Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Letters from Norman Sherwin, 1916
MLMSS 5767/Item 2

[Page 1]
[indecipherable] Sherwin
6th A.L.H.
On active service

Miss F.M. Sherwin
"Llanfoyst"
Bright Street
Marrickville
N.S. Wales
Australia

7.7.1916 [1915?]

[Page 2]
Address Spr N. Sherwin
C Troop B Squad
6th A.L.H.
2nd L.H. Brigade
"On Active Service"

Heliopolis
7th July 1915

My dear Aunty
I have received several very welcome letters both from you & Aunt Evie since I landed in Egypt;

I suppose you are wondering why I have not written before; we did not get very much time for writing in Egypt. I have written very few letters & I am sorry I did not write to you before; we left for the Dardanelles on Sunday 16th May at 5. p.m. & arr. there at 9 p.m. on the 18 landed on the 20th

[Page 3]
& went into the trenches on the 22nd, most of the time it was rather monotonous in the trenches but we got something to think about once in a way,

I suppose you read about the Armistice on May 24th lasting eight hours in during which 3000 Turks were buried, there are a good many Germans among the Turks at the Dardanelles. The Turks are not at all as bad as they are painted, in fact I’d prefer a Turk to a German any day.

During the process of burying some of our chaps were quite friendly

[Page 4]
with the Turks, exchanging cigarettes etc. One (live) Turk had a lot of money on him & he distributed different Turkish coins among our chaps & told them to keep them as souveniers. Don’t you think it is funny being so friendly with one another & then firing at each other the next.

I am writing from No. 2 Auxiliary Hospital Heliopolis, Egypt, I was wounded on 16th June hit in the hand with a piece of shrapnel. I was lucky I was not blown to pieces, as two shells exploded within five yards

[Page 5]
of me, after going through my hand it went through my coat at the band (five double thicknesses) & shirt & hit me in the stomach it made a big bruise & took some skin off but did not penetrate.

My hand is getting alright now although it will be a good while before I will be able to use it, as there sceptic poisoning set in also the pellet went through the bone at the side but did not break it.

I suppose you know by this that Charleie Sherwin was wounded, I did not see him but made inquiries & was told that he would

[Page 6]
probably lose his leg. In any case I think he will be invalided home. I hope they did not amputate his leg it would be a great pity. I hope to return to the Dardanelles in a few weeks, it is very monotonous here.

I hope you are all well, believe Frank is thinking of joining or has he already joined.

Will close now Aunty as I’ve been writing letters ever since dinner & it is now ‘six am feeling a bit cramped

Hoping again you are all well

I remain
Your affec nephew
Norman.

[Page 7]
[Envelope]
From Spr N. Sherwin
319 C Troop B Squad
6th A.L.H.
On active service

Miss F.M. Sherwin
48 Bright Street
Marrickville
N.S. Wales
Australia

[Page 8]
[Reverse of envelope]

[indecipherable] Egypt
9th Aug 1915.

[Page 9]
Use the same address it still holds good as all letters come to Egypt first.
N.D.S.

319 6th A.L.H.
Ma’adi
Egypt

4th Aug 1915

My dear Aunty
I received your welcome letter last mail, was very pleased to hear from you, I have received a good many letters from you I could not say how many, I am turning over a new leaf & writing as many letters as possible while in camp.

I will only be here another few weeks, as I am going back to the Dardanelles again, I have quite recovered from my wound & my hand is just as good as ever. I was in hospital nearly six weeks on account of septic poisoning setting in, also the tendon of my first finger was damaged & the bone behind the knuckle penetrated but not broken.

I think I told you in my last letter that Charleie was wounded anyway I expect you have heard from him by this, he was badly

[Page 10]
wounded in the leg.

Had a letter from Ireland the other day, it was waiting here at camp when I came out of hospital, came out on 25th July.

It is very dull here at camp also very hot, the thermometer rose to 127° a few weeks ago. I will be glad to get back to the trenches again, it is really exciting there at times, even when we go in swimming we are under shell fire, I used to go in every second day when I was over there, it was always lovely & calm & very refreshing, as there was no fresh water to be had for washing there was scarcely enough to drink.

The Turks are all big fellows the majority of them 6 ft or over. I have shot one Turk that I am certain of up to the present, I may have shot others I dont know of, I hope I did.

It has been a long summer for us here, the weather being warm when I joined in Sydney first

[Page 11]
then it was hot all the time in camp at home, & we arrived here at the end of the winter which is just the same as the beginning of summer at home & it is still hot.

The horses a still looking well they have a lot of the natives looking after them, besides the few of our own chaps who are still here.

