Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

James Arthur Barrett Fry letters received, 1915-1924
ML MSS 1159 ADD-ON 2076 / Box 1/Item 2

[Page 1]
[Postcard]
Amiens – Les Porches de la Cathédrale protégés par des sacs en 1915

[Page 2]
April 13th 1917

Six more post cards of “Towns in France". Hope you receive them all, I have sent a fair number of post cards altogether.

Love from Reg.

[Page 3]
[Postcard]
G.P.O. and Waterloo Place, Edinburgh. 940/452.

[Page 4]
31.12.16
23.2.17
The busiest corner of Edinburgh. Princes St. (the main street) bordered on one side by gardens, is a very pretty place & is the finest street in Great Britain (so they say).
Reg Fry

[Page 5]
[Postcard]
Fire Place, Banqueting Hall, Edinburgh Castle.

[Page 6]
31/12/16
23/2/17
A very interesting corner of the banqueting hall, the ancient fireplace & it is so interesting – Exactly as one reads about in Sir Walter Scott’s books.
Reg Fry

[Page 7]
[Postcard]
Forth Bridge

[Page 8]
Recd. 23/2/17

Dec 31st
Have posted to you by registered post my diary for this year & hope it will arrive safely.
(Reg Fry)

[Page 9]
[Postcard]
John Knox’s House, Edinburgh.

[Page 10]
Recd. 23/2/17

Dec 31 ‘16
Have seen All these sights. Edinburgh is a very fine city, very wide streets, open places & very clean. Plenty of churches about & is frightfully religious. Absolutely every shop of every kind is closed on Sunday here.
(Reg Fry)

[Page 11]
[Postcard]
St. Edward’s Screen and Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey

[Page 12]
31.12.16
23.2.17
Sorry I cant stop to write a description of each card but this is absolutely impossible as my time is so very short & writing at length take quite a lot of time, but I am thinking of you all, just the same.
from Reg Fry

[Page 13]
[Postcard]
Henry VII. Chapel, looking East, Westminster Abbey

[Page 14]
31.12.16
23.2.17
Saw Westminster Abbey the day before I left London. The finest & most interesting historical spot in the world. The carved roof shown in this picture, is carved out of solid stone & is the most wonderful & finest roof of its kind. What a glorious time I have had here seeing all the historical spots in London! I’ve had a great time & must tell you all about it later on.
Reg.

[Page 15]
Mitchells Creek Station
Jany 2nd 1868

Mr. Arthur Fry

Dear Sir
I am in receipt of yours of the 29th Decr.

I will look out for your horse should be come here and send you word.

I sent your Boxes to Guilds some time ago, Hinchills has forwarded them to you no doubt.

I have sent a reference to your father by this post for you it ought to have gone sooner but I have been kept very busy.

I am yours faithfully,
Robt. Kerr

[Page 16]
22 Feb. 1869

My dear Arthur
I send you Kerr’s letters which you wished to have. I also send you with this a packet containing Amy’s present of a pocket compass. Let me know early that it has safely come to hand.

“Empress" is to tear off positively on Saturday next 27th, & I expect [indecipherable] will on Sunday be heading Sea-wards. –

We only recd. yours of 19th. As your horse was poor it is perhaps as well that you did not go to Cathkin to run any risk of falling between two stools. But when the horse is able, the Moorabbie manager wd. probably consent to let you go over & see the other, without prejudice to your position with him. You will yourself be the best judge of this.

I can only breathe my earnest prayer – “The Lord be your guide."

Your loving Father

[The following text is written across top of page]
Any letter for Amy must be here by Monday next for the mail.

[Page 17]
1 New London St.
Novr. 26. 1873

My dear Arthur
Your Mother wrote me last mail requesting me as an Excr. of your late Grandfather Barrett, to advance you one hundred & Fifty pounds, to enable you to make a selection of Land for agricultural purposes, – I showed her letter to your Uncle Tom.

We both agree, that it is utterly impossible to this our simple duty is to carry out your Grandfathers wishes & he appears to have anticipated some such request therefore has bound his Excrs. to reinvest everything (after payment of legacies / in one joint names to be held in trust for your Mother & Father for their lives, after which, to be divided equally among their children (ie) yourselves. Nevertheless; I think your scheme feasible and worthy of consideration, therefore shall see what I can do for you myself –

You are no doubt aware I allow your Mother Fifty pounds per annum for in lieu of the £50 she received from Amy’s Salary as a Teacher, I shall send her £25, next month and as I never contemplated allowing her £50 – per annum after she had

[Page 18]
the yearly interest from monies devised to her by her Father, but only as long as I thought she would need the help. therefore, I now make you the following proposition.

I will advance your Mother one hundred and Fifty pounds for your sole use in purchasing an allotment of Land the interest of which you must pay your Mother at the rate of Six pounds per centum per annum, until you either repay the principal, or she releases you from the debt this will be like my advancing your Mother 3 years annuity by the end of which she will be in receipt of an annuity from her Father’s will –

If you and your Mother agree to this you had better call upon my Brother Joseph Hall at Mr. Lowther’s commercial Stores, Sussex St. Sydney and if he agrees with you about the scheme you may consider it done. instructions respecting this will be forwarded to my Brother this mail –

Love dear Arthur to you and your Mother & sisters

I remain your eff. Uncle
John Hall

[Page 19]
Via San Francisco

July 27 1875

My dear Arthur
I dare say you have thought the one hundred and Fifty pounds I promised you some time ago, a long time in putting in its appearance. However it only makes good the old saw & “better late than never".

I had hoped to have heard from my Brother respecting the matter, but cannot allow you to wait any longer, I have not heard from him for a very long time. My firm had a letter from him a couple of months ago about some wines he had in Sydney belonging to us, which he has now sent home and which have safely arrived –

The £150 is for you to do, just what you like with. I shall send this letter open to your Mother that she may peruse the cash. I having had the Bill made out in her name, in case you might be absent from Sydney akin this arrives

Wishing you every success in business and with Love to your Brothers & Sisters believe me my dear Arthur

Your ever eff. Uncle
John S. Hall

(all well at Bondican House)

[Page 20]
From John Hall
to J. K. Fry. Father 65 yrs ago
1940

[Page 21]
[Postcard]
Mr. A. Fry
Elizabeth St
Redfern
N.S.W.

[Page 22]
9 Lonsdale St. West
[Date is in shorthand script] 18/6

[Text is in shorthand script]

John T. C. Cook

[Page 23]
16th Sept. 1881
Savoy.

My dear Arthur

Your letter of 4th ult, I received this morning here, where we came for Aunt Kates rheumatism and gout.

We have been here about 16 days, and if Aunt does not improve more in the next 16 days it will not be much to the credit of these Baths, however we must hope for the best poor dear she has tried Matlock-Buxton & Harrogate and now this place.

I myself think the Harrogate waters quite as abominable as these, if not more so. It occurred to me that Harrogate had about one Ancient Egg more per quart than these, when I first tasted the beastly stuff, and poor dear Aunt has to bathe in it, have a douche of it & drink it. I am

[Page 24]
sure; whether of the two, the disease has not the best of it; this so called remedy being so very distasteful. If I were in the fix, I should prefer the stuff with a wee drop of whiskey –

I shall not be able to send you the one hundred pound remittance until I get home. I received Bertie’s letter the day before we left so sent him his off immediately which I dare say he will receive about the 10th prox. – the first thing I do on my return home will be to send you your hundred the receipt for which, I have already received –

I did not know you were in the General Post Office, but I knew you were in the Civil Service, allow me to sincerely congratulate you as I am aware promotion although slow, in that dept. of the C.S. yet it is generally considered in England (at least) to be fairly bestowed particularly where there is a little talent. I trust you will

[Page 25]
not have any reason to complain of baldness, occasioned by fellows passing over your head –

I shall always be glad to hear from you and if there is any thing you think I can do for you in England let me know, and I’ll promise you I’ll try.

Give my our united love to your Mother Father your Brothers & Sisters and accept the same yourself from

Your ever aff. Uncle
John Hall

Aunt would have written your Mother, but her hands & shoulders are so painful she cannot, she sends her love to Edith, and begs me to say she is very glad that she is not going to be a Fijian, my own opinion is, that Loviers are like wasps, for whenever you kill one, another comes buzzing about

[Page 26]
and perhaps the next wasp may prove a brighter yellow, and be one of the N. S. Wales nest – and so keep you all together or at all events in the same Colony.

JH

[Page 27]
Mch. 1 1890

Dear Arthur,
I am organising another trip to Caddily for the coming Easter and shall be glad if Miss Macmanamy & yourself would form a part of the company, which will be of the usual number say, about six ladies & eight gentlemen. The arrangements will be the same as on the last visit when you were present, the ladies only exs. being the train fare. If you

[Page 28]
think favourably of this & I hope you will, I can give you the names of some of the others, but not all.

Lest it may appear strange that I should write you thus before having felicitated you on your new relations with Miss Macmanamy I would just say that I had waited to express myself personally, but the opportunity has not occurred except when you were in others company. Please accept my warm congratulations now & with best wishes for the happiness of each turn.

Yours truly
Will Moginsly

[Page 29]
27.3.90

My dear Arthur
I intended writing you last week, but had a rather serious return of the pravelant illness Influenza; which for the last 2 months has been bothering me about 2 to 3 days end of each week, and which I feel very [indecipherable] and wearing for a lad of 72.

This present note is merely to inform you that I have sent you out a ring with a small diamond wh. was made for me by instructions of my dear old Father and consisted of the Diamond he wore for at least ½ a century in his white necktie so

[Page 30]
although not very valuble in cash, is valuable from its family connections.

I likewise gave Edie a small Diamond Star to help hold up the head of that poor young artful Bachelor who glories in a weak neck. You will pray give it to her with an old Uncle’s love with the hope it may strengthen the neck.

I wish you both, long years of loving association and health, to wear each respective ornament the ring will represent my side, and the Diamond Star (which was your Aunts Kates) as the Barrett side – Perhaps the young weak neck’d one will cherish her Star, it was one of the first presents I gave

[Page 31]
Aunt Kate after our marriage –

Give my love to your Parents, Brothers & Sisters and accept the same for yourself and the Blessing which you have Chosen for Life.

Your aff. old Uncle
John S. Hall

P.S.
Excuse such a scrawl but when there are many talkers and no listeners it becomes somewhat monotinous and disturbing
J.H.

[Page 32]
Uncle Halls letter to Arthur – sending diamond star to me & diamond ring to Arthur dated 27/3/90

[Page 33]
Postage will be delivered at your house Friday night. 22/5/90. A.F.

26th May, 1890.

Dear Arthur,
On the occasion of your marriage we desire to accompany our united & very cordial congratulations to Carrie and yourself with a memento of our warm interest in the event, and trust that a dinner service will be both acceptable & useful, – ever reminding of the good wishes for a truly happy union which are herein sent by

Yours affectionately
Jessie Herbert.

