Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Arthur Hine letters sent to Voltaire Molesworth, 23 April 1914 - 21 November 1918
MLMSS 1990/1

[Transcriber’s note: Private Arthur Reginald Hine enlisted in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade, A.I.F. on 18 August 1914 when he was nearly 25 years of age. He embarked from Australia on "Euripedes" on 18 October 1914. These letters commence when Private Hine was in camp at Randwick, then from Mena Camp in Cairo, from Lemnos Island, from "a trench" and then from England. His Army records show he was wounded in action in France and was sent to a hospital in England in July 1916. The last letters are written from Keble College, Oxford, where he was attending an officer training course, following which he was promoted to Lieutenant. He embarked for Australia on the "Nestor" on 12 December 1918. Arthur Hine also served in World War II at the age of 55.

Voltaire Molesworth (1890-1934) was a journalist & parliamentarian. Between 1914 and 1918 he served as secretary of the Nepean Labor Council while working as a journalist. He was elected a member of the N.S.W. Legislative Assembly for the seat of Cumberland in 1920 but retired in 1925.]

[Page 1]

Sgt. Arthur Hine
1128 ‘A’ Coy
3rd Batt., A.I.F.

To be bound in one volume.

[indecipherable]
23/4/14

Dear Vol

This camp is the limit; hard work no tucker & bad bed. Wish I was in your back room; I did sleep well there.

I don’t know when we’ll leave but the sooner the better now. Could any of your newspaper friends do with interesting copy? If so I could send to you & we could go halves. But I suppose you’ll be in parliament in a few weeks & that being so will have no further

[See following page for next page of this letter.]

to your father, mother & sisters & when you go to parliament remember that those at the front want a bit of that paper & the funds &c. for our wives & families (if any).

Yours
A. Hine

Address:-
Private A. Hine
1st Section
F Company
3rd Battalion
Aust. Imperial Force, 1st Brigade
Kensington Racecourse
Kenso

[Page 2]

interest in copy.

I met Roy Smith, also Ted Larkin, who is in our company & he wishes to be remembered to all at home.

I hope you get fixed up with a secretary. I have had a bit of a conscience on that matter. Anyhow & can’t say I am glad I came but it doesn’t matter.

With best wishes old boy; would like to hear from you ere I leave if you can spare a minute.

Remember me kindly

[Page 3]

Randwick
15-9-14

Dear Vol,

I received your letter and delayed replying on account of pressure of work, - nearly 2 a.m. every day – worse, - much worse than campaigning in the political arena.

I received printed matter and other particulars in ample time before the election, and same had my attention. Coming back to camp late one night, I saw a man from the P.L.L. giving out "How to vote" slips, and immediately buttoned him. He said they would not let him in, so I volunteered to distribute for him. This I did, first writing on each – "If you live in Nepean, vote Molesworth".

I was extremely sorry to see that all the work of your supporters, and more on account of the immense amount of work you yourself put in, that it was of no avail; you did well, however, and it is a cert for you next time. I hope to be able to assist you.

Regarding any business you can fix up for some of my wives during my absence, I would say you should know that moderation in everything is one of my characteristics. I have only one wife, and have asked her to communicate with you re Starr-Bowkett, Will, or Shares, should she be puzzled at any time. If you could assist her at any time, your best friend would appreciate it.

Would like to see you or hear from you ere my departure, sort of "Look for last", feeling.

Remember me to your parents and sisters, and remember me your friend, -

A. Hine

[Page 4]

‘Wandella’
Boundary Rd.,
Roseville
October 21st 1914

Dear Mr. Molesworth,

I have heard so much of you, that I do not in the least feel as tho’ I am writing to a stranger. I am posting you a photo of Arthur, he thought you might like to have it. ‘Tis not a very good one, but you know Arthur and will understand how he felt when facing a photographer and tried to smile.

Let’s hope he’ll return safely tho’, and then we shall dispense with the photo.

You know that we were married a short time back, don’t you, and being in possession of that fact you are wiser than even our own people. It’s a very serious problem I can tell you, and we think it advisable to keep it secret until Arthur returns; then the world

[Page 5]

may know.

By following Arthur’s instructions, if I want any advise on any business matter, I’m to consult you, but let’s hope that I shall not prove a very troublesome client.

