Sending a wire June – August 1940

Posted on August 10, 1940 by felicityh54

greetings from the shipEngland safe and wellbirthday and social telegram

Four  telegrams

1.  I assume this one was sent from the ship.  It is sent via ‘GLT’ rather than ‘EFT’ which is the method for all others.   The Hobart date stamp shows 15 June 40.  The lodgement advice shows it originated ‘abroad’ (whereas the next one says Gt Britain) and I assume the time is 5.10pm on the 9th….though why they would use a 12 hour clock on board ship is a bit of a mystery!

Unlike all others, it is addressed to Dad’s father not his mother, and is a single word – Greetings – followed by his surname (Hickman) rather than Max or Max Hickman.  I assume one of these was sent on behalf of each man on the ship, before making landfall.  As a later letter comments with concern on his mother’s report that she has received no mail, I am sure she must have welcomed even this one word notification confirming that he was at least still alive after a much longer than expected voyage.

I am intrigued by the fact that it was telephoned through to my grandparents at W1839.  For all their married life, my parents lived in Pottery Rd – as my grandparents had done previously.  Nan and Pop moved to Courtney Street before I was born, but although we didn’t live in the house they had left, it seems we managed to inherit their phone number….since the one I committed to memory as a child was first of all 81839 then 281839, which finally became 62281839.

2.  Although this one is also from ‘Hickman’ rather than Max, it has a more personal tone – England fit and well Love...  It appears to have been sent (via Cable/ EFM) on the 22nd June and received on the 24th.

I love the advertisements on the back of these first two telegrams:

*****

CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES OF A TELEPHONE IN THE HOME!

It contributes much to the security, happiness and efficiency of the household

As a rule, the rental is less than 2/- per week (even lower in the Country)

APPLY FOR A SERVICE TODAY – THERE IS NO INSTALLATION FEE

*****

INSTALL THE MODERN HANDSET TELEPHONE!

It is shapely in form and convenient to use

It combines grace of line with efficiency in working

And it costs only 2d per week more than an instrument of the  (–??) pedestal type

THE DEPARTMENT WILL GLADLY REPLACE YOUR EXISTING TELEPHONE WITH ONE OF THE HANDSET TYPE

*****

3.  Hand written Birthday Greetings

This cable was sent (via Cable/ EFM) from London on July 16 – Happy Birthday Mother love Max Hickman

It appears to have come through to and been delivered by the New Town Post Office (I assume there wasn’t one in Lenah Valley at that time): there is no stamp confirming that the the message was phoned through.  The numbers at the end may indicate a time of delivery (9.8)

The back of the telegram is blank.

4. Social Telegram: Mail from home

Like his mother, Dad was desperate for news of family and friends.  Finally in early August he received his first letters and telegrams – some of which arrived after very convoluted journeys. The message here is of relief – Received some mail love Max Hickman.

I can’t decipher the date on the stamp.  It could be 109040 Which would be a strange way of saying September 10 – though that’s possible.  Unlike the others it was sent ‘via Beam’.

This one is also blank on the back.  The  numbers at the bottom may once again indicate a time of delivery (9.34pm).

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Mail, Misdemeanours and English hospitality August 1940

Posted on August 7, 1940 by felicityh54

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7 August 1940 p77th August 1940

TX1004

Private Hickman

72nd Battalion

25th Brigade

AIF

United Kingdom

Dear Mother

I received my first Australian mail yesterday and today.  Yesterday I had a letter from youngster written from Sydney on the 6th June and today I got your letter written on 10th June and one from Mrs Toomey.  I was very pleased to get your letter and am most surprized that you haven’t received any of mine because I wrote you from Fremantle, Cape Town and Freetown and have written every week since we got here.  I also sent a cablegram from Cape Town per medium of one of the officers – that should have reached home late in May and a Mothers Day cablegram from Fremantle.

There is perhaps some excuse for us not getting our mail because of the reorganization of the Forces but there surely isn’t any reason for our mail not getting home – some of the letters you would have enjoyed very much.  From now on I will number my letters and if you do so too we will know which go astray.   I sent you a cablegram on your birthday.  I hope it arrived alright also some packets of snaps.  I’m sorry to hear of Old Len passing on but life didn’t mean much to him in his last years.  Mrs Len will have a still greater burden to carry now but I guess she’ll carry on.