[Page 34]
38 Redfern Str.
Redfern
Thursday [1890]

Dear Arthur,
It will save me some trouble, if you book me at central office to-morrow. I shall do the coaching business.

Perhaps the accommodation will devise between Murga and Eugowra: you will see both, and devise; and will not be too much allured either by the hotel fittings or natural advantages of scenery of either.

Yours truly
A.McManamey.

[Page 35]
July 16, 1896.

My dear Arthur,
Kindly accept my sincere congratulations on new appointment which I hope & believe is better than the old post. The surprise occasioned when the G.P.O. list was issued, [indecipherable] case, was a disappointment by the omission of your name but such has now been overcome by the pleasing information in this morning’s paper.

Old associations, which were always of a very pleasant character, call to my mind the many pleasurable & instructive meetings of our old Society & arouse within me a feeling akin to joy when I note the success of any of those who found such association.

So far a great many of the Old Redfern Literary Society boys have done well & I certainly hope that good old Steve Mullondey will reap the same reward

Yours truly
[indecipherable] A Williamson

[Page 36]
Arthur Fry Esq
Mines Dept.
21 Feb 1900

My dear Sir,
Will you oblige by supplying a contribution on any subject in which you are interested for publication in the March number of the P. S. Journal? I am desiring that the paper should be both useful and attractive, and for that reason I want to get articles on a variety of subjects from Civil Servants who have thought power and literary skill. I have heard

[Page 37]
that you possess both. Please help me if you can find time to do so. If you will, I shall be thankful if you will let me have the copy not later than Wednesday next.

Very truly yrs
John Osborne

[Page 38]
[Typewritten letter to J.A.B. Fry Esq from Secretary, Public Service Board, dated 19th April 1900]

[Page 39]
[Typewritten letter to J.A.B. Fry Esq from Secretary, Public Service Board, dated 9th July 1900]

[Page 40]
Apl 22 1904.

Dear Mr. Fry,
Can you oblige by letting me have a contribution from your pen for publication in the next issue of the P. S. Journal? I know you can produce good stuff and I am desirous of getting some of it. In a paper like ours variety is half the battle, and I wish therefore to have a good many contributors, provided, of course, if, like you, they possess brains.

Very truly yrs
John Osborne

Arthur Fry Esq
Mines Dept

[Page 41]
Lord’s Place
Orande
Sunday [Dec 1901]

Dear Father
We are all very well only Hazel Is sick we dont know what she has got. Uncle Fred is verry well but Alan has a bit of a cold we are all settled down and Grand-father has such a lot of beans and cabbages nearly every davy we have some beans and cabbages we are having a very nice time. The people nels door their names are wests.

I would like you to put my silk-moths on a bit of paper or card board so that they

[Page 42]
can lay on saturday we had a concert with the children next door we were dressed up in grand fathers cloths and some of uncle freds cloths and we had grand fun

When the moths have laid eggs put the two moths into a box with their eggs but dont touch the eggs you neednt give the moths any thing to eat for they wont get it on Christmas day we had a fowl for dinner I am going to send you a christmas card.

Dear father
To father
from Dene

Hazels hand
Hazel got a little doll and she told me to tell you that her doll was getting on all right
end

[Page 43]
No (1)
Lords place Orange
jan 4th 1902

Dear Father

Hazel is better from her sickness, do you think you could send up my silk eggs rapped up in some wool and send up in the next letter you right to us or you could put the paper in the letter wich has got

[Page 44]
No (2)
the eggs on, I would be very glad if you would for I an very anxious to sea them

We are going to have a concet and dorothy might send you a progimme of the concern I expect she will. I went out into the back padice to take down some rubbish and

No (3)
I found a half bucket of potatoes some of them I planted and some of them were cocked and some are not eaten they were very nice grand father makes us water his gardens and the ferns mother lets us run wild and lets us run about without ou shoes on or socks on

[Page 45]
No (4)
I have been doring such a lot up hear

Dear father from Dene
Dear Father I might send you a programme if the concert turnes out well Popsy Bell and I are getting it up.

Yours hurredly Dorothy

How Happy or Ethi Days
how happy are the dares, that pass between the years and I, my, [indecipherable], can work and play

[Page 46]
11/12/1902

Dear Mr. Fry,
Our Examiner (Mr. Healy) is anxious to get some information as to the rate of speed (minimum) candidates at typists Xams. must attain.

The Xams. under the C’wlth P. S. Act will shortly be on and “typewriting" is one of the subjects. The work they will have to do will be straight ahead copying from MS. I told him I would ask you what speed you set in N.S.W. Xams for this work. He would be

[Page 47]
grateful if you would be so kind as to let him have any particulars you think would be of use to him. Also a specimen of “Confused MS".

Am now getting settled here. Work is plentiful, as you can imagine in a new office. I am at the old game of correspondence and suppose it will continue for a few months at any rate. Their systems here are far behind those of N.SW. but the Commr. is gradually introducing N.S.W. methods much to the improvement of the work.

With kind regards & wishing you the season’s comps.

Yrs sincerely
H. A. Earl

[Page 48]
18.1.04

Dear Fry,
It was all my fault – I should have mentioned that it is the big Annual picnic which takes place in Victoria every year. It takes in the whole Postal Service of Victoria, and is not a Sectional affair like the “Burgess" one in Sydney. It takes in man and woman and you know there are a lot of the latter in the Victorian Dept. and with the advent of the franchise they are going to be a power. The picnic is a pretty big affair down here

[Page 49]
and generally some of the big guns of the Ministry have an hours firing at the banquet: but I want my pop gun to be heard too.

I was really sorry to hear that yr. health has not been too good: but pluck up, keep going and all will come right. I felt next door to a dead man a few months ago, but I delved on and now I am as fit as ever I was in my life. I agree with you Stephen Mills is a good’un alright and I am sure he will prove it down here. With all good wishes – In much haste

Yrs ffly
D. C. McLachlan

[Page 50]
7. 2. 1904

My Dear Fry
Many thanks for the notes you sent me: they are just what I require, and I shall not fail to make full use of them as occasion requires.

They are so ample that I shall be able to cut them into two – so you have given me material for two speeches. The charm about them is they will strike new chords in “Postal [indecipherable] Speechifying" and you know it is something these times to strike out on new lines.

As I told you I had

[Page 51]
practically exhausted myself in the “few remarks" I have already had to make at functions and meetings in Victoria, and I wanted to get away from myself a bit, and your notes will enable me to do it.

It has been rumoured down here that there is to be drastic retrenchment in N.S.W. but I hope none of my good friends in Sydney will be among the sufferers. The Works Dept. I believe will feel it more than any of the others –

I also saw a notice in the Melbourne papers that there is likely to be some change in the old Dept. – Mr. Kidd is to take up Agriculture it was stated, and Mr. Fegan is to take control of the Mines. If the change came about and there is any rearrangement of the office I sincerely hope that it will be to your advantage –

I am in the throes of the Classification: it is

[Page 52]
a mighty stiff job dealing with about 16,000 men scattered all over Australia. It is very different from dealing with the same number, located in one state, where all the circumstances are well known. Once it is over it will be plain sailing and then all in my office will have, I hope, a pleasant time – Anyhow I shall endeavor to make it so for them, for no body of men could have worked better for me.

Earl has been “grafting" as you know he can; but hard work seems to improve him for he never looked better or “bigger" in his life. He must be a stone heavier than when in Sydney. So far everything we have done has been a success, and I have now only to get over the Classification to crown it all –

Occasionally I see a Sydney face over here and it is refreshing to hear of all that has been going on in the old

[Page 53]
old place since I left. Give my best regards to all the good fellows of the Mines and say that I wish them all kinds of good luck, and with the heartiest of good wishes to yourself.

Believe me
Yours faithfully
D. C. McLachlan

[Page 54]
I remain true to all at Home Dene Fry
give special love to Wilga

The Springs
Dubbo
4th Jan 1905

Dear all at home,
You talk about it being hot; why 4 days running we had it 111 deg. My legs are as red as a turkey’s combs and I have 2 big blisters.

I don’t know how I will leave the girls, and they want me to stay an extra fortnight if the ticket will last. Father wanted tho know the names of all at The Springs. Maggie, Jack, Ken, Belle, Arthur, Andrew, Tom, Hurbert, David, Norman, Jessie, Ruby and Dear little Violet.

The last four days we have taken to going out after rabbits, and have killed 28. I caught a dear little yound black bunny which Wilga would have loved, but of course you are not allowed to keet them.

I will Tell you of the stations near by. Buckinbah, dundillimal, Dolawrie Derowie, Goonoo, ‘The Meadows’, Wam-bang-a-lang. I have 41 Googies now. I hope the kitties are all right. The Girls gave me a book called The Phantom of the river for Christmas to which I did

[The following text is written along the left-hand margin]
not expece give my love to all at home and to Noel and tell him that when I come back I will bring him three beautiful turkey’s feathers to tie on his head like the indians do. I am getting on with my riding all Right.

[Page 55]
The Springs
Dubbo

Dear Father
I hope you and all the rest at home are all well. The heat at Dubbo is dreadful. When I was coming up I felt as sick as possible. We folks think it nothing to go 9 or 10 miles a day, and sometimes go 30 miles a day. Three of the girls and I went to Goonoo. I was sitting at the back and got sick. We stayed

[Page 56]
all night there. I hope you will excuse the writing as I had a very bad nib indeed so good-bye

I remain your son
Alan

[Page 57]
Novr. 20th 1906

Dear Mr. Fry,
Next month’s issue of the Journal will be a Christmas number. I shall be very thankful if you will give me a contribution for that number. I am desirous of making it worthy of the Service and attractive to the readers of the paper.

Very truly Yrs
John Osborne

A. Fry Esq
Mines Dept
Sydney

[Page 58]
Public Service Commr’s Office,
Customs House,
Melbourne, 14th May, 1907.

Dear Mr. Fry,
In the next exam. for apptmt. to the Clerical Division of the C’wlth Service “Shorthand and Typewriting" is to be included, for the first time, as an optional subject. The Commr. has asked me to undertake the setting & making of the papers, and as you have had a good deal to do with that sort of work it would be of great assistance to me if you would give me a few hints.

The object of the test is not so much to get expert writers as to secure men whose work is evidence that they possess a knowledge of the subject and have arrived at a stage when practice and perhaps a little more attention to the theory of

[Page 59]
the art is all that is wanted to turn them out fair working shorthanders. You will see from the enclosed print that the shorthand test is a fairly easy one – 3 speeds (80, 100 & 120 wds a minute) each of 3 minutes. In typing no speed is prescribed, the marks being assigned according to the amount and correctness of work done in a given time.

