Letters from Alexander Sutherland Mackay to his Family, 1916 - 1917 - Part 3

2
At Sea
16/11/6
Dear Mother
I wrote the last letter
to you at Mosman. It may not
go ashore until this one, so probably
you will receive this first. Naturally
all on board are finding the trip
at bit monotonous, but as time goes on
we will get used to it. At the first
we had a couple of rough days & a good
many went under to it. I've been
tiptop to date, xxxx we are now having
smooth seas although rainified. Little
variation takes place in the days doings
1st parade is at 10 am when we
fall in & do exercises until about 12am
In the afternoon we fall in at 2pm

for a lit lature on the guns until
4pm. Tea is supposed to be at
6 but generally its 5pm or so.
We swing hammocks at 8pm, lights
going our at 9pm. There is generally
a rush for hammocks & fellows not
finding their own often grab the first
I've been lucky enough to hang on
to my own from the first. You enjoy
the hammocks as there hardly room aboard abor
to stretch out full length during the
day. They are arranging a Sports
programme starting next Monday.
Bill Nott is  going in for the
heavyweight Boxing, he is just the
same as usual like at lame elephant
getting about the deck never knows
where anything is, his good nature

makes him the buttt for everybody.
I suppose already he better known
than anyone aboard. You will
no doubt be wondering at the delay
in not receiving a letter from me, all
I can say is that we've called at no
Australian ports since our departure
17/11/16. The Artillery struck their first
main guard aboard today. I'm
one of them. We knock of ht 6 pm
tomorrow. Just as we were waiting
for tea tonight the alarm for lifebelts
was blown. It didn't take long for
everyone to get on deck. Its rather
a weird sight to see all the soldiers
lined along the decks with lifebelts on
& all the ship's crew standing by the
boats 

18/11/16. Only another shift on
guard to complete thank goodness
4 until 6. I was on during that
time this morning. It was bitterly
cold & I thoroughly appreciated
the beautifully warm Balaclava cap
Dorothy Blacket gave me when leaving
19/11/16 Drizzling today Sunday the
lazy day of the week. Enjoying the
spell after Guard. Attended church.
Parade this morning, this afternoon
a number are writing letters, some playing
cards, other having a singsong. I believe
they had a good concert aboard last night
I was too tired to wait so after a lovely
hot saltwater bath, turned into bunk
We are all longing for the sight of some
pott, a seatrip on a troopship is 

vastly different to one on a passenger
boat.
20/21/22/23. We have had no alterdation
in these days programmes. The Sports
are in full progress although I no
Boxing has yet taken place.
Will close this letter as I
hear the first outward mail
closes in a day or so.
Kind regards & love to all, hope
Andrey OK
Your affect
Alex 

3
At Sea
2/12/16.
Dear Mother
On Thursday we reached our
first port since leaving Australia & I can
assure you we were all delighted to get foot
ashore. I cannot tell you the name of the
Port, but we first saw the lights on the
Wednesday night, the boat hanging outside
until daylight. At daylight, however we
put to sea again to bury two poor beggars
who had died the previous night, this making
four deaths since our departure, all buried at sea.
We returned to Port & anchored out for an hour or
so then put alongside to coal. We were granted the
afternoon off. The Kaffers do all the coaling & no doubt
they are a dirty looking crowd. These brutes do all
the labour of the town, they are like bees. We were
marched up the town & then dismissed. The sights
of course were novel to us. Bill Nott & I opened the
ball by having at rickshaw ride. The Zulus run all
the rickshaws, they are vastly superior to the Kaffers.
The headdress broke us up, a number wear great 

bullocks horns  feathers or grassess of every description
& colour. They come prancing up like a lot of kids
to show their activity. When you get in they
set off at a long loping trot, & give you a very
comfortable ride. Needless to say, the Australians
were a Godsend to them & kept them busily employed.
The trams & baths were free to us, so we thoroughly
enjoyed the day. We arrived back at the ship about
11.30 pm. all fairly tired. Previous to landing, I spent
4 days in the Ships hospital from Influenza. I
came out the morning we arrived have felt tiptop
ever since. It was funny leaving the ship, I could
hardly march & felt as if the ground was rocking,
no doubt from the 3 weeks at sea. I can't tell
you our destination or next port of call, but
rest assured Ill write whenever possible. We
are only allowed to write two pages, so will close
& go have a saltwater bath
Love to all
Your affect son
Alex. 

From the
Mayoress of Exeter
and
Committee.
Wishing you good luck. 

Bulford
England
12/1/17
Dear Mother
I am forwarding you a bit of a
diary which will give you all news. If I can get
a strong envelope ill forward it in one otherwise
and separate envelopes, the pages are all numbered.
I also send copies of the newspaper printed aboard
the Benalla & three cards containing names of the
Queenslanders aboard. Dont take any notice of
the writing in the diary as it was written under
all sorts of conditions men lying on top of you standing
up on route marches & so on. I hope you can
read it. If possible I wish Elsie & Lil between them
could take a copy after correcting it & send it to
Norman Bourke at Richmond, it will save me,
writing a long letter and this cold weather. I'm in
tiptop health or now & only for this awful cold would
thoroughly enjoy things. This weather makes one think
that Shackleton ought t be medically examined. Can't
say Im taken with the organization, the little Ive seen
of it here. Some fellows have here been 6 month here in camp 

here without going to France others even longer
A number told me they had put in application
after application to go over, without result.
A number of the camps are like the Warren in
Sydney, absolutely waste of time & money. No war
news of any note, things are evidently at a standstill
in France but I believe great preparations are
being made for a great push this spring. They
seem to think of the war doesn't end shortly after
that, it will go on indefinitely. Well Mother
my hands are numb so Ill get to the first I do not
expect a letter for some weeks but sincerely hope
you are all well. Love to all at home, Dory Nell
& the youngsters. Hope Roy didn't forget to draw
my usual sub for Audrey Lorna & Graham at Xmas.
Suppose Andrey is as big as a house of her
Southern trip. I cannot give you any permanent
address except the following, as we may be shifted any time
Gunner A S Mackay
No 30137
Field Artillery
AIF
On Active service abroad
Love to all the Watsons
Your affect son
Alex