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Beaurepaire, France

9/12/1918.

Dear Mother,

Today I received quite a budget of letters from home, including one from yourself and one from each of the other members of the family. I also received two parcels from home one of which includes Edie’s donation and the Scouts from Lil’s friends who I will thank due course. Parcels arrived rather early for Christmas, but nevertheless were very gratefully received as at the present moment we are a bit short of Tucker owing to transport difficulties. Mrs Littles sweets had the distinction of having found their way tummies of some poor little French kiddies who have not tasted anything like lollies since they were born. They have had more kicks and harsh words from the Huns.. It caused rather a sensation amongst village brats when my particular brats received of packets of lollies. I gave the old man a pair of socks in place of a rug he winds around his feet in lieu of socks and he was much pleased as the Bible says. Old madam who had half starved herself for four years so that the kids could have something to grow on received a Christmas bread issued by the Huns, a few vegetables and a few odds and ends from the American relief stores which the Huns allowed to actually reach the population.

I tell you that the French and Belgians suffered horribly and it is beyond the power of the Australian at home to realise that. The people had no home comfort and were practically slaves. In this village about 40 children have started school and work from 8.30 until 5.30 to make up for lost time and are as happy now as the day is long.

I don’t suppose you will see pudding all this way from Melbourne. So that I must admit that through having a soft heart, I have an empty stomach but I am sure you all would have done the same yourselves if you were able to see the state these poor devils are in owing to the deprivations of the Huns during the past four years. Just imagine a child of who was two years old when the war broke out who is six now and who never had a kind word or any little luxury during the four years of Hun occupation. Also try and imagine screwing and scraping on the part of the mothers and fathers who had no cows, horses or anything else, and who and who subsisted on black .

(Possible 2 page(s) missing. Further search among documents in other places could ascertain if such pages exist and then added to complete this Letter.)

any more of Harold’s now as he is working somewhere or other as an insurance agent and does not put much time about Sydney. Gerts wedding seems to be a long winded affair. Why the hell don’t they get married if they are going to!

What am I going to do when I get back do you know. I have a huge idea of a citrus fruit orchard of about 10 to 15 acres. At the present moment the members of the ADF are dabbling in educational studies, School as French, German bookkeeping wool classing etc. but this scheme is practically a failure and a joke owing to the lack of genuine instructors and lack of materials and I am looking and smiling. I fancy bookkeeping myself but I can’t see how anyone is going to teach it without writing material and constant application or constant lessons.

The weather is now cold and sloppy and we’ve hardly ever see the sun. It is mist from morning until night, which starts at four o’clock here at present. I have bought a camera a little ‘Eusignette’ as they are now allowed and I am taking a few photo of things of where which I will print ‘apres la guerre’.

That snapshot of you makes you look so old and careworn that I have the wind vertical

Your loving Walter