Photostat copy of letters from Percy Wellesley Chapman to his mother, 5 April 1915 to 1 February 1917 - Part 2

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[[?]]  paper.  Sometimes the fellows get 

[[?]] to yell out headings.  We have a

chap in our tent called Roxburgh.  Ruby will

know him, he is a B.A. and I suppose very clever

but does not appear so, in fact he seems rather

eccentric, well he had a buster the other day

off a horse called Paddy, and the paper boys

were yelling out "Paper, Roxy fell off Paddy Paper"

Well Mammon, I really believe there is no

more news.  The keen inspirations which seize

up upon entering into new scenes are being

worn away and Egypt the desert and niggers

all becoming commonplace. The days and

nights are getting cooler but {[S?]  always

reign supreme here, occasionally a cloud

appears in the sky, but [[Murcury?]] apparently has

orders to posture the sungods cares in more

congenial climes, as their presence here is very

fleeting and their fruitful milk is never showered

upon the desert sands.  Give my love to all and

tell Father to enter my money in the savings bank

so that he can draw it without any trouble

[[should?]] anything happen to me.  Ever love

from your loving son,  Bob

 

 

Egypt

21st May 1916

My dear Mammon,

I have just received

a letter from you in which you say

you have only received one letter from

me since Xmas.  Well I have written

a great deal more than that; but they

would not be very descriptive letters.

You see Mammon I have a Commission

now and am responsible for what

I mention. In all probability I could

say a good deal more than I do

most of the officers do I expect.  But I

am not going to.  From any of the 

mens letters I have to scratch out

where we are, what were all doing or

the movement of any troops.  When I

was in the ranks I was not responsible 

and could say just what I liked if

the censor did not bother to read it

and let it go through well and good.

but now whenever I sit down to write

I feel like trying to crawl through barb
[* [[9?]] I am sorry about your little [[?]], is Charlie still [[with?]] the Bakers or has he
returned home? [[?]]*]

 

wire entanglements, each way I turn I seem to be

striking against something which holds me

back.  The only thing I can turn to is my

diary and even in that I don't say very much.

Censorship is a nuisance, it puts a damper on all

my letters.  And don't imagine I ever tell

anyone else anymore than I tell you because

I don't.   Nina is the only other person I write

to and I never tell her where I am or what I 

am doing.  I don't know if she understands

why I can't say more than I do. Egypt is

a pretty hot place in the Summer heat

[[?]] occur sometimes, the other day I came

into my tent to find only the wick of the 

candle left, but the heat has not affected

me so far.  I believe in about a week we leave

& catch up with Jock but am not sure.

Well the desert is a monotonous place to live

in, there is not a town within miles of us,

nothing by sand and flies.  This is a miserable

letter Mammon I would write more if I could

& I don't know how this will be posted.

My love to all your loving son,

Bob

 

H.M.T. Caladonia

Mediterranean somewhere

between Crete & Malta

24th June, 1916

My dear Mammon,

I am sitting in the

music room of the H.M.T. Caledonia, one

of the officers is strumming on the piano

romping perhaps I should say the way

Father does when he starts on [[?]] [[?]]

rise.  The throb of the engine is faintly thudding

in my ears as there is a calm sea.  I

am partially tranquil only partially though.

Well Mammon my letters have been very short

and scant of news shall I say of late but

now as regards Egypt I am free to say what I

like. few thing of it, I expand my chest

only to feel the [[?]] of my life [[?]] sticking

in my ribs, I inhale the glorious [[?]] [[?]]

in my free [[?]] [[?]] the [?]] while I wanted 

[[?]] little destroyer that continually

[[?]] access our [[?]] as if to [[?]]

[[?]] is superior or speed, but in [[?]]

[[???]]

 

2.

I felt free, well I'm nearly in but for this

lifebelt that must always be worn and the

fact that all lights must be out at night

and for that business like [[?]] little

destroyer I would be free.  but let me talk

of Egypt, and that  am fond of that

place but that you may no longer say,

"why has Bob forgotten us"   Why does he always

write, it has no [[?]] so with him out of sight

out of mind"  When I came back from the

peninsular you remember I was transferred

out the xxxx Australia [[?]] after about there

[[?]] the xxxx was split up  into two battalions

half remaining as the xxxx the remainder

forming the 55th.  The Gods willed it that

I should be one of the [[?]] so I [[?]]

[[?]] hard. For [[?]] three months we

[[?]] at Tel-el-Kebir and I needed that

training, I know nothing but infantry [[?]]

nor they to manage a platoon but [[?]]

after many mistakes and a good deal of

[[?]] I received the [[?]] of forming

[[?]]. Tel-el-Kebir is situated on the

[[?]] [[?]] canal which runs from the

Nile near Cairo to [[?]] in the Suez Canal

x3
A sharp