In the lead up to ANZAC Day, we would like to share some of the letters sent home during WW1 by brothers Stanley Alexander Wilson known as Boof, and Edward Colin Wilson known as Dick.
We are fortunate to have a sizeable collection of letters from them to family at home during their service. This article focuses on early letters following their enlistment and experiences while travelling to and in camp abroad. They give an insight into their new life as soldiers.
Boof and Dick were grandsons of William Wilson, who with his father John Wilson were very early settlers in Diamond Creek, who arrived about 1846 settling on the creek near the oval and reserve and along towards Allendale Road. More about the Wilson family can be found in our December 2020 issue.
Stanley, the younger of the two brothers, was the first to enlist, on the 1st January 1916. He was 21 years old. Edward enlisted later in the year, aged 25, on the 27th October.
Both brothers trained at Broadmeadows Camp. Stanley joined the 11th Reinforcement of the 21st Battalion and Edward the 8th Reinforcement of the 58th Battalion.
Stanley embarked for overseas on the RMS Orontes on the 29th March 1916 and started writing home about his experiences and adventures as soon as he was on his way. The text of this letter sent on the 5th April 1926 to his brother Billy, transcribed verbatim, follows on page 3.
Dear Billy,
This is the last time that I will be able to send a letter without being sencured, so I though I would just drop you a line, as I will only send on home after this & you can all read it. We are just entering Freemantle, 6-30. We are to be let off at 9 oclock & I am going to have a look round. We have only 4 hours off so wont have much time to go to Perth, but I think we will just to be able to say that I have seen it. Adelaide is not a bad little Town. We anchored at Outer Harbour & went up to town in the train tram. We traveled for free there but 3 days after our officers made us pay up 1/6 for our fare. ~ Boof ~
I suppose mum showed you the will & explained about it. You know that I was going to leave you that block, but I couldn’t as you can leave nothing you haven’t got up to the time. So I left everything to Mum it will go to her now & she knows what to do with it. What did you think of my whale. I am going to finish this on shore. When you write let us know how mum is taking it now. It is rather lonely our here away from you all. A returned man told me the other day that we had no had no hope of ever coming back as we were going to France & we would be right in the thick of it. He was just back from there & he had been hit in 11 places. Dont tell Mum. Boof.
By May 1917 Stanley was in camp at Tel-El-Kebir near Cairo, Egypt.
Dear Billy
I went into Cairo on Sunday to have a look round. I was only in for a few hours & as I was just about broke I couldnt gad about much. I was in without leave too but if I had have got pinched I recken it would have been worth it. Even the ride in train did me good because I saw some green grass. As soon as we left Tel-El-Kebir station things began to look up & after traveling for a while it looked as though we were in a civilised country again. The country itself hadnt changed but it was irrigated right into Cairo. And it grows boster crops of wheat & maize. Cairo itself is a most dirty squalid place. If a plage of some sort happened to start at one end of it it would sweep everything before it. The n*****s instead of going to the urinals squat down in the street anywhere, its all the same to them. The backyards there are on the tops of the houses anyhow that is where they keep the fowls. You get hold of a returned chap & ask him what sort of a place the (wassa) is. For your own benifed only. If he tells you they you will know why. You can believe everything and anything he tells you. We went out as far as Helelopious to where the camp used to be it is broken up now. It is only 8 or 9 miles from Cairo but it is as different as chalk from cheese. The streets and the buildings are a real picture. Especially the Palace hospital & the R.C. church. The camp made that place because the first house was built only twelve years ago. When you write put in all the news no matter how trivial it seems to you it is all news to me. It is going on for 7 weeks now since I have had any news & havent got a letter yet so dont know how much longer it will be before in get one. There is not much time to wonder how things are going at home as we start at 5 & keep going till six at night. It is when I am in bed hunting the greybacks that I find time to wonder how things are going. Did the kid get the photos that I sent from Colombo.
I bought a book on Arabic & French & am having a go to learn a bit of the French ling. I am picking up a few words of the Arabic but it is not a language at all. The n*****s that are about the camp get on my nerves & if I dont brake one of their heads before long it wont be my fault. I think this about all for the present.
