Resting on Passchendaele soil
with no marks on his face.’’ He was buried the next day. Upon his return, Charles never spoke of it .
Gavin Scott’s father Stewart Scott also served in World War 2, returning in 1946.
‘‘I never heard Charles talk of the war. My dad only ever talked about the war at Anzac Day,’’ Scott said.
‘‘When I found the letter, I took it to dad and he was very emotional. He sobbed and sobbed.‘‘
For Charles and Gavin Scott’s father, war was hell on earth.
They saw things many civilians couldn’t fathom, Gavin Scott said. It changed them forever and it was easier to repress the experience.
‘‘One of dad’s mates stepped on a mine – blew his guts out – and died.’’
‘‘It affected his life greatly. He wouldn’t go to RSA gatherings.’’
Scott said it was important for him to return to the site that cost his family so much.
‘‘You carry on the names of those who were in pain and wanted to forget about it all. I’m proud of the history. I’m proud of the commitment and I’m proud of the Scott family.’’
The two brothers rest at the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, home to 5569 fallen soldiers. They lie on ground captured after fierce fighting in the latter part of July 1916.
Manuscript of letter by Private PJ Cameron:
Dear Miss Scott,
I received a letter from my sister last night enclosing your address and also telling me you would like particulars of poor old Harry’s death. I was within two yards of him when he fell. Either a machine gun or a sniper’s bullet must [have] got him through the heart as death was absolutely instantaneous. He just fell over on his face and never moved afterwards. I don’t suppose it was more than a quarter of an hour afterwards that I was wounded and on my way back. I went and had a look at him.
He was lying just as he fell. There was no marks on his face or head that I could see. I tried to turn him over to get his paybook etc but only having one hand (my wounded one having got very stiff by that time) and having lost a lot of blood, I couldn’t do it. I knew that he had brothers and sisters in NZ and that his next of kin was a brother in the Waikato but I had no idea of their addresses or I would have written sooner.
He came over from Egypt to England with the 12th shortly after us (the 13th) landed there when the two were mixed up together. He and three others and myself mated up there. When we got to France we still kept in the same platoon but in different sections. Harry and I being in the same section we were never more than a few feet from each other till the last. The last words he spoke was shortly before we went over the top – ‘‘We’ll keep together, Lou, as long as we can’’, which unfortunately was not very long. When we went up the Somme from Eoaples we left your other brother there. I had no idea what his regimental number was or what company he was to be attached to or I would have written to him. You have my deepest sympathy in your great loss but it is some consolation to know that his end was painless. There was another report went round that he was taken prisoner but that was not so. I know that he was buried as the chap that told me knew Harry well. I can’t think of anything more I can tell you excepting that I wish he had been fortunate enough to get through safely. Hoping your other brother is alright. I remain yours sincerely Pte PJ Cameron