Letters from Mervyn Ernest Hazen to his family, 1916-1917 - Part 1

47/2/19

 

Dearest Mater,

Am on leave today in Amiens

so happened to see this picture of the

Amiens Cathedral & am sending it to you

I am having a

good time at Hinencourt where we are on guard

the job would do me for the Duration.

I have been

right through this building. I am sending

some views of the inside of the Building.

Love Mervyn XX

On Active Service.

WITH THE BRITISH

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Y.M.C.A

 

Kind regards

to your people

& all the lads I know.

 

21.4.1916

No. 3799. Pte C.C. Chappell

22 Battl

2nd A.D.B.D.

C/o A.P.O.S. 17

B.E.F.France.

 

Dear Merv,

Just a line or two while I

am in the humour which after all said

& done is not too good, because the

damn tommies are a flaming nuisance.

However by the time you get this I will

be in the firing line as 25 out of our

Batt have been picked to go to the

front in a day or two & I have the

good luck to be one of them. Tell Frank

that if he still thinks of enlisting to think

again, & every time he thinks he ought to

keep on thinking, because it will be a

cert for him to be sent to France, which

is a blasted cold place. We are

going about at night wrapped up

in gloves, overcoats, & scarffs while the

tommies need will say "by gad" It's hot

tonight, chum", do you want to buy a badge,

chum "How is Geoff & Tom Roff getting on?

also Barry Lowe, have they sailed yet.

I received four letters yesterday & was

pleased to see by the lads that

Frank, Charlie, & my uncle (your father)

are working for the dad. I have written

home again & posted the letter will you

pleased tell them at home to

send papers especially the [??]

rag. I see by a paper sent over

that the lads in Sydney played

hell not long ago. well all I say

is that they are fools, wait till

Port Phillip Bay

10 past 2. on 28th. 7- 176

 

Dearest Mater,

I am writing, so that I can get it away

by the mail tonight. It is to be taken off at Queenscliffe

tonight.

Well Mater. How are you. I hope you are not

taking it to heart too much, "Buck up & be a Billy"

it is only a pleasure voyage I am on.

I am alright

now, We have just finished dinner & if all meals

are the same as todays well we shall not starve

It is excellent food.

I have just me ^saw Saunders from

Tungamah, also young McColl from Yarra, & I also

saw the McAlpin's from Pelford & the

two Creightons out of the Pipe Band.

We got Paid

about ½ an hour after we left the Pier. I drew £3, so

I will have a good start.

By Jove the Bay is glorious

today, as smooth as a looking glass, if it was only

a pleasure trip Eh? I hope you don't go home.

till Monday. Do spend the weekend in town.

Well Mater, I'll ring off now & shall write from the

first place. I have a chance. Give my  love to all

I remain Your Loving Son Merv. X  I am sending a photo of

VICTORIA   MELBOURNE   

31. JUL  16  4 30 AM

***

Mrs R. Hazen

C/o J E Thomas

Euston Rd

Oakleigh

Vic -

At Sea

25th. 7 8. 16

 

1

Dearest Mater

As you will see by the above

address that I am still on the water. Just

4 weeks, midday today.

I wrote to you

from Capetown, but it was only a very

hurried letter as I had a few hours

leave & I wanted to get into Capetown

to have a good look around.

I explained

the streets to you, I think the railways.

The railways are funny old constructions

The lines are only 3 ft apart & they all

run in the open streets. If there are

few people about, there is a man

a good way ahead of the train

warning people, The stations are

just bits of sheds. "Their Central station is

a funny old joult too. I saw the first

engine that was on rails in Africa, &

a tricky looking one it is. real old

fashioned, about 60 yrs old.

I also had

2

a look at their pier, by jove, it is

a glorious piece of work. miles ahead

of anything in Australia.

It is about ¼

mile long, there is a big promenade

leading up, seats on each side & on the

end is an open air concert ground

& tea rooms and behind that again

is the lookout tower. You go to the top

by winding stairs inside of it. I have

never seen a more beautiful view

in all my life as the one I had from

the top of that tower.

All the trains are

double deckers. & electric, No cable ones'.

The South African blacks are

dirty, cadging scamps & I never saw

such a mixture. All the boats are

coaled by blacks. they work in their

coats & some in overcoats. the steam

comes off them like clouds, if they take

their coats off. their mates pinch

them on them.

We went on board about

10.30 on Sunday night & left the bay about

3

Midday on Monday. It was a glorious

scene when we got about a mile

from Capetown to see the town at the

foot of the table mount.

We lost sight

of land when we were about a couple

of miles hours out & have not seen any

since. There hasn't been much of interest

since. 

On Tuesday night we were presented

with our trophies won at the sports.

I got

a bronze safety razor, in a nice little

leadther leathery case. It is a "Gen Brand" the

best prize of the sports, & today we

were given prizes, that to those that

won Company events. I got. a good

pipe, 50 cigarettes & 2ozs of tobacco

for winning the High Jump. for the

"potato race" I won a combination

knife, fork, & spoon, & for the "sack

race" I got a nice tin of good 

Caramel lollies, about 2lbs in it,

I was a guard yesterday & last

night. It is not a bad game on

4

the boat.

We are supposed to cross

the equator in a couple of days

time. so I suppose we shall get

a couple of hot days. We have had

no cold weather. I have slept on

the top deck ever since I left

Melbourne & I haven't had my

overcoat on, either, since I left Melb.

We have

another pay day tomorrow we draw

10/. We are only allowed to draw

1/- a day on the boat, we get the

rest when we land. I ought to

be able to have a look around if

I get leave at all, as I have

"A tenner" put away with my

"OC" and am holding a few

myself.

Well dear old mater, I'll 

ring off for tonight, will add more

to it later on. Goodnight, best love xx

September 4th.

Well mater here I am again with a

few more lines.

We entered the Tropical

Zone on Saturday the 26th of August.

"For Country"

Y.M.C.A.

 

5

and we could notice it getting hotter immediately

we crossed the equator about 2 o'clock on

the following Tuesday the 29th  (2 in the morning)/

it was fairly hot all the time, right up

till Sunday 3rd Sept, but nothing like I 

expected to get in the tropics. I was mess

orderly all last week, that was, to get the good 

for our table 14th men, and do all of the

washing & tidying up of the deck. so I was

not too particular about my dress. all 

wore was a pair of dungaree trousers

tucked up above the knees. most of the other

chaps on board were very scantily dressed too.

I think they would have been "scanter" dressed

if it hadn't been for the nurses on board.

We had

rather a swell programme Concert on board

last Saturday week, there was a lot of programs

printed. Gold lettering, 20 of them were taken

out & autographed by all of the officers on

board. & then put up for by Auction for sale