Letters from the hospital ship 'Maheno', No 3.

Detail from a concert program seeking to raise funds for the conversion of the Maheno to a hospital ship.

A small series, of unknown length, highlighting letters from the hospital ship, 'Maheno'.

Part of my ANZAC Commemoration in the year 2020.

In my previous two letters from the Maheno posts, I have managed to find a record in Australian War Memorial database that tell a little of the letters author.  It is often just a scrap of information.  I have not been able to locate anything on that database for Private H. B. James.

His name is listed in the NSW War Memorial at Muswellbrook, though

Though interestingly he did correspond with home and some at least of his letters made their way to the newspaper. I can locate four letters from him in the Muswellbrook Chronicle, of which this letter is the first.

If you are interested the other letters and notes appearing in the Muswellbrook Chronicle are listed below.

15 May 1915 - Pte. James takes up a collection for the Belgian Fund.
19 May 1915 - Pte. James presented with an automatic pistol, ammunition and field glasses.
7 Aug 1915 - Listed as being at the front or on the way.
6 Oct 1915 - Listed as being ill and in hospital in Malta.
10 Nov 1915 - Letter from Pte. James (see below).
27 Nov 1915 - Letter about recovering in a hospital in Cardiff, Wales.
8 Dec 1915 - Letter about recovering in hospital at Preteign, some anecdotes of Gallipoli.
19 Jul 1916 - Report on the fighting in France.



The following letter from the Muswellbrook Chronicle (NSW : 1898 - 1955), Wednesday 10 November 1915, page 2

Private H. James, writing to his parents from Floriana Hospital, Malta, under date 14/9/15, says :— 

On our arrival on the Peninsular after disembarking during night, with spent bullets whizzing and plunking into the water all around and the sounds of the bombing and rifles cracking coming from the hills, where they were at it hot and strong, we marched to a small ravine, where we rested for a day. We then had to take up our position in the trenches, and while we were getting there the enemy observing us opened fire with his shrapnel. But the beggars can't shoot, and although some of it burst uncomfortably near we got to our position, which we were ordered to hold on to to the last man. Things are generally fairly quiet during daytime, but the Turks keep up a terrible fire at night, just to keep back any possibility of a night attack. They must waste an enormous amount of ammunition. We held our trench for a week and were relieved; but we had to go over a clear space of about 50 yards. A number of us got half way across when we were spotted and they opened rifle fire on us; we were ordered to lay flat, and we stayed there with our noses buried in the ground. I think it was the most uncomfortable five minutes I ever experienced. We could do nothing, and all the while the bullets were chipping the twigs and throwing the dust up all around. At last we were ordered to regain our cover. You should have seen Phil Garlick sprint. I am pleased to say that we all regained cover without hurt, which was nothing short of miraculous. We got out shortly afterwards alright. We were taken down near the water and camped in a donga for a rest — not by any means a safe place, us a good many of our fellows were potted by the Turkish snipers as they walked about. We were brought here ostensibly for a rest ; but during the day we were on fatigue duty carrying food, etc., up to the firing line, and at night we went out digging new saps up to the latest trenches taken. We generally finished digging at 12 o'clock, when we wended our way home through a maze of saps to our dug outs in the donga (a dry water course) to enjoy a few hours sleep. The flies there are some-thing terrible, and it's a race sometimes be-tween them and you as to who shall have the food. All day long shells screech over head from our batteries and the warships out at sea, and my word they do send it into the Turks, I have seen about 15 or 20 Turks flying in the air as the result of a single shell. The warship gunners don't make many mistakes. After about three weeks of this exciting life I was un-fortunately taken ill with dysentry and I was pretty bad. The regimental doctor ordered me into the field hospital, where I lay for three days. The hospital was just under a little hill, not a safe place, as I saw several chaps knocked with shrapnel on the flat in front and a couple of chaps knocked over by snipers. It is only fair to say of the Turks that they are fighting fair. They accidentally dropped a shrapnel shell near the hospital and they apologised and have not dropped any on it since. It is generally accepted that they are fighting fair, and that is more than can be said of the Germans. As my case did not improve I was sent on to the base. It took me all my time to crawl there. They served me and about 50 others with a cup of tea and we were all ordered aboard the New Zealand hospital ship Maheno. Whilst we were lying about, waiting to board the lighter to be towed out to the ship, one poor fellow lying on a stretcher received a stray bullet in the arm. Pretty hard luck was it not, We soon got aboard and the generous people soon made us comfortable within and without. They first brought round bread and butter and tea and it was beautiful. We had had nothing but biscuits for weeks past and as we were all pretty well starving we did whack in. It perhaps was not the correct diet for acute dysentry, but we could not resist it. We put to sea that night and after a couple of stops arrived here at Malta. Oh I cannot say too much of the Sisters on the Hospital Ship. They were nothing but kindness and consideration personified. After lying in the harbour a couple of days we were all admitted to the Floriana Hospital, where I am having a continuation of the same kind treatment and attention given me by the New Zealand Sisters. I am pleased to say that I am rapidly becoming convalescent and I would not be surprised, if when I am getting about, that I with the others will be sent to England to recuperate.