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[Page 12]
Ma'adi,
EGYPT
All Fool's Day, 1915.
My dear Mother, Father, Ame, Jean, Tien, Jim, Clarrie, Liz, Frank, Did, Phil, Leoda, all the nephewses and Nieces, Mabel, Francie, Viva, Ida C., Molly M., Nora N., Linda, Viv, Elsa, Bubbles, and the rest:
Greeting:
When an Englishman has nothing to do he says "Let's go and kill something". When I have nothing to do I say "Let me go and write to home and mother" Then I say "What about writing to all the good folk who write to me?" So I must solve my problem by inditing these composite letters.
First let me say that I have one important item of news. That is the first batch of our 2nd Light Horse Brigade has been ordered to the front. It is only a small contingent, but it is a start. They leave to-day for Alexandria and then embark for ? No one here knows definitely. But somehow we all think we are going to Constantinople. There are big things in the air in the Levant. Sir Ian Hamilton paid a lightning visit here last week, then departed. Every day sees more troops - French & British - landing at Alexandria. This fact was yesterday recorded in the local press so there is no harm in announcing it here. Any day now we may get word to move off. Three weeks ago we got a message to be ready to leave at 24 hours' notice. But nothing came of it. Now we are hoping that the time has at last arrived for Australia to put in her oar.
When the word came through to-day for the first batch to go there was wild cheering by that particular unit and much jealousy on the part of the others. But we are still playing patience. Its getting very warm here now and the sun has a penetrating power that it lacks in Australia. However we have not yet had it so warm as you had it in January and February. It is the heat and glare refracted from the white sand of the desert that makes it so trying here. So far however I've nothing to complain of.
By the bye: you will by this have noticed that I've had several photos or snaps taken. In case you think I'm wasting my substance in riotous snap-shotting let me hasten to state that the camp is over-run with camera fiends, amateur and professional. On the slightest provocation they take a shot at something. Some give us the photos. Others bring a dozen along and expect us to buy. And as the charge in each case is very moderate we part up.
On Sunday we got our first real taste of the desert. When I say taste I mean taste, for we swallowed bushels of it. It blew up from the South - clouds of dust heat - laden from the equator. Here and there it blew down the tents. The fine dust penetrated everywhere and covered everything. We could not see the Moquattam Hills, which overlook the camp, after a while. Then it obscured the tents and the horse lines. Soon the whole camp was enveloped in the cloud. After about 8 hours work and play the wind veered round to the North. Then the cool North wind from the green Delta came along, sent all the sand and dust and heat back towards the Equator, and gave us a sweet respite.
Will it please you to know that I have not failed to attend Church once since landing in Egypt? Stay: lest you attribute to me too much virtue, let me hasten to add that as Brigade Orderly officer, I am responsible for the arrangements for Divine Service and have to see all the troops into the huge Cinema tent where we hold Service. Stay: again lest you should attribute to me too little virtue let me again hasten to add that I have 4 times attended service/