Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 516
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[Page 516]
-pe that the rumour is not true. Every available man is being rushed to Galipoli, whether they are trained or not. It is said to know that men who, if trained would be capable of carrying out successfully any work, may on account of their ignorance be sacrificed upon the field of battle. It is said to be absolutely necessary that the Galipoli peninsula must be taken before the next few weeks pass by, because the weather becomes so bad during the Autumn in those parts that troups cannot be maintained there. It is probable that the Turks with their German officers know, as much about the atmospheric conditions of that part of the world as well as do our own people. Think you not so? They are quite clever enough to turn any such conditions to their advantage. The German military officer is likely to be the best trained man at his business in the world. Hence it has never been wise on the part of our people to underrate. I fear that it has been done to a very large extent during the last twelve months. The casualty list will be sad reading for you if it again contains the names of some of your friends. Let us hope that none does;
When Jerome came along the other morning, the announced that he had been during the night back in Sydney, going up the harbour he noted the various landmarks as clearly as if he were really there. I asked what brand of material he had consumed for supper, that I might take a dose, I should risk much to imagine myself back once more in Sydney Harbour. Some day perhaps.
The weather with us has been somewhat disagreeable for some days, wind, drifting sands, flies small back ones, & heat, the last being severe during the hours from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. During those hours or most of them the white man should sleep in this climate. If it is possible I lie on an inclined chair after 2 p.m. for two or three hours, it is seldom that the minutes are uninterrupted, but the using of them in that way enables me to keep awake during the night, wherein my letters can be typed and other work attended to.
By tomorrow's mail I am sending some pictures to Mrs Fraser that she may show them to her lady friends who were so good as to help in the making of the pyjama suits for my patients, a special parcel is enclosed for the sisters of the Dominican Convent who gave to her so much help, and who sent a quantity of catholic litterature for the Roman boys. All reading matter that comes is seized upon and read and passed on from one to the other. There are six hundred of them in the hospital tonight.