Papers relating to the service of Noel Murray Brazier, 1914 - 1916 - Part 5

Heliopolis, San Stephano St.
No. 5.
27th June 1915.
Sir,
I am ready to cut and sew
trousers for His Majesty's Australian
troops in accordance with the
specifications you give and within
the time to be fixed by you.
Should my offer meet your
approval I would charge a lower
cost than you already give.
Waiting a favourable answer,
I remain,
Your obedient
Servant
Madame Katbah Bakary

1/7/15

My dear Brazier,

I have just received a communication from 

Bde Howe that the Brigadier proposes bringing you over here

& putting some other officer in your place. They casually tell me that

they have written to you for certain reports or such like, on 2 or 3 occasions

but recd. no reply from you, or in fact a single line since we left.

Before you come, please send my box &c to Cook & Sons & get a receipt - 

I wrote Greenwood some time ago, asking him to buy & bring me a

luminous watch, similar to one Verny Pierse has. If you come before

him, will you please bring it - Also please ask Nicholas ^Olden Greenwood why they

do not write officially, if not from ordinary friendship & let me know

how they are & when they expect to return. Also please make enquiries

as to whereabouts of ^& condition of Burkett, Sherwood, Colpitto, Cadden & Campbell - 

I have not had a line from any of these, nor from Jackson. I can assure

you I feel very annoyed. You can imagine with all these officers

away, I am having a rough passage. Fry returned about a week

ago - We are fighting off & on day & night. The 8^th & 9^th have recently

been in the thick of it. Col White was wounded & Major Gregory & Capt

Crowle killed. The 10^th considering the work & engagements has been

very lucky - although suffering big casualties; there are only 6 killed

We are holding our end up & I don't think you will have cause to be

ashamed of your command.

I hope the end of our trench fighting will soon be over, as it is most

nerve racking. A fellow really wants a spell every 5 or 6 weeks.

When you arrive I will apply for a weeks trip, & get away from dodging 

shells & bullets which lately has been a very difficult job, as they have

pelted them in at times like hail. I am told that 500 shells fell in 3 hours

in 170 yards perimeter of our trenches, but we not only held on but repelled

a heavy after attack, with great slaughter to the enemy, hundreds of whom are still 

[*lying outside of our trenches

Your sincerely Alan J Love *]

 

13/7/15

My dear Brazier,

I am informed by Brigade HQrs that you are 

expected here any day, & the sooner the better for they are worrying

the life out of me. A CO has not only to fight the enemy but

the staff as well _ The Brigadier & myself had a long yarn

this morning & he finally agreed with me, that there were

4 vacancies for commissions in the Reg. But he suggests

[*not*] a competitive exam & that the matter should await your

arrival. Now competitive or non competitive, the men we

want are the men who have proved themselves, both in training

& in active service & I should be glad if you agree with me

that you strongly recommend the following - 

1 Sqon SM Love AE. who passed the competitive exam in Ruckingham

& was chosen to attend the school, but who chose active service

in preference, & who according to the paper (which he & Sergt

Harper conjointly sent to Bde HQrs at Heliopolis) were 

appointed 2^nd Lieuts -

2. Sergt Roskamo - A Sqon

3 Sergt Turnbull - A Sqon

4. Sergt Gollan C Sqon

All these 4 NCOs, will be good officers & you can safely recommend

them on my recommendation _

I trust you will treat this as urgent, as at present we are very

short of officers & consequently disorganized.

2

& every day, we are expecting a forward movement.

I have been bad with diarrhoea for about 14 days & am

just about played out & intended, as soon as you arrived

having a week's spell on the hospital ship or in Lemnos_

You can imagine I have had a rough passage, with so

many officers knocked out, & can appreciate the idea 

of urgency in getting others appointed.

