Cecil Mills Collection - Wallet 2 - Part 11 of 22

26/

Canal Zone 

5-3-16
Dear Old Girl
Am trying once more to write
on my knee in my tent, but goodness only knows
if you will be able to read it. No mail in since
last time I wrote, so no letters, anyhow there is
about another week to go, before I am due.  Ought
soon to be getting my letters from you addressed
direct to the Battalion. When 6^th Reinforcements
(are) is cut out of the address they will come about
2 weeks sooner. Had a pretty rotten time last
time I was on Outpost Duty. It blew a real
snorter all day & night. Sand everywhere in clouds.
Could not eat our food, as one would have eaten
more sand than food. I did a 24 hours fast, but
made up for it the morning I returned to Camp.
The best thing to do was to cover ones head with a
Blanket & try & go to sleep. The Patrols during
the night all got lost. The Patrols that came out
to visit the Piquet lines from Camp, did not get
lost of course, but they never found us until daylight.
Altogether in the language of the people, it was
a fair cow. Go out again tomorrow, hope it will 
not be quite so bad, though it is still breezy.
We expect to get our marching orders tomorrow 
sometime. The whole Battalion will move into the

2/

Canal. There the Division (2^nd ) will mobilise & then off
to Egypt or some other place. France is where we are supposed
to be going now.  Train there for about ⁶/8 weeks then 
go into the Firing line. After we get into the Canal, will be
able to write you fuller particulars. Had a bit of trouble
here yesterday. Two young chaps had an argument
about the Breakfast Bacon & as usual decided to fight it
out at the Stadium in the afternoon. One of the boys without
any warning sank slowly down, & gradually became unconscious,
& died during the night without regaining consciousness.
He had a Compound fracture of the Base of the Skull. There
is a Board of Inquiry this afternoon & I’m the Junior 
Member, so bang goes my Sunday afternoon off, just when
I thought would be able to write a lot of letters. Jolly hard
luck for the chap that killed him. I saw the last round
& the young chap now dead did not appear to be distressed
at all. The D^r. was there & practically the whole of the Battn.
It has cast quite a gloom over the Camp. There was such a
nice concert last night given by C C^oy out in the open air.
Sat round like Pierrots, it was pretty dark, only had 2 lanterns,
& they used to do a bit of gagging in between the different
items like the Christy Minstrels. They sang beautifully, the 
harmonising was pretty wonderful, & no music to help them 
at all. The Rags were awfully good, the Comic stuff 
quite up to the mark. It was quite the best given so far.
I suppose it will be the last one at this old spot. Been here 
a month today & have not been 5 miles away from the 
Camp in that time. Will be glad to get down where water is 
laid on once more. No more now, must go & attend the Board

Later. Got over the Inquiry business.
I was sorry for the boy that caused the
death of the other chap. Just got word
that if I slip a letter into HQ I can
get it away by the mail. They have shut
down on all outward letters now until we
get settled down in our new quarters.
It will be rotten luck shifting Camp & not
being about to superintend my own stuff.
Will leave my Batman off Outpost to
look after my interests in case we move
tomorrow. By this Mail I am sending you
a lot of photos, taken by our old Padre at 
Gallipoli. Our Battⁿ had the Lone Pine
trenches. The chaps say they are particularly
good photos. Fancy our Boy being 12 years 
old on Wednesday next. One way it seems
a long while ago since we formed him,
others it seems such a short time ago.
We had a very swagger tea Tonight
Cases & cases of Soldiers Comforts came in
tonight. Tinned Milk ,Cream, Cocoa & milk.
Fish, Biscuits, Sweets, Cigarettes &c

Its a long time since we had such a
good feed. Salmon, Onion & Tomato Salad,
Tinned fruit, 2 sorts of Jellies, Blanc Mange
Biscuits, Oranges, some Boiled Lollies, & 
Tea, also Tinned Cream for the Fruit.
We all felt it was a Cruel War tonight.
The men got all these things as well & 
in addition, new shirts, even with
Cigarettes & letters with them. Altogether
the afternoon has been quite a success.
They are yelling out for any letter old
Dearie, so I must knock off. Give my
Boy a big hug from his Daddie & that
Boy’s Daddy sends such a big love to
his Boy’s Mum. Love to all at Kinellan
Your loving Husband
Cecil.

Hope you can read this awful
scrawl, but I don’t improve in
writing on my knee.
Cecil

26
 

O.A.S
Abroad
10-MR-16

FIELD P.O.

M^rs. C.B. Mills
^C/- Dr. A Burne
"Kinellan"
Dalley St.
Waverley
New South Wales.
Australia
 

[*PASSED BY CENSOR
N^O 3150*]

[[Jahoumer?]]

(Back of envelope)

HELIOPOLIS HOUSE HOTEL
HELIOPOLIS (CAIRO)
10:3:16

Dear old Girlie
Came up to Cairo
last night from Ismailia, on
Special Duty for the Battalion,
fixing up the Banking business
&c & about 1001 other jobs.
We were relieved out on the Desert
& got into Ismailia on Johnnies 
Birthday. It was a pretty solid
route march with packs up.
Well long before you get this we
will be off again, & France is
our destination. I will send you
a cable today, but unfortunately
I cannot put anything in it
about going away. Ive just
been talking to Mrs Knox, the

Colonels wife, & she is going
to get this letter away for me.
No time for any more
old SweetyHeart, as I ll be
rushing round like a scalded
cat for the rest of the day. We
dont know how our Mails have
been going lately & we have
not been getting any in, but there
should be a nice big mail very
soon now. Will write you a
great big letter as soon as I 
can. Good bye for the present
old Pettie.
Your ever loving husband
Cecil.

Got Mrs. Kennedy to address
the envelope for me

CBM
 

HELIOPOLIS HOUSE HOTEL
HELIOPOLIS (CAIRO)
 

CBMills Lt

23^rd Battn

15-MR-16 (inked postal stamp)

Mrs C. B. Mills
^c/o Dr. A. Burner
Kinellan
Dalley Street
Waverly
N.S.W
Australia.