A young New Zealand soldier serving overseas writes to his family
The boat trip over, the soldiers are in camp in the desert suffering from the heat and
the flies.
Letter 4
Tel-el-Kebir
May 4th 1916
Dear Mother Dad & Nancy,
The mail on the boat closed on the 29th April & I posted one written up to
that date. Nothing happened much after that till we arrived at (censored)
on May 1st 2pm. We anchored in stream till next morning. We could just
see the Canal from where we were & were much interested. We berthed at 9
am next morning. There were two trains one at 11 am and one at noon. We
had the latter. During the morning we were given 24 hours rations -
consisting (of) 8 dog biscuits a lump of cheese & a tin of bully beef
between 4 of us. The reason of giving it to us is because we are not
recognised in camp till we have been in 24 hours.
We found tents already waiting for us - pitched luckily. The ground in our
particular spot is very hard & after our palliasses in Trentham & on the
boat we all find it rather uncomfortable at present.
There wasn't anything doing yesterday after a short parade in the morning.
By the bye we weren't here long before we discovered all that was to be
learnt about the fly pest. Gad! they are awful. A chap said to me
yesterday "wait till they are thick????"
After that parade yesterday 6 of us went for a stroll down into a small
native quarter. Even that was enough to give us a jolly good idea of what
filthy dirty beggars they are. We watched them a good while in the shops
selling the dirty stuff & then went up a small Canal for a stroll & saw the
Dhows going up & down & also strings of camels. We also saw several
praying places with niggers praying in them & bowing up & down like
Jack-in-the-Boxes. It was all very interesting.
While in (censored) we got a good idea of the natives who hang round the
wharves. You saw them of course. Aren't they dirty brutes? They eat
anything they can get out of the water, no matter how dirty it is.
At present we are the only NZ Reinfts in Egypt as the 10ths have gone on to
(censored-censored) I believe We go on there soon I believe. I hope so at
any rate as the flies get on one's nerve & the climate is too hot &
sandy.
We got innoculated today for something or other & a few of the boy are a
bit sore now.
The (censored) haven't arrived here yet. I suppose the lucky blighters
went to (censored). I believe they are coming up tonight.
We were inspected today by Lieut-Colonel Chaytor [who] was very pleased by
the steadiness of the men while he was inspecting. The flies were as thick
as the deuce too!! He is Jack's eldest brother I should think. He stopped
in front of me & asked me what company my badges belonged to. I told him.
I wonder what his idea was?
Well all of you, I'll say goodbye & we are a happy party.
With best love & health to you all.
Au revoir
Alister
There is a battle field close to here where a number of Englishmen were
murdered or massacred in 1882. There is a graveyard where there is a
number of their graves - on the tomb stones dated 13 th Sept 1882.
A.H.R.
|
Alister Robison
|
Cable
Received in Nelson 8 May 16
To (Bank of New South) Wales
Nelson
Arrived safely well
Robison
Letter 5
Tel-el-Kebir
16 th May 1916
Dear Mother Father & Nancy,
Ye Gods! the heat is awful. The wind is like a burning fiery furnace's
blast if not worse. The temperature has been 112ƒ to 120ƒ. Luckily the
nights are cool at present, which saves us.
There is a great rumour that we are moving to Alexandria. I sincerely hope
so as we can get a swim every day because as you know it is on the sea.
Thank goodness we are off fatigues & are doing a bit of signalling for a
week or so.
We got our web equipment yesterday & had to properly pack & load it. The
beastly thing weighs about 50 lbs without ammunition. We were told we had
to go for a route march with the pack up, but thank goodness they had pity
on us (for yesterday was hotter than today) and we did no parade at all!
At 5.30 everyman Jack & the Cook had to form up. That included every
Artilleryman, Mounted, Engineers & Infantry. All the NZ Men here. I
forgot to say that about 4 pm yesterday a strong wind got up & we had a
sand storm till about 7 pm We were kept till 6.45 pm before we knew what
was up. We then found that about 2 nights ago some chaps got in the native
village & burnt down some shows & looted & knocked about some women. So
the Gypos came & inspected all of us by walking through the lines. I don't
think they caught anyone.
After packing up all our gear in the afternoon & then kept waiting in this
cursed sand storm for 1 1/2 hours we really thought we were being moved to
a cooler place & that some general was going to speak to us on that subject.
Seymour is camped at present just a few tents away. I went & saw him
Sunday & he was going very maggoty because he had been shoved on the
Permanent Staff. Its not quite permanent I believe but very near it. They
don't give a man any option and are told that they have to & that's the end
of it. He went into Cairo last week end & saw Hamish who is at Pont de
Koubek Hospital. A returned chap in our tent tells me that they have or
ought to have dismantled the place [hospital] by now & I suppose he will go
on to France.
This is a rotten out of the way hole & there is no news. The tucker is
good (better than in NZ) though.
All is OK at this end & trust the same is at your end
With best love
Alister
Letter 6
Tel-el-Kebir (Egypt)
23rd May 1916
Dear Mother Father & Nancy
We are greatly "bucked" this week as there is every likelihood of us going
to England. This is Monday & we are not due to go till Friday & some big
bug may come & upset things. By the preparations we are going somewhere
at any rate. If we do go I shall get Aunt Maud to wire to you. Also if we
do go the wire will reach you long before this will. I hope it's true.
But this is a great place for rumours & until we are actually 'en route'
one can't believe anything.
We've just struck a 'find' - a cake of nut milk chocolate . A pleasant
surprise I can tell you.
I struck guard on Friday last. It's a beggar of a job. We had 2 hours on
& 4 off except during the heat of the day when we had only one hour on.
If we stay here much longer I wonder what time we will get up in the
morning - it is 4 am now & work from 5 to 8 am & from 5 to 6 pm. It makes
a deuce of a day of it but it is a great spell between the drills.
The heat the last 4 days has been N.T.S. & one has hardly had a 'sweat'.
Of course when it is only warm the ---- flies are in their element & are
the curse of our life. During the really hot days even the flies can't fly
& we can get some peace. But taking things all round we'd sooner have the
---- flies.
Its very monotonous in this hole & there is absolutely nothing to write about.
Every Saturday we get some gift tobacco usually 1 packet cigs & 1/2 tin of
pipe tobacco & 2 of matches. Also we get gift jam pretty often.
Well family I am quite well at this end & "Keep the Home Fires Burning" at
your end.
With best love to you all
Alister
PS If we do go to England there will be a break in the arrival of letters
as they will have to travel further so don't get unduly alarmed.
Remember to people I'd like to be remembered to for bar writing to you I
haven't written to anyone yet. Nobody likes writing letters here in this
tent any rate. Its been too hot.
I don't mind writing home understand.
AHR
Notes: N.T.S. Could mean 'Not Too Serious' possibly.
An earlier letter talks of temperatures above 110ƒ F and dust storms.
Aunt Maud is Mrs Pember Reeves.
Click to read Letters from World War 1 - Part 2
Click to read Letters from World War 1 - Part 4
More in this series next week
