Part 01: Alan Fraser Fry letters, 8th August 1914- 28 January 1917 - Page 107
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[Page 107]
Transport. "Argyllshire",
Nearing Aden
25th October 1915 (Monday)
Dear Father,
It is now 5.30 p.m. on the above-mentioned date, and a most remarkable thing has happened. Here we are, going along, on our way to Gallipoli, and have just passed a Hospital Ship, evidently bound for Australia with wounded soldiers on board. Isn't it a wonderful that we should meet her, away out here in the middle of the Ocean, considering we have not seen a steamer of any description since the one we passed about Gabo Island on the New South Wales border. As far as we could tell, it was the "Kanowna", and as you can imagine some very queer feelings and sensations came over us as we looked at those boys on their was home, (and she passed so close you could recognise faces) who had done their little bit towards helping the Empire on to Victory, while we are on out way to do the same. We gave them such cheers as you have never heard before, and they answered us, though to be sure, they never made such a noise as we did. Poor chaps, I suppose many of them were not capable of making much noise. They were all dressed in pyjamas and looked nice and cool.
Dene was supposed to have been out of Sydney again about the end of November, and I was wondering if he was on board, though there were so many I did not have a chance of picking him out, besides both ships going in the opposite directions, they did not take long to pass out of range. Any how he would have no idea that I was on board here, and even if he knew, there was less chance of picking me out amongst 1700 than there was of my seeing him.