I may say that the shorthand is to be judged by accuracy of transcription only, no regard being paid to formation & legibility of shorthand characters.

Perhaps if I put my wants in the form of queries, it will tend to lessen the trouble I am venturing to give you.

Shorthand
(1) It is prescribed that a candidate who does not secure 25 % is to be allotted no marks. I propose

[Page 60]
to allot the 200 marks as under: -
80 wds a min: – 50 marks
100 wds a min: – 60 marks
120 wds a min: – 90 marks

Do you think this is a correctly proportionate distribution?

(2) What percentage of errors in each speed do you consider should fail a candidate?

(3) What is your practice in counting numerals? Would you reckon the number 95 as one word or two?

(4) What procedure do you recommend as a working basis for assigning marks to a candidate’s paper? Do you adopt a unit of deduction per error, leaving the examiner to keep in view the circumstances of the mistake and its bearing on the subject matter, or do you make

[There appears to be a page or pages missing here]

[Page 61]
[Typewritten letter from Sydney Stock & Station Journal to Arthur Fry Esq. dated 21st November, 1907]

[Page 62]
[Postcard]
Valencia : Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas
737 Hauser y Menet. – Madrid

21/3/08
Kindest regards
[indecipherable] F.

[Page 63]
A. Fry Esq
Correspondent Records Branch
Dep Mines
Sydney
N. S. Wales
Australia

[Page 64]
[Letter from the Commonwealth of Australia, Prime Minister’s Office, M. L. Shepherd, dated 11th August, 1909]

[Page 65]
[Letter, page 2]

[Page 66]
[Cablegram]
Collect – redirected
2nd 3. 40
Pacific 121 Southampton 12 wds. L.C.O.
L.C.O. Fry
Denegully
Northcote Ave.
Lindfield
Cable ten pounds Lloyds bank Southampton
Fry.

Cable sent Thurs 2 Sept – arrived Fri 3 – Redirected L’field Sat 4 – Received on getting home Sat 6 pm – Sent reply Mon 6 Sept 10.30 a.m. – Dene received notice from Bank as to money 9 Sept.

[Page 67]
From Dene
4 Sept 1915

[Page 68]
[Typewritten letter from Australian Museum, Allan R. McCulloch, dated 3rd Dec. 1915]

[Page 69]
The Croft
[indecipherable]
Lindfield

Dear Old Dod –
How are you, you must be well the very opposite to me.

I got a letter from you this morning. I have a swolen gland as well as weak eyes. For any close work like reading and wrighting I have to ware glasses as I [indecipherable] gogles. I had drops in my eyes at first.

Every body is well here. The last few days in bed has been rotten because I could not read.

I must now say good-bye

Good luck
Alan

[Page 70]
Dod
[indecipherable]

[Page 71]
Dear Mr. Fry – One line to say I am thankful you see these Rules as I do – I beseech you to speak on the matter – a male’s voice will be attended to (as I have often seen) when a woman’s voice is neglected – we must all do our best – but I only said to Miss Gall last night that if you thought with us, we could have no better speaker to tell it forcibly to the meeting – Mr. Allen is [indecipherable] quiet – so is

[Page 72]
poor Mr Gundy with his ellaboration of words – I feel it all so intensely that I fear to miss that calm speaking that carries so much weight. It seems to me now or never we must alter these Rules –

Yrs truly
Rose Scott

[Page 73]
Aerdrome Camp,
Heliopolis.
Abour four miles from Cairo.
Wednesday, 7/4/15.

Dear Father,
I received your letter written early in March, yesterday, and was more than glad to get it. You cannot imagine how we all look forward to mail day here, which only occurs once a fortnight.

I’m glad you were all interested in that one of mine written on the Reef, and why I did not mention anything about publishing it was because I did not think it would be allowed to be put in print. But so many things have happened since then, that all that seems a very long time ago. We have been in Egypt about a fortnight now, and I reckon I have had the stiffest luck of any soldier here – but more of that later.

I think when I last wrote fully we were on board the "Siang Bee" nearing Suez. The trip up the Red Sea was contrary to expectations, quite the coldest we had experienced since leaving Sydney. I had always thought it was supposed to be very steamy and hot. The nights were really cold and we had to use our blankets the first time for a good while.

Well, on arrival at Suez we were informed that we could not go through the Canal, as it was too dangerous, the Turks being pretty close and intermittently making rushes to try and cross, though they seemed only half-hearted about it. The result was that we entrained at Suez and came on to Cairo that way.

The railway runs right along the Canal, almost all the way to Ismailia, where we branch off to Cairo, and though it was night when we went through we could see plainly (it was moonlight) the Indians and New Zealanders entrenched on both sides of the Canal. It seemed to me a funny thing that some 2300 soldiers should make that journey, as we did, through hostile country, without even one sound of ammunition.

Why, had half a dozen Turks managed to reach the line, they could have

[Page 74]
2.
have held up our train and given us a horrid time and we could have done nothing in return. However, they didn’t, and I suppose we can consider ourselves lucky. It may seem funny me commenting on the arrangements made by the authorities, but it is just as things strike me and most likely would strike hundreds of others.

Well, we travelled all that night, and it was bitterly cold, besides we being so cramped up that sleep was out of the question, and arrived at Cairo early next morning (5 a.m.). We then marched out to Abbasseih Camp, some 2 miles from Cairo. When we got there the "Heads" had not expected us so soon and had not made any arrangements for us, with the result that we had to spend all that day until 4 p.m. lying on the hot sand in the blazing sun without any food, after which we turned to and pitched our tents. Next day no rations were forthcoming, and most of the lads had to go without anything or very little. But of course things bettered themselves as time went on.

We started straight away to get into condition and had some solid marches over the sand. And very hard it is too, walking on the soft sand, more especially as we were fresh from a long sea voyage. One day we marched some 7 or 8 miles an to a big hill in the distance saw the Pyramids, where the big camp (Mena) is situated.

And now comes the hardest part of the lot. I had not been in Egypt 5 days when I had to go into the hospital, and am still here. I caught a bit of a cold just prior to leaving the boat, but, as can be well understood, I never took much notice of it, thinking I would shake it off in a day or two, only to find it got worse as time went on, till one morning, after having spent an almost sleepless night, I thought I had better see the doctor and see if he could give me something for it. Imagine my surprise when he ordered me into the hospital straight away. I had only Influenza, but on account of the very hot days and cold nights, they have to be very careful of colds and that sort of thing, as they very quickly turn into pneumonia. But you need not be alarmed in the slightest. I’ll be O.K. again soon now. Have been here some 9 or 10 days and am getting on fine. But there

[Page 75]
3.
is something much worse than influenza troubling me.

My company had only been in Abbasseih about 1 week when they were ordered to join the 13th Battalion, whom of course they are reinforcing, at Heliopolis, that is right next to me here, and some of my pals often come in to see me. They had not been here 6 days when the 13th Battalion, together with nearly all the Infantry here, received notice to pack up and be ready to leave at very short notice for ??? we don’t know where, but are almost sure it is the Dardenelles.

Our O.C. told our boys that they are almost sure to be under fire inside 5 or 6 days. There are some 40,000 French troops at Alexandria, and they are also going over with the Aust. and N.Z. men. We hear that an army of 100,000 Turks are waiting for us, so there should be somethin’ doin’. Our army is expected to be landed, under fire from our warships, on the Dardenelles, and most probably will engage the Turks at once, and if all goes well, will start marching on Caonstantinople.

All my pals that I came over with are going, though they are reinforcements, as it is expected that we shall sustain pretty heavy losses at first, and of course the gaps must be filled up. And here am I, lying on the broad of my back out of it all. Gee!, it’s hard, dashed hard. I would give anything I possessed to get away with the boys, and last night I got up and dressed myself and went and saw the doctor to ask him if I couldn’t get out of the hospital and go along with them. But it was no good, he wouldn’t let me go. I would have cleared out, but knew it was no use. I would only have been sent back.

Well, I did not sleep at all last night, and am not ashamed to admit that I shed a good few tears. Aren’t I unlucky? Just the time when a man ought to be well and in the pink of condition, ready for anything, he goes down to it and is only a drag instead of being of some use. The worst of it is, it may be the last fighting the Australians will see as it seems probable that theur work will be to watch Turkey and see that all is right round this way, and perhaps never get to the front

[Page 76]
4.
at all. I cannot tell you how I would love to be in the march into Constantinople/

Out bous are leaving to-night at 12 o’clock for Alexandria, and I daresay will go right on then to the Dardenelles. Of course a lot of this is only conjecturs and rumour, but the main points are right. It is quite on the books that they will be camped at Alexandria some weeks in which case I shall perhaps get a chance to join up with them again. I only trust it is so, though its a poor chance.

Tommy is not going. He has had a shift to the Orderly Room at Headquarters, amongst the "nobs" and I do not see very much of him now.

Am enclosing a little poem I happened on.

The cuttings were more than welcome. All the lads round about me had a great old time as well as myself reading them.

I have been a very long time over this letter, and if it does read a bit disjointed, remember that I am not quite myself to-day, and cannot help thinking of my not being in with the boys when they strike "trouble", probably in a few days.

I have not had a letter from Mother or Dene or Hazel yet. Ask them to write. You cannot imagine how we look forward to mail day here. It’s almost the only bright spot in this awful place.

Give my very best love to all the family, and don’t worry. I’ll be alright soon now.

Your loving son,
Alan.

[Page 77]
[Post Office Telegraphs]
OAMS Australian Hdqrs.
3.40 p 4.12 p
Salanstra Sidworth
GBL 1121 893/8C64 1340 Corporal Fry 13th Battn Died of wounds France August 14th [indecipherable]

[Page 78]
15 September 1916

My Dear Fry
In these sad days we cannot console one another, we can only try to borrow some of our dear boys’ courage & fortitude to enable us to face their loss. They have done with sorrow, they have left us proud memories, – some day I think there will be consolation for us in that.

[Page 79]
But now I can only offer you & his Mother the sympathy of another father and another who knows what you are suffering and feel for you very deeply and sincerely.

Yours very truly
David Ferguson.

[Page 80]
[Shorthand script at top of letter]
May 9th 1917.

Arthur Fry Esq.

Dear Sir,
It was with great sorrow that I heard of the death at the front in France of your son, Dene B. Fry. Little more than a week ago I had from him the cheery letter which I enclose. Although so young he had already given good promise of gaining distinction as a zoologist and his death is a heavy

[Page 81]
loss to Australian science. His zeal and keenness in his work with his modest and unpretentious manner favourably impressed all who came in contact with him at the University.

Do not trouble to answer this.

Yours truly
W. A. Haswell.

[Page 82]
A Fry Esq
Denegully
Northcote Road
Lindfield
(From Dene to Prof Haswell “France" 10 Feb. 1917.)
Haswell & Longman to Arthur Fry

[Page 83]
June 11th 1917.

