Letters from Albert Charles Cox to his mother, 1915-1916 - Part 10

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it is a pretty fair effort for this part of the world.
Hope Tol. is getting along well. Give my love to all with
plenty for yourself.

Your loving son

Bert.

Egypt
22/4/16

Dearest,

Received a couple of "Sunday Times" from you this week,
& am expecting a letter any day, but will try & run off
a few lines to you now. The Times has been arriving pretty
regularly lately &  I think I shall withdraw my previous
request & ask you to continue sending it along. Am
enclosing a couple of photos of native "soft drinks" sellers parading
the streets. Don't know what the flavours are for I never felt
dry enough to try them. Note the glasses hanging round their
waists, & you will notice in the right hand of the younger
a couple of metal saucers which they clang together all the
time, in place of our icecream man's bugle.
 I gave an order for an Anzac Book to be sent to you,
but don't expect it for a couple of months after you receive this,
for they are being done up & sent from England. I don't know
what it is like, but I believe there are a good many
interesting views. The number of my order was 37026 in
case it is necessary to know it.
Had a great trip round the lake yesterday in a
 

2.
motor launch, arranging details for the sports which are to
be held on Anzac day (25 Apr.) We went on board the
various boats & you bet we had a pretty good time. By jove
the naval men are great chaps, & with their aid the sports
should be a great success. A concert is to take place in
the evening, but the great trouble is to obtain a piano.
Nevertheless the artists are numerous. The sports of course are
taking the shape of ^an aquatic ^carnival, & don't get excited if people tell
you of the great times put up, for they will be swimming
with the current. Of course that is a secret.
A few of the larrikins who took part in the first of the
Liverpool mix-ups are down here, & they tried to do a bit of the
striking business a couple of days ago, but they got the shock
of their lives. There are too many of the old hands amongst
them to swallow that, & they treat them as they should be
treated. It seems a terrible farce to us that those birds who
march through the towns should get such receptions. Plenty of
time to extend that to them when they return
Sent you a cable yesterday of a couple of words - Well, love
Thought you may like to know as much, & I hope you are
all O.K.
The cake is going splendidly, in fact it has almost
gone. Everything else has gone of course & each mouthful
received due recognition I can tell you.
 

3.   
23/4/16
Having it pretty warm to-day, but it is Sunday & four
letters have just been brought in, including one from you of
11^th March. You will be pleased to hear I went to Communion
this morning. You make I smile dear when you ask me
to bring home a beaten silver tray. For goodness sake don't
try & make me believe that we are going to be here until the
show is over, for I know exactly what time the sun rises &
sets in Egypt, & from what direction the Khamseen winds come,
also what the desert looks like & I can assure you that is good
enough for anyone. We want to see something new now.
Glad to receive your explanation re the cable for £10, but
it did not worry me as I know that some of the cables do go
astray, although the Eastern told me that it was delivered.
I think I have already asked you to take any expenses in
connection with cables etc out of my account. Please give me
an idea of what money is to my credit when you answer this,
as I may want some more some day. As a matter of fact you
may receive a cable for some before this arrives.
Have not received any more socks from Aunt Dill yet
but I should not be at all surprised to hear they are at the
Red Cross stores in Cairo. Don't know when I shall be able to
get up there as leave is scarce. As you say; very nice
remarks xxxxxx are being cast about concerning ^Mrs Tower. I think
I can back up Jean in her statement. Has she managed to get
off either of the girls yet? Yes! I did hear that Stanley
 

4.
Le Gay Holthouse was engaged, & needless to say got as
much a surprise as Eric. I think it was he who told 

me.

You mention that it must be great to be in Egypt
with all the swank, but you would very soon get sick
of it. As a matter of fact I fail to see where it is, but if
you swallow all the yarns that are put in the papers,
made up by some romantic ^xxxxxx individual it is quite
possible to imagine it. I am enclosing a clipping from the
British-Australasian which I came across only this
morning, which reads awfully well, but there "ain't" much
romance out in the desert. Perhaps I have not enough ^in me to
see it in Cairo though. Nevertheless we knock out a bit
of sport somehow or other.
Going for another trip round the lake to-morrow
to make final preparations for Tuesday & will write you
another letter after the sports are over.
Best of love from
Your loving son

