Letters from William George Blaskett to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 7

11/16^th Inf
Zeitoun
Egypt.
16 1. 16.
My dearest mother/
I trust
you got my cable alright.
I think I’ll send one
every 3 or 4 weeks. They
charge the cost up against
my deferred pay, otherwise
I couldn't pay for it.
In case you
dont get my last weeks’
letter I will tell you again
what I’ll do if I want any
money specially
 

2
They wont let me cable
the words we arranged
before I left. The words
must be plain English.
Code is not allowed. So
I will sign the Cable.
with Charlie’s nickname.
beginning with M. & containing
5 letters. Savoy? Savvy?
I got a letter from dad
last week, dated 16.11.15.
It was down at Ismailia
& one of our sergeants
saw it there, wandering
around, & brought it up
 

3
Heaven only knows where
the rest are & when I shall get.
them.
I have written twice to the
Battn about letters & parcels.
but without result.
I got a billycan & a
box of cigarettes &c last week
am sending you the
cards enclosed in them.
The billycan was a beauty,
containing, pipe, cigarettes, tobacco
pipe cleaners, Xmas pudding
tin of potted meat, 1 blue
& white handkerchiefs, &
some lanoline complexion
cream!!! Heaven knows
 

4
my complexion needs some
cream. I dont think I've
ever been so freckled in
all my life. Still, the
cream is very nice after
shaving.
We dont seem to be
moving for some time of
course, you never can tell,
the way things are at present.
Bill came out of the
Hospital last Tuesday,
looking very fit after his
3 weeks holiday
I think he will try & get
 

5
into the school, next time,
if, we are still here
He is orderly sergeant & I
am orderly corporal for a
week from today.
Lucky to get together
weren't we? All the same
its hard graft, this orderly
business.
We are getting plenty of
marching now; with full
pack too. The sentiments
expressed on the Card,
about the sand & the gun
are mine, absolutely.
 

6
I am writing to Aunt Jane
every week; just a few lines.
when I write to you
Freda Gould sent me a
Register & a Christian
Commonwealth, which
I received today. Good
of her, eh?
Now dear mother, I
think I will close, with
love to you all.
From your everloving
son
Willy
PS.
Bill sends his kind
regards.
 

11/16^th Inf
A.A.S.
16.1.16
Dear dad/
Many thanks for
your letter received last Tuesday.
dated 16.11.15. It was the
first I have received from
you or in fact from home
at all. One of our fellows
had to go, to Ismailia, &
saw this kicking around, so
brought it up. The parcel
you speak of is so far
"non est". I dont suppose
now, I shall ever see theier it.
I have written twice
about letters. to Co. 16^th Battn

but so far have received
no reply or letters either.
Still, I suppose I'll get them
sometime, even if its after
I get back home again.
Personally, I wont mind
if how soon I get home.
We are sleeping in huts,
that make Charlie's toolshop
look like a palace, so
you can guess I wont
mind getting back to sleep
in a bed once more in
a watertight & windtight
house.
The food isnt too wonderful
either,  So much tinned
fish &c. If mother of  ever offers
 

me any tinned salmon
or sardines, or STEW, she
rouse my fighting spirit.
From what we can hear,
we may be stationed in
Egypt as a Garrison for
some time. Of course its
hard to tell what will
happen.
I still think it wont be
long before the war is over.
The sooner the quicker for my
liking. The funny part
of the job is, that in spite
of the tucker, & the hard
work, for it is hard work.
I am steadily getting
fatter
 

I weigh just on 12 stone
now & my belt is tight.
This last week we have
been on every parade with
full pack &c; we've turned
out on alarms twice: been
inspected by a general; marched
about 3 route marches of
15 miles each, & filled in
odd moments, with physical
exercise, football, trench
fighting, & company in
attack, & been out twice
on outpost duty at night,
& finished Cairo picquet
(armed with ball cartridge, by
the way) since Friday.