Volume 2: Letters written on active service, M-W, 1914-1919 - Page 11

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[Page 11]

[Private, later Lieutenant, Ronald Alexander Leslie MacDonald, No 462, a station overseer from Mudgee, NSW, Joined the Army on 25 August 1914 at age 25, and embarked from Sydney on HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on 20 October 1914 with the 1st Light Horse Regiment. He served at Gallipoli and in Egypt. He was killed in action on the Sinai Peninsula on 9 August 1916 and was buried in Kantara War Cemetery, Egypt.
Includes descriptions of the last troops to leave Anzac, and of the Battle of Romani.]
[On His Majesty's Service]
3 Soldier's letters (presented by Mrs E. Macdonald, "Erudgere", Mudgee)
By R. A. L. Macdonald

Evacuation of Gallipoli & Romani battle.

[On letterhead of the Allan Line.]
[RMS] Ionian
Dec 26th 1915

My Dear Mother

We reached Alexandria safely this morning after a good trip from Lemnos. I understand we don't berth till 5 PM so our party won't get off till tomorrow.
It is some time since I last wrote, there being no mails from Gallipoli during the last two weeks of our stay there.
The plum puddings & Xmas comforts came over were landed & sent straight back. So far the men have seen nothing of them, but they will come in for the New Year as by that time we should be settled.
I wonder what you are all thinking of the evacuation of Anzac & Suvla. When I first heard the rumour of what was likely to take place I could not believe it., & agreed with the others that half the men might be taken off during the winter. For the last week we were all at high pitch, especially as each

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