that even at this time of the year when everything is white with frost both day and night.
Enclosed are some views of Armentiers, the place in which we have spent most of our time since coming from Egypt. It is an ancient town substantially built, but now for the most part in ruins. I am also enclosing a Hun Field Post Card, which is their equivalent of the ones we use. I got that in the last bit of trench we captured before leaving the Somme. We took the trench with the assistance of our artillery and liquid fire at two o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and I had to put my gun in a part of the trench that had previously been held by four german guns. We got the guns their teams were for the most part dead. Fritz tried to bomb us out of that twice. I had quite a collection of curios at this place but of couple of Maoris got down on them so that all I came away with was a telescopic sight for a machine gun that will post if I can from here. Now I must go and see if I can get some (illegible).
Goodbye for the present,
Love to all, Rawei
Thursday, June 2, 2011
France 16/11/16
My Dear Dad,
I have just received your letter of 9th Sept and was glad to learn from it that you were all well. We get most of the news here before it is very old and of course hear a lot of rumours. We are only about twenty minutes away from a fairly big town where we can buy English papers only a day old. I have just come in from town where I have been for a hot bath and a change of clothing. We usually manage a bath about once a week. Needless to say the trenches here are fairly wet in the winter, but we are provided with gumboots, dry socks every day, and whale oil to rub out feet with, sot that the wet does not trouble us much. We are sleeping in concrete dugout which is supposed to be proof against high explosives, it leaks a bit but is very warm, and we manage to keep it dry with the assistance of a beer pump that we have installed. The pump we rescued from the ruins of a pub, about every other shop in the town is now some sort of a beer shop, they sell only French beer and light wines however and are under strict supervision so that a drunk man is rather a novelty. Along with several others from the Company I was recommended [illegible] not nothing will come if it but if it does it will mean a spell for a few weeks first.
Hoping this finds you all in good health,
With best regards to all your affectionate son, Rawei
Sunday, May 1, 2011
France, 20/10/16
My Dear Mother,
Here we are back at the same old spot we left two months ago. Things seem to be very quiet here after our experiences in the last place. We expect a mail in any day now but have had nothing for a week or so. I am now a corporal and if leave is not cancelled should have leave to Blighty in the next fortnight.
This place will do us for the winter if we only have the luck to be left here. Plenty of comfortable dugouts and nothing much doing. Each gun team does its own cooking. When in the trenches we have have a mess fund and what with the tucker issued and what we buy we live very well. One chap shot a partridge the other day but when it was nearly roasted poured some rifle oil on it in mistake for fat, another one fried his bread in dubbin. What with dubbin, grease for our feet, and rifle oil we have to be careful what tin we dip into when cooking. I am in good health and trust you are all the same.
With love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Here we are back at the same old spot we left two months ago. Things seem to be very quiet here after our experiences in the last place. We expect a mail in any day now but have had nothing for a week or so. I am now a corporal and if leave is not cancelled should have leave to Blighty in the next fortnight.
This place will do us for the winter if we only have the luck to be left here. Plenty of comfortable dugouts and nothing much doing. Each gun team does its own cooking. When in the trenches we have have a mess fund and what with the tucker issued and what we buy we live very well. One chap shot a partridge the other day but when it was nearly roasted poured some rifle oil on it in mistake for fat, another one fried his bread in dubbin. What with dubbin, grease for our feet, and rifle oil we have to be careful what tin we dip into when cooking. I am in good health and trust you are all the same.
With love to all,
Your affectionate son,
Rawei
Friday, April 1, 2011
France, 9/10/16
My dear Dad,
I was glad to learn from your letter of the 12th that you were in good health again. Since writing you last we have been into the big push and can now say we have seen the last thing in modern warfare. What with gas, liquid fire, and big shells, it is hell with the lid off as they say.
Fritz is a hard fighter and is well equipped but we can shift him any time we like although not before half his garrison has been killed. If it has done nothing else our trip down here has shown us our superiority in artillery and men. The scale on which things are done here is enormous and quite beyond my powers of description.
The last day we "hopped the parapet" here to advance we had the "Tanks" (heavy armoured cars) with us and while going forward with our guns I met Cecil Walker coming back with a bullet through the chest. He was alright and should now be in England if he got back without stopping another. The next day Saturday 16/9/16 Fritz put a shell right into the gun position we have dug and got the whole lot of us. Two were seriously wounded I stopped a small piece in the thigh which took me out of it for a few days. I got back again in time to go over again last Sunday when we took another bit of trench. On this occasion we used liquid fire. I have not been able to find out how Gordon fared yet but trust he is alright. I will write again soon.
Love to all,
Rawei
I was glad to learn from your letter of the 12th that you were in good health again. Since writing you last we have been into the big push and can now say we have seen the last thing in modern warfare. What with gas, liquid fire, and big shells, it is hell with the lid off as they say.
Fritz is a hard fighter and is well equipped but we can shift him any time we like although not before half his garrison has been killed. If it has done nothing else our trip down here has shown us our superiority in artillery and men. The scale on which things are done here is enormous and quite beyond my powers of description.
The last day we "hopped the parapet" here to advance we had the "Tanks" (heavy armoured cars) with us and while going forward with our guns I met Cecil Walker coming back with a bullet through the chest. He was alright and should now be in England if he got back without stopping another. The next day Saturday 16/9/16 Fritz put a shell right into the gun position we have dug and got the whole lot of us. Two were seriously wounded I stopped a small piece in the thigh which took me out of it for a few days. I got back again in time to go over again last Sunday when we took another bit of trench. On this occasion we used liquid fire. I have not been able to find out how Gordon fared yet but trust he is alright. I will write again soon.
Love to all,
Rawei
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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
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
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