Letters from William George Blaskett to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 13

How would these malingerers like that lot.

You hardly hear a complaint from our

chaps, although the food is nothing like

it is in Australia. Yesterday was a typical

day, except that the night marches are very

frequent. A fortnight ago we marched from

Tel-el-Kebir to Serapeum on the canal, a distance

of over 50 miles, in 70 hours, through sand

over our ankles all the way, & carrying

full packs & 120 rds of ammunition. We

did that on bully beef biscuits & water, and

a very large number of men didn't finish. It

took me all my time to keep going I assure

you, old man. I had to keep a pretty stiff

upper lip to stop in the ranks. I wonder

how the mutineers would like that. I

lost several pounds weight in that 3 days,

but, I got there.

There is no doubt it was a wonderful

march. It is the longest march ever done

in Egypt. Also And a record for Australian

troops. Of course 16 miles a day is

nothing on hard roads, but it's a very

different proposition on soft sand.

You might have noticed in the

paper that Pte N E Mead of Lameroo died of

meningitis. He is the second man in the 11/16 Sa.

who has had it The other fellow, Wallace, is now

back in Australia. I think I have been

very lucky indeed to escape sickness

so far. Both Mead & Wallace were clean living,

good fellows, it seems such a pity they

should be taken ill. There is no doubt

though, that being a teetotaller & living a

decent life is the finest way of in fact, the

only way to keep fit in this awful

climate. Bad luck to it, the more I see

of it the worse I like it. Still it isn't for

long now, & I suppose before long we shall

be wanting to be back here.

I see by your extremely interesting

letter that in Mr Woods opinion no smoker

can be a christian. Tell him I think no

shirker can be a christian, or, no real

Christian can be a shirker, whichever he

likes. I may be biased, but it seems to

me, that fighting for Right against Might, is

a very practical form of Christianity.

Still, I think, you & Merv Gould, to

whom pleased remember me, are quite capable

independently or jointly of downing any

"Woods" bird, who talks twaddle.

I hope you got the little present I

sent you. If I can get to Cairo, will send

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A Coy

48^th Bn

2.5.16

My dearest Mother,

Just a short

note ^(à la President Wilson) to let you know I sent

your birthday present by

registered post from Cairo

yesterday. I got back at 3.30

am today, & am feeling 
rather tired; I shouldnt 

have gone up but for that

draft, which I might mention

soon disappeared together with

some of my pay when I 

started buying up in the 

Indian fancy shop.

If I had about £2000

I think I could just about 

buy one or two of the things

I admired in one shop where

I bought your boa, which by 

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the way, I hope you will like.

It seemed more brown than

black to me but perhaps it

was the bright light. Anyway

it seemed a very nice one

& is good quality. It was

packed with the other things

in a long tin feather case.

I hope you will receive

it safely.

I got a Langtonian today 

containing my name as the

Roll of [[Stonans?]]. It also contains

numerous references to boys

who have been killed in 

action, amongst them

[[Sirelt?]], Les Hills & Cyril Gilham.

You will remember ^one of the

Gilhams was serving with killed 

in the Boer War, & now this

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one, who was with the Canadians

has gone over the Great Divide.

It seems very very hard for

poor old Mr Gilham to lose

two sons like that. Young Jack

Gilham is somewhere in 

France.  I also received a

letter from Will Cleak.

He wrote xxx such a nice 

letter. I hope I shall get 

a chance to see them all.

I am pleased to be able 

to tell you I have been 

promoted Sergeant. I

believe I mentioned it in 

a letter from the YMCA
Cairo, but you might not

get that, so I'm telling you

again. I stayed at the

"Anzac" Hostel" a home

4

for soldiers on leave, and on

Sunday night I slept in a

real square-dinkum bed,

with nice clean sheets & a

nice white pillow. My word

it was good. It is a good 

idea this 'Anzac' place; all

if it hadnt have been for

that I couldnt have gone

to Cairo because we cant

get there & back in a day &

Hotels are too expensive

for common or garden Sergeants.

I received your letters dated 

28^th March, today, & noted

Charlie is going to [[Calton re?]]

I am sure he will have

a glorious time. You

say you expect I shall

do everything for myself

5

when I get back. Dont

worry, I'm going to have

a glorious loaf (not of bread,

though that will be acceptable;

I don't go much on Egyptian

bread). There was only

one fault about your letter,

Mother dear, it was too

short. Please tell me

all the news. Start from 

the beginning, as May says.

What may seem trifles 

to you in the way of news

are very precious to us.

I hope your health is 

better now, and that the heat 

isn't worrying you too much.

I quite agree with you

that Ethel Wenham is a nice 

girl. She wrote me a very

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jolly letter which I received

a few days ago. Have you

heard from Aunt Jane lately.

I had a letter about

3 weeks ago, which I answered

at once. I write to her

fairly regularly now. In

fact you & she are my two

main correspondents. I

pour out all my joys & sorrows 

to you two. I know how

you can share them both.

I saw a magazine the other

day containing an article

that appealed to me very

much. It describes the death

of two young Englishmen

(brothers) in German West 

Africa. They were the first

to be killed. On their

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tombstone are the words: - 

"Tell England, ye that pass

this monument,

That we who lie here died

content"

I think that is magnificent,

dont you?

Now, about parcels. I have

received 2. One containing 2

pr socks & one containing cake,

which by rotten bad luck was

mouldy. The Xmas pudding 

has not yet been sighted.

Nor has the birthday parcel.

The letters are coming very

regularly now, thank 

goodness.

Now I must close this

fearful long letter with

fondest love to you all,