I am the only one from Cargo who has been injured up to the present as far as I know: Did mother send you one of my photos yet? I got a letter from her saying she received them, I intend to be taken again shortly, we are wearing a different uniform here in Egypt, just a khaki shirt, short trousers & puttees, but the others are worn at the front, I mean the ones we went away with.

Will close now as I cannot think of anything more to say.

With love from
Your affec nephew
Norman Sherwin

[Page 12]
[Envelope]
On Active Service

Miss F.M. Sherwin
"Llanfoyst"
Bright Street
Marrickville
N.S. Wales
Australia

[Page 13]
[Reverse of envelope]
From Norman Sherwin
19th Aug. 1915.

[Page 14]
Ghezireh Hospital
19th Aug. 1915

My dear Aunty
I received your card last week was pleased to hear from you, I wrote to you from Heliopolis hope you got my letter, I got over the wound alright & my hand is just as good as ever now,

I am in hospital again it is not a wound this time I got a touch of the Sun out at the camp on the 14th but I am alright now hope to leave tomorrow my temperature was 105° when I was brought out & I was almost unconscious. I seemed to be paralysed I could not move

[Page 15]
although I could hear people talking & they seemed to be a long way off, I heard the stretcher bearers complain that I was heavy (I weight 12st. 8lbs)

I will be on my way to the Dardanelles before long now, if I can get out of here tomorrow or the next day I will be able to get away early next week as there are some reinforcements leaving our camp next week.

There is a Sherwin in the 7th L. Horse I do not know if it is the one you refer to in your card, I will find out

[Page 16]
I have had only one letter from mother in the last four three months did mother send you one of my photos she said that she received them.

This is a large place three storeys high it used to belong to the Sultan of Egypt but lately I believe it was an hotel & now it is a hospital & a good one too

Well dear Aunty I must close now as there is no news.

With love from
Your affec nephew
Norman Sherwin

Tell Aunty Evie I will write to her in a few days

[Page 17]
Sinai Desert
31/12/16

My dear Aunty
I received your letter also parcel (which was very welcome) last week, thanks very much for them. I was badly in need of socks when your parcel arrived, I had only one pair & they were nearly worn out, so you see they were just the thing.

I was very sorry to hear that Charley was wounded, I did not hear anything about it till two days afterwards, when I was told he was killed, it was not till about a month later that I found out he was to return to Australia. Hope his arm gets alright soon.

We have had no fighting since the 9th Aug. but will probably have something to do before long

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Christmas was very quiet here, we each received a billy containing delicacies, chief of which were the old plum puddings which we all enjoyed thoroughly. We had a heavy shower Christmas night & another on Boxing night which made things rather uncomfortable as we have no tents.

Last night was not too pleasant it was cloudy with a very cold wind blowing & as I was on outpost I felt the cold more than I have fore some time.

I have had great accounts of Artie’s wedding from home. some time ago Mother said she sent me a paper with the account in but I have not received it yet. I have written to Artie congratulating him.

Well Aunty as I can think of nothing more at present, I will close.

[Text along margin]
Love to all
I remain
Your affectionate nephew
Norman Sherwin

[Page 19]
[Reverse of previous page]
31.12.1816
Sinai desert

[Page 20]
Palestine
31st May 1917

My dear Aunty
I received your letter of March 18th & was very pleased to hear from you.

I had a letter from Frank a week or two ago & he was quite well at time of writing, he also said that the weather had begun to improve & that where he is now there is not so much mud.

We are experiencing very decent weather here, not nearly so hot as "the Sinai Sands". At present we are camped near the beach, we were sent here for a rest, we have only been here a day or two & have no idea how long we are likely to stay

June 4
I believe there is some prospect of us getting two or three days leave. It is about seven months since we had our last leave to Port Said & Alexandria, so they ought to be able to spare us a few days each.

Things have been quiet here lately there is practically "nothing doing"

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at present.

We go in the surf every day & swim our horses also, I think the horses enjoy it just as much as we do

I have only had one letter from Artie since he returned but I suppose there is an excuse for him now that he is married

I am pleased to hear that Charleie has been discharged, the first wound he got was severe enough & ought to have been sufficient without looking for more, am sorry his arm is so bad I hope it will improve as time goes on.

Well Aunty I cannot think of anything else that I may write about. Hoping you are all well

I remain
Your affectionate nephew
Norman Sherwin

[Page 22]
[Active Service envelope]

Miss E. J. Sherwin
"Llanfoyst"
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney
N.S. Wales
Australia

[Signature]
N D Sherwin

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