Owing to a mistake in the address enclosed was returned to me.

W. A. H.

[Page 84]
Replied to 3-5-17

May 1st 1917

Fry Esq,
Lindfield,

Dear Sir,
I was deeply grieved to learn of the death of your son Dene and should like to offer my very sincere sympathy to you & your family in your great loss. Almost no death in the war has upset me more than your son’s. He was such an attractive lad personally, and we looked upon him here as one of our most promising students and were looking forward to his remaining connected with this Department for a long time.

Yours sincerely,
S. J. Johnston.

[Page 85]
France
10:Feb:17.

Dear Professor
I have been meaning to write to you long ago, but you would hardly credit what a nomadic existance we follow here. It is from village to village & from there to the front line. While “in" the line we are not allowed to write, and while “out", the billets being usually barns or buildings of that nature, and our work being none the less for being “out", somehow time drifts on and we get very much behind in our correspondence.

But I’m always thinking of old times and wondering how long it will be before I’m back at the old work. I hope to start right where I left off but thats a long way ahead I’m afraid. While I was in England

[Page 86]
last year, which was only three weeks, I had no opportunity of visiting any of the museums or other places I had hoped to. In a combatant force leave is very scarce, and I dont suppose I will be due for any for another 3 or 4 months. But then I hope to make use of yours & Dr. Johnstons letters.

It is very cold here. The snow has been on the ground now for 5 weeks and the shell holes are covered by more than a foot of ice. The water freezes as soon as poured out. Our breath freezes on the mufflers. So we have learnt of another foe besides the Hun.

But for all that, I prefer this weather to that of 5 weeks ago, when the mud was just inconceivable. We literally sink above the knees every steep. The Trenches, which now have duckboards in them, were then a stream of slowly flowing

[Page 87]
mud. On more than one occasion have I had to be dragged out of a quagmire, up to my waist in depth. Walking becomes a fatiguing labour. But, of course, all the regular roads are duck boarded and corduroyed. This is now frozen into earth as hard as ice and as slippery as a skating rink. Nevertheless, as I said, it is infinitely better than the dreadful mud.

We see little of the French soldiers. We are on a front of our own, part of the British sector, and so are never brought in contact with them. There’s lots to interest one in the villages, but we are usually so busily employed that we have little time for exploring.

Well, Professor, I hope you are enjoying good health. Please give my kindest regards to Dr. J, and with best wishes

Yours very sincerely
Dene B. Fry

[Page 88]
Replied to 5-5-17.

“Arcadia"
O’Brien Street
Bondi
1st May, 1917.

Dear Mr. Fry,
It is with very genuine sorrow that I have learnt of your deep trouble. The weight of it must be almost beyond endurance, especially after the grief you have already had to bear. One can only trust that time will soften the pain, and that you will be able to find comfort in the thought of your boys’ nobility both in life and death and the knowledge that they have

[Page 89]
earned everlasting peace.

Will you please accept my heartfelt sympathy for yourself and family?

Yours very sincerely,
Mabel A Smith

[Page 90]
[Shorthand script]

[Page 91]
Replied to 3/5/17

“Lyndhurst"
Strathfield
1st May 17

Dear Mr. Fry
We were much upet on opening the morning paper to read of your sad loss.

My family & self deeply sympathise with you in your great sorrow – as you know Dene was a great chum of my only son Eldon when in Camp at Liverpool and right through to Salisbury plains, keeping together up to the last moment, when the separation came on departing for France. It is had to bear the loss of one who was thought

[Page 92]
thought so much of by others outside his own family circle and I can assure you it will be a great grief to Eldon if he survives to hear it.

Killed in the noble cause of right & justice, (which must prevail) in defence of his King & Country, he has passed the bar to his reward – my heart is too full to write & I break down at each attempt to continue –

We all truly & deeply sympathise with you and may the great, good and everlasting God comfort you all in your sorrow,

Yours very sincerely
James Moran

[Page 93]
Replied to 3-5-17

‘Wimbledon’
Potts Point
1 May 1917

My dear Fry,
I want you to know of our sorrow and sympathy, but I can’t put them into words. At a time like this one feels what a helpless thing friendship is, and yet when I was passing through the dark waters nothing helped me so much as the clasp of an old friend’s hand. God help the poor Mother.

Yours very sincerely
David Ferguson

[Page 94]
Replied to 5-5-17

30/4/17

My dear Arthur,
I has just learned of the loss of both your dear boys & am grieved for you and your dear wife. Sympathy in such a loss is at best very barren but I would like to be permitted to say that the cause in which their lives were sacrificed was a noble & worthy one – In youth you were never daunted & opposition or apparent failure only spurred you on – May the old determination still remain with you and enable you to bear with fortitude your dreadful loss and comfort & cheer your wife whose excellent brother also paid the penalty.

Yours sincerely
[indecipherable] Edward

[Page 95]
France
April 3rd ’17.

My Dear Uncle Arthur,
To day I have received some information re Alans grave which I enclose. It has been a long time reaching me as the envelope was incorrectly addressed. Still it will enable anyone to locate the place at any time and so should be of some satisfaction to you.

I am at present chasing up the Hun with the advance guard and so have not much chance of writing. Am at present in an old stable in a ruined village. Most of the roof over us is conspicuous by its absence so as it still snows every

[Page 96]
few days you can guess we might easily have more comfortable quarters.

Still we are not doing too badly all things considered. Please give my warmest congratulations to Hazel and tell her I will write as soon as I can. I went a few weeks ago to see Olly but he had just gone away sick & so I missed him.

Meantime, kindest regards to all at home and love to Aunt Carrie.

Yours sincerely
Harold W. Fry.

[Page 97]
[Typewritten letter from War Office dated 22nd February 1917]

[Page 98]
From Lieut Harold W. Fry
3 April, 1917.
with encl. from Director of Graves
London re Alan’s grave

Arthur Fry Esqr
Denegully,
Northcote Road,
Lindfield,
Sydney
Australia

[Page 99]
[Shorthand script at top of letter]

Kempsey,
N.S.W.
4.4.17

Mr. Arthur Fry,
Lindfield

Dear Sir
It is with the deepest sorrow and regret that I have heard of the death of your dear son – Dene – killed in action at the Front.

It is some years now since I first became acquainted with Dene – at the Sydney Technical College and later at the University where he was a member of my Zoology Classes – and where I was able to form a very high appreciation of him both as a student, as an investigator and as a friend. We have lost one who, had he been spared to return and follow up his work at the University, would have become one of our most brilliant Zoologists. His work was full of great promise, and his enthusiasm was unbounded.

[Page 100]
I derive considerable pleasure from the fact that it was partly due to my constant advice, which finally led him to consider doing the full University course

Words cannot express my sorrow that one, so full of brilliance and promise was not spared to carry on his work. It may be some comfort to you and your family – in this time of great sorrow, to know that he will live on at least in our memory.

With deepest sympathy with you and your family

I am
Yours very sincerely
Sydney George
No [indecipherable]

Mr. George’s letter re Dene

[Page 101]
[Cablegram postmark 27 Ap 17]
Pac.65
26th London 15/14
9.30 p. Govt.

Fry
Lindfield
Sydney
Ca 7786 Sorrowing with you Dene died Gallantly without pain

Anderson
Stralis

[Page 102]
[Urgent Telegram postmark 1 My 1917]
9.30 am
11.2 am
Victoria Barracks Sydney 61 4/9 Sec.95
Congregational Clergyman
Killara
B.R.58560 officially reported that N4992 Pte. Dene Barrett Fry 3rd Battallion killed in action 9th April. Please inform Mrs C. Fry Northcott Road Lindfield and convey respect regret and sympathy of their Majesty’s King & Queen and Commonwealth Government in

[Page 103]
loss she has sustained and army have sustained by death of soldier. Reply Paid

Colonel Sandford

[Page 104]
From Col. Sandford
Dene’s death
1 May 1917
Also Brig. Gen. Anderson
27 April 1917

[Page 105]
Replied to by letter 3 May

Castle Horneck,
5 Day Street
Marrickville
May 1, 1917

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Fry
Permit me, as a member of the staff of the Museum, to express, on behalf of my wife, sons, & self, our deep sympathy with you & yours in your bereavement.

We who have lost, & suffered, as a result of this cruel war, can quite enter into the sufferings & heart-aches through which you are now going. Personally, having worked with your late son, I know not only his personal worth – which was great, but his marvellous ability – Your son, like mine, has laid down his life upon the shrine of freedom

[Page 106]
and although we deplore the loss of these loved ones, we can still solace our minds with the manner in which they have laid down their lives. Your son, like mine, had a brilliant career in front of him. Still it is not the length of a man’s live that counts, but only, what he puts into it. Your Dene, & my Oscar, put in their all. “Dulce et decorim est pro patria mori" was their motto.

May the great Master watch over you & yours as He has over us.

In deep sympathy,
Yours most sincerely
N. J. Rambour

[Page 107]
Replied 4-5-17

Public School
Lindfield
1.5.1917.

Dear Mr. Fry,
It was with feelings of the deepest regret, that I read in the paper this morning of the death in action of your eldest son, Dene.

It seems just a few weeks ago that Dene came to wish me “Good-bye" at the School, & little did I dream that it would be a “last good-bye".

I always had a warm affection for both your lads Dene & Allan. They were so manly straightforward & natural. Both have died as they lived – noble boys, “Heroes both".

Accept my heartfelt sympathy for you, Mrs. Fry & the family in your very sad & double bereavement.

May God in his mercy give you both strength & courage to bear up against the sad blows you have received of late.

“Two noble lives – nobly ended". for God, King & Country.

Faithfully yours &
in deepest sympathy,
James Gilbert

[Page 108]
Replied to 3-5-17.

Mining Museum
George St North
Sydney, 1 May 1917

Dear Mr. Fry,
From the mornings paper we learn that the inscrutable will of the Almighty has decreed that Dene too shall reach the goal by one short step of victory over self. For him we must rejoice. – and for all our boys. But for his mother and yourself our hearts are very full. For you is the harder task of striving to the end. May God grant you grace.

For us who are left is the task of seeing to it that our notional life is ennobled and purified, and to be prepared to sacrifice much for this, even as our boys are doing.

Believe me, dear Mr. Fry, we are all with you in spirit to day, in deep sympathy.

Very sincerely yours
George W. Card

[Page 109]
“Grazier Office"
233 Elizabeth St
Brisbane
2/5/17

Dear Arthur
When we got the news of Dene’s death, we both realized what a grip the boy had on our hearts. He is at peace. You and yours are left to suffer, & I realise how deep & bitter is the tragedy of the war to you all. And the whole wide world weeps with your woe.

