Cecil Mills Collection - Wallet 2 - Part 10 of 22

6 
grow very cold indeed.  The blighter that  
wrote that song about loving the girl until  
the Sands of the Desert grew cold, would be  
passed the “Bird” in quick time if he came  
round this way.  We take an oil a water  
proof sheet & a Blanket with us, & always  
sleep in our clothes with our fighting equipment  
on. I wear Nossy’s Rabbit skin, Mrs Thomps  
muffler & the brown and yellow mits & my overcoat  
& keep fairly warm. It is surprising how  
wet ones blanket becomes with the dew by the  
morning, & as I have to get up about every  
hour the blanket gets pretty full of sand  
also by morning.  Its really marvellous  
how one can get lost on the desert at night 
if there are no stars out.  All the ridges look  
the same. Never want to go out without a  
Compass & take proper bearings.  Have  
been issued recently with a luminous  
Compass which is a great acquisition at  
night time.  The luminous watch Percy  
gave me has is absolutely invaluable. It  
keeps splendid time, & the figures show up like 

7 
little Electric Lights at night. On outpost 
work we cannot strike any lights at all, & 
the sentries have to be relieved every hour, so 
you can imagine how useful it is on a dark  
night. The outpost before last was frightful 
during the day. Very windy & the sand scudded 
along at a great rate & used to sting when it 
hit ones hands & face. Fortunately it died 
down at nightfall. I only eat biscuits all  
day. It was useless opening a tin of fish 
because it would have been full of sand inside 
a minute. Think the sand is to blame for a  
great deal of the Back in a minute trouble that 
comes along. Have never had it yet. The cure 
here is the old reliable Dose of oil, & then  
some potent tablets the Doc springs on them. 
Am now quite one of the old heads in the 
Regiment, "seeing as "our" Ive been 19 weeks 
with them. Nearly all the 2nd Lieutenants 
that were with the Battallion on the Peninsula 
will get their 2nd star directly & I expect 
mine about a month later. Would not like 
to go back with only 1 star up, but I dont 

8 
expect to. All the different Tournaments 
are in full swing now. There were 380 entries 
for the Euchre tournament alone. There are  
also Crib, Draughts, Chess, Bridge & Boxing 
tournaments, so almost everybody is in 
something. There are scraps every afternoon 
in the Stadium as soon as the days work 
is over, run in the most professional style. 
They are introduced Sgt Jones D Coy 12 stone 
4, against Private Smith A Coy, 11 stone 10. 
The best of 4, 2 minute rounds, shake 
hands, retire to your corners & wait for  
the gong, & no hitting in the clinches. 
The gong goes, & they bounce into it, loud  
exhortations from the onlookers to their 
man going on all the time. The Referee at 
times has to address the onlookers, which he 
always does by saying "Gentlemen" for a start.  
Sometimes both Combatants will knock off by 
mutual consent to two round & say. You dam 
well come & have a try yourself & see how you get  
on [blastchu] &c. Time is up now, more tomorrow  
night. Love to everyone & a big hug for our boy 
& also the extra one for his Mum. Your loving Husband 
Cecil

24 
on active service abroad 
6th INF BDE.
  
Mrs C.B. Mills 
C/. Dr. A Burne 
"Kinellan" 
Dalley St 
Waverley 
New South Wales 
Australia 
[*PASSED BY CENSOR No 3150*]

Same old spot 
28:2:16 
  
Dear old Fairy. 
Loud cheers,  had a 1/2 day  
off today. The O.C. informed me I need not go on 
Parade this afternoon, so I did not. Had a 
good old loaf & fixed up the Mess a/cs, & also  
had a good go at the Bully. 13/1/16 arrived at 
a most opportune time. Felt like a Holiday  
today, first Parade I've missed since coming 
here. Had another pretty rotten outpost yesterday. 
Blew pretty solidly all day & the sand was flying. 
Fortunately we had our backs to it. It started 
off badly by one of the men on the outpost 
we were relieving firing off his rifle by accident. 
The muzzle must have had sand in it, & the gas 
escape also choked up, for the bally bolt blew  
out & the pieces wounded him in 4 places. 
None of them were serious however, as long 
as he does not get septic from the Cordite  
fumes. Now to have a go through your two 
dear old letters, that I got last week. Its 4 
months yesterday since I sailed, & 18 years  
today since I joined the Bank. When Ive 
been another 18 years in the Bank, ought to 
think about retiring on a Pension, will be nearly 53.

