Letters from Mervyn Ernest Hazen to his family, 1916-1917 - Part 2

For God       
and
For Country
For. King

 

Y.M.C.A.

THE SOCIAL SERVICE CENTRE OF CAMP

HEADQUATERS OF Y.M.C.A.

130 FLINDERS ST. MELBOURNE

R.O. CLACK GENERAL SECRETARY

MELBOURNE
Y.M.C.A.
ON ACTIVE
SERVICE
WITH THE
AUSTRALLAN
IMPERIAL  
FORCES

SEYMOUR

BROADMEADOWS

THE TRANSPORTS

THE HOSPITALS 

EGYPT

DARDENELLES

Letter Writing & Postal Conveniences,

Literature, 

Games  Concerts, Religious Services

6/

I bought 2 of them.  I paid 11/- for one & 13/6 

for the other. I'll send one to you in this

letter. don't lose it. 

We have a paper printed

on board about twice a week, we had 

an extraordinary printed on board the

other day. I'll send that also. it contains

rather good war news.

We had a big gun

put on board at Capetown. for defence against 

Submarine attack. there is also a "submarine 

guard" of 60 men on board they are on

deck day and night on the lookout for Submarines

We are now in the "danger zone" and are

travelling in darkness. after sunset. No one 

allowed to smoke cigarettes or strike matches

on board.

We sighted land last saturday.

the first since we left Capetown. & on 

Sunday we pulled into the bay at Cape 

St Verde. we could not get off as we only

stopped a few hours
 

7/

It is a portuguese possession. As 

soon as our boat stopped several

portuguese blacks came out. in 

small boats & got us to throw pennies

in the water. while they dived for 

them. by Jove they can dive. I saw

them bring up [[? thrupening]] bits.

On Saturday

we had a "fancy dress Carnival" on board

I had a go. I went as an "Australian 

blackfellow". I'll tell you how I got myself up.

 - I made a "wig out of rope, for my

head. I then went & got some coal dust 
from around the ships funnell & covered

myself in it. I borrowed a pair of 

little brown running knickers. & put 

them on. that was the extent of my 

dress. I then made 2 boomerangs out

of brown Cardboard, I strapped one

of those "Handbiscuits" on my entrenching

tool handle & made a tomahawk out

 

8/

of it, & used another handle as a 

"nulla nulla". I had a little boomerang

hanging around my neck with

"King Billy" printed on it & a short

clay pipe in my mouth. When I got

on to the promenade. You ought to 

have heard the [[?]]. Everybody

was highly amused, even the 

nurses. reckoned it was the best 'getup'

they had ever seen. I took "first

prize" flying, for most Comical Character. 

I had my photograph taken over 100 

times. everybody that had a camera 

snapped me. Im known on board, 

now as "King Billy". 

Yesterday "Monday"

we had some excitement on board.

the sailors were getting the boats 

ready in case of submarines. when 

one end of a boat gave away

& emptied one of the sailors into the

 

9/ 

ocean, 2 lifebuoys were thrown in

after him, but he took no notice of theis

he grabbed a bit of timber that fell 

in with him. & started to swim
away from the boat in case he got

caught in the propellors. it was 

marvellous to see the way the Captain

manourvered the steamer around to pick

him up. they lowered a small boat

& took him out of the water, it was

only 1/4 of an hour from the time

he fell in till they put him on

board again.so it will show you 

what good work was done. several 

oars fell into the water

beside the lifebuoys. but they just 

let them go.. so I am thinking 

if they are picked up & reported

what anxiety it will cause in 

Australia. 

We had more excitement

 

10/

this morning. we were on board

drilling, when the officer in charge

of the "submarine Guard" rushed up

& gave the Alarm for a submarine 

attack. We all thought it was "goodnight"

Well Mater it is lights out directly

so shall ring off for the present.

We have just sighted more land

the "Canary Islands". so we shall be in 

England in 4 or 5 days. glad to say.

Saturday 9th Sept.

Well Mater. I have made another start on 

the letter. & the best best news I have to tell

is that. we shall get into port either

tomorrow night or Monday morning. I suppose 

we shall cut [[??]] Tuesday morning. We 

shall not be sorry either. 

There has been a 

fair amount of sickness on Board of

a very trifling kind mostly measles 

since leaving  Australia I suppose
 

11/ 
 

the daily average of hospital patients

would reach to 130 or 150 there were

days when as many as 60 or 70 would 

got in to bed. I've haven't troubled

the Dr once. but I'm afraid I've been

rather a bother to the "Cook". I've eaten 

like a horse all the way. 

We are to be 

given our trophies today, that were won

at the "Fancy Dress Carnival" last 

Saturday. I'm wondering what I'll get

We are just on the Outskirts of the 

bay of Biscay, We expected it to be

rough but the boat is only pitching

a bit.

If ever I go for another Sea trip.

I will never wish for a better boat

than the one I'm now on. she is a 

beauty. It will do me to come home on 

"When that great day comes". It is said

that we shall not see the trenches

 

12/

till after the winter. I am looking

forward to seeing Chas Chappell as 

much as anybody on this side of 

the water.

I believe that we go into 

Isolation for 21 Days when we land.

& we are expecting at least 7 Days 

leave after we come out.

If that is the

case, I am going over to Belfast. The 

[[??]] boys have given me an

Invitiation to go over with them. as 

they have several friends there. I hope

we get leave, I'll  have a good time

as I will have a few pounds to 

spend. £15, very nice, 'Eh what!

Well Mater

I'll finish this when we land. 

Excuse pencil as 

I will have to race to finish this our letters 

are to be censored tonight & posted as soon

as we land. I'll write as soon as
I get settled in Camp.

Goodbye. Dearest
mater for the present.

Best love to 

all at Home & a lot to your dear 

self. 
I remain

Your loving Son

Mervyn
 

Read this letter

first.
 

All the way from England

Stationed at Rollstone, England

27^th September 1915

 

Dearest Mater,

There is a mail closing here tonight

tomorrow night. so shall have to go my hardest to 

get this finished tonight.

Well to start with I am still

well & having as good a time as can be had "in

bounds". I've had a bit of a cold. "An English Cold"

as it is called. but I'm allright again now. We are

getting plenty of work & plenty of good food to do it

on. You will hardly believe it, when I tell you that 

I weight 12 stone 2 lbs, so they are not killing me, are

they. I feel as well as ever I did. 

Now to continue from 

where I left off your last letter. The evening I posted it, 

I went up to a neighbouring camp. "Lark Hall" & 

hunted up the Yarrawonga boys that are there. I 

went up to the 39^th Battalion & saw. Jim Corbett, Jim Hickford, Chas McColl from [[?Dougall Swamp]]. & Dick Payne.