With kind regards
Yours sincerely
Violette S. Hobden

[Page 6]

[See image for postcard of T.S.S. "Euripides", with the following comments.]

Albany 26/10/14. This ship is my home at present. Remember me to all at Flemo.

Arthur Hine

16/12/14

Dr Vol

We are camped just behind here. This place (Cairo) contains a lot that is good & all that is bad. There are 70000 of us here now comprising the Army of occupation. Will write & give you some of my experiences as soon as I can get an envelope & pen. You ought to pay this place a visit. The Country is wonderful. The great Pyramid which I climbed right to the top is very fine. Wishing you & those at home a Prosperous 1915.

A. Hine

V. Molesworth Esq., J.P.
Hampstead Road
Flemington
N.S. Wales

[Page 7]

Mena Camp
10 miles from Cairo, Egypt
25/12/14

Dear Friend Vol

Xmas Day! Up to our eyes in Sand, crook tucker, plenty work. We are right under the Pyramids. They are very fine.

A party of us climbed the Cheops or Great Pyramid, right to the top 451 feet; it is worse than a hard day’s work & very dangerous. We also climbed the Second Great Pyramid which is "out of Bounds" on account of the extreme danger involved in climbing. They This one is smooth at the top, as sketch. [See image for drawing in margin.] The black part is of granite & very slippery. It was granite all the way down once, but someone shook thousands of tons of this stone from the sides to build a great cathedral with.

You should see the Museum here! Mummies & smells a treat. Rameses, the cove that iltreated the Jews, looks harmless enough now. The old stone carvings, gold work & ornaments are unique, modern art looks silly beside these works of the ancients.

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It is a very cosmopolitan place. The Egyptian, for the most part is a filthy lousy poxed up bag of bones, stinks like a camel, & great in the art of theft. We are having a rough time here but aren’t we treated well? Didn’t Gen. Reid visit us & say today we were true Australians? By the way, one amusing episode, one of hundreds here, is worth recounting. The Officer, the other day came along the rank to inspect the faces before him. If you don’t shave every day you get pack drill or C.B. Said this officer to a private "Ha ha, no shave!" The answer was:- "He He, no fucking razor". He got the pack drill & worse.

To show the poxed up condition of the community & Australian Soldiers included I attach a notice each man has to carry with him. They have a tub of Condy’s at the gate, & each man, whether he has been whoring or not, has to go through this formula. There are a lot here with doses also crabs, which latter are of a most vicious & hungry nature.

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You can get best French woman for 5 piastres = 1/-. 2nd quality French for 4P., Egyptian, best, Italian, Russian or Turk 3P. Ordinary, 1 Piastre = 2½d down to 5 milliemes = ½ Piastre or 1¼d. Couldn’t a man have a good time for 5/-.

The City itself is splendid, good buildings, Railway, Electric trams, better hotels than any in Sydney, that is in the best part. In the native quarter the filth & vice stagger description. Most of the lower natives don’t even marry but do it like their donkeys in the streets.

Could you write me. A letter would be appreciated, though I know you are busy.

Am enclosing piece off the top of the great Pyramid, broken off by myself, absolutely genuine specimen.

We are going right to the front in 5 weeks, according to Gen. Reid, but will write before then. Excuse scribble. My table is the bottom of a bully beef tin.

Your cobber
Arthur Hine

[Page 10]

[See image for postcard of soldier on camel with the following comments.]

Britannia rules the Waves
Britannia rules the Sands

Higgiri – hurry up
Give it – bakshesh
Imoshi – Begone you dogs
Musquise Katsek – us am good

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[indecipherable] copy for the Sun, so I caught the mail first. I don’t think they will find you home told them to forward to you if they don’t. You can destroy them if received. You might care to read them, as they are true events.
A.H.

7/1/15
Typical of Australian "Soldiers" better known as the Territorial "Tourists", or Harry Lauder’s Army.

A Hine

[Page 12]

[See image for drawing of camp.]

Mena Camp
Egypt 16/1/15

Dear Vol

Yours dated 16/11/14 received this week. All news noted & appreciated. Will try & work up something of interest to send later.

Don’t put so much bad German in your correspondence or I will be arrested as a spy.

Tis a damned good thing you didn’t volunteer. If you had, you would have been damned forever by me for a fool. Out of this Battalion alone there are about 100 pox patients & when they line up every morning for "small-arms" inspection – with their credentials in their hands, they form an imposing sight. The Adjutant every morning calls out "Fall out the Ghonnorhea Guard". Soft sores, shankers, & acute clap, & black syphilis are the fashion.

