Letters from Albert Charles Cox to his mother, 1915-1916 - Part 7

4
the shop; which was not as funny as it seemed to strike
the other members of the section who cleared out & left two of
us to cart it home. He who laughs last, laughs best though.
Received your letter of 9th Jan. last night, which went
to Tel-el- Kebir first & accounts for the delay. Surprised
in a way to hear of C.J.S retirement, but it may mean
something better in this direction. Waiting for further particulars      
from you.
By jove I often think of the Trilly's, & the difference between
the taste of the two seas; here & there. Don't think they bother
boiling the water to make tea here; don't know any
better, although I have tried to show them myself. Am keeping
a lockont for Corky with the cake.
Wednesday 23/2/16
There seems to be quite a lot doing the last few days, so you are
getting a long letter this time. Most important of all the ₤30
came to hand, but the only reason I can attach to the £10 I
cabled for ab one month ago next Saturday not having arrived.
is that you did not get the cable
Had another trip round the Muski this afternoon & sent
you a few things. There should be three parcels for you this
mail made up as follows: -(1.) Table cover 18/- & handkerchief 2/-
(2.) Tussore silk for a blouse 20/-, one price of Maltese lace about one
yard & a half 11/-, another piece three yards long 18/-. (3) Two bottles
of scent each containing 10 grammes of "Cotto de Rose" & "Jesamine" = 20/-
Hope you receive them all in good condition. I have put in the
prices as I should like to hear your opinion as to their value,
for I don't know whether they have taken me down or not.
 

Met Leycester in town & had afternoon tea with him. He is
looking quite fit again & seems to be growing a good deal.
He is moving out to-morrow.
We had two exams. this morning & got the afternoon
off, which was badly needed after the stiff papers set. Am
afraid the "special "pass I was after will not come off now.
Had an average of 98% in the first four exams, but these
are going to bring it down some.

Expect to be joining my new Battalion early next week.
& will not get too much leave there, as well as being 40 miles
from Cairo. I shall be sending you a cable telling you to
alter my address very shortly I think, but am going to
make certain of it first. There are all sorts of rumours
going round with regard to our movements, but you probably
know as much, it not more than we do.
Am glad to hear Harley is looking after you, & you
might tell him that I am looking forward to a game of tennis
again at "Yanks". It seems quite strange having no sport.
Am afraid my fund of news has run out now dear
but will rake up a his more for next mail. Hope you are O.K.
& the old trouble is not bothering you. Love to all friends, Tim
Eric & yourself from
Bert

Am enclosing one negative but no print of a watchman at the zoo
They must have forgotten to do one of it as the negative [sec?] O. K.
 

Cairo
26/2/16

Dearest
Posted a letter to you yesterday containing about 30 photos &
forgot to register it, but I dare say it will arrive in due course.
I sent you a cable last night acknowledging receipt of the
£30 & asking you to alter my address to 53rd Battalion. Expect to
be joining it in Monday or Tuesday next.
Had to spend some more cash yesterday on a few
articles. Got a loud table cover, few beads to wear to the theatre etc?
glove box, doylies, Egyptian tapestry, 3 hankerchiefs for Tol, Persian
rug & the finger bowls. All made up into one parcel & are going
through the parcels post so Tol will probably have to go to the
Railway. Another parcel containing a couple of Persian made
curtains I am posting today. You should get quite a number
of parcels by this mail - five in all. I don't think it is possible
to get any decent bed spreads for they have all gone, with the
exception of the very expensive ones, I could not spot anything

for Eric, & they really only cater for females.
Finished the school yesterday + ended up with a 95%
 

pass which gives me a "Special",  so may get a section some day.
Am enclosing a card of the chap I bought the scent from, so that
you can send for more if you like it, also any friends.
No more news yet. Love fom
Bert
 

Tel- el. Kebir
1/3/16

Dearest
Have fallen on my feet again, (not that I was ever
really off them), but have joined up with the new Battalion
with the men I came over with, & amongst a great lot of officers
with Col. Noris (late Major) in charge, so what more could
one wish for, except to get away before the heat sets in.
I don't mind telling you this kid is alright so far as fortune
is concerned. Am being sent into town to day to do a bit
of business, but have to fill in the time till a train leaves.
We are right out in the fresh air with plenty of space, 40 miles
from Cairo, so as healthy as one could wish for.
Graham & I had a pretty fair three days holiday
after the School, & came down here yesterday. Had the great
experience of riding in the brake van, but it is wonderful
how near to standing upright one becomes after travelling a
few miles in it
Leap year day has passed & you will be pleased to
hear that no proposals were offered, but it is hard to say
 

what would have happened had I been in Cairo for the day
Our parade grounds are on the battlefield of '82 & I believe
there are plenty of curios to be found round about, but shall
give you more particulars when I have seen them
Saw Cland Tozer in the hospital a few days ago, but he
looks pretty well & expects to be out very shortly now.
Received a paper from you yesterday & am waiting for a
letter by this mail. It must be over a week since the last
mail arrived, & seems longer for it is certainly the greatest of
the pleasures here so receive your letters. Hope mine are
reaching you, & that the photos I sent last mail have arrived
I meant so register them but forgot a shoved the letter into the
box. You should have got five parcels by last mail,  three
by post & two by parcels post for which Tol will have to go to
the G.P.O. for. Am enclosing a receipt for one parcel, as well as
a few regatives of which I have already sent the prints & three stamps
for Tol.
Well! The letters in future will be pretty dull I am afraid
for you will not want to hear much about drill, nevertheless
I shall keep up the weekly note.
Leve to all from
Your loving son
Bent
 

Egypt
2/3/16
Mn.
SHEPHEARD S HOTEL
CAIRO

Dearest
Posted a letter to you yesterday, but will
write a few lines now in preparation for next mail
I have written you every week & thought I had
done pretty well but one of our officers told me just
now that he had written nearly five blocks to
his wife since arriving & he has not been here as long
as I have, so must change my opinion.
Had a very busy but pleasant afternoon in
Cairo yesterday travelling all over the place in a car
for about three hours. Went into Shepheard's about 5
o'clock for some afternoon tea & ran across a girl whom I had
met at several dances in Sydney, so had a long yarn
with her. Chumned up with an awfully nice girl in
the train or the way home, but discovered she was
married. Had dinner with her at any rate & it went
off very well. They have great dining cars on the trains
here & give you are excellent meal, but charge 7/- for
it.  Had a bit of trouble with some bags of lime
 

2.