The subject is too deep and awful

[Page 110]
to discuss in a letter, but we just want to reach out & clasp your hand & say that you have our deepest sympathy you & your wife & family

We are, dear Arthur, yours affectionately
the McMillans

[Page 111]
Replied to 5-5-17 (Photo)

May 3rd, 1917
Sent 4 June 1917 see across

Dear Sir,
I have just heard through Mr. McCulloch the sad news of the death of your son. It comes to me as a big personal blow. Whilst I know that I cannot fully realise your own great sorrow as a father, yet I feel that it may even be some little help for you to know that others are sad because they have lost a dear friend. And so I would try to express a very

[Page 112]
[Shorthand script]

[Page 113]
real and deep sympathy.

I never met Dene personally, but I have corresponded with him regularly since early in 1912. I value his letters, & I got really to love him through them. In many ways he was a great help to me in my work. I greatly admired his ability and enthusiasm, & the work he was able to accomplish shows how great a loss to Australian science his death really is. As he was associated with our Queensland Royal Society, we shall see to it that a worthy tribute is paid to him at our next meeting.

Should you, later on, have a photo of him to spare, I should very greatly value it.

Very sincerely yours,
Heber A. Longman

Mr. Fry,
Northcote Rd.,
Lindfield.

[Page 114]
[Shorthand script]

[Page 115]
[Typewritten letter from The Australian Museum dated 3rd May, 1917]
[Shorthand script at end of letter]
Replied to 5-5-17
See below 4 June 1917

[Page 116]
[Shorthand script at end of letter]
29th May 1917

Dear Sir,
I have to convey to you the deepest sympathy of the members of the Royal Society of Queensland in the loss of your son Dene, who gave his life for his country. He is the first member that this Society has lost on active service and we deeply deplore the loss of one who gave such promise in his scientific work.

I am,
Yours faithfully,
A.B. Walkom
Hon. Secretary.

Mr. Fry,
Northcote Rd.,
Lindfield,
N.S.W.

[Page 117]
[Shorthand script at top of letter]

June 1st, 1917

Dear Sir,
At the last Meeting of the Society, on 30th ult., the President made sorrowful reference to the sad news of the loss of your gallant son, Mr. Dene B. Fry, who joined the Society in 1913.

On behalf of the Members present, I was asked to convey to Mrs. Fry and yourself, an expression of their great regret, and of their sincere sympathy.
We mourn the loss of a young man, and a rising biologist, of great promise. The war is depriving the nation of many promising young men, – nevertheless, the fine spirit, the whole-hearted response to a sense of duty, and the readiness for self-sacrifice in a great crisis, which have been evoked in the hearts of so many of them, are a greater national asset even than accomplishments in business or science.

I would like also to express my sympathy in a private capacity. I have been interested in Frogs for a long time; and when your son met with difficulties, he would sometimes come down to see me, to inspect my collection, and to enlist my help, which was always gladly at his disposal. I had formed a very high opinion of him, both personally, and from a scientific point of view; and I deeply deplore the untimely fate that has overtaken him.

I remain
Yours faithfully
J. J. Fletcher
Secretary

Arthur Fry Esqr.
Northcote Road
Lindfield

[Page 118]
[Typewritten letter from The Australian Museum dated 6th June, 1917.
[Shorthand script at top of letter]

[Page 119]
June 7th, 1917

Dear Mr. Fry,
I must thank you for sending the photograph of Dene. I shall value it greatly & keep it as a mememto of our friendship.

I had the pathetic privilege of paying a tribute to him at the last meeting of our Royal Society. You have doubtless received an official record of our resolution. As several of our members knew Dene personally, I shall show his photo at our next meeting.

Very sincerely yours,
Heber A. Longman.

[Page 120]
Nelson Road

10th June 1917

Dear Mr. Fry,
Allow me to thank you very much for Mr. Edmonds sermon you so kindly sent us, I cannot tell you how much we value the sermon & the kindly sympathy which prompted you to let us have – now we can go to it for refreshment & strength which it all contains, but for you it would have been more or less lost to us –

We send our Sympathetic Greetings to dear Mrs. Fry yourself & family looking forward with Hope for the future

Mrs Cuthbert bids me say the sermon you were so good to send her will remain a valued possession words fail me to properly describe our feelings for your thoughtful service

With our deep regards to Mrs Fry, yourself & family

Believe me
Yours Most Sincerely
[indecipherable] Cuthbert

[Page 121]
L/Cpl E K Burke
Wireless Training School,
Moore Park, Sydney.
17-9-1917

Though I am not quite sure whether you are the father to whom what this news will be of some value I am writing to you as the only “Fry" of Lindfield, mentioned in the directory. If it does not apply to you, I trust you will be able to pass the information along.

The letter which I enclose was recently received from France & the post-script contains the information to which I refer.

Eric K. Burke.

[Page 122]
(See over)
In the field
France 2/7/17

Dear Eric,
Just a line to let you know that I got fed up with the General Hospital and have exchanged with a Field Ambulance Sergeant? My address now is:- Staff Sergt. B. Rainsford, 14th Australian Field Ambulance, A.I.F. France.

The papers have been arriving regularly. I got the last batch of about 20 about three weeks ago.

At present our Division is resting and we are in billets in rather a decent little village. The country is looking very pretty now, i.e. the part that hasn’t been shelled lately. Smiling France is coming into its own.

Sincere yours
Bruce Rainsford
P.T.O.

[Page 123]
P.S. Yesterday went for a stroll through the little cemetery near the village where we are at present. There are a number of Australians buried here & I found the grave of Allen Fry of Lindfield. Did you know him?
Bruce R.

[Page 124]
22-9-17
II

Dear Bruce
Just got your last note & as I thought its information would be of interest to Mr. Fry, I forwarded your letter to him & got this reply

Have been in camp seven months now passing through various stages of instructional work in the Wireless Training School.

I enclose photo. showing something seen on equitation last month. As our training is now practically finished we are leaving to-morrow for a protracted wireless bivouac at Barrenjoey.

III E.K. Burke

Dear Mr. Fry,
I am enclosing the negatives & 3 prints of Alan’s Grave. I had them done by a Frenchman when we were in the village. The photos are not very clear but better ones could be obtained from the film.

Yours sincerely
Bruce Rainsford
Staff Sergt. 14th Aust Field Amb

(Photos received & letter of thanks sent 27 January, 1918. to Bruce Rainsford)

[Page 125]
B.R. see over
I
"Denegully," Northcote Road,
Lindfield, 18th. September, 1917.

L/Cpl. E. K. Burke,
Moore Park, Sydney,

Dear Sir,
Thanks very much for your note of yesterday. Yes, I am the father of Alan Fry, whose grave in France is mentioned by Bruce Rainsford. We know exactly where Alan lies, because his elder brother, Dene Fry, visited the place and sent us a plan of the village cemetery at Warloy where he died and was interred. But all the same it was very kind of your friend to mention the matter, as all little references of this kind are valuable to relatives.

Though I have not the pleasure of your personal acquaintance, my family tell me that you are probably the Burke who lived in Killara and knew both Dene and Alan Fry. I think they both went to school with Bruce Rainsford (whose father I have known for many years), at any rate it is evident that Bruce remembers Alan, and if you are writing him perhaps you will be kind enough to convey to him my thanks for mentioning my son’s resting place.

Yours, with best wishes,
A.F.

[Page 126]
A. Fry, Esq
“Denegully" Northcote Rd
Lindfield, Sydney
N.S.W. Australia

(From Bruce Rainsford France about Nov. 1917.)

[Page 127]
[Typewritten letter from Burns, Philp & Company dated 17th January, 1918]
Letter of thanks sent 18-1-18

[Page 128]
[Typewritten letter page 2]

[Page 129]
[Typewritten letter from Burns, Philp & Company dated 9th January 1918]
[Shorthand script at end of letter]

[Page 130]
5/3/18

Dear Sir,
Could you give me a few details about your son Dene Fry for inclusion in our Presidential Address which is to be read on the 25th inst? What I should most like would be detail of his scientific work, and also details of his record after enlistment, and any other details you may think fit. If you could give me this I would be able to compile something suitable for our President.

Thanking you in anticipation

I am,
Yours faithfully,
A. B. Walkom,
Hon Secretary

Mr. A. Fry,
Lindfield

(Answered 9 March & list of work sent)

[Page 131]
"Denegully", Northcote Road,
Lindfield, 9th. March, 1918.

Dear Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 5th. instant, I beg to enclose a memorandum showing the principal facts of Dene’s career, from which I hope you will get the information which you require. I thought it best to make it rather full, leaving it to yourself to select such portions as may suit your purpose. Please use it as you deem fit, and if there is any further detail you would like to have I shall be glad to do anything I can.

I enclose list of his scientific publications so far as there is any trace here, in his home. Possibly, there may be others known of at the Museum, and if so I will make inquiry and let you know.

He wrote some beautiful letters to his family, but of course I cannot give them all, and he himself told us that he was precluded by the Censor from telling us much that he would have liked. He said : "It must wait till I come home." Dear lad, we can never hear those things now. The world as well as ourselves is loser, for he looked at facts very perspicaciously and his views on many things would have been valuable.

I send you under separate cover a copy of the Sydney University Magazine "Hermes," on which page 229 you will find a notice of him by Dr. S. J. Johnston who was acting Professor of Zoology in Dene’s time, and has now succeeded Professor Haswell in the permanent position.

A. B. Walkom, Esq.,
Hon Secretary
Royal Society of Queensland,
Brsbane.

[Page 132]
Finally, I beg your acceptance of the two little photographs which are enclosed. The one of Dene shows him rather young, it was taken a year or two before the War commenced, he is standing among the trees at home which he loved so much.

The other is interesting because it shows what Dene could do in the way of photography sometimes, and it shows what the War can do to break up happy homes. The boys and girls are all Dene’s playmates on many a happy occasion. Counting from the left, the youth balancing a ball on the racket is Lieut, Randolph Magnus, now in Randwick Hospital with severe wounds. Next, Private Alec Magnus now returned after two years of weary and wearing life on the sands of Egyp and Palestine. Next Alan Fry, killed at Pozieres, lance corp. in the famous 13th., "which is only a name now." On the right is Sergeant Edgar Cliff, a bonny lad over 6 ft 1 and a gunner in the Australian Field Artillery, who was wounded in France and is now convalescing. Under him at the butt of the tree is Dorothy Fry, Dene’s sister, a most gifted artist, and at the other end in black is my younger daughter Hazel, now the mother of a war baby 14 months old, whom the father Capt. Watson (now in Harefield Hospital convalescing) has never seen. You must forgive me for inflicting these details upon you, but they are more or less connected with your late member, my well loved son Dene.

Yours very truly,

[Page 133]
The Australian Museum,
Sydney, 1st. May, 1914.

