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LETTERS AND DIARIES
One Soldier’s View of the War
George Cuthbert Lane (596) of the 18
th
Battalion.
Letters and diaries can provide valuable information about a soldier’s life
on the Western Front.
I have included extracts from letters sent home by George Lane primarily
due to the depth of information on the war that they contain. George sent
a constant flow of letters home and his sister typed religiously the
contents of each letter. This made them easier to read than most letters.
George Cuthbert Lane
Unlike most of our local enlistments George arrived at the end of the
Gallipoli campaign. His letters describe how he became immediately
aware of the precarious foothold the AIF had made with slow and
watchful movement up steep gullies to his battalion’s position at the top,
whilst avoiding snipers’ bullets on the way.
George Cuthburt Lane (596) was the maternal grandfather of Richard
Hayes a retired teacher from Kotara. Richard’s great aunt typed all of
George’s letters sent home.. His prolific number of letters provide us a
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