The youngster seemed hale and hearty and to all intents and purposes was feeling the benefit of her treatment.

Mrs Toomey told me in her letter that she’d had a letter from you – she’s a good sort and treated us very well – in a letter I had from her at Fremantle she said she had sent a parcel but I guess that like many others can be posted missing.  Last week I received a cablegram from her sent from Sydney on the 18th May.  It had been to Palestine and came on from there by mail and after touring the camps of England eventually caught up with me.  It is a very interesting document the postal information being in three languages – English, Hebrew and Arabic.

As you see I am now in an infantry Battalion and enjoy my work very much.  I have just completed a fortnight’s school in specialist instruction.  Dick Schultz and Ken Jenkins are in a different Battalion.

Last Sunday after church parade or at least after the Colonel had said his piece which provided and excellent anticlimax to the service – he’s the most unconscious humorist I’ve ever heard – he began by saying he was going to give the highlights of the week and he certainly did.  First of all he chastised Smith’s Weekly for putting bad ideas into the boys’ heads and then recounted the crimes committed by various personnel during the preceding week.  Crimes ranging from the stealing of pigs and fowls to an organised raid on a pub cellar.  Whilest on this strain his voice would do credit to a clergyman a striking contrast to his word of command – further he said I think those fellows are low in fact they are low.  It was the work of the world to keep from laughing  outright however we weathered the storm and presently afterwards were marched off and dismissed for the day.

I went to the camp where Dick and Ken are stationed.  They’ve both got good jobs in the RAP – Dick is Battalion masseur and Ken an MO’s assistant.

Dick had just returned to camp – he went on leave on Saturday and was due back to camp at ten that night but went with another chap (whose birthday it was) to a town that’s out of bounds at present and got gloriously sizzled – at eleven o’clock he reported to the police that he’d been to a town near camp and had caught the wrong bus.  The Police took them to a military barracks where they were given a bed, a good breakfast, and a rail pass back to camp in addition a letter to the Colonel explaining the circumstances – That’s about the best I’ve ever heard – instead of being fined two pounds and seven days they got bed, breakfast and free transport.  Dick’s looking particularly fit and asked to be remembered to you and the pater.  Ken was away at the time so I didn’t see him however I had tea with Dick and Dudley Raynor, played a few games of crib and returned to camp.

One night last week I had leave till midnight and went with Claude Hill to a small village about three miles from camp.  Just before reaching our destination we were picked up by a lady in a car and she took us to a village of the same name but considerably further away.  Claude had the price of a couple of drinks – I was broke, still paying off a fine incurred for overstaying my London leave – so we went into the local pub.  It was a tumbledown shanty but there was a congenial crowd there of country folk just like a gathering of the clan in the cellars at home on Sunday, and for the first time since we arrived here the crowd shouted not once but several times with the result that we got quite merry but the long walk home somewhat dampened our enthusiasm – It must have been the best part of ten miles.

Well mother there isn’t much more I can write at the moment but I would like you to let me know which letters you did get.  I almost said which ones you didn’t get – and then I may be able to retell from my diary some of the news that missed out.

My love to May and Anne and more particularly to yourself.  Best regards to the Pater – whom I trust is well and to Laurie and Mr and Mrs Phillips.  Remember me to the boys.  Love  – Max

 

Comments : Family matters

‘The youngster’ was Dad’s younger sister Ivy Drysdale.  She was an accountant who lived on the mainland – in Sydney then in Melbourne.  Her husband Bill was a navy officer.

May was his older sister who like his parents lived in Lenah Valley – probably also in Pottery Road.  While I was growing up, we lived at no. 21 and Auntie May and her family lived at no. 23 – but I don’t believe either of these houses was built until after the war. May was married to Laurie and Anne was her daughter.

‘The boys’ who are usually mentioned at the end of dad’s letters, were the family dogs.