This is to certify that Mr. Dene B. Fry has been in the service of the Trustees of the Australian Museum for 6 and ½ years as a Cadet & Junior Assistant in the sections of Invertebrate Zoology and of Reptiles, Snakes and Fishes, during which period he has had opportunities of making himself proficient in the subjects.

He has passed his professional examinations in Zoology at the Technical College & the University with honours and performed his Museum duties to the entire satisfaction of his Superior Officers.

H. H. B. Bradley
President

R. Etheridge
Curator

S. Sinclair
Secretary.

[Page 134]
1
By his Father

Dene Barrett Fry was born at Lewisham, some 4 miles from Sydney on 11 Oct., 1893, so was 21 years 7 months old when he enlisted, 17-5-1915 and 23 years 6 months when he was killed. 9-4-17.

After infant school, he went for 3 years to Chatswood, and about 4 years to Lindfield and Fort Street Public Schools. The family came to live at Lindfield when he was about 10, and there is no doubt that it was living in the wild country on the North Shore Line that developed the love of Nature that was so strong in him.

"He took delight in simple things." As a boy roaming about the spacious hills and gullies of Middle Harbour and for miles around, he made acquaintance with birds, animals, frogs and snakes, and seemed to understand them without teaching : he handled "creepy things" fearlessly and treated them as personal friends. He was an expert with traps and caught bandicoots, possums, native cats, birds and snakes, housed them, and studied them with loving interest in the ramshackle cages that he made. He made baths for his frogs with rocks and cement, and would watch day by day for weeks the evolutions of bird life in the solitude of the rocky gully where he lived. For years there was no other house in sight all round the horizon. He was a daring tree-climber, and if Dene could not reach a nest, well – the others passed it by.

He was fair to average at school, but his books were most noticeable for the highly imaginative designs with which he decorated them – he was an artist from birth.

At the time of the Boer War, 1902-03, when he was 9 to 10 years old, his thoughts ran riot over the battle fields he heard people talking of, and on every scrap of paper he drew pictures whose originality caused them to pass all round the neighborhood. And up to 13 and 14 he furtively produced rhymes. All the time he was a happy-go-lucky, irresponsible lad, who enjoyed every hour of his life.

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The incident that inclined him towards scientific study was trivial. Mr. Robert McMillan of the Stock and Station Journal handed him Mr. A. J. North’s book on Australian Birds, and asked him jocularly to say what he thought of it. But Dene took the request seriously, birds were things near his heart, and he wrote a column which was published in that Journal of 5 Nov., 1907, with the editorial observation, "the following is a remarkable review of Mr. North’s book by Master Dene Fry, a Sydney suburban lad of fourteen summers(It is a coincidence that 10 years later both author and critic of this book died almost together, and their obituary notices appear together in the "Australian Naturalist" of July, 1917.))

It was consequent upon this boyish review of a book of birds that Dene entered the service of the Australian Museum as cadet on 1 Jan. 1908, being 14 years and 2 months old. He attended classes at the Technical College, Ultimo, and in January, 1910 was awarded a scholarship for the 2nd. year’s course in Zoology for meritorious work during the preceding year.

In April, 1910, at a function of opening additions to the building, Dene was presented by the Trustees of the Museum, in the presence of the Governor, with a cheque as a bonus for "outdistancing his competitors in the study of zoology."

In October, 1910, he went a trip to Masthead Island with a lot of interstate scientists, and he took with him notes from Mr. Chas. Hedley of the Museum warmly commending Dene to professional men in Brisbane. Before returning, he went on to Gladstone and Blackall Range.

He gained honours first and second years, 1910 and 1911, at the Technical College. Took lessons in freehand drawing from Julian Ashton.

On returning from the Capricorns (Masthead), Dene wrote some three columns illustrated by his own photographs for the Daily Telegraph in an interesting and racy style, which was at once published and paid for by that paper. Dene was just turned 17 then.

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From 1 Jan., 1911, Dene was appointed Principal Cadet, and from 1 July, 1911, Junior Assistant.

In 1910 or 1911, he joined the Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union (Melbourne). and in June, 1913 joined the Linnean Society of N.SW.

But, looking ahead into the future, Dene thought his prospects would never be very good unless he had a degree in science, he heard what others had to say and turned the thing over in his mind carefully, and the more he thought the more convinced he became. It was a very serious question with him, for it meant the loss of his salary of £110, as he could not while employed at the Museum study and attend lectures during the day, and there were no evening lectures in science at the time. But he burned his boats, sent in his resignation, and left the Museum at the end of 1913.

He had a hard time. During his last years at school, Dene had made but indifferent progress, his knowledge of both English and Latin being inconsiderable. And solitary study, years after leaving school is very different from what can be done at school with a helpful environment. He faced it manfully : in June, 1914, he passed the Junior Examination in 4 subjects, and in November he passed the Senior in 4 subjects, just sufficient to scrape through, but he won honours in free-hand drawing, and the silver medal for zoology.

He was encouraged by being appointed Demonstrator in Zoology early in 1915, but as the war went on, there came to him the irresistible call. His younger brother Alan had gone months earlier, and he felt he could for the sake of his manhood do no other than follow him. He consulted both his parents. I was raking dry leaves along the boundary fence to make a firebreak, when he came along and said, "I suppose mother has told you, father?" I said, yes, that you want to go to the War. I told him that one brother out of two fairly represented the family, and that, apart from the risk of his life, the break in his studies would be such that he might never be able to get through the University, which was so important to his future career. "Have you considered everything, Dene?"

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He said he had : he was sitting up night after night trying to study but unable to do so : where his younger brother was risking his life, he, the elder, ought to be, and he said softly, "I hope you won’t object Father." There was only one possible answer.

Dene enlisted at Liverpool on 17 May, 1915, and was placed in the Army Medical Corps, and was transferred to Queen’s Park, Waverley, under the eminent Doctor, Gordon Craig, who was specially selecting a staff of youths to man the first Australian hospital ship, the "Karoola" which was being fitted out in England. The unit left in the transport "Wiltshire" on 14th. July, 1915, and arrived at Southampton 12th. October in Autumn. So soon as the "Karoola" was ready she was despatched to Egypt for a load of wounded, returned to England, and left again, this time for Australia, on the 19th. October, 1915.

Dene had hoped to be employed at some pathological or similar work on board the hospital ship, but it was found, owing to the vibrations of the vessel, to be impracticable, an on return he at once transferred to the Infantry, and was enrolled in the 3rd. Battalion on 12 January, 1916. He qualified while in camp at Liverpool for the N.C.O. school at Moore Park and was there promoted to be Sergeant, and thence went on to the Officers’ training school at Duntroon, where he qualified for a commission. But as there was a surplus of officers candidates who passed, and he might have waited indefinitely for appointment he took the first opportunity to get away with reinforcements as Sergeant on the transport "Wiltshire" and left Australia for the second time on 22 August, 1916.

He arrived at Plymouth on 12 October and went on to Dorset and Salisbury Plains. He immediately made inquiry after his brother Alan and heard the dreadful news that he had died on the 14th. August of wounds received while "in supports" at Pozieres. In a strange land, with new

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companions, in wet and bitter cold weather, in bodily discomfort we can hardly think of, Dene heard the dreadful news, and he wrote

Dear old Alan ! Oh, how hopeless I feel. I’ve always looked forward more than anything else to seeing him over here. Fourteenth of August – why, before I left Australia ! If you should only know how much I looked forward to meeting the 13th. Battalion "somewhere in France", and seeking him out – When I learned of the heavy fighting that the Anzacs had been engaged in, on my arrival in England, I thought that he would lucky to have escaped without a wound; but the other never dawned on me.

One great comfort comes to me over here on my own, and that is, as a soldier I cannot but recognise that my dear brother died a death deserving of the greatest honor and respect from those of us still above the sod. But I dare not look in the retrospect of those happy times together; it’s just too awful.

There is one big blank in front of me. You know we all look forward to the great home-coming, made a great exaltation by the feeling of participating in the greatest and most glorious of martial victories, and to the meeting of our relations in our happy homes, who, separated from us, have each toiled to the great end. This I have looked forward to as probably the greatest moment of my life. But it’s all blotted out, and I feel as if I am robbed of a just reward. I feel like a criminal serving a long and tedious sentence, and as if I will wend my way home shamefaced and by back roads.

Dear old Alan ! how he played the game, only to go the way of the glorious in the slack fighting that followed the second world-famed feat of the Anzacs – the capture of Pozieres Village. Words are inadequate : I just think of him, and realise I am too late. The sympathy of these rough lads all around me

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is as honey to the weary bee : you have to shake hands in silence and with a heavy heart to appreciate it. They are grand, real men.

Well, Alan, you’ve forfeited your reward, the great victorious home-coming, but all our lives we won’t forget your broken pillar. I just can’t write any more."

Under this cloud of pathetic sadness, Dene, at Perham Down, a few days later,

"commenced hard training. Reveille goes at 6 a.m. when it is quite dark. Breakfast is at 7, there being no early morning parade, and first parade is at 8. The hours are 8 to 12 30, and 1 30 to 5 : these are long hours for hard work. It is dark when we get up, and dark when we return to our huts. The food is scanty but good. There is lots of guard and fatigue work, too, making the work longer : but it’s soldiering now, and our next move will be, France."

Dene had gone the voyage as a sergeant, but on arrival in England the Australian N.C.Oships are not recognised, and he and his fellow N.C.Os all reverted to the ranks. On 12 November, 1916, he was selected as one of ten drafted to go to France at the earliest reinforcement, and says

"our training is strenuous, mostly rapid firing, bayonet fighting, rushing trenches, stabbing and using butts, and gas helmet drill. It is dreadfully cold, and the rifle chisels junks of skin from your hands and knuckles. Our feet get like blocks of ice standing at musketry practice, and the rifle is so cold we can hardly do anything with it. It rains nearly every day and we often get wet through But they give us no latitude.

16 November, reveille went at 4 a.m., and we moved off for France. My ! it was cold. A few old pals get up to see us off. At the orderly room the Major said a few words about the honour of the glorious First Brigade, and the band played us to Tidworth railway station, a cold march of two miles. At 6 30, just as dawn was breaking we boarded the troop train for Folkestone. Many Australians greeted us from the verandahs. We stayed an hour or so, then all marched to the steamer. At 2 40 p.m. we left England. We simply flew across the Channel, escorted with three torpedo boats, a destroyer ahead, and an aeroplane circled above us.

It was 6 p.m. as we marched up the cobbled streets of old Boulogne to the rest camp on a big windy cold and cheerless hill north of the town. The morning broke cold, dull and cheerless, the water was frozen in the taps. It was bitter : I could not do my pockets up after washing. The roads are cobbled and marching is very tiring. My feet tingle and throb after a few miles of it. Of course we travel with all we own on our backs, and 24 hours’ rations in our haversacks."

