Letters from Albert Charles Cox to his mother, 1915-1916 - Part 8

2.

10/3/16

My energies at the Machine Gun school were not expended for

nothing as I have a section now.  The horse has not arrived

yet, but expect to have one shortly, & it is a much better

means of getting over the country than on foot.  I don't think

there will be a further change of address, but will let you

know should there be.  Had a couple of postcards from you

last night date 25 Jan. & a letter from Tol, Con & Jean.

Tol is sure some kid with at composition; to wit - "Never Again"

I have visions of seeing him in some sort of low vaudeville

before long.

Had a long yarn to Geoff. McL. to-night & he

had a big batch of letters in, which is the main feature

here.

11/3/16

A pretty strong wind was blowing for some time this morning

but rain has set in now & pretty well laid the dust.

A rumour has been going round that letters home were

to be stopped, but I don't think there is much truth in

it.  In any case I shall send you one weekly, but am

afraid I missed one mail this morning.  Enclosing a

few photos which I got back last night.  There is one

negative which does not appear much good; of a watchman

& his water tap.  All the natives get their water from

 

these places as it is not laid on throughout their "mansions"

They are stationed all over the villages & the women draw it,

mostly carrying in kerosene tins, on top of their heads, but

it takes a bit of manoeuvring to get a photo of them , for they

do not like to have any notice taken of them.  I managed to

get a snap of a couple (which is at present being developed) in the

village nearby a few days ago though.  I hope you are putting

by all the photos, for they will assist greatly in relating a few

tales later on if I come through.

Jean mentioned in her card that she was pleased to receive

such a lot of letters from me, but give her my love & tell her

you get any news which I think fit for her young & innocent mind (?)

She won't like that too much I guess.  Hope there have not been

too many more Joes in her web.

Shall ring off here dear, & you will be pleased to

hear that your loving son is in the very best of health.

Love to all

Bert

 

Egypt

20/3/16

 

Dearest,

Returned from spending the week-end in Cairo last night &

found two letters from you dated 30 Jan & 5 Feb, & it was better

than the holiday to read them.  Managed to get away for a couple

of days on Friday night in order to make a few purchases &

have a hot bath, of which I had a couple of pretty good ones.

Put up at the Continental & had the pleasure of sleeping on a

feather bed again.  Cairo is still the same, & one does not feel

sorry to be away from it after having spent three months there.

I saw Hal while there & had a short yarn to him.  He

looks a great deal older since I last met him & has

evidently had a great deal of worry, but he has not

quite got rid of the dysentry which takes some time to

shake off.  Have not been able to find Corky with the

cake yet, but I don't think he has arrived here to date.

With regard to the Sunday times, I have only received one

so far & I think it is waste of money & time sending any

more.  I don't know where they get to.

Am very pleased, if not surprised, to hear that old Bonne

 

2

is still such a gadder.  She certainly takes some beating, & I

am looking forward to a letter as it will contain a couple of

yours I bet.  Have not run across Russell Browne yet, but

unless you know the  unit a chap is in, you may as well

look for a needle in a haystack.  Am glad to hear old George

has joined the forces, & hope it will not be too much for him,

although it may do him a lot of good.  About time "Young George"

did the trick xxx.  Met Mergha Mack in town on Saturday & he

was only saying it was about time Ted & Irving turned to & a

funny thing you mentioned their names in your letter.  What 6!

C.B.Q.  I was beginning to wonder why he had not sent me a 

postcard at least, before this.  Shall send one myself this mail &

blow him up a bit.  Am glad to hear Ruth is O.K. again.

Fancy Uncle Burke having a cottage at Bondi for the summer.  I

should like to see him again, but am afraid I should pass

him in the street without knowing him.

Many thanks for the box you are sending by Mr Titmus, &

I believe the boat was to arrive at Suez this morning, so

if I can't get up to Cairo to find him, I shall get a chap

who is on leave to enquire.  Am glad to hear he is coming over.

Tol seems to be getting very high notions now that he is

drawing £1 a week, but a place certainly does get stale after

12 years or so, & there should be a better chance now of finding

a place elsewhere with a reasonable rent.

Had a letter from Con as well this mail on the business

3.

paper.  She seems a very busy person nowadays & must

be doing a lot of good work.  Val also sent me a note

& it was in answer to one I wrote him complaining about

not receiving any from him, but it was a mistake &

he no doubt has my apology ere this.  He is a hard case

& of course told me all the cricket news, as well as mentioning

that "that Yank you met in Hobart had taken Win. out for

a drive".

Having a M.G. section is far better than tramping the

desert, as well as being far & away more interesting.  We

should have our horses sometime this week, but I hope I get

the chance of choosing my own.  Another advantage is that I

have a new & excellent batman whose only fault is that

he wants to do too much, but what he does cannot be

bettered.  When you come into the tent all sorts of sundrious

articles dazzle you, with their brilliancy, especially the boots.

He has been an old seaman, so you can understand his

desire likely for shining anything that he lays his hands on.

Have just come in off parade & found another Times on

my bed dated xx Jan 23rd, but I don't think you need

send any more after you get this letter dear, as the mails

will be pretty mixed for a while.