Hoping this finds you all serene.
Waiting for a letter Boof
Edward embarked aboard the HMAT A7 Medic on the 16th December 1916 bound for camp in England. His first letter home to his brother Bill gives an insight into the affect leaving Australia had on some of the men Edward knew from home who were on the same voyage.
Dear Bill and all at home I thought I would drop you a line being as they are sending letters from Queenscliff. Well Bill so far so good it is just the thing on board. As smooth as a Collie Bun now but for how long I dont know. Bill I got your note, about the women you neednt bother about them as I still have a bit of respect the little fellow yet. I struck Jock Bellot on the boat and I have a bostter cober myself so I aint too bad off. Also boof foggie I seen him but he kept out of my road.
Well Bill, I haven’t much time for writing and there isn’t much too write about, I see sticky doing a bit of a weep and I think fuge was very near it by hell bill that is what breaks a man up more than anything I told stick not to come down how did skinny Francis like it. I didn’t get a proper look at her but it is dam hard for anyone to stick it.
Well Bill we don’t make a call until we get to Durbin, so that means a weak or so. Any how I will close now hoping it leaves you all well as I am at present.
Love to all Dick
A later letter was sent while he was still onboard to their niece Jane, known as Jinnie.
Dear Jinnie
Just a few lines hoping you are all well home as it leaves me at present. This is Christmas day and I can tell you it isnt too nice it was raining this morning and the Sea is fairly rough but I am hardened to it now I haven’t been sick and we are now about 3000 miles away that is at the present time when I write this note 5 oclock 25/12/16 we are just going for tea now. I am mess orderley 6 bob aweek extra for that. We have had a bonza trip so far but you can see nothing but water where ever you look and it gets a bit monotonous but another 10 days we will be in Durbin but I am not going to post this note on the boat. I will wait until we get to Durbin. So if when you get it you will know we have reached Africa. I am sending you a photo of the old boat we are on so keep it Jane. If I have the luck to come back I want to get a big photo of it taken. If we have the luck to get of at Durbin I will sent you some views also of Cape Town. How is everything up there is there anything startling well Jane I think I will have to close so I will say good bye.
With love to all at Home I Am
Still Dick
Now at Hurdcott Camp in Wiltshire, England, Edward wrote to his niece on the 22nd April 1917, his 26th birthday. By that time Stanley had been serving in France for six months and the brothers had not had much contact.
Dear Jinnie
Just a few lines to let you know I received a letter from you and mum the other day and glad to hear that you are getting settled down by degrees. Mum was saying that Uncle Jim was out building a chimney well its just as well you wasn’t living over here without a chimney or you would have frozen and I believe it was a lot worse in France. And if that is so I pity poor old Boof because its been awful. Well Jinnie girl we had a long walk the other day. We went to a place called Bullford to be reviewed by the King it took us 3 days to do it going and getting back to our camp we were all just about done when we got home it wasnt a very nice trip. As it was raining and blowing in our face I was wet through and when we got to the Camp where we was going they put us in tents well then we had to go and carry wet boards to sleep on I went to bed in my wet clothes to try and keep warm because it was to cold to undress well we had to get up next morning at 4 oclock and get ready to go another 6 mile walk to the review ground it was a grand sight the best ever I seen there was over 40000 Australian Soldiers marching it took over 2 hours to see it through. Well Jinnie I am sending you a photo of one of my cobbers so look after it for me till get back also a little booklet from a girl in Cape Town you can have that if it is any good to you, she seems a very nice Girl she sent me a parcel of Cigarettes & Lollies. I sent you a little kit of a parcel I got while I was in London I sent a Scarf mum gave me, home as it is not much good to be now we can’t take to much with us to the front and it would only go astray. We may have the luck to get there, but its hard to say, the way things are going we wont have too long there anyhow, as peace seems pretty near now. Well Jane this is about all for this time so good by for this time. I am Still Uncle Dick
has Dad left Whisky Jacks yet.
Didn’t Harry get any letters yet.