Dene describes the severe drilling and marching over a large part of the surface of France, untill at length on the 2 December, 1916, his small squad of reinforcements joined the well known "brown over green", the

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3rd. Battalion, at a place called Buere, near Albert. From then on till the date of his death, Dene spent four months alternately in and out of the front line, frequently under heavy fire, sometimes enduring almost intolerable cold in the trenches and at other times in icy barns where the soldiers were in billets, for this was the record winter for 40 years in France. On the 27th. March, 1917, he wrote

"I can tell you, now that we can look back on the real winter, we have been through some hardships. It’s still very cold, for March winds are straight from the North Sea : it’s not coldest when the snow is falling, but a while after it gets awful. But you would be surprised how hardened we become to wet clothes and other uncongenial conditions. I’m sure all the molly-coddling we go through in civilian life is the cause of half the pneumonia and pleurisy, for here we have been wet for weeks; slept, or rather dozed on the floor of a muddy trench, sat on wet firesteps, dug in in the snow and sleet, not washed for weeks, not changed for weeks, eaten bread and jam, bully beef and stew, and after all, shells included, we come out fairly right."

The last letter he wrote on 8 April was to a lady in London, wherein he says it is a lovely spring day, with glorious sunshine and a little warmth in the air, and his thoughts recur to his home in Australia, where, he says, the boronia and flannel flower are coming to bloom, and the birds are singing and mating, and he supposes, as he has been lucky so far, he will continue to be so. He passed away before the next day dawned. His good companion, Private Cleve Edmonds, who went to Chatswood School with him, and roamed the Middle Harbour gullies when they were kids together, tells all that is known.

"Dene Fry has been killed, he was shot through the head on Easter Monday morning, probably caught by a machine gun. He was buried where he fell, with two others. We were in the line again for Easter, D Company hopped over about 4 o’clock on Easter Monday. Seven men, including Dene and self, formed a screen five minutes ahead of the Company, and advanced until we came into contact with the Huns. Fritz let us get within 50 yards before he opened fire on us with rifle and machine guns. We had to drop at once and do the snake act back to the Company and report. It is a miracle we were not potted then, as we were advancing over clear, open country. As soon as we reported in, the Company rushed the position. It was then that Dene Fry was killed."

[Page 141]
[Sympathy acknowledgement card]

[Page 142]
[Sympathy acknowledgement card page 2]

[Page 143]
[Published notice/letter from Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence, War Museum, Melbourne, 15th April, 1918]

[Page 144]
[Published notice/letter page 2]

[Page 145]
[Sympathy acknowledgement card]

[Page 146]
June 4th, 1918
France

My dear Uncle & Aunt
Your very welcome letter of 6/2 arrived a week or so ago and I was very glad to hear from you.

It was unfortunate that my letter of October ’17 date did not reach you with the small photo of dear old Alans last resting place so we must hold the war to account for its non delivery. However, I am glad you did get a photo of the grave, it was very decent of Bruce Rainsford to send you the photo. And by the bye thank you ever so much for sending me the enlargement, it is a very considerable improvement on the small photo one.

Within a dozen feet of Alan’s grave is the name of another Fry from N.S.W. of course no relation and within the same distance the grave of a very great chum of mine from Marrickville, the youngest son of Ald. Clarke, one time mayor of Sydney. Poor old Dene was buried just in rear of the trenches at Hermies & at the time

[Page 147]
[Pages 2 and 3 of letter appear to be missing]
4.
I dont include myself as I am a neutral & see very little of the scraps. But the Australians are the finest troops & best fighters in the world. Give an Aussie a job to do & he will do it & you can depend on it being done. I have seen a number of troops of all countries & studied them & I feel proud that I am an Australian. I wish I could tell you why they are better the best in the world but it would take too long.

So, Uncle, though the loss of such fine boys is deeply felt by you all, yet I know you feel proud that they saw their duty and fearlessly carried it out, dying a patriots death, though and their British spirit and fine example will go down to posterity and give the lie to those who say that the British bull dog breed is becoming decadent.

Well, time grows late so in closing send you all my very best love and affection and sincerely hope that the day is not far distant when the family will be reunited to enjoy the years of peace.

Reg.

[Page 148]
No. 17836 Pte E. L. Troughton
4th Australian Field-Ambulance A.I.F.
France

France
In the Field
16th June 1918.
(Ansd. 25 Oct)

Dear Mr Fry,
Oh! My dear friend what will you think of me for leaving you so long without an answer to your gentle & understanding letter. Still I feel you will have understood that my grief & unhappiness make writing very difficult. I was so thankful or your letter & though I cried over it quietly to myself, found great comfort it in it, & keep it amongst my few little treasures, reading it

[Page 149]
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many times but always finding my wretched head unequal to writing an adequate answer.

Your letter reached me just after coming out of the “line" & a day or two before the big Fritz offensive started on 21st March &, since which date my unit has had a very busy & uncertain time, marching many kilos with packs & blankets up in the line many times, & when we are out “resting" we often go up to help dig places for advanced dressing stations, dug outs for stretcher-bearers’ posts etc. Since several of the villages where we were billeted have been shelled & bombed we have

3.
been billeted in woods & sleep in shallow dugouts with very light coverings & as enemy planes come over soon after dusk we can’t burn lights & I spend many dreadful sleepless hours before dropping off to sleep; what with work by day & enemy planes at night we get very little time to write.

Now dear friend as you will be wondering what has happened to me all this time I’ll try & give an idea of my movements. I arrived in England on 3rd October ’17 and went to the A.A.M.E. depot at Parkhouse & cabled to my Dear little Mother at once, writing several letters & sending some little packets, including one of holly of which she was very

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fond.

Went to London on 6 days leave from 18th to 23d Oct; was very disappointed in it all, due I think to my utter loneliness & longing for my Dearest One. Knowing how she would be fretting for me I felt absolutely disloyal to be there seeing it all without her.

While in London I spent many hours choosing little things to send Mother, & one afternoon I managed to get out to my cousin’s house so that she could write Mum & cheer her by telling & how well I was looking.

You see I did everything with a view to helping my Darling to bear up & the thought that even my letters written “at sea" arrived just a week too late to comfort the

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little woman, hurts me dreadfully & adds greatly to my grief & infinite regrets. How cruel circumstances have been. Had Mother received my first letters, full of loving thoughts & my regret for the pain I’d caused her to suffer it they might have helped her to survive the illness & then my letters & parcels would have followed quickly to interest & comfort her.

Mum struggled bravely but it was the first two newsless dreadful months that crushed her, & within a little week of my first letter. As you say, you knew quite well the great love there was between us, & you will understand how it causes me unutterable grief

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that after all her loving care, interest & companionship I left her to suffer so & was not with her when things closed in around her so frail & sad. Forgive me writing like this but the thought of it all maddens me & being always with me I cannot write without referring to it all.

When I was returned to Parkhouse from leave on the 23rd Oct, was preparing to leave for France with my draft of A.M.E. reinforcements when on the 30th they handed me a notice saying there was a parcel for me at the Post Office & when I hurried over there thinking it must be something from Mum I received Aunt’s first

7.
dreadful cable telling me Mother was seriously ill. The shock was terrible & I sent for Roy Kinghorn who came to me at once. He did his best to comfort me & helped me draft a reply to Aunt’s cable though he told me afterwards that he dreaded the news that her next cable would bring.

I loved little Mother so & it wasn’t possible for me to imagine it possible that she could go from me & I sent two cables, both utterly in vain for my Darling had left me on the 25th October, the sixth anniversary of poor Trevor’s death, & the first cable was only sent to prepare me

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for the agony of that second dreadful cable telling of my Precious little Mothers death. I was sitting quite alone in my hut at Parkhouse when they handed me the cable & I think I was crazy for a while, & didn’t know where to go or what to do.

Capt. Tim Lamrock was adjutant of the A.M.E. depot & was very kind to me, putting his own room at my disposal & trying to help me with advice. I asked him to put me on a draft for France at once as nothing really matters now my Darling has gone & he agreed with me that France would be the best for me as the constant activity, danger & work might keep me occupied & there is

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always the possibility of complete oblivion. Oh! I shouldn’t write like this for I’m fortunate indeed to have all you Dear Ones at Denegully & other dear friends so interested in & caring for me, but I feel you all understand so well the blankness of the future for me without Mum-dearie.

Lamrock put me on draft at once & I crossed the Channell on 18th November. In the draft were some very nice lads who helped me along & have stuck by me ever since, some of them joining my unit. After a few weeks at the Australian base in France I joined my unit on Dec. 9th while it was on the snow-clad desolate

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Somme war area.

Monty Lowther, one of the boys I met at Parkhouse & who crossed over with me, has been with me ever since & is now one of the four in my own Stretcher-squad. He is a staunch friend & though quite a boy has understood the misery of my outlook & all through the dreadful time when Mothers last letters were reaching me has helped me with great understanding & sympathy. At times when he found me fretting over my Darling’s letters he would just take my arm & walk me about for hours & do all he possibly could to comfort me.

The last of Mother’s letters reached me in February & though they used to hurt dreadfully, I missed them

11.
so horribly. Almost the last thing she sent was a little edition of the marred life of the “Sentimental Bloke" & in it she wrote “To my Dearest Billy-boy – A wee reminder for Xmas as a Mother-bird cannot go out". This was on the 15 October & she died on the 25th. Poor little woman. It was strange that she should pass out on the anniversary of the very day Trevor was killed. I’ve longed so for some little sign from her & have tried to read ‘into this’, some promise of reunion with her later on.

Have been stretcher-bearing in the line many times now with the Ambulance & am getting on quite

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well & taking all reasonable care of myself so you Dear Ones’ mustn’t worry about me.

Yes! I knew that the hearts of you all it in that dear home, that was as my own, were with me in my grief & are still. Dear Dene would have mourned her too for Mum-dear was very fond of him & I can see her now as she put her arms round me & we wept for the dear lads going & for your families grief.

Every line of your letter proves the sympathy our losses have brought us & if my letter fails to express it, it is my want of words adequate to do so. My loving thoughts are with you all. Will you tell all Dear Ones

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at Denegully that at the very next chance for writing I mean to answer their dear letters. Above all they must forgive my delay in writing. There have been times when I have had to fight, to keep my nerves right & havn’t dared to write of the disaster which has overtaken me.

I was so proud of the place Mrs Fry & yourself gave me in your hearts & home & the many months that often passed between my visits to you were due (I felt you knew) to little Mother’s loneliness without me & our adoring dependance on one another. How my thoughts go back tho to those happy days you mention & the bright

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dear gatherings at old Denegully.

Just before I came away Mum & I were looking at a snapshot taken on the verandah where we boys used to sleep; it is of Dene, Alan & myself in our pyjams; such a happy little trio. The two Dear lads were brothers to me when I lost my own & as brothers I still mourn their loss & yours. In all my marching & travelling about France I’m always trying to get to “Worly" where Alan lies & where Dene went to see his grave & whose description of the spot & sad letter I can remember so clearly.