You talk about work. You & I never worked until I came here & I do

[Page 13]

enough for both. We are marched daily through heavy sand to a place called Dreary Lane & Jackal Valley, not a tree or anything else in sight, all sand. Result:- 72 cases of complete rupture in the Hospital.

Mena House, the great & fashionable hotel at the Pyramids is the Hospital now & it is full. We (the Australians) make ideal tourists (we are not soldiers) & keep up the reps (spotted) well. Those that are not poxed up are lousy & crabby. Crabs here are called blinkers, owing to the peculiar way in which they rear up & stare at one.

Glad you got my photo. Am afraid it is not like me but that is perhaps just as well.

Sorry, & yet glad, you have opposition for the Nepean. Kick over it, lad, you can easily ride over that mob of hooligans.

[Page 14]

Cairo is a nice place, everything on tap, as I told you previously. If you have any self respect don’t come here, you’ll lose your lily-white virtue. Mine has retained its colour well & I am able to go right, with the exception of an occasional shicker, for my wife’s sake, you see, speaking candidly, I love my wife.

You know Roy Smith of course. We had an adventure on the old Sphinx, & I will write it up & send you particulars.

Your old cobber
Arthur

[Page 15]

Warning!
Venereal Diseases

Irregular sexual intercourse involves a considerable liability to infection with Gonorrhoea, or Syphilis, or both. Of those who are infected a portion are never cured; the consequences are serious so far as they are concerned, and still more serious as regards those to whom they may communicate these diseases later on.

Incontinence is not in any way necessary for purposes of health, and the advice the medical profession would give to all would be abstinence from intercourse other than in marriage. At the same time if you determine to take the risk, it is your duty not only for your own but for that of other people to avoid infection, and infection can usually be avoided by following the procedure indicated in the following:

Instructions for men

Immediately after intercourse thoroughly wash the genitals with soap and water, pass urine, and then dry the parts, especially the opening of the passage. The washing must include the parts under the foreskin which must be drawn back. Then dip the wisp of cotton wool into the liquid supplied and gently pass it into the opening by a twisting movement; pass it in for a quarter of an inch, and allow it to remain in position for three or four minutes before removal. If the opening or "eye" of the penis is so small that this cannot be done, a few drops should be inserted with a medicine dropper.

The ointment is then to be used by rubbing it in thoroughly and firmly over the whole penis, but more particularly the head, especially if a crack, abrasion, or small tear is noticed anywhere. The foreskin must be drawn back to allow of this being done properly. A small portion of the ointment should be allowed to remain in opening of the canal.

The value of these simple precautions depends on the rapidity with which they are adopted after intercourse. The sooner these steps are taken the less is the risk of infection.

The applications should be made in the order indicated. The longer they are deferred the greater the risk.

[Page 16]

Mena 13.3.15

Dear Vol

Yours of 25 Jan. received this week also Cumberland Times (2) & another book. All these provide good reading. We are always pleased to get any sort of literature to while away the time.

I haven’t (to date) received any of the papers previously posted by you and no doubt they have been confiscated for use in the Hospitals.

I note that the very venereal vicissitudes venomously virile amongst us don’t appeal to you so will give you no further details. Yes, we are having a fine experience, I don’t think! The work is too hard, laborious, in fact, & harder than actual war. For instance, we have just completed a three days trench & barbed wire entanglement scheme "to finish our training? We dug trenches for hundreds of yards, 6 feet deep in the desert & did other doughty & dirty deeds. Next day we were to occupy them but owing to a sand storm having intervened, the trenches were full of sand

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next day, so they had to be dug again. We slept in these for two nights & found it very cold. However the training is agreeing with me & I have put on a lot of weight.

Of course, I would like to see Reg Hawthorne & if he hasn’t come away when you get this you might give him my Reg. No. &c. as he might look me up.

Had a talk to Ted Larkin the other night. He mentioned he had heard from you. He hears regularly from Sydney as regards the Labor Plmt. & seems pretty well disgusted with some of their doings. Tis a great pity you didn’t get in as you could have lead led them on the paths of riteousness, &c. along.

Your pal
Arthur Hine

[See image for drawing.]