2/ 
Am so glad to hear at last, that my letters 
have commenced to arrive. Now you will 
be hearing regularly every Mail, sometimes a 
couple of letters at a time. Glad you found out 
about the "Bities". Those Starlings have a rep 
for being chatty, & am glad you have got 
rid of the lot of them. Isn't it funny about 
Johnnie being so fond of music, & yet not 
liking you to play. Have you tried him lately 
to see if he will stand it? Did I tell you 
previously I drew ₤5 on the Letter of Credit. It is 
now cancelled, as it only ran to 31:1:16. If we 
go to France, can always get money from our 
London Office if required. Have got about ₤10 
credit in my Pay Book now. Mess a/c here is only 
2/- a day & Batman 4/- a week, so can save a 
little money out of ₤ 2:2:0 per week in anticipation 
of going to some more expensive place. Will be 
very glad of the [[ ]] shirts, they will be lovely  
when the hot weather comes. Am fairly brown now. 
Noticed a beautiful freckle on my classical nose 
the other day & my knees are a bit tender from sun 
burn, through wearing shorts.  By Jove 'Mother' will 
be able to accumulate wealth, now she has 2  

3/ 
Boarders, who pay 10 bob a week between them. 
Thats bad luck about Norman, poor little kid. 
Dont wonder it gave Lil such a shock. Hope the 
poor little begger soon picked up. Wish Lil 
had a couple more youngsters. They had such  
bad luck with little Monte, he was such a grand 
baby, just after Johnnies style, always bright & 
interesting. Yes old Pettie, if you look like your 
Mother, or rather as young looking as your 
Mother does now at her age & I can keep as 
young looking as  my Pater at 69, think 
neither of us will have anything to complain 
about. I wrote to the Dad yesterday when on 
outpost & told him we were issued with 
Binoculars, it was good of him to want to 
send me his. Glad Johnnie is so much in the 
boom at Kinellan, it will probably ease your 
fathers indignation down about me, tho surely 
he has got over it somewhat by now. Glad you 
are hearing from Harry. We heard today there 
 has been a terriffic battle on the Western front 
Germans attacked & got well stoushed with 
larger losses than ever before since the war started. 

4       25 
War news does seem to be good lately, especially 
with the Russians having success after success. 
Things do seem rotten with Isley & Frank, but as 
you say, Isley is a fool to go round talking about 
Frank, &  I should think Frank's letter was quite 
justified, but just fancy the fun Mrs HD would 
get out of it, even if she is worried about it. Johnno 
is getting a mighty writer before the Lord, tho I 
could not read quite all he wrote last time. Daresay 
his dear little hand got tired. I can see our Boy 
growing each week Dearie Girl, you tell me all 
about him, so I can follow each of his little tricks. 
Do hope his teeth did not worry him for long, poor 
old chap but isn't he a little treasure, even tho  
he is off colour, to be so good. You flatter me 
most dreadfully old Sweety Heart, telling me  
John is growing so much like me, & that you are 
so glad he is like me. When you have our little  
girl, I want her to be just like her Mum in every 
way. Needless to remark, all of this letter cannot be  
read out, as its private. No more tonight Dearest. 
Expect to have time to write again during this week. 
With love to all at Kinellan, & such an extra lot for  
my wife & son. Your ever loving Husband 
Cecil.

25 
O. A. S. 
abroad 
PASSED BY CENSOR No3150 
Mrs C. B. Mills 
C/. Dr. A Burne 
"Kinellan" 
Dalley St 
Waverley 
New South Wales 
Australia