Cecil Mills Collection - Wallet 2 - Part 15 of 22

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the others have mattresses to sleep on, so
they are very comfortable. It is a bit of a
nuisance having to wear life belts all
the time during the day & have them by one
during the night. Our hooker can put up
about 20 knots if a tinned fish shows
up anywhere & she can turn almost
round on her tail. She should take a
bit of hitting. The voyage so far has been
most uneventful, beautifully calm & the
deep blue of the Mediterranean is very
beautiful after the Desert. Have almost
forgotten the discomfort of the desert by
now though. Suppose that the first time we
get into a bit of mud we will all long for
the sand again. We should get to Malta
about lunch time today, but don't think
there is any chance of going ashore. Having
no wireless we are probably only going in
for instructions for the remaining part
of the journey. Had a great read yesterday.
Got the Clarion (the book you sent me for
Christmas) out of the trunk, & read it
right through. First good read I've had
since leaving Australia.  Liked it very much.
Have to go round on Ships inspection now, so Farewell.

5/
Last Saturday afternoon at Moascar General
Birdwood, with The Prince of Wales inspected
our Brigade, 21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th Battalions
The General made a very nice speech to the
boys about their behavior generally when we
arrive in France. He gave them some very
good advice concerning drink & their treat-
ment of the French Women. I think our
chaps will be as right as possible as far as
the women are concerned, as long as there is
no firewater laid on. If the French people
fill our chaps up with bad whisky then
there will be trouble for their women & some
of our chaps will get shot. Of course we do not
know exactly where we will go to yet, & whether
we will be camped or billeted. Billeting is the
usual thing in France & I'm hoping for decent
clean quarters for our period of training. The
Prince seemed a quiet sort of youth, & took
the Salute in the March Past. Our chaps
marched really well & I had to give the Eyes
Right etc for my Platoon + Salute which HRH
returned rather languidly. Poor boy he must
have rather a rotten time of it. The whole

Last Saturday afternoon at Moascar General
Birdwood, with the Prince of Wales, inspected
our Brigade 21st, 22nd,  23rd & 24th Battln.
The general made a very nice speech to the
boys about their behavior generally when we
arrive in France. He gave them some very
good advice concerning drink & their treat
ment of the French women. I think our chaps
will be as right as possible so long as
there is no firewater laid on. Of
course we do not know exactly where
we will go to yet & whether we will be camped
or billeted. Billeting is the usual thing in
France + I'm hoping, for decent clean quarters
for our period of training. The Prince seemed
a quiet sort of youth, & took the salute in
the March past. Our chaps marched
really well + I had to give the 'eyes right' 
etc for my Platoon & Salute which H.R.H
returned rather languidly. Poor boy, he
must have a rotten time of  it

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Party rode along past our Camp afterwards
& the boys lined up & gave him a splendid
reception. They rather crowded him out
towards the end of the lines, & it looked for a
while as tho the Chaps were going to surround
the Party. It only needed someone to say
Come on & it would have been done. We would
have been powerless to stop them & goodness
only knows what would been the result if they
had. They would probably have taken him
off his horse & carried him for a while &
that would have meant good bye to the Sixth
Victorian Brigade I suppose. As it turned
out it was only a very fine reception, but
for a while we were pretty scared. We have
a bally Oyster Shop Crew on board this boat.
Nearly all Greeks, & the Troops are a mixed
up crowd. Some Tommies, some 23rd Batt.
The Cycle Corps & a few details, so I for one
will be glad when we land + I get back to
my own Platoon. Young Herd, son of our
North Melbourne Manager, is on board Lt.
in the Cycle Corps. He was Light Horse when
he left Australia, but a crowd of the LH /6

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are now transferred to other Units, mostly
to Artillery. Have not heard if anything
happened to 1st ALH the crowd that Dick
belongs to. They will be in the 1st Division
anyhow. My crowd is the 2nd Division
Now to go through your letters, which I
managed to bring with me. Fancy young
Johnnie knowing my photo. He must be
growing up quickly, to be able to recognise
a photograph as some one he reckons he
ought to know. The parcels with the shirts etc
did not turn up before we left, but heaps
of Mail came a couple of days before we
embarked & is probably on the water after
us before this, as the Postal Corps is also
shifting with us. Will be awfully glad
of the shirts as no doubt it will soon
start to be fairly warm in France, May
should bring the warm weather along. All
my clothes are hanging together very well
but one loses thing now & again, specially in
moving from one place to another You may
be quite sure old Darling Woman, that I'll
not part with your first pair of socks   /7

