Letters from William George Blaskett to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 5

"Talk clean, Live clean, Fight clean, Play the game."

Y.M.C.A

FIELD SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Association Headquarters:

123 Murray Street,

PERTH,

W.A.

Telephones :

Blackboy Hill Camp No. L115

       "                "             No. L128

Perth Headquarters No. A1518

TROOPSHIP,

.................................191

6

was having a run of luck,

well it had a bad break

in it, for I lost all my

money, which wasnt much,

anyways on Sunday afternoon

last. I was wearing a

belt with pockets in it, &

I left it in one of the lavatories

in camp. I went back a 

few minutes afterwards, but

it was gone never to return

Consequently I am

very poor They paid us last

Tuesday & saved me for a

while. I got a lot of dirt

"Talk clean, Live clean, Fight clean, Play the game."

Y.M.C.A

FIELD SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Association Headquarters:

123 Murray Street,

PERTH,

W.A.

Telephones :

Blackboy Hill Camp No. L115

       "                "             No. L128

Perth Headquarters No. A1518

TROOPSHIP,

.................................191

7

in my watch & had to

have it repaired. That cost

4/-. Now I am nearly

broke once more. Still pay

day will soon be round.

You wouldnt believe

how dear things are here. It

is a common belief in Cairo

& in Egypt generally that

Australians are rolling in

money consequently you

have to pay through the

nose for everything. I thought

of asking you to post me

some money but I dont

"Talk clean, Live clean, Fight clean, Play the game."

Y.M.C.A

FIELD SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Association Headquarters:

123 Murray Street,

PERTH,

W.A.

Telephones :

Blackboy Hill Camp No. L115

       "                "             No. L128

Perth Headquarters No. A1518

TROOPSHIP,

.................................191

8

think its worth while. We

might be gone before you

could send the money, so I

think I'll scrape along, as 

I am.

I've got rather a bad

cold; have had it ever

since I landed, but am

now getting medicine for it

from an English Chemist in

Heliopolis. If I went on

sick parade here, I shall

missed some instruction

& that's no good to me.

Now mother dear, I think

I must close with fondest love to yourself,

dear old dad & the kid From your

loving son
Will

School of Instruction
Zeitoun
Christmas Day 1915
My dearest Mother,
This certainly is one of the strangest
Christmas days I have ever experienced. It is very
nice here today, splendid weather, & and ^all that but
not quite so good as being at home, though.
It is the only real objection I've
got to this soldiering game that you can't be
home for weekends & Xmas. If I could work
for the military as I used to for the old
Engineer in Chief from 9 to 5 - & be home for tea & bed I should be
perfectly happy, as it is we start at 5.30, which
you must admit is horribly early. You know
how good I am at getting up early in the
morning; when I get back I shall
still have Reveille sounded at 5.30, I don't think
If you call me before 7.30 it will be as
much as your job's worth. I'll sack you,
and get another mater. I haven't had any
letters from you or Ivy yet. I got one from
Ken Gould last week giving me a lot of news,
about Bowden people. Awfully good of him to
write wasn't it? Last night I went to see Bill

2
but when I got down to the battalion camp I
heard he has gone to the hospital with measles.
I saw him on Wednesday and he was quite alright.
It is a great disappointment to me for now I
have no one to go about with, as Tom Smith has
several friends here. Still you know there's nothing like
a quiet life. I got a parcel from Ivy last night
full of good things, which was all the more acceptable
as none of the other lads in the tent have got theirs
yet. So we whacked the things out between us & there's
nothing xxx much left now. I cant understand how
it is I get no letters as Ivy addressed the parcel
alright & Charlie (dear old kid) gave Ken my address
correctly. It is a pity Bill is in hospital because
they wont let me see him as he has measles.
I'm expecting a parcel from you shortly. Of course.
You see, I know you've sent one. They are serving
out Billy cans to the men today, but we have
been overlooked so far as we are away from
our Battalions at the school. Still I suppose we'll get
some in due course. I enclose cutting from "John
Bull" which I bought this morning. I think it is
very fine. As a certain famous person said "Them's
my sentiments". As Now with regard to the school.
I didn't score quite as well this week, very few of us
did in fact. The exams were much harder. For the

3
company drill exam, we had to drill a
company of N.C.O's from the school in front of the
school officers. Of course I wasn't a bit nervous, of course not.
I also happened to have an awful cold, and a
lot of marks go for voice, so altogether I think I did
well to get 87%. In the second musketry exam I got
84% so that my average now for the 3 exams is 90%
which isn't too bad. Tom Smith got 92% for 1st musk.
76% for second musketry & 78% for company drill
which makes his average 82%. The last exam is
today week, Charlie's birthday. It is a written exam,
so I hope to do fairly well. If you get an average of
75% or over you get a certificate from the school so
I am going "all out" to get one.
I hope Dad & Charlie & yourself
are well. I wrote a lot of Cards the other day.
Sent some to Auntie Jane, & Aunt Rowe & Connie
also to Ernie. Am going to write Aunt Jane today.
How is the poultry farm? Still 

prospering I hope. Saw a dog like dear old Lass
the other day. Would have stolen her if I could take
her anywhere with me but had no chance.
I hear Reg Gould has enlisted
Give him my best wishes. Now I must close, as
it is teatime & the only call I really like ("Cook
house door)" is sounding. Goodbye heaps of love
From your everloving son 
Will

11^th Rfs. 16^th Inf
4^th Brigade
A.I.F.
2^nd Jan 1916
Dearest Mother,
My letter this week is
all good news. To start with I
finished up the school with an
average of 90%. Not bad, eh?
I'm now the proud possessor of a
certificate stating that I'm full
of military knowledge of all
sorts. There is no doubt the
school has done me a world
of good. I feel confident now
that I can do my job,
whatever happens and wherever

we may go. As things are
in a peculiar position here
at present. The Light Horse are
fighting up in Tripoli, and
from all we can hear there
is trouble down the Canal.
of course there are always
little scraps going on down
there. I told you we were
in the Reserve Battalion didnt
I? We have been going to
move out every day for a
month, but we are still here,
in spite of all alarms, although
we are under arms all the
time and ready to move out
at a moment's notice.
Tom Smith and I only

joined the Battalion again
yesterday, after 3 ripping weeks
in the school. We had a
break up concert there on
Thursday. Amongst those present
as they say in they say in the
society papers, were Major
General Sir John Maxwell,
G.O.C. Australian & New Zealand
Forces, General James Spens,
G.O.C. Forces in Egypt Gen Birdwood
Captain, Prince Alexander of
Battenburg, Colonel Colston,
Grenadier Guards, Major Pardo,
Kings Royal Rifles, a few officers
from the Honorable
Artillery Corp, & Corporal
Blaskett, 16^th Inf. A.I.F. &c. &c.

 Prince Alexander sang two
songs. He is a splendid
singer. He is rather like the
Crown Prince side face, but
much taller & stronger looking
altogether. It was a splendid
smoke oh. All the heads mentioned
inspected us in the daytime.
They said it was the
smartest parade they had
seen in Egypt. It really
was good. We had had
3 weeks of British Army
discipline, & were all doing
our best, so you can guess
it was O.K. Of course, you
know we have withdrawn
from the Peninsula. As