‘Old Len’ was one of Dad’s great uncles – one of his father’s many brothers.  My grandpop  (‘the pater’) was one of 14 children, 12 of whom reached adulthood – 10 men and 2 women.  Six of dad’s great uncles and both great aunts were alive at the start of the war.  Old Len and his wife Elizabeth (‘Mrs Len’) lived on a property called Lenfern in Lenah Valley Road.  According to Hickman descendant Robert Kellett (in The Descendants of Richard and Phyllis Hickman, 2002) Len passed away suddenly at home whilst sitting at the table.  ‘Mrs Len’ was known as a very hard working lady who worked in their extensive orchard, raised pigs and made many varieties of wine.

Crimes, ranging from the stealing of pigs….

As the War progressed, members of the Battalion created an heraldic shield for each of its Commanding Officers.  The first of these – Lt-Col R W Bierworth’s shield – depicts in one quarter ‘the stolen pig’ whose story is recounted in The Footsoldiers (p443):

The stolen pig records the exploit of one Private Denton (thereafter known as ‘Piggy’).  On a particularly black night in England this character decided to eke out the meat ration by bayonetting a young pig and lugging ti home to camp in his universal kit-bag – this at a time when near was severely rationed in England and the farmer was not permitted to kill any pigs himself without Government authority!  Unfortunately for the pig-snatcher, her was passed en route (complete with pig) by one Alfie Buttrose, then commanding C company.  The shrewd Alfie found the RSM doing the rounds of the guard on reaching camp and promptly passed the buck to him.  The sequel may have been more drastic for the pork-lover had not the Officer’s Mess (including the CO) enjoyed fried pork chops next morning, unaware of the source of supply. The rest of the pig?  Ask the ‘Snake Pit’!

CO Shield 1

Posted in Britain, escapades, relaxation, fun and games, pay and conditions, Posts and telegraph, unit parades and church parades | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

London leave extends to AWL

Posted on July 21, 1940 by felicityh54

21 July 1940 p1

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21 July 1940 p6

21 July 1940 p7TX 1004

Private ML Hickman

72nd Battalion

25th Brigade

AIF

United Kingdom

21st July 1940

Dear Mother

I have just returned from 36 hours London leave and I think I can write you a very newsy letter of that wonderful city.

Jim [McDonnell], Ac Hallam and I were fortunate enough to get leave at the same time.  From Waterloo Station we marched to the Strand Theatre in the Strand – the temporary headquarters of the ………[carefully cut out by the censor].  A committee of ladies all associated in some way with Australia had charge of social arrangements and gave information on the various places we should go.  Ac Hallam the giant of the party was selected to accompany a New Zealander, a Canadian and an English sailor on a featured tour – a photographer and some other chap accompanied them – photos of them will be in the illustrated of about the end of July.  Jim and I had lunch in the Corner House in the Strand and then walked around a few blocks – through Admiralty Arch and past Trafalgar Square where the famous Nelson Column stands.  (inserted above: When the Armistice was signed in 1918 the Aussies lit a fire at the base of the monument and cracked a big piece of the stone.)  There are thousands of pigeons in the square.  People go there and buy a packet of feed for the birds.  They are very tame and jump on to your hands, arms and head.

We walked back to the Strand where we joined a small party and were taken by a car driven by a Ladies Auxiliary driver to Parliament House as guests of Lord Denman – a former Governor General of Australia and the Duke of Devonshire.  We were taken into the House of Lords.  There was a debate on but it was not very interesting.  From there we went to the House of Lords Library – a series of magnificent rooms containing nearly 100,000 volumes.  There was a facsimile of the Charter signed by the members of parliament for the execution of Charles the First – the librarian told us that nearly all of them came to a sticky end.  There was not much chance to scrounge anything because we were accompanied by a CID man.  However I got some cards – one of which I am enclosing.  As we walked back along the corridor I was talking to Lord Denman and Jim walking behind with the car driver.  His nibs was telling me of a fishing trip he had at Lake Leake in 1912, and in the midst of it I heard Jim ask the lady if the old joker was the caretaker – Denman turned round and looked at him and grinned.  It was about the best I’ve ever heard.

