When I Get Back To Timaru

"With all kind thoughts and good wishes from Sling Camp”, by British artist C.T. Howard. 

Printed and published by J. Salmon, Sevenoaks, England, and E. Mack, King Henry’s Rd, Hampstead, London. 

The message on the back reads:

“Dear Mrs Gracie, Just a line to let you know I am great. Bayonet fighting, gas, barbing wire, machine guns and bomb throwing is the thing to make one fit. Also fifteen miles route march. They have the clock on two hours here for this daylight saving, damned rot. Got to get up at four in the morning and going all the time. Got a letter from Miss Gault the sweet kid to write and you to give her my address. Also she told me you was not well so sorry to hear it but hope you are ripping by the time you get this. So in a NZ paper the women are doing men’s work. Poor devils, as if they haven’t enough to do. Going to Grantham about the end of the war till they want us in France. Take too long to tell you all about the places I’ve seen but will tell you all when I get back to Timaru…Kind regards to the Boss & Kiddies and look after yourself. Yours sincerely, Doug Vernall.”

Private Douglas Vernall, of Orari, and serving in the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps, received gunshot wounds in the abdomen and chest and was hospitalised in France.

Don't Worry! I'm Quite Comfortable at Sling Camp

"Don't Worry! I'm Quite Comfortable at Sling Camp". Postcard by artist Reg Carter and published by E. Mack, King Henry's Rd., Hampstead, London.

Comfortable at Sling Camp..."I Don't Think"! This military camp situated in the cold bleak landscape of the Salisbury Plains in Wiltshire often received unfavourable comments from many New Zealand soldiers who trained there. Not only was there a dislike of the camp's isolated location exposed to wind and weather, but also they dreaded the hard and unforgiving camp discipline, parades, lectures, and long route marches. Despite this, the training at Sling Camp in bomb fusing and throwing, gas mask drills, Lewis machine gun instruction and trench digging helped to strengthen the New Zealand fighting force before final departure to the battle fronts in France and Belgium.

Private James Walker of 3rd Battalion Canterbury Infantry Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force left New Zealand with the 14th Reinforcements on the troopship Athenic on 30 December 1916. When the ship arrived at Plymouth in England, the New Zealand troops were transported on to Sling Camp for training and drill. This postcard was written by Private James Walker to his father in New Zealand when James was stationed at Sling Camp.  

"England.

March 10th 1917

Dear Father, 

                   I met Jim Hollow last night  in our canteen. He is going back to the trenches in about 2 weeks. His brother Bill is in the trenches now. Jim is in the next camp to ours. His hut is only about 300 yards from ours. I will write first chance there is. Nothing but snow, mud and rain here. It is decent drilling in the mud.

Jim"

James lost his older brother William just four months before writing this postcard. William was killed in action at the Somme. 

When the 14th Reinforcements training at Sling finally came to an end they received their posting orders for the battlefields of Belgium and France. The New Zealanders were in the thick of the fighting at the Wytschaete-Messines Ridge in Belgium in June 1917. Despite the casualty list, the heat and the thirst, the New Zealanders were victorious in driving out the Germans from the town of Messines. Four months later, the casualty lists grew to horrific numbers and the heat was replaced by rain and mud. This was Passchendaele and for Private James Walker, this is where the war came to an end. He was killed in action on 4 October 1917 at just 23 years of age. James' cousin Jim Walker Hollow whom he mentions on the postcard above, died on 12 October just 8 days after James was killed. This date is well documented and remembered as New Zealand's blackest day owing to the large number of New Zealand casualties.

Bill Hollow, also mentioned, survived the war. 

Real photographic postcard of Sling Camp published by 'T.I.C.' (Thomas Illingworth & Co.).

A Touch of Silk

Brightly coloured embroidered silk postcards that captured the patriotism and sentiments of the First World War were popular purchases by soldiers on foreign soil. These postcards were mainly produced in France and many embroidered by women in a cottage industry that provided an important income for themselves and their families during hard economic times.
It is estimated that New Zealand soldiers earned approximately 5 shillings a day. The affordable picture postcard could be purchased for a penny. However, the embroidered silk postcard was priced much higher at about sixpence each which made this an expensive purchase on a soldier's income.

