My dear boy ...
Mary placed the newspaper on her writing bureau. Her hand shook slightly as she took one piece of lined writing paper. She filled her pen from the ink well and in cursive script she wrote: The Offices Moonta Mines Yorke Peninsula 17 Sept 1917 Mr Chas A. Edmunds, Hon. Secretary Dear Sir, Last Thursday fortnight my daughter-in-law received word from the Defence Dept Melbourne stating that her husband (my only child) was wounded 2nd occasion, anything further would be communicated at once. We have waited & waited & as I am weak after a long illness with heart trouble the anxiety is making me ill again. We sent to Melbourne & had word that nothing more has been heard relating to No 216 Sergeant R.O. Harris, 113 th Howitzer Battery, Australian Field Artillery, Australian Imperial Forces, Abroad, but would let the wife know as soon as any message was received. It has upset me very much to notice in tonight’s paper that 2 or 3 dear fellows have been killed, who...