As I remember you laying down Labour Platform.

[Page 18]

"Right There" 27.5.15

Dr. Vol

Over a month here & so far well. Poor old Ted Larkin went down at the start & fell facing the enemy, right in the "forwards". We had an armistice & buried him, with others. I got a letter from you recently, while in the trenches, and same was appreciated. We are having a pretty hard time though are not growling a bit. Don’t talk about coming as I think you wouldn’t like it. Hope you’re still doing well. Poor old Roy Smith got one through both knees right near me on the first day. Only allowed to write one half page, so ta ta. Give my regards to parents & sisters.

Your old Pal
Arthur Hine
1128 A Coy
3rd Bn.
A.I.F.
On Service

[Page 19]

On actual service, no stamps available.

Voltaire Molesworth Esq.
Hampstead Rd.
Flemington
Sydney
Australia

[Censor’s stamp]

[Page 20]

The A.I.F.
In a trench
A Company
3rd Btn. Regiment
27 June 1915

Dear Vol

Received yours 5 May & always appreciate your letters. They’ve an interest all their own, but when you talk of joining the majority it knocks my bottom quite in & then up; beat that Peat push & live to be a 100. Through the grace of God I’ve dodged fate for two months so surely you with your more clement surroundings, can take care of yourself. Somehow, old man, I miss you, never realised until lately how I appreciated your friendship and God willing I want to continue it, so don’t dare chuck up everything. You work too hard and you’re not built for it. It’s a matter of superiority of mind over muscle but the muscle is what dies first, so regulate your work by your physical strength. I suppose you know more of the war than we do, so I won’t mention it. You might do me a favour; write or see Ernie & tell him to stay at home with Mother. She’s broken her heart over me already & as I want to see her again tell Ernie to stay in Sydney. Do this for me old chap. Ken McPhee (you’ll remember him at Manly) was just now talking of old times & mentioned you. Said "How’s that [indecipherable] spark in Pyjamas doing?

Cheer up & hang on, and we’ll beat all-comers when I come back. Would like you to know my wife and you have our address.

Your old pal
A. Hine, L/Cpl. A Coy., 3rd Bn.

[Page 21]

23/7/15

Dr. Vol

Received "Cumberland Times" of June 5 & read same from front to back. Thanks. Hope you’re keeping better now. Will write soon as there is any news.

Yours
A. Hine

Printed text: Nothing is to be written on this side except the date and signature of the sender. Sentences not required may be erased. If anything else is added the post card will be destroyed.

I am quite well.

[The following paragraph crossed through.]
I have been admitted into hospital sick and am going on well.
I have been admitted into hospital and hope to be discharged soon.
I am being sent down to the base
I have received your letter dated
I have received your telegram dated
I have received your parcel dated

Letter follows at first opportunity.
I have received no letter from you lately. for a long time

Signature only
A. Hine
Date – 1/8/15
(Postage must be prepaid on any letter or post card addressed to the sender of this card.

[Page 22]

[indecipherable]

V. Molesworth Esq., (J.P.)
Hampstead Rd.,
Flemington
Sydney, Aust.

[Page 23]

Mudros (Lemnos Is.)
24/9/15

Dear Vol

Thanks for yours of July 31 & 5th Augt. received the other day.

We are here for a short spell, after five months in the Trenches at Gallipoli. Like you, the last five months for me have been very busy, but instead of carrying motions we carry positions & trenches.

Glad you rose superior to the Peat bog mob though never doubted the issue, if brains & initiative go for anything. Am only sorry that I was such a failure in the Political secretary line but, albeit I did my best & have been doing it (though with better results) ever since. Your figures are interesting & on looking over it I can quite realise what a narrow shave you had.

What about your heart? Is it still bad?

Prior to receiving your letter the wife had written saying that you had won the selection for Nepean, so you see she watches the papers for items of interest to me.

Sorry you’re disappointed because I hadn’t been wounded or killed yet & will no doubt, in the coming session, be able to oblige you. Will enclose in this a bit of shrapnel which I’ve been carrying as a mascot.

