The Whiting Letter
 

THE WHITING LETTER
Thursday 17th April 1919
Villers Breteonneux
France
Dear Hilda,
Just a few lines trusting to find you all at Truro OK, as same applies to we
three at present.
You will note by the above that we have left Belgium we came back to
France. The reason for evacuating Belgium was because 10 of us volunteered
for the graves detachment battn which is composed of 1100 men, a few
from each of the battn. Stan, Merv and myself volunteered to assist in the
raising of the bodies of our dead comrades and place them in the ground we
have surveyed for this purpose.
The one we are filling now is called Adelaide cemetery. We are raising the
bodies of Tommies, Yanks, Canadians, N Zealanders and Australians. We
started on Monday last and can assure you it is a very unpleasant undertaking.
Nearly all the men we have raised up to date have been killed 12 months
and they are far from being decayed properly, so you can guess the
constitution one needs.
I have felt sick dozens of times, but you carry on knowing that we are
identifying Australians boys who have never been identified. They nearly all
have some means of identification on them, and we make careful research
for some, as it is cruel for their people's minds not to set at rest to know that
their sons have been located.
Many mothers picture their sons blown to pieces and record, so now
we hope to be able to identify 90% of the missing. Hilda it is heart breaking
to see the way the poor fellows are buried, perhaps I should not tell you, then
again it is no harm, but we find dozens of them in one big lump with all their
coats, equipment, gas helmet and all on, and a heap of earth placed over them.
Today I dug two buried together one was a Tommie, and one an Aussie.
The Aussie's head was blown clean off and sticking in his steel helmet and
stuck in the middle of the Tommies back. We have found many cases of a
similar kind. We will be a hard-hearted crowd when we get back, after the
sights we see and the many thousands that we will have raised by that time.
All bodies are placed separately in large bags and buried that way. For my
part I would be pleased to see them remain where they were first placed to
rest, it seems cruel to see them taken up in pieces and places away.
We have hard-hearted fellows on the work and they annoy me the way
they talk over the remains of the Heroes. How thankful I am that Henry and
Walter are placed decently away in a cemetery and will not have to be raised
again. I will have been out to see their graves, which are at La MotteSarleurie.
I have had two marble slabs engraved to place on their crosses and when
I can get sufficient tools I am going to nail both of their graves in, we
shall never again see them and I want to have France knowing that I have
done all within my power for both of them. I havephotos taken of them, but
none yet printed.
I think you think this a gruesome letter Hilda, but the job we are now on
which I believe will last from 6 to 8 months is equal to it. We do not mind,
but I could love to get back home for Xmas, as dear old mates is expecting
us home for winter. We could have been home by August, had we not volunteered
for this, but my reasons are already explained, so God strengthens
those who are awaiting our return. We will feel that we have completed our
duty when this important job is finished.
Well Hilda how is tennis going around Adelong? I suppose O.K. We begin
tennis here tomorrow (Good Friday). We havea tennis Club, Rubgy League,
Socker, Australian Rules and Sricket, so you see we are well in for sport, but
one needs it here to relieve his mind from the work. There are 1100 of us, so
we have to have some pleasure, especially when we are in such a quiet
place, Villers Bretonneux is blown to pieces. Amiens is the nearest town that
is standing, and it is 15 kilometres from camp, but we go by car when we get
our leave.
I have seen a great part of the world since I left Australia. I only want to
see Paris now and I will be satisfied. I have seen the important towns of
Brussels, a few of France's, Ireland, England, Scotland, Italy and a few of
Egypt.
Now Hilda I fear you will get weary of my gabble, so wishing you all at
Truro the best of health and prosperity for 1919.
From
Your sincere friend
Harry

Very powerful letter. Thank you for posting it.
It gives you a very good idea of some of the activities the grave registration personel had to do post war.

Robert,

Thank you for that letter. My mothers uncle Roy Poole Gibbons was also on the re-internment brigade after WWI and he would not talk about it at all. That letter helps me to understand a little more.

On a lighter not, we recently discovered that it was not all bad. There is another branch of the family in Belgium we did not know about as a result of his extended time over there.

Regards Rick.