Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Letters from Walter Elkington, 1916-1919
MLMSS 5767/Item 5

[Page 1]
[Letter-card with photograph of troops marching in Melbourne]

Miss E. C. Shirwin
"Llangfoyst"
Burlington Rd
Homebush

[Page 2]
[Letter written on above card. Date March 1916]

Address -
Pte W H Elkington
No 4106
10th Reinforcements
20th Battalion
5th Infantry Brigade
A.I.E.F
Egypt

P.S. our flag is a green & white one like this [sketch of flag]
Dear Auntie
I am sailing on Saturday morning early from no 1 Wooloomooloo wharf per the "Orsova" & will be parading through the city to the Domain on Friday afternoon. We will be passing down College st & past St Mary’s cathedral so will look out for someone or other from Homebush. I am sorry I could not get out to see you again, I arranged for last monday night but had to do some dirty work. Last Tuesday night we went to the Criterion theatre & wednesday night I was moved to the showground to get ready for sailing. I am afraid I will have to bid you good bye again on paper as I dont think I will be able to get out to see you personally. Farewell with best wishes from your affect Nephew
Walter

[Page 3]
[Envelope marked YMCA, post-marked Folkstone 3 July 1917]
Miss E. C. Sherwin
Llangfoyst
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia

[Page 4]
[Torn piece of paper]
4106
Lieutenant W. Elkington
C Company
10th Reinforcements
20th Battalion A.I.E.F
[indecipherable]
[He was promoted Lieutenant in January 1918]

[Page 5]
No 1406
10th Reinforcements
20th Battalion
5th Infantry Brigade
A.I.E.F
Egypt

Dear Auntie
I was glad to see you & Uncle turn up to the parade even if it was only for a second or so. I hope you did not think I was curt or anything like that because I could not get out of the column to talk to anyone, as we were given strict orders about doing so before leaving. What did you think of the parade. It wasn’t much in my estimation although the papers said it was fairly good. Well Auntie I am now at sea for the first time in my life & at the present moment we are out of sight of land altogether, although we did not loose sight of it until 12 oclock to day. We passed Gabo Island at 8 oclock am. Things are not too bad on board as we have rather a variety of amusements such as gramaphones magazines cards boxing gloves skipping ropes so that time does not drag much (so far!) The food is good & plentiful. I do not mind the motion of the ship at all & in fact up to the present it is no worse than going to Manly. They say that we go into camp at

[Page 6]
Broadmeadows for three days while the Orsova takes a cargo of wheat & more soldiers on board. The Orsova is a beautiful ship & a speedy one too. It is supposed to steam 18 knots & hour so I am going to back this ship against the submarine if we see one. All the soldiers are in good knick & seem high spirited if they sight a school of porpoises or a ship they all rush to the sides & sing out & joke about them, in fact they did so when we were in the middle of Church parade this morning much to the disgust of officers & the Parson. You see the boys are not very religious & most of them never saw a porpoise before. Well Auntie I will close this now as the Bugle has sounded for tucker & that’s a very important event on this ship. Will write again from Fremantle. With love from your affect nephew
Walter

[Page 7]
[Field Service Post Card post-marked Army Post Office, date 1917, addressed to -]
Mrs E.C. Sherwing
"Llangfoyst
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney NSW
Australia

[Page 8]
[Reverse side of Field Service Post Card. Printed card to advise of medical condition etc. signed W H Elkington, dated, 9/1/1917]

[Page 9]
[Printed YMCA letter head]
[Date appears to read 13/7/1917, but this does not accord with his leave dates in his service records]
Sgt W H Everington 4106
C Coy 20th Battalion
A.I.E.F
Dear Auntie Evie,
Thank you for your last letter which I received recently & which I must confess I have been rather slow in answering. At present I am on my way back to France after having spent a very enjoyable ten days in Old England. I came straight across from Bapaume where we had been in reserve after our smash up at Bullecourt, & stayed the night at Boulogne where we went into a place called [Vidors?] Billets. Next morning we embarked on packet steamers & raced across to Folkstone under escort. Finally I found myself at Victoria Rystn [Railway Station] & were marched to Horseferry Road (our head quarters) & received my pay & dumped my equipment & rifle etc. I then decided to look up my uncle George & received a most dramatic welcome from them. I stayed there for about four days altogether & saw the sights with Uncle George & Auntie Clara & Emily which I must confess bored me to death as I felt more

[Page 10]
like theatres & restaurants than sleepy old buildings & relics etc. I did go out one night to see High Jinks at the Adelphi, with & Hylton & had a fairly good time. I also spent 1½ days in going 75 miles to see Vivian Elk & his wife Daisy, but they were too busy with a dorg that wanted to die of old age & they would not let it do so, so I came back to London & took a risk & looked up a Mr Hookham (contrary to orders from Putney of course) & for the last three days I had a glorious time of theatres, picture, shows, whiskey, wine beer & 10/- a time feeds at the Monico, which is really what I wanted after stewing & going green mouldy out among the shell holes.

I am writing this on my way back to France & dont feel to pleased as to my future prospects there either & in fact would much rather be here for another couple of weeks as I was just beginning to get used to used to things when I had to go back. I hope you will write to me occasionally & forgive me for not writing to you more often than I do since have a lot of work now & have at least 25 correspondents who I must also attend to. I will close now with best wishes to all at Llangfoyst
From your affect nephew
Walter
(Sgt W H Elkington now (trés bon,eh)

[Page 11]
Pry, Belgium
2/2/1919
Dear Aunt Evie
Today is the 2nd Feb 1919 & still I am here in Belgium kicking my heels & waiting for the day when I get my sailing orders for home. If things go on as they are I ought to be going within six weeks or two months. But my motto in this war has always been "Hope for the best & prepare for the worst" so I am prepared to let things take their course. I have just heard from

[Page 12]
Aunt Belle that Frank was wounded & was in England & they were very anxious that he should go & see them when well enough, which I certainly think he ought to do. I was very sorry indeed to hear about Norman & feel for his father & mother & for the same reason am glad it was not myself. Aunt Belle did not say whether Frank was badly hit, but I suppose you

[Page 13]
would know yourselves before I would hear. We had our first fall of snow yesterday, rather late in the winter as this winter has been comparatively mild & nothing like the 1916 winter, or perhaps we have not felt it so much owing to the fact that we have been in Billets. I have just been on leave again to England & managed to got to Edinborough, London & Paris. My next trip

[Page 14]
is going to Brussels & Antwerp if I can finance the trip which is doubtful as my book has just had a severe strain. I hope you do not mind my sending all my home correspondence to you. The reason is that I dont know whether my Mother is likely to leave Fairfield or not & dont want to lose some of the things I send home. Well Bon soir with love to all from your affect nephew
Walter

[Page 15]
[Envelope post-marked Forces Postage Free and dated,13 MR 16]
On active Service

Miss E. C. Sherwin
"Llangfoyst"
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney

[Page 16]
[Back of previous envelope, post-marked, Melbourne Victoria, 13 MR 16]

[Page 17]
[Envelope post-marked Field Post Office, date indecipherable, stamped Passed by Censor]
Miss E. Sherwin
"Llangfoyst"
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney
Australia

[Page 18]
[Envelope post-marked Field Postage Free, dated 8FE16, stamped Passed by Censor]
Miss E. Sherwin
"Llangfoyst"
Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney NSW
Australia

[Page 19]
[Envelope post-marked Portsmouth & Southsea, dated 21 Aug. 1931]
Miss F. M. Sherwin
52 Burlington Rd
Homebush
Sydney NSW
Australia

[Transcribed by Peter Mayo for the State Library of New South Wales]