[Page 24]

This pellet hit my cap badge, cut the chinstrap (which was over the peak) right through & bent the badge double resulting only in a temporary "knocked out" feeling & headache for me. This might interest you. At "Lone Pine", about which you’ll no doubt have read, I got a bullet at close range through my hat & had my rifle smashed to old iron & matchwood with a shell. Everyone who lived through those five days (6-11 Augt.) had narrow escapes and many went out for all time. We won the position though at what cost you’ll see by the lists for 1st Brigade casualties. Have some good curios, Turkish ring, coins & a medal among them but they’re too weighty to send home.

What about the Labour Govt. now? My old man always told me. "There won’t be any money in the country in a year". Looks good, doesn’t it, when 400,000 quid can be collected in N.S.W. alone.

Re stadium affair – I wrote Shead & gave him my opinion of those skunks. I invited him to send my letter to the Bulletin. If its printed would you cut it out & forward to me as all my platoon asked me to write & I would like to show to them if its printed.

Ernie has proved he’s as mad as can be. He signed on as A.B. on the "Aeneas" Troopship & is "somewhere on the sea" at present. I had a letter from Alexandria in which he told me his boat would probably go to England.

Very interested in your paragraph on Royal Commisn. on concentration camp at Holdsworthy. Just like the treatment a long suffering public would get from a country who acts like they did at the stadium.

A quiet word re Roy Smith. He was wounded alongside me on the night of land (25 April) & went away to hospital. He was better in a month & has been enjoying himself in Alexandria ever since. He hasn’t done any scrapping & is not likely to. Anyway, its like his gory hide to write to the paper & make public an accident to myself which I didn’t

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want the wife to know. To make matters worse, someone wrote & told her I was half dead & "hopelessly disfigured for life". That’s no joke, you know. My left leg is turned a bit & my head slightly on one side, that’s all; can’t notice it. When writing, address Corporal A. Hine as it facilitates delivery to have them a/d correctly.

Will write again soon as possible.

Your cobber till lights out
A. Hine

P.S. You’ll understand, old Cock, that sometimes its impossible to reply to letters for weeks & months so you’ll excuse irregularity of letters & the disjointed nature thereof. I have a very stiff right arm where I got my wrist twisted.

Kind regards to your kindhearted Mum, also Violet & Molesworth Senrs.

A.

[Page 26]

[See image for pictures of boat and sphinx with the following captions.]

Kind thoughts go out to you this Christmas, wishing you joy in all your deeds and days, friendship and love to the last.

A. Hine

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Page 27]

Am in an English Hospital nearby right now. Dysentery has left me. Will write shortly.

Wish your Father & Mother a Merry Xmas for me. Tell Violette, also that I’m looking forward to those sox.

Ta ta for present. Let 1916 see you a victor over the Peat bog push or you’re no friend of mine.

Arthur
14.11.15

[See image for picture of sphinx with the following caption.]

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Page 28]

26.10.15

To Mr. Molesworth
With best wishes
from
Wm. Chas. Grey
Major
Commandant Mena Hosp.

[Page 29]

Monte Video Camp
Aust. Base Depot
Weymouth

16.1.16

Dear Vol

First of all, convey my congratulations to Mrs. Voltaire. Secondly, accept same yourself. Thirdly, don’t do as I did & come to the war when you’ve been married a fortnight.

Am A1 now. Much better & going back to my unit this week.

Yes, my brother-in-law died in Egypt to my great regret. He was a fine boy & full of fight. For myself, I’ve done my best, & am going back still full of fight.

London is fine, there are no lights, however, at night, as they’re afraid of Zeps. I haven’t seen any yet

[Page 30]

though at Gallip. I saw an aerial duel, which is the most exciting &hair raising thing I’ve seen & I’ve seen a few. Our bloke brought down the German that time. Talking of Germans I’ll give you the lines of a song, set to the music of a favourite hymn, which we sing in route marches,

F—k the Kaiser,
Damn the Huns
Damn the (bugger) wot invented guns
Hang the army
Blast the war
Oh what a silly silly to do plurry lot of fools we are.

John Brown’s gone to a better land than this
Where there ain’t no pox or dirty syphilis

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There ain’t no whores & you can’t get on the piss
He’s gone to a better land.

Also – (The game of Nap)
I’ll go one said Austria
I’ll go two said France
I’ll go three said Russia
But she never got a chance
I’ll go four said Germany
And wipe them off the map
But they all dropped dead when John Bull said
I’ll go Nap!

There isn’t any news Vol, but I’ll write later. This is more of an acknowledgment of yours of 18 Sep. I didn’t get those sox which Sister Vi was talking about but I suppose she forget to post them.

