Lieutenant Colonel William McKenzie, MC, OBE - letters - 1915 - Part 11

ROSSMORE HOUSE

                           TEL. 3641       15, SHARIA EL MADABEGH

LIFT                            

                                                           CAIRO (Egypt)   

                                                 6/11/15 - 

 

TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS

                             "ROSSMORE-CAIRO"

Dearest of my Heart / I must drop you

a line or two before setting out

this morning. I hope it finds you

in good health bright spirits, and 

an eager looking forward to brighter

& better days yet to be. they are

surely coming & will not tarry, tho

this war is very likely to last many

months yet judging by present ex-

periences, as little can be done on

the Russian & French fronts while

the winter is on - the roads are

so bad that heavy artillery cannot

travel & the big guns are essential

to both sides from the smashing down

of the earthworks etc. It would

thus appear as if it will go on well

into next year, unless the Dardanelles

are reinforced before Xmas & this is

at present unlikely.

ROSSMORE HOUSE

                           TEL. 3641       15, SHARIA EL MADABEGH

LIFT                            

                                                           CAIRO (Egypt)   

2                                 

 

TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS

                             "ROSSMORE-CAIRO"

Well now my darling I am

here at Rossmore House 

a fine palatial Pension - / - 1st Class Boarding

House - It is just as costly as the Hotels

but is quiet & peaceful, & in a lovely

quarter & this is a relief as there

are not near so many people about.

As at the Hotel & the ladies there (It

is now the beginning of the season)

mostly sip wine & smoke cigarettes - 

I will be surprised to hear that many

of the nurses are cigarette smokers

numbers of them are confirmed "flirts"

& more than a dozen (British) have been

sent home with a "growing load" to

carry & others are most likely to meet

the same fate. Tho' its not more

than 10% of the lot - about 200 in all.

There are many beautiful souls among

them but many are far too young

& inexperienced to be left with so

much liberty & opportunity to go astray

there are [?] 500 [?] here.

3 

Here is one of the jokes: given by an

Aust'n who was badly wounded - 

He said to his nurse :- Sister, you 

are so kind to me I would give you 

a medal if I could, but as I 

cant do this, with your permission

I'll give you a "clasp", when [?] better,

I am getting my teeth done up & the

price is awful - ₤7-7-0 for a few,

hours work - the only English Dentist

in the City - he is a good one & of course

makes the Officers fork out the Dollars.

The drilling [?] me up some as I

suppose it did with Don. I hope he's

now thoroughly fixed up with his mouth

& expect to be [?] here by Tuesday

next & leave on that day for Alexan

[?] & speedily catch a boat for

Lemnos & return to my boys where

ever they may be. We may have to 

proceed to Salonika to fight up there

or we may be going back to relieve the

3rd Brigade & Light Horses - the latter

is most probably as they have not

been out yet tho' they have had a

comparitively quiet time for months.

4

I am sending you by this mail

per registered letter a Bank Draft

for the sum of ₤180 on the Common

wealth Bank Melbourne - you will

need to go in person to the Bank - It 

is in Collins St near Elizabeth St

on right hand side going to Spencer

St Station next to or nearby the Bank 

of N.S. Wales. You will please draw

this cash & go straightaway with it

& deposit it in the Victoria State

Savings Bank - not the Commonwealth.

Bank ₤50 in the name of Mavis

[?] McKenzie by opening an

a/c in her name and the balance

into you own a/c. But please do not 

tell Mavis or the boys & for that matter 

not another soul - Its not their Business.

I'll feel lighter & more content to know

you receive this money safely so let me

know by return. I'll put it in a 

good safe investment when I return

I never drew a penny for many many

months & now I've drawn up to date

& also withdrawn the Cash I had in 

bank & sent onto you with a little

added that I had by me.

ROSSMORE HOUSE

                           TEL. 3641       15, SHARIA EL MADABEGH

LIFT                            

                                                           CAIRO (Egypt)   

5                                 

 

TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS

                             "ROSSMORE-CAIRO"

I hope you will try to add just a

little (if possible) when things get easier

& prices lower as they are bound to do.

It will help with the children & places

your future & there's in an easier path.

I am thus awfully glad to send it on.

Try & go to the seaside for a couple of

weeks if possible, or if you can't get 

3 weeks get one! It will do you all

good. I am just off to the Bank &

then the Dentist once more then

lunch then off to visit the sick

& hunt up various boys of mine

so I'll have a busy day, in fact

3 days. I must conclude with 

oceans of love to you. Theres

 a terrible heart hunger for your

presence & I'm glad I feel too.

You're my joy & light & have given me

blessings & pleasures untold.

6

Col Unsworth & Green each told me

they had written you & had received a

replay - Unsworth is finishing up

with the red Cross in 4 weeks time

& will be returning to H.Q. London

he was disapptd in the job. He is 

not fussy, nor anything like the Boss.

He is a sort of lackey & his [?]

tendered his resign which has been

accepted by [?] Gen Reid & thus he goes

back to H.Q & they are anxious to get

him for the Parliment Jobs & other matters.

[?] that the Boys & Mavis are

[?] first class order & having a very

good time in general.

I conclude with hugs love and

kisses, & Xmas Greetings to all.

May God richly bless guide lead

& keep you.

                     Yours in Happy bonds

                                     W McKenzie

2

"Thousands of men have been

on this ship and I have no

recollection of them what

so ever said one Officer but we

can never forget you." Why

we are continually signing

your songs & each rushed to

shake hands as if I was 

a really "Daddy Xmas" There

are 250 New Zealand Troops

with us. The Army Corps H.Quts

(4 Genls) & 2 Battalions (3&4)

so I have a fine crew. I

had Church Service this morning 

all [?] present. A thought

& preached a 'ripping' sermon.

I never feel a scrap nervous

In fact I just say "I'm the Boss

here at this job so here gives &

it helps one thus. The Officers

& men reckon I'm the "Daddy"

Chaplain of the whole bunch

& can completely lick them out

a stirring preaching & none

dare take the boards at a 

Concert as Chairman if

I'm about. The men wont

have anyone else. The

applause is deafening as soon

as I appear & they [?] at my slightest

sally & I can say anything to them & pull

them up at [?]. The army stands

3

mighty high as a consequence

& will have many more friends

as a result. This has been

a hard trying job but I can

humbly say "One more than

justified my appm't be incon

testible results & certainly

many thousands can never

forget me & something of what

I have said & stood for.

This I know my darling will

be a cheer to you & bring 

to me satisfaction to your

heart at this time of [?].

You will also be glad to know

that I am real well in every

way my health is tiptop now &

my strength excellent & I feel

as fit as can be. I had my

birthday last Monday - I forgot

all about it until 8.20 p.m.

It was a rather [?] day

the day that the last lot of Troops

left "Anzac" & marched in to

camp at [?]. I thought

of Mavis' birthday - I hope she 

had a happy joyful time.

We had a [?] Xmas on

board & services & a big

concert at night which was a 

[?] success. We can have no more

now lest we attract submarines at night.

 

POSTCARD

 

CORRESPONDENCE                               ADDRESS ONLY

 

W^m. M^cKENZIE - Chaplain

4^th Battalion.

 

 

 

PR84 /150(7)

Australian

War Memorial

 

 

CARTE POSTALE

W^m. M^cKENZIE - Chaplain

4^th Battalion

To Mavis         

From Daddie

? After Lone Pine

   (having lost much weight)

 

 

 

PR84 /150(7)

Australian

War Memorial