Letter - 7 April 1916

Athol writes home to his step-father, Guy Sherwood. Guy was sending Athol sporting magazines regularly and Athol seemed to enjoy this news from home. The weather starts to warm up and parcels still get through to the remote outpost of Sollum with food and clothes - although the singles are too small.

Dear Pater,

Many thanks for your letter of 4.2.16.

We are still sitting here doing practically northing except a couple of patrols daily. Also one officer with a party is making a sketch map of the country round here. It is starting to warm up but I hear that this is the coolest spot in Egypt and so far we have had a nice sea breeze every day. 

Last Monday we had a visit from Henly MP of the Citizens War Chest Fund and he said he would come back as soon as possible with stuff for us all. I saw 1933 in Cairo one day, but he didn't recognise me. 

We have a couple of planes stationed here so perhaps the kid will get out this way. It's fine country for flying. Please let the Mater know I received those parcels of clothing etc. Tell her the singlets are just A1 but too small on the neck as I have to cut them to get may head through. Also I have plenty of thick shirts for the present and don't expect to need any more for some time.
Also the tins of food came which assisted the mess to a great extent. Thank her for me. 

Remember me to anyone I know. 

Love to Mater and aunts.

Yours very sincerely, 

Athol G. Adams

Letter - 18 July 1915 - 47 shells in our section of the trench yesterday afternoon

Athol writes to his step-father, Mr Guy Sherwood, in Melbourne. Athol and his brothers referred to their step-father as 'Pater'. The letter is in two parts one half written on 18 July and the second half the next day. Athol's unit is hit by a barrage of heavy fire on the 18th.

NOTE: Guy Sherwood was Adah's second husband. She married Guy in 1900 after being widowed, aged 28, in 1894 and left with four sons. Guy Sherwood was an architect and in 1912 submitted drawings for the Federal Capital Design Competition. This competition was won by Walter Burleigh Griffin and Marion Mahoney and present day Canberra was built following their design. Guy Sherwood's plan can be found at the Australian National Library, Canberra, reference map G8984.

This is Athol's letter and the transcript appears below.

Gallipoli
18.7.15 

Dear Pater, 

Many thanks for yours of April 10th and good wishes therein, which arrived yesterday with a lot of other old mail. I don't know if it was all there, but I've got all of  Mater's now so it's probably complete. 

We're still in the firing line, nearly 6 weeks now, and it's getting pretty monotonous particularly as it gets pretty hot during the day and also the flies are rotten. 

We had it a bit hot for about 3/4 of an hour yesterday afternoon, as we had 47 shells in our section of the trench, though only up to 18 pounders. One chap got knocked silly by a flying sandbag and the force of the explosion of one of the shells but that was the only casualty. Last night we had a few star shells over the Turkish position as we expected an attack, but nothing happened. 

19.7.15 

We were warned again last night that an attack was expected but again nothing doing. We all wish they would make an attack, because it would be like a shooting gallery, or rabbits up near the Harris Saddle and if we could give them a real good doing it would probably have a big effect in Constantinople. Of course if we attack frontally we will also get cut up a lot, though we would also get a lot of their trenches. 

We have landed more guns and have kept their artillery a little quieter the last day or so. Also our 'planes have been very active and have dropped a couple of big bombs. We can see them falling and getting bigger and bigger and then a great cloud of smoke and dust goes up. A Turkish plane dropped two in our country a day or two ago. Only one went off and did no damage. They have brought up a mortar of some kind and they sent us a few bombs from it about the size of a football and quite round. ......they are pretty poor stuff. 

Thanks for papers which arrive more or less regularly. 

Yours very sincerely,
Athol G Adams