I haven’t been doing writing lately as my right side is

[Page 32]

a bit paralysed sometimes &, in fact, won’t ever be fit for much work. I got buried & smothered & crushed & it comes on me sometimes also a slight hernia. But I’m alright otherwise & hope to be into it again soon.

Yours sincerely
Arthur

P.S. I must try & get back even if its only to meet Mrs. Vol as I’m sure she’ll be very nice, otherwise why should you, oh critical one, be so happy in your ideal?

A.

[Page 33]

[See images for three copies of field service postcards.]

[Page 304

Field Service Post Card

Voltaire Molesworth, Esq., J.P.
(Selected Labor Candidate for Nepean)
Granville
Australia
Auburn

Field Service Post Card

V. Molesworth Esq., J.P.
Hampstead Rd.,
Flemington
Sydney
Graham St.,
Lidcombe

Field Service Post Card

Voltaire Molesworth, Esq.,
Lidcombe
Sydney

[Page 35]

E. Coy.
4 O.C.B.
Keble College
Oxford
2/7/18

Dear Vol

I have received lately yours of 19/2/18, Mch. 30 & 22 April. Delays have occurred in my getting these, but I am glad to have them at all, because I’ve been most unfortunate in the matter of letters both to and from you. However, I’ll answer them as best I can. Reading your letters carefully, also the frequent enclosures, I have come to the conclusion that politics are your long suit again, & regret I’m not in Aussie to give you a leg up, tho’ the little I could do would not be worth much. You see, Vol, I’ve "slipped" tremendously, and am now only a common or garden "soldat", with little ambition beyond getting home to the Mrs. and settling down for life in a good job. I’ve had too rough a time to bother much about anything else, & I don’t think you’ll blame me any. Probably, if I get home my view will change, but there again, Australian politics (from what you say

[Page 36]

and from what I’ve read here) are worse than rotten.

Hughes is here as you know, but, somehow or other is not so welcome as before, in fact, some sections of the press seem to be desirous of tendering him the "frozen mitt" as the Yanks say. Of course, English people are very down on Australia for not keeping their battalions up to fighting strength and their whole argument is "we have conscription, why shouldn’t you". I got into holts with a number of people at a very select "evening" in London on the subject. One of the ladies, well read and much traveled argued thusly. "Most of the voting males have left Aussie. Women, always in the majority, have the vote; therefore the anti-conscription vote was voted NO by Aussie, represented by their women. Women said NO, therefore Aussie Women are cowards." By hell Vol, I gave ‘em

[See Page 38 for next page of letter.]

[Page 37]

V. Molesworth, Esq., J.P.,
Alice Street
Auburn
35 Wentworth Road
Manly
Sydney
Aussie

C/- Evening News Office
Sydney
2-7-18

[Page 38]

some argument and convinced some of them, but the "traveled" one said no women are worth the argument I put up for them, therefore I must be wrong. Funny things, ain’t they? But I think this one’s "testaments" were outside.

However, I think your way, so long as it’s Anti Hughes, will win, as men at the front are beginning to tumble to him.

Roy Smith I saw at a Hospital in Weybridge. He now writes he is going home, by next boat, so no doubt you’ll see him.

I hope (?) to get a com. here but hope more to get home. Look here, Vol, there are thousands of "quitters" in our lot & I reckon I’m about the least of them. Would my writing to Pearce get me a furlough, think you? Four years is a long time & I’m awfully homesick.

Got a letter from George a few

[Page 39]

days ago & will reply shortly. He was O.K. then, & seems actually to like it. Not for long, tho’.

I’ll send you a photo shortly as I’m having some taken.

Didn’t meet Carmichael, & wouldn’t know him if I did. I can’t remember much about politics these days.

I had a 14 days leave before coming here and another week at mid term. Work or study is a – but one has to stick to it. We have as recreation Rowing, swimming, cricket, tennis, poker (principally the latter) and debates. I have a bit of a name at the latter & generally manage to knock them rotten. But my opponents are generally poor, tho’ if I’m up against an Australian I have generally a rough time.

I am glad Mrs. Vol and baby are O.K. Hope to catch you up, some day, but have doubts. However, I’m keen on furlough to Aussie and if you can put me wise to ways &

[Page 40]

means I should be glad.

