28th August 1915 (incl. 29th August)

It is very pitiful to hear some of the tales

of the chaps here. They’d make you cry,

fellows limping on a stick come

in with toothache malinger here

for weeks & weeks & make out their

lame, perhaps never been to the

front nor intend to go. I watched

O’Hara Wood playing tennis on

these courts today. He has been

wounded. A big crowd going

away from here booked for

Australia, today. Today I start

work in this place as a ward clerk

to give myself something to do,

If i continue this lazy life

doing nothing & worrying about

everything & not receiving

any mail from Home I

feel that in a very short time I’’ll

be insane, so I volunteer for this

job. Little or nothing to save keep the

ward book & check the roll every

night with ward Sgt. Caught

a bonza cold. Wind becoming a

gale all day long. Nose won’t

stop bleeding. Things are not to good.

Reference: Australian War Memorial