Letters from David Gerald Evans to his family, 1916 - Part 2

Back of envelop ~ see original
 

4^th Australian Auxiliary Hospital
22-2-16
My dear Mother,
I came in here with 
Mumps on 8th inst, rather a rotten way
to commence my second year of
Military life.
It was jolly painful for the first
few days & it was hard to eat any thing
solid but the worst is over now but
I have to stay here a fortnight
altogether in isolation & stay in 
bed for a few days more -
There are eleven officers altogether
very decent chaps although there
are three Captains among them & 
a Major.
Some of the Sisters are not too bad
either.
I expect to go to Tel- el- Kebir when
I leave here and I may possibly 
be attached to the 8^th Battalion!
Alex Campbell & Jack Hogg also so it
will be alright.

2
Hope you can read this but
am writing it in bed.
Have not had any mail for a long
time & am very sick of it, I got
a pair of sox & cigarettes from 
Mrs Hungerford the day I came in
here, don't know how it fluked through
It is the only parcel I have received
bar the waistcoat , it was quite nice
to get something.
I sent a Cable home on Friday
do hope you got it.
Needless to say there is very little
news to give in hospital but will
write a longer letter when I get 
up.
I will ring off now
love to all 
your loving son
Gerald Evans
Address
6^th Training Battalion
Zeitoun Egypt.

4^th Australian Auxiliary Hospital
Abbassich Egypt
24-2-16
My dear Evan
It is to very long since
I have had a letter from anyone that I
seem to have lost touch somehow, and it is hard
to write letters without resorting to repetition of
the same old things - Am afraid all my
letters home must read about the same 
however how I am in hospital & I have time
to write am going to make hay while the
sun shines.
I wrote to Mother by last mail telling her 
about getting in here & also cabled, so you
doubtless know all about it by this time.
I expect to be up tomorrow.
I have been allotted to the 8^th Battalion in this 
new organization & am very glad to have a
settled unit at last. Alex Campbell & Jack Hogg 
who I have been with all the time went down
today & will waste no time in joining
me when I can get back out of this place
Things are very quiet in Egypt but of course 

2
there are a lot of troops here & they don't
take any risks it is not expected that there
will be any serious attack on the Canal but
Johnnie Turk will get a very lively time
if he does come along I think he will
have all he can do to keep the Russians
back form his own country without
attacking Egypt.
I hope you will have a good autumn, I have
not heard yet if the wool & grain was
sold; but I suppose the wool has been, anyhow
by this.
Charlie McCardel was in my camp for a good
while but they have moved out somewhere
since I came into hospital so don't know where
he is now. There were a lot of fellows I knew
in that camp all that Greta Crowd & Young
Willcox & Conners from Wangaratta
As soon as I can make certain of my
future address I will cable home.
Am enclosing some photos also Sending
some Dardanelles post cards to Minnie which
I have had for a couple of months.

Good-bye & Good Luck
your aff ate brother 
Gerald Evans 

On Active Service
 Evan M. Evans Esq
"Redcamp"
Moyhu
Wangaratta
Australia Victoria
[*Censored
D.G. Grant Lieut*] 
 

Back of envelop ~ see original
 

2
passed within 50 yards
the Chateau d'if where the
Count of Monte Cristo was
imprisoned it is a very
small island right in the
mouth of the harbour with
very old stone building on it,
All the troops, but two Coys
went on by train, I stayed
had we had to march about
a mile and a half to this
camp getting here at 11 PM
The country around the bay
is very hilly & rocky and
our camp is in a small
basin with old houses &
vine yards and orchards all
around it & quite close
I picked some daisies and
will send one home in the
letter, there is plenty of
spear grass which reminds 

3
me of home, everything
is beautifully green with
the Spring just coming on
and I am afraid La belle
France knocks poor old
Australia into a cockes
hat for beauty.
We may go on tonight & 
believe we have a three
days railway journey which
will give us enough of it
I took some photos this
morning but doubt if
they will be much good
as the light was bad
I will send you a cable
if I get a chance today
but they are not granting
any leave.
Bill Usherwoods battalion left
this camp last night
I left Frank Ridgway
4 
behind at Seriapium
on the Canal.
It is a long time since
I heard from home. hope 
everybody is well.
We had a bonzer trip over
and I was a little bit off
one day but otherwise all
correct.
Excuse the pencil and 
writing. Wish you could
see this place/ You have better
come over to London & 
when the war is over we
will do a trip, they call
the Australians six bob a day
tourists now and other things
Will ring off now with
love to all
Your loving son
Gerald
Address
8^th Battalion 
2^nd Brigade
A.I.F. 

April 13th 1916.
My dear Minne
I wrote 
to Mother a couple of days
ago and though there is
very little to write about.
Today we took the whole
company up to the baths
and they had a hot bath
and clean clothes, the men
are looked after much
better here than Gallipoli
and we should have a 
fair time, as they get
plenty of spells from the
trenches but the shells.