Lieutenant Colonel William McKenzie, MC, OBE - letters - 1916 - Part 1

 

(Lady MacNaughten) The Colonel 

thinks there's none like me 

& he's always blowing about his 

"Padre." He told me that his mother 

and I are the only two people whose 

religion he really believed in. 

On Satdy night at a Camp fire

Concert he made a speech 

& apologised for his speech saying 

I can't make a speech if I 

could only talk like the Padre 

here then I could express 

my feelings toward you 

I was at the close of a red hot 

camp fire for each on new 

Year's night. It was a topnotcher

in the open air with a biscuit 

box for a platform. The Col 

was there all thro' and didn't 

he just let go. I had to sing 3 

homemade songs. We closed 

by joining hands & singing Auld

Lang Syne & then the King.

[[?]] now we camped at Alex

for 2 days where I saw Greene

(N.Z.) tho' I couldnt see Orames

before returning he was in Cairo

It has been a rough experience

since disembarking at Alex

on Wed Dec 29th

[*We has come to Tel-el-Kebir in the desert

& no tents for the men after the fighting

there had, It rained heavy yesterday, & now*]

 

 

Egypt 10/1/15

My Darling Mavis

You have 

made me very happy by making 

such a lovely hanky for my 

birthday. You have done it 

just beautiful and the sewing 

is remarkably good for a 

7 6 year old Girl & I'll give 

you first prize for this.

That will be 10/- for your 

last birthday. Ask mother to 

pay it for me & charge it up 

as a debt to me. I'll pay! 
I hope you had a very happy 

Birthday & a nice little party. 

Tell me what you got. I'm 

going to send you a small 

thing that I got from a little 

Arab girl for giving her a 

5 Piastre piece to buy food 

that is one shilling and a half penny. 

1/-½. That is a big lot of money to 

a native little girl. They can buy 

a meal with a 1/8 of a penny. 

I would like to know what you 

did, where you went and whom you 

saw at the Xmas and new years 

holidays - I expect you helped 

[*Mother quite a lot and had some fine fun playing 

and working. Can you play a tune on the Piano yet? 

You are just too young to start & learn Music. You can

start when you are nine years old - 3 years more*]

 

 

2

I am keeping very busy & so am

very happy telling the soldier

men about Jesus & my you

should hear them singing.

I will be glad to come home

& see Mother & you again. Wont

we just have a real happy time

& a nice little holiday all on

our own. It is now 15 months since

I saw you in Sydney (off in the train)

I suppose you'll be a good reader

when I get back.

Now I must close with a lot

of love & plenty of hugs and

Kisses for Mother & you. Give

her 20 for me. And 6 for each

of the boys. What is Colin doing

now? What does he work at

every day? I was dreaming

about you last night. You gave

me a lot of hugs & Kisses &

woke me up by shaking my hand.

I must keep that hanky safely

its such a nice one.

Good bye for the present.

God bless you much

Your loving Father

WMcKenzie

 

 

Egypt

17.1-16

Darling Muma

Just a note to

let you know of my contd welfare

I'm rushed with work - enquiry

re the Training Camp - now so

many troops are together

I'm in "the pink" & it is a pleasure

to work. I have a fine tent

(square) to myself & had it

dug out 2½ feet, with side

& floor covered with

matting its a dinky, swanky

affair, wooded steps

down to it & a ledge all

around for boxes to hold

my belongings etc. A

table & chair xx - Two empty

bottles with candles in them

for a chandlier, the

floor for my bed, so I'm

awfully comfy.

I had a tremendously large

parade yestdy morning

only 6 men & 2 officers

left my Battln to go to the

[*C of E. parade tho' there are hundreds

designated as such - then I had the ½ of the

C of E Padre's Battln & a 1/3 of each of*]

 

 

2

the 1st & 2nd Battln's - so judge

the size of my congregation

It was a mighty large square

12 lines thick on one side & 8

on the others, 6 at the back of me

th eGeneral & staff were present

& "Mac" was in form. I gave

what constitutes a good soldier

of Jesus Christ Colonel Mac

laughter afterwards came up

& congratulated me on my

address. It was capital

Padre, Capital, the very best

sermon I have ever listened

to, just the thing we needed.

I thanked him & walked of the

Parade ground quietly smiling

to myself. They think your

hubby quite a "talker" who can

wax eloquent as occasion demands.

I am meeting quite a lot of

Salvationists boys.

