I said last night I'd try and transcribe more of the family letters from 1918.
Posted by
Meg (aka Mojave)
Nov 11 '13, 16:29
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Cast of Characters....
Arth & Ern - my mother's maternal uncles.
Ollie - their sister and my maternal grandmother
Grace - Another sister.
Joe Corry - a friend of Arth & Ern
Joe - family but I'm not sure where he fits.
Bertha - Arth emigrated to Australia and married her there before the war. Thirty years later - after WWII - she sponsored my family to Australia and became my surrogate grandmother.
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September 26th, 1918
My Dearest Ollie,
It grieves me much to have to tell you, that we are passing again under a great cloud of bereavement by the loss of our dear brother Ern. It came as a great blow to us last night. The War Office wrote saying he was killed on the 19th September. We have not yet heard how he died, but are anxiously awaiting news now of Arthur. We are wondering if he knows anything about it.
Joe Corry was wounded on the 20th and I received a field card saying he was in hospital, so you can tell how anxious we are to know if Arthur is safe. God alone knows the heartaches this has caused.
Dear George is staying with us, and this news has given him a sad heart to face it again. He returns to France Saturday morning, how I wish he was here for good. Perhaps you have heard from Joe. We received a notice from the War Office saying he was in No. 8 Stationary Hospital, T Ward, Urmereaux, France, suffering from two gunshot wounds and a left fractured thigh severely. Joe said he was unloading a German revolver when it exploded wounding him. But he makes rather light of it in his letters but we can read between the lines. This worries Dad as he thinks if he should get discharged he will not receive anything from the Army, as George says it is marked up everywhere telling you not to touch anything German as they prove traps, so unless he was on the salvage party he has disobeyed rules. I only hope it will prove to be for the best. Poor Arthur will feel it, but it is a blessing Ern leaves no one dependent on him. We often say it’s a blessing Mother is like Ern now, free from all this worry. I must ring off dear for I know you can understand my feelings. Pleased to say Rose arrived home safely.
Everyone sends their love to you all and accept the same from Your Everloving Sister
Grace.
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