We had afternoon tea – including strawberries and cream – and then went into the gallery of the House of Commons for a while.  It was then about five o’clock and Jim and I leaving the rest of the party went to the Charing Cross station and went by the tube train to Baker St Station from here we went to Madame Tussauds Wax works. This is the most incredible show imaginable – most of the works you would swear were human, every expression is there – perhaps the best of all is Roosevelt.  There must be a thousand representations and the guide booklet is in itself a most complete history.  All the Kings of England, the great figures of sport, statesmen, soldiers, sailors, scholars – a most amazing array that it would be impossible to describe.  It was about half past nine when we left there and went by bus to Highgate where we saw the spot marked by a stone where Dick Whittington first turned back to London and at the Dick Whittington Hotel partook of a couple of beers.  Had an excellent supper of steak and eggs and came back to the city and booked in at St Stephens Club – a tock (?) show for troops.

Up at six next morning we walked to Westminster Cathedral and from there to Buckingham Palace.  The Palace is very disappointing from the front – we saw the changing of the guards.  In front of the Palace is a memorial to Queen Victoria. The base of the main body of the memorial is very similar to the base of the shrine in Melbourne.  On top of the various columns that form part of the memorial is a tympanum symbolising the various dominions and colonies all of whom contributed to the cost.  St James Park through which you pass before reaching the Palace is very nice and Hyde Park some distance away is also vey good.  Later in the morning we saw the Old Curiosity Shop, Drury Lane Theatre and Australia House.  As I was stony broke – it cost nearly all my fortnights pay for the fare to London – I called at the Commonwealth Bank to see if I could raise some money.  I told the accountant I had an account at the bank – he asked me if I had my book with me – of course I didn’t – oh well he said you can have five pounds if that’s any good to you.  I felt like a millionaire.  That afternoon we went on a tour of places of interest including one of the big breweries.

At half past six we were making our way to Waterloo to catch a train back to camp when we met two Australian nurses.  They asked us where we’d been and told us we should have gone out and seen Windsor Castle so we had a conference and decided to go AWL for a day.  The nurses took us to the Overseas Club – a fine place where there was a good dance – a mixed crowd of all nationalities – French, Dutch, South African, English, Poles, officers of all ranks – but their stars and crowns meant nothing there.  We had several dances and supper.  The girls went to their hospital and we went to St Stephens Club again.  Next morning we caught then first train to Windsor – about thirty miles from London.  We arrived at the gates of the Castle – a colossal stack of stone – at half past six.  The constable at the gate said we weren’t allowed in unless in a party for which arrangements had been made by the Colonel and then only on Sunday.  After a lot of talking however he put his coat on and showed us round – couldn’t go inside of course nobody can but we saw all the outside and he told us some interesting sidelights on the character of King George V.  It seems he hated yes men and loved an argument.  He said they (the constables) had often listened to the King arguing with his Secretary Lord Wigram over the phone.  Lord Wigram is now Governor of the Castle.  All the Kings are buried in the vaults of the chapel.  In one of the oldest parts of the Castle the Military Knights of Windsor live.  A grapevine climbing over the walls of this section was planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.  When we were leaving the constable told us that there would be a service in the chapel at a quarter past nine and if we came back then we could see inside the chapel.  We walked a cross the river and saw Eton School – not a very inspiring place although a great mecca of Public school life.  Then we had breakfast and returned to Windsor.

The Chapel was open so we went in.  It’s a beautiful building built in a perpendicular Gothic style, peculiar I believe to English churches.  We’d had a good look round the main hall at the tomb of King George V and the many crests built ;into the ceiling when the service started int he small chapel.  More out of curiosity than religious fervour we went in.  I’ve never been to a church service like it in my life.  They tricked us at every turn – we were sitting when we should have been standing, standing when we should have been kneeling.  There were three clergymen and they all said a piece and whenever we did the wrong thing they scowled very appropriately.  It was a most embarrassing situation. but the glorious display of banners of Knights of the Garter and crests and the wonderful carvings justified it.  In the ceiling are the crests of all the Kings since William the conqueror.  I forgot to mention that the choir was excellent – one of the best in England I believe.

We returned to London about dinner time, had some lunch and then went to St Pauls Cathedral.  It’s absolutely marvellous – you’ve got no idea of the splendour of this place – in the crypt right under the dome is Nelson’s tomb and in the main body of the Cathedral the Duke of Wellington and other great men are buried.

From the Cathedral we went and saw The Monument – a column erected on then site where the great fire started in 1666.  Later the same day we were at the Marble Arch – among other places we saw were The Tower (outside only), Tower Bridge, the Cleopatra needle, the Masonic Temple, St James’ Park and Palace, Pall Mall, Nell Gwynn’s cottage, the Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Lambeth Palace.  That night we came back to camp.  It was the best experience I’ve ever had and though I’m paying for my misdemeanours the experience was worth the price.