I met Sid Connell from HurstBridge over here the other day he is looking pretty well. Tell the Fiend to look after the Block if he comes home at all. Well Jane Give my love to all at home Dick
Hoping to see you at Xmas
I havent heard from Boof lately
However, that was about to change as Edward wrote to Jinnie again two days later.
Just a line in answer to your letter I received dated 2 Feb. I generally get the 1st last and the last first but that dont matter so long as I get a note sometimes. I tell you it is very nice to hear how things are going over there as they are pretty well mixed up over here. Well Jinnie we are having some bonza weather over here just now it is grand just like our spring over there. We have seen England at its best and also at its worst and Jane its no good then its too cold but now all the flowers are out and the trees are our in leaf its just perfect. I feel sorry for you that you didn’t have a better Xmas dinner than I did because mine was rotton. I cant make our about them envelopes being in the cards I sent you. I dont remember anything about them. I think there must have been something in the water that you & Mum had when you both had to lay down after you had a drink of it. Do you ever get up to the Bridge now. I get an occasional letter from up there Jim Cox and Luckman sends me a bit of the news. I believe Arthur Sinclair has enlisted well Jinnie if he gets across here he will find out its a bit different to Soldiering over in Australia and so will Lofty Petterson especially if they get a taste of the Winter God Help them. Well Jane I will have to close for now so good-by.
I Am Still Dick
PS
by the way have you seen your little nephew yet. I am putting in a dincum piece of English Blue Bell.
Remember me to all. I had a letter from Boof the other day he his all right.
Within a few months both brothers were in France. The final letter for this article has a surprise ingredient!
Dear Bill
Just a few lines hoping it finds you well as it leaves me and Stan just the thing at present well Bill a funny thing happened I used to write to Boof pretty often when I was in the old Dart but I very seldom to an answer any how it panned out that he only got 2 of my notes. Well Bill one day here (Monday) it happened I was pulling out grass on one of the paths and I was or rather had a tired feeling and was eyeing all the passers by to see if I knew any of the Lads and was just making off when who should come along pulling a hand truck but Boof well both of us got a bit of a Surprise. I tell you I was here 10 days before I struck Boof and he was here 3 Weeks. The Weather is grand over here just now we had a drop of rain last week its not a bad country but give me Australia before any I been in yet. Well Bill we were never satisfied when we were home but I tell you old lad this caper makes one sit and think at time its not all beer and skittles, I dont know how poor old Boof and the rest of the lads stuck it last winter. You can and will be proud of the Australian and also the Scotties after this was is over which I hope wont be long now. Well Bill this is a job that quietens the toughest of the lads down, sometimes it hurts a man to have to knuckle down and do as he is told by some of these buck-she corprals & sargents. I received a letter from Mum Dad and Jinnie the other day dated 1/4/17. I tell you it the only comfort a man get to knowhow things are going over there. It is Sunday evening here and the band has just been playing a few hymns and it sounds just the thing. Well Bill old chap I struck an old cobber of yours over here it gave me a bit of a shock when I seen him. Captain Jack Tait and he happens to be O.C of our Batt. I didn’t like going up at first to have a chat with him but when I did roused me up for not, he is just the same old Jack, he wanted to know how Harry was, where he was, was he married, and all about you, how mum and all at home was he told me to remember him to you. He also got your address, so if you want to write to him his address is Cpt. J. Tait 58 Btn. Tell Clem to keep her eyes on my place. How is Dad & Mum has be left J.V. Smith yet. How is the new joint going. Mum said old Lock wanted £650 for his place. How is the old Donk? Bill I got Berts address the time Les enlisted: should Harry Ormond return to Laceys you can tell him to take a run out home to the hut and see if everything is right. Do you ever take a trip up to the Bridge at all is Ginger Cox married yet they all seem to be doing it up that way. Fred Peter has got something nice and far for a night or two have you ever seen anything of Noble and you little of nephew yet. Well Boll old Lad Remember Stan & I to Mum Dad Shimp Jinnie & Dock this may be the last not for a while so Good by old chap. I am Still Dick.
Their story continues, of course. We hope you have enjoyed this insight into the realities and experiences of our servicemen at that time. It seems from their letters that they were not naïve and were aware of what may lay ahead.
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