Olden & McDonald arrived this morning, with 51 men

[*motorcars

He job

licked!*]

I understand the Brigadier was very annoyed with you

over something, hence his decision to relieve you & get you

over here. McFarlane was wounded today_ Antill is as 

[*wait

while*]

great a bully as ever & lease us a cat & dog life_

I understand there is a possibility of his getting command of

[*never*]

the brigade, if the Brigadier again breaks down. What ho

then! You might write me stating that you recommend these

4 NCOs - specially for their past work & I can add my knowledge

of their work on active service_ My brother, I feel sure they will

try & block, as a hit at me, but if any one is entitled he is,

although

he is unfortunately for him my brother _ Surely

he is better fitted & more capable a leader than Throssell &

many others_ The other 3 are all good & will undoubtedly be

good leaders_

Hoping to see you soon, with kindest regards. 

Alan J Love.

[*When you come

bring me a 25/-

luminous watch

I wrote Greenwood

to get one & send it

with Olden*]

[*When you come take

my advice & bring

fruit, cocoa, coffee &

tin soups, or such

like - as there is nothing

here, but tin dog*]

Almaga

2nd Oases

16.7.15

My Dear Brazier

I looked 

you up to see the Boy in

[[?]] Eng - but you were out

so was the Boy.

Will you come to see us tonight?

At 7.45 we have the proverbial chop

Perhaps Thorne & Alan could

come along?

I will then engage you & your thin

Captain at a game of chance

(or stall) called Bridge

Evergame

GA Dean

Karekin Deukmedjian

Helmich Station

Ligne matarich

23-7-15

Hon: Colonel Brazier

Head Quarters office

Sir,

I beg to apply you with this my

petition respectfully asking of your kindness

to grant me permission to open a shop of a 

Barber in the new arrived Australian Army

on the No 3th or No 4th places.

HOpeing that my demand will be so

kindly considered favouably by you for

which I beg to offer my best thank in anticipation

and oblige.

I get to remain 

Sif,

your obedient servant

Karekin Deukmedjian

 

Sorry old chap but

gone to the pool

Al Hayat

Convalescent Hospital

Helwan 29/8/15

My dear Colonel,

After being tossed about

from pillar to post I have at last

found a resting place.

Several doctors have examined my

knee & diagnosed the injury as

trachmar synovitis. At present

it is bound up in a starch bandage

& in a week or so they havered

massage. It is still very painful

& apparently much worse than I

thought. I am confined to my

bed, as rest is the most essential

remedy. From what the doctor's

now tell me, it will be 3 or 4 weeks

2

at the very earliest before I will be

fit for duty. How I am going to 

fill in this period ^in confinement

I know not.

Helwan is 25 miles from Cairo

& strange to say many degrees 

cooler, which is the only redeeming

feature.

I heard of Roginson & Todd -

& Craig, but did not see any of

them.

I understand that Nicholas & Greenwood

are in Alexandria. 

Gartrell & Major Gibbs, I met at

Heliopolis Hospital, they are inmates.

Mac Farlane I hear has been

invalided back to Australia.

the bullet penetrated or injured

the sciatic nerve.

3

Col Collett with the 28^th Battalion

are in Egypt & I hear leave for the

front this week.

I arrived in Alexandria on 26^th

I hope you got the note I sent you

from Imbros.

I am anxiously awaiting a letter

from you, to know the result of

your letter to HQrs re my being

superseded & also what action

followed your recommendation

of special mention of myself & Todd

in the xxx disastrous assault of

the 7^th. I hope you have had

no more of these since.

4

I understand that reinforcements

for the mounted Brigades left

Egypt some days ago for the front

You will now have a surplus of

senior & junior officers, which will

no doubt cause a lot of trouble

Dunckley called on me & is very

anxious to get to the front.

Tell the padre, I had a visit from

his wife & she has promised to

come out here & see me later on

I was two days at Heliopolis Hospital

Kindest regards & very best wishes to

all the members of our Gallant 10^th.

Yours very sincerely

Alan J Love Major