This wonderfully coloured silk postcard seen above, was a popular design bought by New Zealand soldiers. This one was written by 'Will' to his cousin 'Lily' while stationed at Codford (Command Depot and No.3 New Zealand General Hospital) in Wiltshire;

“28/2/17
Codford
Wilts
England

Dear Lily,
Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting along well.  I suppose you will all be surprised to know that I am going back to France to fight old Fritz again. I have got sick and tired of being in this camp so I went and told the doctor that I was ready for France again so I will be leaving this camp for Sling camp. That’s where they draft us for France. So if you don’t get any letters from me for a long time you will know I am in the trenches. So goodbye.
I remain your affectionate cousin, Will.”

Assuming that Will completed his training at Sling camp, he faced the major battles of Messines and Passchendaele later that year where many New Zealand soldiers lost their lives.

It is not known whether Will survived the war and if Lily ever heard from her cousin again.

Tragedy at Bere Ferrers

"Keep The Home Fires Burning!" postcard by an unknown artist.

"Keep The Home Fires Burning", a phrase often found on postcards during the First World War, rich with sentiment and patriotism from loved ones at home, keeping spirits high and preserving a warm home until husbands and sons return from war.

This phrase also features in a song composed by Ivor Novello and words by Lena Ford in 1914. The song was initially published as 'Till the Boys Come Home' but in the following year a further edition was released as 'Keep the Home Fires Burning'. The chorus says it all;

"Keep the Home Fires Burning,  

While your hearts are yearning.  

Though your lads are far away  

They dream of home.  

There's a silver lining  

Through the dark clouds shining,  

Turn the dark cloud inside out  

Till the boys come home."

The addressee on the back of this postcard is an interesting one;

"No. 56920 Private N.J. Gatley 

New Zealand E.X. Force 

Codford"

It was written by Private Gatley's cousin Vi and postmarked on 15 April 1918;

"Dear Nat,

Thanks awfully for your nice long letter. It is very sad concerning Mrs Stanaway. I will write a long letter. Trusting you are quite well mind.

Love from cousin Vi."

Private Nathaniel Johnston Gatley, born 21 April 1883 in Otautau, a horse trainer from Riverton enlisted in the Otago Infantry in 1917 and embarked with the 28th Reinforcements for England on 26 July 1917. The troopship he was travelling on arrived at Plymouth England in September and the next stage of the journey for the New Zealanders was a train bound for Salisbury Plain where they would have further military training at Sling Camp before moving to France. On this train journey, a tragic accident occurred at the small railway station at Bere Ferrers in Devon. The troop train had come to a temporary stop to allow the passing of an express train travelling in the opposite direction. A number of New Zealand soldiers believed it to be a refreshments stop and were unaware of the scheduled express train. They climbed down from their carriage on the wrong side and on to the railway tracks and were cut down by the oncoming express train. Ten men were killed and two injured;

Private John Stanley Jackson (killed)
Private Chudleigh Inwood Kirton (killed)
Private Baron Archibald Wilson McBryde (killed)
Private Richard Vincent McKenna (killed)
Private William Simon Gillanders (killed)
Private John Warden (killed)
Private William Frederick Greaves (killed)
Private Joseph Judge (killed)
Private William John Trussell (killed)
Private Sidney Ennis West (killed)
Private Nathaniel Johnston Gatley (injured)
Rifleman Robert James Barnes (injured)

Private Gatley's injury was a broken arm and he was sent to the Tavistock hospital and then on to Codford and Hornchurch. After recovering from this accident he was back at Codford after contracting a bout of bronchitis and it is during this time that he received the above postcard from his cousin.

In the Bere Ferrers Parish Church there is a memorial to those New Zealanders who died on 24 September 1917 in this tragic accident. A brass tablet affixed to the chancel wall behind the pulpit bears the names of those killed and states that "...This tablet is erected in their honor and memory by the people of Bere Ferrers parish and other admirers in appreciation of their loyalty and self sacrifice in coming from their far-off homes to fight for England in the great war for the freedom of the world." Another memorial also appears on the plinth of the Bere Ferrers village war memorial.