Thanks, E P Malone

Thanks, E P Malone

My sweetheart...

So starts this letter written by Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone to his wife, Ida Katherine Withers, before he died in battle at Gallipoli.

Malone was in command of the Wellington Battalion when the ANZAC Corps landed on the beaches of the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915, and led them when they took Chunuk Bair on 8 August - "the one success of the August offensive". Sadly, at the end of that day he was killed.

The letter is from a letterbook kept by Malone, and is part of one of the most important collections of World War I material held by the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Donated by Malone’s grandson E P Malone in 1988, it has been used extensively by historians examining the experiences of New Zealanders during the war.

See this letter on Manuscripts and Pictorial

Transcript

8.10 pm 5/8/15

My Sweetheart,

In less than 2 Hours, we move off to a valley, where we will be up all night and tomorrow, in readiness for a big attack which will start tomorrow night. Everything promises well and victory should rest with us. God grant it so, and that our casualties will not be too heavy. I expect to go thro’ all right but, dear wife, if anything untoward happens to me, you must not grieve too much, there are our dear children to be brought up. You know how I love and have loved you, and we have had many years of great happiness together. If at any time in the past I seemed absorbed in “affairs” it was that I might make proper provision for you and the children. That was due from me. It is true that perhaps I overdid it somewhat. I believe now that I did, but did not see it at the time. I regret very much now, that it was so and that I lost more happiness than I need have done. You must forgive me. Forgive also anything unkindly or hard that I may have done, or said in the past.

I have made a will and it is at the office at Stratford. I think it was justly drawn, anyway I intended it so to be. I hope and think that the provision for you and the children will keep you and them in ease and comfort. I know that you will never forget me, or let the dear children do so.

I am prepared for death, and hope that God will have forgiven me all my sins.

My desire for life, so that I may see and be with you again, could not be greater, but I have only done what every man was bound to do in our country’s need. It has been a great consolation to me that you approved my action. The sacrifice was really yours. May you be consoled and rewarded by our dear Lord.

Your loving husband

W.G. MALONE

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