Photostat copy of letters from Percy Wellesley Chapman to his mother, 5 April 1915 to 1 February 1917 - Part 3
sometimes quenched my thirst after a hot
tramp from camp. Ferry post is as its name
indicates the ferry over the Suez Canal, it is
situated at the north point of Lake Timsah one
of the little lakes. Here we were camped for
about a week doing guard duty, at night
on duty one would see the steamers pass
by on their way home to Australia or
to England, their screen lights would cause
weird shaddows to creep stealthy along the
land as they moved by when all but me
would be bathing either in the lake of the
canal, many times I have swum from bank to
bank in the water. From Ferry post we moved
to our place then another once B Company were
sent back to [?] to do guard duty over
the water [?] and sundry other
places. The rest of our time here spent in
the front line of trenches, the first three
days out there the thermometer was somewhere
about 100° in the shade there was the remainder
of the line, however no fritz came. From the
trenches we moved east to Ferry post where
the troops were equipped from there we moved
again to trenches and returned for [?]
9
At Alexandria we embarked on board
this boat, we lay at anchor for a couple of
days on one of which I got home to visit
that old town, for the last three days we
have been zig zagging over [?] [?] the
mediterranean, and here just just dropped
anchor in the bay at Malta. Sic [?] the
afternoon tea has just gone so I will
rind up now. [?] in my [?]
for I have never seen any place to compare
with. Sydney or N.S.W. Malta is only a
small colonial from the deck it looks completely
terraced, on the cliffs [?] thus large
[?] out to sea are some big guns
but the colonel has a
Julie HThis transcription item is now locked to you for editing. To release the lock either Save your changes or Cancel.
This lock will be automatically released after 60 minutes of inactivity.