Well Mother, Duty calls so cheerio and all the best to you, dad, May and Anne

Love

Max

My regards to Mr and Mrs Phillips, Laurie and the boys

PS Jim sends his best regards to you and the Pater.  As with me, the army’s cut down his beer ration – it’s eleven pence a pint here.

 

 

Comments and Questions

Army Pay

...’ it cost nearly all my fortnights pay for the fare to London’…

According to Wikipedia (entry on Second Australian Imperial Force) an unmarried private in the AIF was paid 5s per day in Australia, with an extra 2s per day after embarkation for overseas.  Dad often spoke of being on ‘two bob a day’ so I wonder if he had signed over the other five bob to his parents (or his own account in Hobart) rather than having it entered in his Army pay book.  The fare would certainly have been exorbitant if it had really been nearly a fortnight’s pay at 7/- a day!

…’the army’s cut down his beer ration – it’s eleven pence a pint here.’

Even if they were receiving their full 7/- a day, eleven pence would be astronomical: they would only be able to buy 7 pints from a full day’s pay.  Imagine if that were the benchmark for the basic wage today!

Opening Hours

I’m amazed at how far they walked and rode around London, and the time they were able to spend in tourist attractions.  They left Madame Tussaud’s at around 9.30pm and caught a bus…and were still able to get a substantial meal in a hotel.

Money from the Commonwealth Bank

Dad did acknowledge in later years that the teller had recorded his army service number, so they would have been able to pursue him if his claim to having an account in Hobart had turned out to be false.

Nicknames

There are many nicknames in Dad’s letters.  I have no idea how ‘Alfred’ became ‘Ac’ Hallam.  In The Footsoldiers he’s referred to as ‘Hack’.  At least two different men were referred to as ‘Snow’ and two others as ‘Nugget’.

AWL

The penalty for the extended time spent in London is detailed in later letters, but he never changed his view that the experience was worth the penalty.

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Birth of the 72nd Battalion Carrier Platoon 27th June 1940

Posted on June 27, 1940 by felicityh54

birth of the battalion

The first of many re-0rganisations

From The Footsoldiers (p7):

…”The last of the British troops were evacuated (from Dunkirk) on 18 June.  Most brought their rifles and personal equipment but transport and guns and tanks were lost.  This was the situation on the morning of 18 June, when the 18th Brigade began making its camps.  The artillery had no guns and little transport; the infantry had only rifles and a few Lewis and Vickers machine guns.  The large number of troops, all lacking necessary equipment, and divorced from the units – mainly the 6th Division – which they were intended to support – made it imperative that the force now in England be re-organised…..It was decided by Major-General Wynter, the GOC, to form another infantry brigade…on the morning of 26th June, it was simply a matter of a list of names being read out; selecting the essential gun crews to remain ; then splitting the remainder in two.  The right half were told to pack their gear and assemble on the main road….for the men who had joined together and in most cases had been together for nearly eight months this was indeed a depressing day…..Most of the men slept the first night in then open, having had a cup of tea instead of a meal and only groundsheets and greatcoats as beds.”

The Carrier Platoon

Dad didn’t comment on the specifics of the Battalion’s formation until many years after the war, when he wrote

Soon after our arrival at Salisbury Plains we were made aware of the gravity of the war situation.  The fall of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk with the consequent loss of equipment made it necessary for those in authority to re-organise the Australian contingent.  In the process several units were partially disbanded.  The Anti Tank Regiment was one such unit and after a short period of training in the use of Vickers machine guns, the group was split up into three platoons, one platoon being assigned to each of three new battalions being formed from the disbanded units.  These three battalions were designated 70th, 71st and 72nd battalions under British command.  The platoon to which I belonged was integrated into the 72nd Battalion. 

The letter above (as picture, and below as transcript) from Doug Cullen (VX11589) to ‘Bert’ was in Dad’s collection of papers…with no note as to how it came to be there – but it describes one small part of the story of the forming of the Battalion: specifically that of the Carrier platoon to which Dad belonged : it  was part of Headquarters Company.

