Letter from Harold (Kelly) Westman to “Dear old pal”, 6 August 1915.

[*PR82/8*]
H. Westman No 128.
D. Company.
18th Battalion
5th Brigade
Heliopolis Camp
Egypt. 
6.8.1915
Dear old. pal.
Just a line to let you and
boys know that am doing alright. A little about this part
of the world, sure Cairo is some hot in more ways than one.
When first struck. here. the 1 piastre. which is equal to 2½^D in
our money sounded so little that one doesnt realise for a while
that the hell of a thirst that one acquires here is costing more
than is good for a chap on 10 piastres a day. Have meet lots of.
chaps that have been invalided back from Dardanelles have
had. talk. with lots of them think the proverb all. men are liars
must specially refer to soldiers D.Know need. to be anxious will
go bond. for contents of this note. We are camped. on a desert
and. know it our hours are. turn out. at 5 am. have. cup of tea
and. biscuit the fall in at quarter to six Drill till 9 have.
breakfast and. fall in at quarter to eleven till 12 for lectures.
Dinner next parade. at quarter to 5 till 7 you will be able
to form some idea of heat. by these hhours even the natives go.
to sleep. from about 10am till 4pm. Sure. Peter have. seen some
hot things in Cairo there are. several steets of knocking
shops run by. both natives and. French have had a good

2
look round. but dinkum to a chap that has left behind in
sunny. N.S.W. all that I. have well Can Can and the whole show
filled me with disgust Suppose. you will have. read. by the
time you reach this letter that sorry. to say some. of the rotters
belonging to our. forces are seemingly out to disgrace Australia
and. all. concerned. and of course. the lot of us have to suffer.
which is damn bad. luck. Mind you Peter. this is a crook place
for a man. that is given to booze. the natives are all on the
crook. and. the drink absolutely. vile last night even in one.
of the big houses xxx charged. 2 piastres for a glass of shandy.
that was too rotten to drink A few of the blighters ran amok.
last Saturday. night in the Wosser.quarter. result was that
there were several. drums burnted down and. have it
that several. soldiers and. molls perished in fire but. am
not positive about the latter. will let you know more. later.,
This is a place of wonderful. buildings methinks flats
must be. how they. house. because cottages are not to be seen
anywhere will send you at P.C or two of. some. of the best and.
then you will be able to form some idea yourself. Some.
beautiful buildings have been turned into hospitals
and look. very. nice but. sincerely hope will never have to
go fo there for a rest cure. Last week.end. went trip to the
wonderful. Sphinx and. Pyramids very. interesting also amusing
the natives here are dead. on the "good. Australian plenty.
money." and from the toddler up have all sort of means of

3
cadging if you sit down the boot shine nipper is busy. before you
know where you are. and. the same with guides etc. When we got
out to Pyramids a guide for 2 piastres kid us to have him show
us the tomb of the King and. Queen. as we. started. to climb
up. he put it on us to take off hats and. boots give to pal. to
mind ½ piastre thought another ruse. to score. off us but
had. hardly reached. entrance before. we started. to slip
and slide on granite and. it was jolly good. job we did
take them off. As soon as you enter you have to go down.
tunnel for about 50 yds had. not gorn far before your humble
decided that he would. be. best off on all fours. at bottom
were able to stand. only. to find that we had. to climb up.
100 yds about. what with the heat. and. Astench. we were. very.
glad. when we reached. tomb but owing to bad. air the
candle. that guide carried which is the only. light you
have. only just flickered it was damn little one could.
see of course. am glad. took it on just for the novelty. but.
wouldnt go inside again for all the tea in China cost
me. 16 piastres for to quench thirst so it was some expensive
wasnt it. Meet [[Mud?]] Medcalfe. he is camped. just near
there with 2^nd A M.C. Corp. You just ought to see the natives
quarters. Gee don't they pong. they dwell. in mud huts
all heaped. together each man has about three wives
and kids galore and with a very. nice cemetery. always close
handy. A funeral. here is run on very, different lines to

4.
the way. we do it N.S.W The hearse coffin and horses are decorated
out to kill in gold. silver and. purples colours and instead
of the slow march the procession moves off at a smart trot
accompanied with the howls and. screams of the womenfolk.
The tramway. system. here is not too bad. although the accomodation
is somewhat overlooked. for the sake of appearance and. fare
are very cheap at anyrate. where we are concerned. it only. costing
us ½ piastre to travel about. 6 miles one thing I notice about
the tram lines is that an extra rail is laid down so as to
carry. trains in case of emergency. good. idea rather of course.
all trams are run by electricity. and. are divided into 1^st
2^nd and. 3^rd Class with special compartments for dames.
Sincerely hope that you received photo that I had taken at
Liverpool regret. that was not able. to fix up. about them
myself. but was badly. messed. up by photographer but Nell
was going to get them so daresay. alls well. although we
are much nearer the front. than we were at Liverpool we hear
much less war news the papers here are rotten in fact we.
have very little reading matter. but am getting very. fond of.
patience good. safe. game. costs nothing is different to [[banter?]]
whist and. Euchre for bars that suppose. you chaps are
still at. could. I do one. now. "rather" . Sure. its a queer way.
that our tucker is being run. The Egyxtian ^'Government allows 8½ a day.
for each man for food. which must be bought at Canteen on
ground. dont know exactly. where. but theres know doubt.
something is radically wrong. somewhere. We have

5
some. dinner in Cairo thats sometimes at Santi's my. favourite
spot. situated in a very. nice park. centre of Cairo for. 8 piastres
you can get a very, nice dinner consisting of soup. fish chicken and.
Pastry. tea is given in but. beer. costs 4 piastres a bottle. might say
that some of the boys were. nothing but the best. when they. first
landed. and. at Shepherd's Hotell. it cost some. of them 40 piastres
a dinner but now. we are. all dead. stiff it is a week from pay.day.
and. all. and. here. is just the same. as elsewhere. nothing for nothing
Daresay. Jim George. and. a few. of the boys have enlisted
since I left. if not rub it in Peter. they. will all be wanted.
sure. and. when one sees how some of the boys have been
knocked about. well it makes you feel damn glad. that sooner
or later. one is going to do his bit to square it. hope we will
not have much longer to wait Ollie reckons that when the
18^th get a go on the war. will end. let's hope so. for all
concerned. but we are sure up against a tough proposition
which of course everyone knows and it behoves all the bloods
over there to get a hustle on and although have heard. a lot
of nasty. things about. we Australians still it is recognized
by everyone. that they can fight meet an Indian just returned.
wounded from the Dardanelles. he reckons our boy.s are.
just it with the bayonet. Kindly remember me to all.
friends best regards to yourself and pals.
I remain
Your. Pal.
Kelly

On active service.
MILITARY CAMP
13 AU 15 9-10A
Mr A. Paton.
9 John St.
Ashfield
N.S.W.
Australia
Censor's Initials
O.C. "D" Co., 18th Batt.
N. Westman.

ASHFIELD
7-A17SE
N.S.W