Samuel Jabez Richards diary and letters to his wife, 1 January-13 July 1915 - Page 47

 [Page 47]

except one that was discovered for me from Egypt, amongst the letters for the 3rd Battalion Infantry, and it was a month old. Jock Orr (Sergeant) got a letter lately with the Rejkiavik [Reykjavik] post mark on & crossed "Missent to Iceland"; and a post card properly addressed to me from Egypt had the Bombay post mark on as well! I have no news, and am just writing to let you know I am alright. It is Sunday morning; and so far the Turks are leaving us a quiet day. The Rev[erend] (Col[onel]) McPhee (Pres[byterian]) is going to hold service tonight in the 3rd Field Amb[ulance] lines tonight at 8; but it is a hard dark track. I don't think I shall go. McPhee held a communion service on the Ionian the last Sunday we were on board. I went. It was very solemn and impressive. The men were asked to suggest hymns at the sing song afterwards, & would have kept it up all night. They sang most heartily. There must have been 300 communicants that night. It seemed strange to hear so many hearty voices singing "A few more years shall roll" and "Nearer my God to thee" without a quaver. Before a week was over about ⅓ of them were dead. I heard they died bravely, bearing their fearful injuries with scarcely a murmur. It beats anything I had conceived. If our young Australian men are not the pick of the world for fortitude, bravery