Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Second Lieutenant Ferdinand George Medcalf, 11th Battalion Australian Infantry, wrote to his parents on 12th October 1915 aboard the ship taking him back to Gallipoli.
The former surveyor had landed on the peninsula on 25th April 1915 as a private soldier before being invalided to Egypt with dysentery in August.
“The scene this time is the deck of a steamer bound for Gallipoli once more. We're having a fine trip. It's lovely to get away from hot old dirty Egypt, All the time the breeze keeps freshening, and, the boat is a nice one. It doesn't seem a bit like going back to war —everything looks so peaceful around; it's hard to realise that just a very little distance away men are defiling Nature's beauty and attempting to set at nought all her laws. And what's the use of trying to realise prematurely the state of things that we will be so soon embroiled in? Rather leave all thought of the unnatural condition of things quite alone, until we have perforce, in a couple at days, to take our part in that same upheaval; and enjoy as much as we possibly can the civilised comfort of a jaunt in a fine steamer across the Aegean. And the actual truth is — that we do enjoy this sea trip just as much as in times of peace we enjoyed a trip across to Sydney in the Karoola or lndarra. In fact, we enjoy it just a wee bit more, because we don't exactky know how long we shall have to do without such civilised comforts as we are now getting. We are very matter-of-fact company aboard this ship. We don't for a moment waste any particle of imagination on such machinations as submarines, nor on any fanciful ideas of figthing, We know what to expect. We are soldiers who have had some knowledge of the way men flght. We have been so closely at it for the past 12 months in one way or another that we have come to regard fightlng as part and parcel of the routine of life — almost as much so as surveying. And certainly, we look on whatever we may have to do in connection with our subsequent fighting (and we don't waste a moment in imagining at all about what sort of thing that may be) just in exactly the same light as an ordinary person regards his work in time of peace — as a surveyor does a trip to the back blocks. And, accordingly, we are quite happy. I was fifty times more uncomfortable twelve months ago, when I used to read about the doings of the men in the fighting line; and it is a thousand times worse for you at home than it ever can be for us at the front. Whatever happens, we consider it as 'all in the day's work.' I feel ten times better now that I'm on the way back again, than I ever felt In Egypt while spelling. There the imagination started to play sometimes made me feel sick, but doing things gives the imagination short shrift, and the busy man never has time to worry. Threading our way through the Archipelago, and picking up the houses and farms on the islands with a pair of field glasses. We did just the self-same thing seven months ago, with the aid of Harvey Rae's telescope — or rather our joint telescope. Someone must have pinched this telescope out of Harvey's pack after we landed on April 25, for I have tried to find it, and although his pack has been located, never a sign of the telescope is there. And we each paid 25s. for a half-share.” [2]
Promoted Captain, Medcalf was wounded at Pozieres during the Battle of the Somme on 26th July 1916. His bravery on that occasion was recognised by the award of the Distinguished Service Order:
“For conspicuous gallantry when, in leading his company in an attack, he put the crew of a hostile machine gun out of action with a bomb and captured the gun. He showed unfailing courage and resource in holding captured ground. When wounded in three places and unable to walk, he ordered the stretcher bearers to take up a seriously wounded man and to leave him to crawl to the rear.” [3]
Medcalf returned to Australia on 14th January 1917.
[1[ Former accountant Pte, Harvey George Rae, 11th Battalion Australian Infantry, was wounded, shot in the left arm, on 25th April 1915. The arm was later amputated. After treatment in England, Rae returned to Australia on 26th September 1915.
[2] 'The Daily News' (Perth, Western Australia), 28th December 1915.
[3] 'London Gazette,' 22nd September 1916.
Image: “MEDCALF: ‘National Anzac Centre, courtesy of Margaret Medcalf.”
(https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/gallery/17708)