8/
when they come along. I think it is a jolly
good job for Harry to get being ADC to Genl
Strong. Hope I have the luck to run across
him but not knowing what Division he is in,
it will only be luck if I do, amongst all the
millions there are knocking about in France.
Expect the numbers there will open our
eyes somewhat. Yes poor old Percy is a
brick when one thinks what he has done for
the Alexander's. He has treated the old lady
a jolly sight better than her own sons
have, but perhaps if Percy had not been
there they might have done more. They are
so casual about their responsibilities, that
anyone else can take them from their
shoulders. As for Hughie, don't think he
knows the meaning of the word. Don't fancy
the old maid returning as one of the family.
Percy should have bucked at that. Surely
Hilda is enough, without any others
Docker's second star is not a really one
you know. He got the job of Quartermaster
at the Training Battalion he was attached
to. That carries 2 stars as Honorary Rank.

I think it a jolly good job for Harry to get 8
being A.D. C to General Strong. Hope I
have the luck to run across him -  but not
knowing which Division he is in, it will be
luck if I do - among the millions in France.
Expect the numbers there will open our eyes
somewhat.
Dockers 2nd star isn't a "really" one you
know.  He got the job of Quartermaster
at the the Training Battln to he was
attached to. That carries 2 stars
Honorary Rank.

9/
Soon as he goes back to his Company he drops
the Temporary Local Rank, unless his Substant-
ive Rank comes out in the meantime. As Q Master
one cannot get higher than Honorary Lieut
Would not be surprised if mine comes out
fairly soon. They are not making chaps wait
12 months now, before getting it. Am sorry
old J.G. Mann has left the Bank. It is bad
for the Bank in my opinion, as his own
Staff of Branch Managers had such a
great trust & confidence in him. Am also
sorry for myself, as he was a jolly good
friend to me & think he would have
given me a friendly push along, any
time there was an opportunity. However
altho Bob Mann will not have the same
power, I don't think he wishes me any
great harm. If I get the opportunity in
France to get a few days leave before
going into the firing line, will slide
across to London & go to the Bank
there & see the Directors if possible. No harm
in getting to know them personally Hope
it can be arranged. No more now old effie. The
raucous voices tucker gong has gonged so its me for
the Dago Restaurant. Its just like one [mess?] on board

10/
Well old girl, we arrived in Malta OK this
afternoon without any mishap. We are stopping
for 24 hours to remedy some slight boiler trouble.
Most of the Officers got ashore tonight but I'm on
duty & hope to go tomorrow. It will be nicer to
have a look round in the daylight anyhow
Only hope the old boiler does not get fixed up
before I can go ashore tho. Valetta is a
wonderful harbour. It has a very narrow
entrance which of course is well guarded at
the present time. The Town starts right at
the waters edge as far as I can see & rises
very steeply. Very old stone buildings all
very massive right along the shore as far as
I can see which is not very far up to the
present. The harbour itself seems awfully
interesting, all sorts of Naval Craft from big
Warships down to fussy little torpedo boat
destroyers that fairly jump out of the water
when the pace is put on & they seem to turn
in their own length. Valetta looks very
entrancing, with lights every where rising
right up from the waters edge. Crowds of
boats came off to us, but of course they

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are not allowed to come too close. This is a
Garrison Town & our men are not allowed
to land. A few have scaled down the
Anchor Chains, but have been quietly pinched
& brought back. The kids diving for money
were very clever this afternoon. They did
not miss a silver coin as far as I
could see & needless so say they were
thrown a good way from the divers to
make them earn the coin. The distance
some of the kids swam underneath the
water was incredible & instead of being
puffed were quite ready to take it on
again at once. Unfortunately for the
kids our chaps are all dead hard up, not
having been paid since the end of February.
The men are very sore about the pay
business & I don't blame them. I think the
Colonel has made a bad break in not
paying when he could have. Doubtless
the remainder of the Regt have been paid
on the trip, but our poor blighters have hardly
got a bob to bless themselves with. When we
got in tonight we heard that a big ship had  /11