Dear Bert

Just came a cross a list of original TX’s who joined the Battalion at Tidworth Park and thought you might like to have it.  All came over with Capt Larry Miller’s troop of 1st Anti Tank Regt, and marched into the then 72 Bn on 27th June, the day after the Bn was formed, and formed the Carrier Platoon.

Capt L Miller 2/1 A/T Sgt TX2007

Pte V T Abel TX 797

Sgt G Barclay TX 417

Pte T D Brereton TX 819

Pte P Barr SX 3763

Cpl R J Cole TX286

Pte A R Erp TX 751

Pte E G J Fleming TX351

Cpl J M Fletcher TX280

Cpl A E Hallam TX1003

Pte M L Hickman TX1004

Pte R E Lewis TX599

Pte B M Lloyd TX531

Pte C St L Lewis TX1158

Pte J J McDonnell TX1024

Pte R H Robinson TX 919

Cpl C L Williams TX549

All the rest were QX’s – a total of 58 in all 

Regards Doug Cullen

The Carriers

The following excerpts come from Wikipedia’s entry on Australian Armoured Units of World War II:

During the early years of the war all Australian infantry battalions were authorised a platoon of Universal Carriers. The Carrier Platoon’s main roles were to transport the Battalion’s crew served weapons and conduct reconnaissance. The carriers were also occasionally used to transport infantry.

The Universal Carrier, also known …as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were usually used for transporting personnel and equipment, mostly support weapons, or as machine gun platforms. With some 113,000 built in the United Kingdom and abroad, it is the most produced armoured fighting vehicle in history….

The carrier put the driver and commander at the front sitting side-by-side; the driver to the right….The hull in front of the commander’s position jutted forward to give room for the Bren gun (or other armament) to fire through a simple slit. To either side of the engine were two areas in which passengers could ride or stores be carried.

 

FS p78 and AWM 008210

A photo of carriers in action in Syria from the Australian War Memorial : accession no. 008210.

Posted in Carrier platoon, Letters to/ from others, organisation, training, Uncategorized, weapons, armaments, equipment | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Somewhere in England June 1940

Posted on June 25, 1940 by felicityh54

 gunner hickman 1 and 2gunner hickman 3 and 4gunner hickman 5

Letterhead: YMCA – including instructions on how to address mail, and the invocation to Write Home First

TX 1004

Gunner Hickman

1st Antitank Regt

AIF Overseas

Somewhere in England

Dear Mother

At long last we are on terra firma again.  The trip though very long compared to what the big majority have ever made was most pleasant all the way.  Though the heat was a bit severe through the tropics the weather was perfect and the sea for the most part as smooth as a lake.  In fact on several occasions Ac Hallam (an ex Kings Cup rower) expressed the wish that he had a sculling boat with him.

The monotonous regularity of army routine was for a time somewhat annoying but as the routine developed into habit it became much more congenial.  I fancy we travelled in much more modern style than did the pater twenty five years ago.  We were able to swim in the ship’s swimming pool, had lectures and just enough physical training to keep us absolutely fit, and I can assure you that I never felt better in my life.

It’s been a wonderful education.  I only wish I could set down a faithful pen picture of this trip.  The man who can catch the complete atmosphere of a troop ship would never have to work again.  In the evenings between tea time and lights out the troops gathered in the smoke rooms, in the cabins and passages.  The smoke rooms reminded me of a mining town pub – the reek of smoke, the clink of beer pots and the babble of voices rising at times to a crescendo and hushed again to a whisper as particularly high stakes were wagered at two up or crown and anchor.  In the cabins discussion, debate or argument according to the mentality of the persons concerned – on every imaginable subject, from the lighter to the material side of life.  At times around pay day a little community singing would be indulged in – but scarcely ever was more than a passing reference made to the war.

I remember one Sunday early in the trip there was a church service and while the padre (a define old chap) was saying his piece, from the deck below him there came that familiar sound – Two Bob she heads ’em – Two up is certainly a national institution with the Australians.

Though we called at more than one port we were only able to get leave at one because of the shortness of our stay at the others.  [the last 4 lines of this page have been torn off – presumably censored]  ….reports better but we were satisfied although I should have liked to get some souvenirs.