I guess we'll be moving along

again at no distant date

I also had a  great concert on

Satdy night. Col & officers present.

 

3

I was awfully "bucked up" to get

your letter of thursday last.

Dec 5th in which you mention

Don is greatly improved & sticking

in to his lessons well - dear guess

he'll be beside himself when he

gets the gold watch as also the

other boys - I gave Colin my own

& now I'm without a reliable watch

I'll get one this week.

I have just had word from

Imrie saying things are going 

well with you all, he is keeping

a kindly eye on my family &

particularly on Mavis

I guess the boys have had some

happy holidays & are back at

work once more, meanwhile I

must close hoping this finds you

all in real fine fettle in every

way - Fondest love to all and

hugs & kisses too. heaps of 'em.

God Bless, Guide & Keep you.

Yours affectly as ever

WMcKenzie

[*wont tell the

children re the

Church Parade of C of E.*]

 

The Salvation Army.

Chaplain Australian Expeditionary Forces.

Egypt

19-1-16

My Own love

Just a short line - I am

busy getting cleaned up & am sending

on to you for careful keeping a

selection of letters I receive.

Show McGregor's letter also Mrs Hancocks

to the Commr & Mrs Hay. Get them back!

We had a great Divisl Review on Satdy

last before Genl _∨Sir Archie Murray - & it

was , an inspiring sight. Our 1st Brigade

were deemed the steadiest & the 4th Battln

the best, in the Brigade - We were the top

notchers - the famous fighting Fourth -

They reckon themselves 4th in name &

first in all else & particularly in

the "Padres" they've got. Am now trying

to induce Sipers from other regiments

to be transferred to the 4th, as all

our old boys but 2 were knocked

out - We are the only one now that

has a pipe band going & ours is

only 2 strong at present.

 

 

I had a little meeting in my tent

last night (Tues) with 15 boys

10 Salvos & 2 church folks - Only 3

were unsaved & they got right before

we closed. It was a fine meeting

I saw Johny Morcome (Corps now)

yesterday evening - he was in great

glee  Jumped off a waggon & came

running to me some 50 yds - he was

mighty pleased to get your letter.

Les Nankervis is in London, he has been

very sick but is improving. Johny was

coming to meeting last night but he

must have been detailed for duty

& unable to come.

Love to all. Hugs & Kisses - Im well

only got Dio'rea this last 2 days -

but mildly, so I dont mind it.

Adieu - WMcK

 

 

SHEPHEARD'S HOTEL

CAIRO

Cairo

Jany 21st 1916

My own Dearest

I am here

in Cairo for a few 

hours returning to my

camp tomorrow Satdy

night in time to take my

Parades & meetings on

Sunday - All goes well

with me. I saw Nurses

Egglestone & Collins

this aftn but missed Topt

& Gant the two former

look well & are very

cheery & having quite

a useful time on the

whole. I am trying to

hunt up information

2

re killed & missing etc,

I herewith enclose you

a Bank draft for 

£20 - You can bank this

& use it as the need arises

I hope all are keeping

well & having a real

good time in general

It is likely you will have

 to pay a little exchange

on this money - may be

2/3-. I have £18 in the

Anglo Egyptian . "Captain

Wm McKenzie 4^th Battalion

A.I.F. personal a/c - It is

as well you should know

this in case I go "astray"

Im glad Ive been able to

send you £200 now

I hope you got the other

safe & placed it in the Bank at

[[?]].

 

3

I can guess the children

are very expensive now &

will be for 3 years more

& then our struggle in this

line is almost overcome

as the Boys (2 oldest) will

be earning by then. Donald

able to keep himself and

educate himself also and

Colin throwing piles of

cash into his Mothers lap

while Gordon will also be

getting a £1 a week to keep

his bread basket well filled.

And only Mavis will be

at the school & she'll be a 

great scholar in 10 years

time (if spared)

Well now darling Im just

all right - somehow I always

get lonely when I [[?]] to I was

so far away from the boys - tho'

I've been going strong this

aftn & am feeling very tired.

4

I have just about broken

the back of my mail -

I am sending you a selection

of letters I get, for you to

carefully preserve - Make

a strong bag to Keep them

in (safe & secure)

I am sending Mavis two

"Hankies" - I guess she'll

like them - she must not

lose them.

I will conclude with

heaps of love, hugs and

Kisses to you all

Yours as ever

Father

Everybody comments on

how well I'm looking now

again - How different to

what I was in early

September 

WMcK