I had put on the train with, me. Left them in charge of
a chap on the train, but while at dinner a porter came
along a told him they were to be put off a bit earlier on the
trip & consequently they had vanished when I came to
look for them. Had a great argument with the Station
master, who was not a great English scholar, but eventually
managed to make him understand that he had to wire
back for them which he did & wanted to charge me a
dashed side more for the telegrams this morning than the
bags were worth. Needless to say he did not get the
money,  but I did not get the bags until I wrote a
note saying I refused, to pay it. Don't know whether
anything more will come of it. It is not advisable
to get into an argument with an Eastern, for it is his
sole weapon of defence, & it is very hard to convince him
he is wrong.
By jove it is a pretty trip down here for the
fields are looking beautiful just now; as green as
possible & there are no fences of any description to
divide them. xxxx The canal runs alongside the
line almost all the way & you pass dozens of barges
with masts ranging up to nearly 150 feet high. I  took
a photo of a pretty decent one this afternoon, but am
afraid it was a bid too cloudy. It has been a peculiar
day; dull a opressive a feels much like rain again.
I believe the hot winds commence this month, which
 

3.
we are not looking forward to at all.

3/3/16

I think the best way of writing you is in
the form of a diary now. Only wish I had
kept a complete one since arriving, for it would
contain a fair amount of writing.
Today has been a bit of a cooker, but
fortunately a mild cool breeze was blowing
which somewhat tempered the heat. The hours
for parades are not so severe though.
Went across to see Geoff this afternoon but
just missed him. Will try again to-morrow as he
is only a few hundred yards away.
 

4/3/16
Met Geoff to day a he looks very well. Glad to see
him wearing the Military Cross ribbon.
We have had a fair sample of the "Kamseen" winds
to day which continue for about 50 days, but
there is not so much dust yet, & they have not
become as hot as when they veer round to the
South. Fortunately the surface about here is
well covered with pebbles which will leasen
 

the dust to a certain extent. Can't be worse than
Liverpool in any case.

5/3/16

Church parade this morning & feeling very much
inclined to go into Cairo this afternoon which of course
is out of the question. We get very little leave, & I
don't know whether it is that or the attraction
which Cairo has, although dirty, which makes one
want to get out of camp.  Windy again to day
& becoming warmer, & we will be getting a share
of what you have had very shortly I dare say.
some time ago you said you may
possibly have your photo, taken at Xmas, but
have heard nothing further. Wish you would
send me one. I have not a single photo of
anyone in Australia, & a females face in the
tent would make it look much better.
A chap and told me that after a couple of days
there would not be a mail for a month so I
shall close this right here a get it away, but
will not forget to keep you posted. Hope you
are O.K. Love to all from
your loving son. Bert
 

Egypt.
6/3/6

Dearest
Nothing fresh to relate, but the wind died down to day &
we had a fairly warm day. Have not had a letter from you
for nearly a fortnight, but I suppose a lot will come along
in a heap in a few days. Strange to say our Medical Officer
is a brother of Jick Cosgrove's, & a real good sort as well as being
pretty good at his work. He knows Harley & of course some
of his pals. Another coincidence;  Billy Noble & Whitfeld who
are officers here, know Eric as well, & used to work with him
at Port Kembla.

7/3/6
Had a letter from you to day dated 20 Jan. which has taken
a bit longer to reach me than those of the past, no doubt
due to the change of address. Molly must have changed her
ideas greatly since she became better, & it certainly is looking
rather serious. Had a letter from Hal a few days ago saying
he had a letter from you dated September but said nothing
about the parcel. He is now in the Army Pay Corps & wondered
why I had not written him, but I had fogothen his address
Will look him up when I get some leave, but am afraid
 

.2

that will not be for a while. Many thanks dear for your
enquiries whether I want anything, but I don't think there is
for we are not badly off for the present at any rate, as we
have not done any scapping yet. I heard about the
stowaway on board Cadles boat, but nothing of a love
affair. Used to see him now & again in Cairo, but we
don't have those pleasures now. One advantage is we get
a chance to save the cash, there being nothing to spend it
on.
Glad to hear Tol, is about so get another rise. I suppose
he is beginning to feel very important now, & can buy
chocolates without ever thinking of "boiled lollies".
You seem to hear as little of Brian as I do, for only one
letter & that simply to tell me of his engagement has
reached me so far. He has not many more from me, for
there are other ways of filling in time than writing so
those who can't find time so answer them.
Tell old Val so keep sending a few lines along for his letters
are the most interesting that I get, except yours of course
which are the first to be opened amongst a batch. You
need not let anyone else know this of course, as all are
extremely welcome.
Had a bit of a route march to-day with full pack &
feeling a bit tired to -night;  but no complaints. It has
really been a surprise to me how interesting this life is
for I was rather doubfut at first of my opinions. Of course
I don't mean to infer dear that four walls are not better, &
I shan't be sorry, to get home again to see you, but this is
certainly the experience of a lifetime, & I have not let slip
any opportunities.