The war is going to last another year, so that means 5 years out of my life, even if I’m not crippled or knocked out. But I’m not groaning yet.

Best wishes to all
Your sincere pal
A. Hine

[Page 41]

Oxford
18/8/18

Dear Vol

Haven’t heard from you recently, old man, and suppose you are pretty sick of writing me. However, I’ve been much better of late, and have answered all letters you’ve written me. Do you know that twice since April, I’ve made a special effort to get my correspondence up to date, and have stopped in every night for a week on each occasion. I know that my April effort is well & truly under the sea; I just hear now that all the letters I wrote in July to catch a boat leaving about a fortnight ago, are also napoo. I reckon its rotten luck, because I can’t really spare time to write about 40 letters per month if the Hun will persist in interfering with the lines of communication. I hope to have better luck this month, but if not, writing letters will be finished for me. I think also that Home mails are having a rough passage because I get ‘em very irregularly, or not at all.

[Page 42]

I got a letter from George (27 July) written from 4th Army school of Cookery, France. He seems to be doing well and is on the H.Qrs. of his Btn. It’s a good place to be, & I hope he sticks to it.

I got a letter from Geo. Robertson, who used to be at Mauris, the other day. He is in hospital at Harefield, awaiting a boat home. Lucky dog, eh?

N. Mackenzie called down here to see me & we had a trip on the River. He is looking well and apparently quite content. We had a nice trip on the River and talked over old times.

Billy Hughes is having a lot to say here, & the other day a letter appeared in the paper asking if he ever did anything but talk. Some admirer of his replied saying that Billy rooted all the Huns out of Australia, what more could man do? Billy, by the way, has got into grips with Mertons (English agents (alleged) for the German metal Trust). They are having him up for libel & the opinion is he will bring out a lot of dirty linen, as is his custom. Anyway, he will give them a

[Page 43]

rough handling, and maybe will do a good thing for once.

Well, Vol, I’ve no more news at present so will cease fire, and await for some letters from you.

Best luck, old man
Your sincere friend
A. Hine

[Page 44]

V. Molesworth, Esq., J.P.
50 Alice Street
92 Sydney Road
Manly
Sydney
Aust.

C/- Evening News Office
Sydney

[Page 45]

Keble College
Oxford 18/9/18

Dear Vol

Since writing you on 18/8/18 I’ve received yours of 25/5/18 &, as usual, am very glad to hear from you.

I am not replying in detail to your letter because the Anzacs are going home soon and I’ll have a chance to see you. I believe lists are being prepared in Sydney and I hope to have a trip. I’m dubious, however, because, as I’m a cadet (that is, not an N.C.O. nor yet an officer) I may be blocked. I’ve passed my final exam O.K. so would like to get my promotion before I go. Do you know how the lists are being made up? If you can tell me my how my chance is I’d be grateful. I’ve asked my brother Harry to look into it but doubt if he is sufficiently in the know. I’m real anxious for the trip, as you can imagine, hence my reason for asking.

I saw Ernest last weekend

[Page 46]

& he is well; no doubt he will be going home again soon.

Best wishes to self & family

Yours as ever
A. Hine

[Page 47]

V. Molesworth, Esq.
85 Alice Street
Auburn
Sydney
Austr.

C/- Evening News Office
Sydney

18.9.18

[Page 48]

No. 12 Off. Mess
Sand Hill Camp
Warminster
21/11/18

Dear Vol

Just a note in précis; waiting here for a ship home and expect to be home soon after this letter. Got my com. after all. Anxious to get back and also get a job. What’s the prospect of the latter? Mrs. Hine told me you wrote her, hope you have met her ere now. Brother George hasn’t written lately; owes me a letter. Suppose he’s too busy marching Rhinewards. Suppose you’ll not come away now; good job, too. Stay there if possible. Influenza still bad here. Hope it doesn’t get too bad in Aussie.

Cheerio, hope to see you ere you have time to acknowledge this letter.

Your cobber
Arthur Hine
2nd Lt.

[Page 49]

Vol Molesworth, Esq., J.P.
Alice Street
Auburn
Sydney
Aust.

C/- Evening News Office
Sydney
21-11-18

O.C.B. – Officer Cadet Battalion – P. 35

[Transcribed by Judy Gimbert and John Stephenson for the State Library of New South Wales]