Great Britain is in the midst of spring [actually it was summer].  As we travelled along the coast we saw beautiful hills and valleys rich in spring grass.  The green trees and the grazing cattle – everything so peaceful and pleasant and from when we landed the trip through the country to our training ground has been wonderful.  The people are grimly determined to carry on – they have perfect confidence in the ultimate outcome.

When we arrived the mayor of the city and a representative of the government came on board, we had a muster parade and were welcomed on behalf of Mr Eden (The Minister for War), the King and Mr Bruce.

We are settling down to hard training and the boys are as keen as mustard.

By the time this letter gets home it will be long past the 21st July but I wish you a very happy birthday Mother and hope you and the pater will celebrate it appropriately.

Give my love to May and Anne and the pater and my regards to Mr & Mrs Phillips and the boys.

Yours affectionately               (signed alongside by censor – Thomson)

Max

PS I would like you or May to pick out some good scenic snaps particularly of Mount Wellington and the lake country, and send them on to me.

PPS Jim [McDonnell], Dick [Schultz] and Ken Jenkins send their best wishes to you and the pater.  They have often expressed the wish for a glass of the pater’s wine – the slosh on board ship was not fit to drink and Jim particularly found lemonade a little unpalatable.

 Related Information

 Tidworth Camp, June/ July 1940 – Dick Lewis photo – Ray Watts in foreground

Tidworth camp June: July 1940

Ammo Daily – Special Final Issue 

“Ammo Daily” was published often – though not daily – on board troopship’X1′ (i.e. the Queen Mary).  Dad kept the final issue – volume 1, no. 37 – as a souvenir:

ammo daily 1ammo daily 2ammo daily 3ammo daily 4

 The Convoy Approaches Britain from ‘The Footsoldiers’ (William Crooks 1971, p6) :

A few days out of Britain the convoy was joined by a mighty escort – the battleships Hood and Ramilles , the aircraft carrier Argus, four cruisers, ten destroyers and eight minesweepers.  It was an emotional and stirring sight of the proud Royal Navy.  Overhead, patrolling against submarines was walkways a Sunderland flying boat……The news of 16 June, when France asked for an armistice depressed many on board but on the 17th they were uplifted when the convoy entered the Clyde in fine sunny weather.  The convoy moved in line ahead as each of the Royal Navy escort passed to starboard by only a quarter-mile; the sailors dressed ship; bands playing Waltzing Matilda and each troopship gave three cheers.    It was an uplifting and memorable event, witnessed by the waving people living in the little white houses along the shore.

Dad’s comments, from a personal communication in the 1970’s –

…we sailed up the River Clyde to Greenock.  …Being Sunday morning the church bells were ringing, calling the parishioners to prayer and ringing out a welcome to the Australian troops.  In this delightful peaceful setting it was hard to realise that a few hundred miles away France had capitulated and the British army was caught in a massive pincer movement at Dunkirk and that, even then, evacuation of these forces back to Britain was in progress.

At Greenock we disembarked and boarded trains bound for Salisbury Plains.  This particular train trip was the most pleasant I have experienced and quite distinct front hen mode of transport we were to experience in later days.  This was a wonderful public relations exercise.  Instead of being packed in like sardines there was one man to each window.  As we stopped for refreshments at the towns and cities en route we were greeted with tremendous enthusiasm by the British people.  As a counter to the demoralising news from Europe the arrival of so many Australian troops was a great morale builder.  People really believed there were a hundred thousand men in that convoy.  It was quite reasonable to thin this was true, as train load after train load passed through.  Almost as fast as one train pulled out of a station another was taking its place…..

 

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May 1940 Sydney

Posted on May 19, 1940 by felicityh54

May 1940 SydneyLetterhead: Hotel Grand Central , 151 Clarence St, Sydney

Dear Mother

I haven’t written before because one of our chaps who’s in the office said that mail was being held because too much information is spreading.  But as we have weekend leave I came in to Sydney with Ken Jenkins and am writing my letters from the Hotel.

We had a wonderful trip over.  The water was like a mill pond all the way.  At night all visible lights were extinguished and no smoking allowed on the boat deck.  The other decks were all screened in.  On Saturday night we played Housie and Ken and I halved one prize.  We travelled first class and after Brighton food the meals were wonderful.