8p.m.     Just received your cable saying that you had not

received a cable to send ten pounds, but thirty & also

that a box had been send by Titmus.  It apparently 

went to "Serafeum" for it has taken ten days to reach me

 

4.

I don't know where you got the address, for I am not there

yet.  In future, address any cables simply "Lient. Albert Cox,

Cook's, Cairo"  when they will be forwarded & also save a few

words, as I have made arrangements with them.

Geoff came across to say good-bye to me to-night for

he is off somewhere. I wish the boot was on the other foot.

Am enclosing a few more photos of the village round

here.  There is nothing very attractive about them, but they

may be of interest.  It is very hard to get any of these

films here now, but I managed to obtain about a dozen

before I came down here which should last a bit longer.

Could not get one roll in Cairo on Saturday.

Don't think there is any more news just now.  Am

looking forward to receiving the box & will send my

batmen up for it if no-one else is going.

Best love to all from

Bert

 

 

Egypt

23/3/16

Dearest,

Same old address & not much more news since the last

letter.  A chap went into town to-day & I gave him my card

in case he found where Mr. Titmus was staying.  Will let 

you know to-morrow what the result is.

The Prince of Wales inspected us all yesterday, & it was

a great sight to see how these chaps can do their work when they

are put to it.  It was quite an informal affair & the men did not

know who was going to see them until a few minutes beforehand.

He did not stay long, & really only just glanced through, but

we can say we were inspected, & I dare say a few tall yarns

will go home about having shaken hands etc.

I believe the mob at Liverpool have been breaking loose again

much to everyone's disgust here.  It is disgraceful to think that

they must behave as they do at home, when the fellows here

who have been away so long, are not giving the least bit of

trouble.  I shouldn't like to suggest my opinions as to what to

do with them, but a couple of months in the desert away from

any town would probably not do any harm.  A few miles the

other side of the canal would be a good spot.

2.

I heard a bit of chat to-night with regard to the Dobell's.  It was

said that they were both in the German army.  Supposed to be

true, but it is very hard to imagine such a thing, although

at the commencement of the war they both went presumably to the

United States in order to evade fighting owing to their religion.

If such is the case I hope they get in the line of fire of one of

my M. Guns someday.

We went through our final dose of inoculation yesterday

& most of us have been feeling pretty off to-day, although it is

hardly as bad as the vaccination.  Never want that again.

The chap I told you about who write such enormous

letters to his wife is still keeping it up.  Nineteen pages

to-day in answer to twenty two from her.  I don't know

what they write about, for it is all I can do to write a few

as you know, & then I am sure not very interesting at that.

By jove the 30th Battalion have a magnificent band, but

they have been working together for some time & include a

number of the Manly Band players.  To my ear it would be pretty

hard to distinguish Sousa's from them.  They play tunes

which vary from the same old "Cows & Chickens" & "Dardanelles"

which most of the others stick to; to bring back memories of

Liverpool.

I called for volunteers the other day to go into training for

this job, & nearly every one of the chaps left whom I brought over wanted

to come, but of course there were only a few vacancies xxxxxxxx

 

3.

xxxxx & it made me feel as if I wanted to be back in the

Company with them.  There are really some of the finest fellows

imaginable amongst them, but I am going to work a few in here

by degrees.  One chap in particular, who was a real wag in Cairo

came along, but told me he had not touched the shaker since

he left.  He is one of the roughest coves one could wish to meet, but

a real humorist, & I am sure he will turn out one of the best

men in the section before long.  Bill & I understand each other & he

knows what he has to look forward to should he play up.

I don't know whether you care to hear about [dry?] shop xxxxx

xxxx. but some of it is certainly humorous, & one can knock out

a bit of sport pretty often.  This fellow in question took three days

leave when he arrived in Egypt, & when he appeared at Orderly Room

in due course for his oats, was not put out in the least, & when I

asked him if he had a good time said; My oath!.  The only part

that hurt him was the loss of three days pay, thereby preventing

any further good times for a couple of weeks. Came along to borrow

in a few days though.  Shall get to bed now & add a bit more

to-morrow.

24/3/16

Mr. Titmus could not be found anywhere in Cairo, so I shall

have to chance to luck whether I get the box or not.  Of

course the boat may not have arrived yet, or else he has gone

on.  He may drop me a line later on though. No more

news just now.  Love to all from

Bert

Hope you OK.

 

Egypt

31/3/16

Dearest,

I am afraid a mail has gone out without a letter from

me, but such a lot has happened since my last that there

has not been any time to write.  Well!  we had a nice little route

march 40 miles lasting three days almost, at the beginning of the

week, & it was good enough for me.  The first day was not so

bad, but when it came to getting through the sand on the second

day, it was pretty stiff a together with the heat, a good many

had to drop out owing to the strain.  Nevertheless we arrived

here & enjoy a swim in the Suez Canal every day.  It is great

to smell the salt water again, & I little thought such a thing

would happen twelve months ago.  We have had a few pretty

warm days during the last week, but to-day was not too bad.

Yesterday afternoon a desert windstorm took place & you can imagine

what they are like after experiencing those in Dubbo.  It provided

a good deal of amusement considering I was in the middle of

getting some tents pitches.  My new address is :- 14th Machine

Gun Coy, 14th Inf. Brigade, a.i.f., Egypt, until further

notice & you can address further letters accordingly & advise