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Petersburg Times (SA: 1887 - 1919), Friday 28 September 1917, page 3
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Gunner R. H. Bottomley writes to his parents at Petersburg:—
France, July 6, 1917. Dear Parents—In writing this time I will be able to tell you a little bit more than usual, as this letter is not liable to be censored in the battery, but it may do so at the base post office. Well, we have had some rather exciting experiences since we left England. On our way up to the front we were in the unenviable position of being in a big train smash where we lost several men and many losses; needless to say now that Cee and I escaped with only a good shaking-up. This occurred at half past 1 in the morning, and it was frightfully cold, with snow on the ground, and the job of extricating the injured from amongst the wreckage was one I would not care to go through again. Of course, we soon had bonfires going to see what we were doing, and, of course, it happened in a desolate spot; but a doctor was soon upon the scene. I was acting as A.M.C. orderly.
Our next job was to set to and clear the wreckage off the line, and eventually we proceeded on our journey 24 hours late, and very cold and hungry we were when we arrived at our destination, as we had practically nothing, to eat for 24 hours,-the rations went tip in the big smash. Well, we were not left long in France in peace.
We were soon bunged into the firing line, and our first baptism of under fire was one I won't forget in a hurry. It seemed as though Fritz knew we had arrived, and was giving us a hearty welcome, but since then we have been in some very hot corners, as you may imagine when two of our men have won a D.C.M. and an M.C.—an officer and a sergeant; and the O.C. has also been decorated with the D.S.O. All these were for one day's fighting, and you don't get those medals for nothing.
All this happened months ago, but I have not had a chance to tell you before. I was over two months in the line before I had a day's spell, and I am still without a scratch although I was once half-buried by a shell, and had to be dug out, but that was nothing. We have been out of action now for five weeks, and still there is no word of us moving off again. When we do it will be to another part of the line altogether.
It has been read out in orders to A.I.F. troops in France that peace may be expected in the near future, but whether it will be in two months or six months or even longer it is impossible to say, although we hold out great hopes of it ending this year, which I sincerely hope it does, as the prospects of another winter are not too bright. I saw Fred Frith and Fred Pennington while I was in the line, and Fred Frith and I met when I was taking a wounded man down to the dressing station. He is in the A.M.C.
Did you ever receive a cutting from a paper I sent you giving an account of the fighting we were in? If not, I suppose the censor destroyed it. I am still hearing regularly from Scotland; they lost a son over here a few weeks back. I believe Alf. Harrison is returning to Australia; he has had a long spell away and twice wounded. I saw by a "Chronicle" that the mice were very bad over there, and were playing up with the wheat stacks; also that the locusts were bad. Well, it's to be hoped they get them under. Well, Mum, hoping you and Dad are both well, as it leaves Cee and I at present
—From your affectionate son, Harold.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT. (1917, September 28). Petersburg Times (SA: 1887 - 1919), p. 3.
Retrieved May 18, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109504636