They didn’t travel by the usual route and we arrived in Sydney at three o’clock Monday afternoon and marched through Sydney to Central where after about an hour of the usual military routine of mucking about we entrained.  At Liverpool we were picked up by army transports and taken to Ingleburn.  Without seeing it you’d have no idea of the camp.  It is a mile square.  There are nine thousand men encamped at present.  They have open air theatres and concert halls, churches, canteens (dry).  In fact its a real township.

On Tuesday we were issued with more gear and given our second antitetanus injection.  After we had the injection we went along to a tap to have a drink of water.  There was a sergeant standing nearby and he said that’s good water.  I said – yes but not as good as Mount Wellington water.  He said – Bloody New Zealanders again –  it’s all you can talk about!  There are hundreds of New Zealanders here – it was a good effort wasn’t it?

(no sign off – next page missing)

Related notes:

Reflection on Censorship 

“Mail was being held because too much information is spreading”!!  The newspapers and evening radio bulletins were full of information about the War : how could any of those waiting in the camps possibly know anything that could, in its sharing, undermine ‘the war effort’?  Or was it just that the powers that be didn’t want sons telling their mothers that they were no longer so excited and confident as they had been when they enlisted?

Brighton camp (Tasmania)

Dad enlisted on March 4 at Brighton.  In his letter his only comment about Brighton refers to the food.  Arch Flanagan shared a little more, in the book The Line (2005) co-written with his son Martin.  Arch enlisted a little later in the year (mid June), but apart from the more intense cold, I imagine conditions were similar to those Dad encountered:

At last we reached Brighton to be herded into black, bleak army trucks.  At the camp we were shown out quarters and then taken tot he mess hut for a meal that was no way enjoyable.  The know-alls reckoned our dixies had not been degreased when taken out of storage.  It was a long, dole night on a straw palliate on the floor …..A long, long day of queues and issues followed……..I came to grips with the life although the trials were many.  Foremost perhaps was the cold….Reveille was at 6am in the dark.  A mug of hot water front he cookhouse for shaving and then over to the Ablution Block for a wash, cold water only.  Showers were cold only, and consequently ignored this early.  Morning parade was usually in white frost, and days were spent in the open paddocks where the slow winds could freeze.  Nights in the unlined huts, four thin blankets per man, were constantly and miserably cold…….Clothes were generally a bad fit. ‘Only two sizes, too big and too small’ they used to say, and I had much trouble with boots, possibly because I wasn’t used to heavy footwear.  This combined with constant marching, much of it on hard roads, made me painfully shin-sore.

One important factor, food, soon fell into place.  The open air life made me a hungry eater and, while others grizzled about meals, I attacked everything presented; porridge (‘bloody burgoo again’), powdered eggs, stews and all.

Personal  relations were altogether different from civilian life.  All now lived cheek by jowl: the crude and the rude, the gentle and the refined; no respite, twenty-four hours a day.  Those who grated were avoided.  Those compatible drifted together…..Night times were a revelation in the hut of 24 men, for with blokes coughing, smoking, toiling, snoring and moaning, quietness rarely reigned for long……..

Probably to promote recruiting, the whole of Brighton Camp personnel was sent on city marches. First through Launceston….to a tumultuous reception; and later through Hobart…This was more subdued as it was on a Saturday afternoon.

The convoy

Dad’s service record shows he was transferred on strength from Brighton to Eastern Command on April 20 and marched in to Ingleburn and taken on strength into the 1st Anti Tank regiment on April 22. He speaks of having sailed to Sydney – presumably from Hobart, though it could have been from Devonport.   He embarked for service overseas on HMT x1 (the Queen Mary) on May 4.  The Australian War Memorial holds photographs of this vessel in Sydney Harbour (e.g.  http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/004297/ ) , but not as part of this convoy – indeed, I have been unable to find photos of this particular convoy despite it being the first in which the Queen Mary was used.  Other ships included the Mauretania, the Empress of Canada, the Aquitania, Empress of Britain and Andes.

Initially, the convoy was heading for the Middle East, but on 15 May the German army began the blitzkrieg attack on the Low Countries and France.  Italy also entered the war as a German ally.  There were Italian air bases in both Somalia and Libya, so the convoy was directed to divert to Capetown and from there to England.

 

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