Though glad the little parcel of Dene’s effects reached you I know too well the bitterness of such

15.
moments & hate to think of all the grief you dear ones have suffered.

When I was in the line some time ago the postal orderly sent me up a parcel & when I opened it found that it contained all the little presents I sent Mum from London with such high hope of them helping her to be brave. Even a long 12 page letter I’d written & enclosing snapshots of Roy Kinghorn, Bretnall & myself taken at Parkhouse.

When the executor’s closed our little flat they must have forgotten to arrange the receipt of my letters & parcels sent to Mother & all these things were returned to me through the dreadful dead letter

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office. I broke down hopelessly & as always the splendid lads in my stretcher-squad did the very best for me.

Believe me dear friend your letter was a great help & comfort to me & if you can all forgive my poor reply, do write when possible. I am most thankful of Mrs Fry’s dear letter, & Dorothy’s, enclosing the pretty photo of Hazel & her dear wee one, & the group Wilga enclosed of you all. I carry them with me always & look at them very often. Will try & write them very soon.

I am thinking of you all with such truly loving thoughts & if, & when I return you will help to soften the agony of the emptiness of little Mothers absence. With all love & deep thankfulness for your interest in me.

Ever your loving friend,
Ellis

[Page 160]
O.A.S.
From Ellis Troughton
16 June 1918
In France

Arthur Fry Esq.
“Denegully"
Northcote Road
Lindfield
New South Wales
Australia.

[Page 161]
Always use military address –
17836
4th Austr. Field Ambulance
A.I.F.

Florennes
near Charleroi
Belgium
10th Feb. 1919.

To
Arthur Fry, Esq.
“Denegully"
Northcote Rd.,
Lindfield, N. S. Wales.

My dear Friend,
Such a fine, welcome letter from you, dated 26th Oct., reached me at the beginning of the month, bringing with it much interest and the comfort of the kind thoughts and good wishes of all at Denegully.

You are most generous to write my undeserving self, dull and bad correspondent that I am, such helpful letters and then say “not to feel obliged to reply". But replying is a great pleasure indeed, the only doubt being as to whether I can write a worthy letter worthy of your interesting ones.

With reference to the signing of the Armistice, which must have been an intense relief to you, it has left a kind of reaction behind it which makes the slowness of repatriation, unavoidable no doubt, very irksome.

Recently, on Church Parade, some prayers issued by the Chaplain-General were read and one, with beautiful understanding, was for those “for whom bereavement had dimmed the joy of victory" and my thoughts were with you dear friends at once, as they have been so often, before and since.

Though so thankful for everybodies sake, the signing of

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the Armistice brought me such sad and lonely thoughts, which risks and activity had dulled a little that I was very glad when our Division was ordered immediately after to start on a long trek by road and rail from Picquigny, near Amiens, to where we now are.

We travelled all day via Amiens, Villers Brettoneux (where I was much in the line last April & March and watched the town being shelled into its present state of disintegration), Peronne, Chaulnes Junction (where a huge Hun delay action mine “went up" not long before we passed).

We detrained at Tincourt and next day did 30 kilos to Fresnoy-le-Grand, passing through and over the “impregnable" Hindenburg line- an appalling stretch of distorted, shell pitted country, with vast crops of barbed wire entanglements, caved in trenches and broken guns.

Fresnoy-le-Grand is between Cambrai and St Quentin and though it had been in the Boches hands for about four years, was not badly battered as the Australians at Montbrehain had beaten Fritz badly causing him to fall back quickly and evacuate Fresnoy “toute suite" or “at the toots" as the Digger’s say.

We stayed here about a week and at a big parade of our Brigade the “Brig." told us that we would be going to Hunland as part of the Army of occupation. This, as you will have heard, was cancelled, leaving a distinct feeling of slight to the A.I.F. as both Canada & New Zealand were represented in Germany and America, goodness alone knows why, sent a force there, equal in size to the British Army of occupation, in spite of the fact that she came into the real fighting later even than the eleventh hour.

The fact that the Huns put the “Aussies" second to none as troops to beware of, was surely

[Page 163]
3
enough reason to let the Boche have a good look at the boys who stepped into the Amiens breech & at least two others, in March and April ’18. However our Army Corps Commander fought hard for the A.I.F’s obvious right to representation in the Army of Occupation and the matter is over and done with.

The Civilians were just drifting, the word is very suitable, back to Fresnoy when we were there; the people who had stayed while the Boche occupied the place were easily distinguished by their drawn, nervous looks and thinness.

You would have been amused one day could you have seen me helping two very old ladies transport their worldly goods from the railway station to the house. I found them struggling with a huge badly balanced barrow with all their belongings on it. Having ventured “Vieulliez vous me permettez, Madame" and Madame had resigned her place at the wheelbarrow in my favour with a flourish and much ceremony, also many “Je vous remercies Monsieur, Ah! les très gentil Australiennes", we formed a procession up and down streets and round corners with French people beaming and nodding over le bon Australien and an occasional “Aussie" yelling out “good on your Digger, that’s the stuff to give ‘em". Their gratitude was intense for so small a service and we parted the best of friends.

In this town we were all immensely tickled by the huge Hun war loan posters which were very fanciful, one in particular showing England surrounded by submarines, with a distracted John Bull tearing his hair in the centre of the Map.

[Page 164]
4
After leaving Fresnoy we did a 60 kilo march in three stages with “all up" – much more than in the little snap-shot, which I am glad you to got and to know you liked it so well.

Our next long stop was for two weeks at Sains-du-Nord, no far from the Belgian frontier, where my unit Pal, Montie Lowther and I met a French family who asked us to regard them as our family while in France and insisted on us occupying a room and big, comfy bed in their house. They were very kind indeed and quite upset when our time came to push on.

The youngest son of the family, Andre, wrote out an appalling list of French verbs for us to learn, and by dint of correcting mistakes, and our long conversations with the family, our French was showing signs of a slight polish when unfortunately we had to move off on another 60 kilo “promenade à pied" to this town, where we are comfily billeted in a big College.

Morning of 11th. Have just got instructions from our Orderly Room to start on military education trip to Dinant Namur, Charleroi & Brussels. Will you forgive this hasty end to a letter I had meant to be very long and as nearly interesting as I could make it.

On 6th Feb. I posted a book of views of the College St Jean Berchmans, where we are billeted, to all at Denegully with my love and a book of views of Brussels to Wilga. Also a little note telling what a great time my stretcher-squad & I had playing dominoes with the lovely little cards sent you sent in my “Denegully" parcel, eating the really sweet Aussie caramel toffee, an unheard of thing on this ride. Also cafe-au-lait for supper. A long letter to you and to Dorothy on my return here. My fond love to all at Denegully.

You true and affectionate friend,
Ellis

[Page 165]
Fry
Denegully
Lindfield

Thursday Island
Passing Cape York enjoying things now love to family
Dorothy

[Page 166]
[Postcard]
Waterloo. – La Chapelle de Hougoumont]

[Page 167]
Waterloo
Belgium
4th April 19.

Dear Mr Fry,
Have just been on a flying visit to Brussels, Antwerp and Cologne and stopped at the field of Waterloo on the way back to Charleroi. Thought you might be interested in this card with the Waterloo postal stamp. Will write soon and hope to be back in Australia shortly now. My love to all,

Yours ever
Ellis Troughton

Mr Arthur Fry
“Denegully"
Northcote Road
Lindfield
New South Wales
Australia

[Page 168]
June 3rd 1919.

Dear Sir,
In this time of gladness when right has been so gloriously vindicated, our hearts are filled with gratitude and esteem for all who have striven and suffered, especially for all who have lost their own lives or the lives of their dear ones in the great cause.

The sons of the University have had a memorable part in the struggles and achievements of the fighting forces of the Empire and the Commonwealth, and of these your son, Dene Barrett Fry, has made the last sacrifice.

It is fitting that I as Chancellor should tell you on behalf of the Senate how that sacrifice is regarded by the University. The whole society remembers its fallen heroes with pride and admiration, and shares sincerely in the grief of their kinsfolk. With no wish to intrude on your sorrow but in obedience to a sacred claim, I offer this tribute of grateful appreciation to the departed and of respectful sympathy to the bereaved.

However great the blank in your home, may it more and more be brightened by the thought that your son’s death and your own suffering have not been in vain and could not have been incurred in a nobler cause.

Yours sincerely,
W.P. Cullen
Chancellor.

A. Fry, Esq.,
Denegully,
Lindfield.

[Page 169]
5.6.19

Dear father
I hope you are quite well. And hope you will come up next week end.

I went to see the cow’s milked yesterday and baby would insist that they were horses. They have a lovely big lawn up here and we have lovely games together. I went to see Mrs Everett and stayed to dinner and played cards with Mr Ogden.

Tell Wilga that I have learnt a new game card it is called sevens. O well I must leave off now with love from Rollo.

[Page 170]
[Typewritten letter to A. Fry Esq. from Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union, dated 24th July, 1919]

[Page 171]
The Next-of-kin of
4992 Pte. D.B. Fry.
3rd Bn. A.I.F.
c/o The Officer in Charge,
Base Records,
Department of Defence,
Melbourne,
Australia.
Northcote Road
Lindfield
N.SW.

(Re-interment of Dene’s remains in Military Cemetery at Beaumetz Cross Roads 1921)

[Page 172]
[Typewritten letter to the next of kin of 4992 Pte. D.B. Fry, 3rd Bn. A.I.F. from Imperial War Graves Commission, dated 10th February 1921]

[Page 173]
[Typewritten letter to Mr. A. Fry from Australian Imperial Force, dated 31st August, 1921]

[Page 174]
[Letter of condolence from King George R. J. Buckingham Palace]

[Page 175]
[Letter of condolence from King George R. J. Buckingham Palace]

[Page 176]
O.H.M.S.
Mr. A. Fry,
“Dene Gully"
Northcote Road,
Lindfield. N.S.W.

[Page 177]
[Newspaper clipping, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 Nov. 1924 – 13th Battalion. Its History]

[Page 178]
[Typewritten letter to Mr. A. Fry from Australian Imperial Force, dated 16th February, 1924]

[Page 179]
[indecipherable]
28 Ross Street
Forest Lodge

Dear Mr. Fry
Many thanks for your kind letter of sympathy It was most stupid of me to have come that buster but it will at any rate have enlarged your experience, as you mentioned to me the evening of my accident that you had never met any one who had actually broken a bone at a rink. With kind remembrances to your wife and yourself

I am yours very sincerely
J. W. Edgeworth David

[The following text is written along the left-hand margin]
Please excuse left hand writing.

[Transcribed by Sandra Mutton for the State Library of New South Wales]