Bert
1DRL220
 

26/4/16
Dearest,
What with the heat & flies to-day everyone is feeling pretty
livery, not excepting yours truly, & arguments are quite
common. It is quite the hottest day we have had & everything
is burning hot, so much so that one cannot lie down even
though we are in our tents without anything on except a
pair of pyjama trousers.
The sports went through yesterday without a hitch &
provided plenty of amusement. Quite a large crowd turned
up, & the day could not have been better. One of the
funniest items of the afternoon was provided by a couple of
the judges who fell into the water when trying to get onto
a barrel raft which was to be the finishing point.
Evidently they were not much of seamen for both tried
to get on it at the same time, & of course it did what
it was intended to, for it was only constructed for the
obstacle race. After that, needless so say, the Judges were
satisfied to remain in their row boat. The concert at
night turned out pretty well considering the chap who
promised to have the lamps put up, came along at the
 

last minute & told us that he was unable to get
them. Nevertheless we hunted some up & got through
the programme alright. By jove there are some pretty
good artists in the Army, & it is never hard to put on
a really good programme.
A breeze is just commencing, but whether, it is going
to cool things down or treat us to a duststorm, I dont
know. No need to tell you which we prefer, even
though it may only prevent a few scraps. I think I had
better stop here & wait until things present themselves in
a more pleasant light, for I am sure you would not
delight in listening to any more growling.
 

29/4/16
The duststorm did not eventuate, but air cooled somewhat
on Wednesday & things have been pretty right since. I had
another letter from you to -day dated 25 Mar, which came
through rather quickly, due no doubt to it being addressed
to the new Batt., but but you already have the new address.
Received a pair of mittens yesterday from someone, but
no letter has arrived. Wait a minute! I think I remember in
the last letter from you, you said either Tim or Eric had
made me a pair, in which case please thank one or the
other for me. They may come in very handy shortly.
Should not mind being in K.Q's shoes drawing the nice
little sum of £7000, but as I am not I hope Eric has half
 

the luck, or perhaps  I should say brains. Hope he gets
across there, for it I am sure he will do more good
in such a position than in the Army. I had been
unable to make out why Brian did not get his Commn
but the slip of paper you enclosed explains the
position. A funny thing there should be a memo
about the M.G. Companies on the same piece.
"As regards" C.J.T. & the ^contents of the box, they have both gone
but not to the same place I hope. You ask if Hugh
Buckler has lost a leg. I don't think so, for he & his wife
often go to Tel-el-Kebir to give entertainments, & I never
heard anything of it. Had another letter from Gran. to-day
strange to say, but I was very pleased to get it. She 
said she met Mr. & Mrs. Jim Bell just after leaving "Colonna"
one day, who were evidently going to see you. Funny
how people turn up, after such a long time without hearing
of them.
 I have the job of censor this week, which takes
up quite a lot of one's time, & I am afraid these
few lines will have to end here, with best love from
Your loving son
Bert.

Egypt
4/5/16

Dear Mother,
Have not had anything to write about since my last

letter was posted, & there seems very little more just at

present, but I must make an attempt.
Had a couple more letters from you this morning dated
16^th & 20^th March, almost a week later than one of 27^thMarch.

They must have struck a slow boat. Note you are pleased I

am still in the land of sand, sorrow, sin & sweat, but I

can tell you one soon gets full up of it, & I have no ambitions
to guard the Canal for any great length of time, as it is a

most deadly job.
Had a note from Mr Titmus a couple of days ago

from Cairo, saying he may be down this way shortly &
would look me up. Don't think there will be much chance
of getting up to see him, as leave is not too plentiful & cash
is a bit short, but I don't intend cabling just yet awhile. May
want it more ^particularly shortly. The General who came back from
America on the boat with you, is in charge of us & I have

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seen him a few times, but of course that is all.
Today It is the regular, half holiday this afternoon & being
rather warm & dry, the boys ard having a great time
round the canteen which is only a few yards from
our lines. Some are becoming tuned up already, but
of course the supply of liquor is regulated & they don't
get absolutely incapable. Arguments are very much in
evidence, with the inevitable occasional small scrap,
but their pals soon separate them.
Sorry to hear you get the blues now & again dear,
but tho' I know it as the one at home who really has
the hardships to endure, buck up & have a good time
for worrying won't lessen them. Keep well & strong &
we can enjoy ourselves on my return.
Have not received any letter from Aunt Nina yet,
but I shan't forget to do what you ask. Neither have
the cigarettes arrived. Would rather have a few tins of
Lucy Hinton, as good tobacco is hard so get in this
part of the globe, but of course ^there are plenty of Egyptian cigarettes
which I prefer to the Virginians. You really can buy really
good Egyptian cigarettes, but strange to say very few here
seem to care for them now. I was going to send you a
tin, but they told me their export was prohibited now, without
paying duty of course.
Do you remember the bottle of 4711 you gave
me before I left over six months ago? Well I still