Letter and photograph of Robert Leslie Holden, 1915-1916 - Part 1

France
Dec, 6, 1916
A. Little Graffic Experience Of A
Coolgardie Boy.
Well we sailed aboard the 'R.M.S.'
"Mongolia" on Nov 23, ad after a nice calm
trip, we arrived at Colombo at midnight,
and the lights of the city and also the
different lights of the Liners which lay around
us, were something beautiful to see. Well as
we had too wait for our ship too cast off its
mails ect; there was arrangements made for us
(which consisted of three hundred men forming
the 12^th – 11^th) to have a look at our surroundings.
At 9 oclock after the morning after our
arrival, we were lined up a roll call taken,
we were then marched aboard Tugs, and
landed on the “Colombo” Wharf, our next
steps then was a small route march of say three
miles, through the streets and by-lanes to the
Railway Station and aboard the train. The
 

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inhabitants, and also the scenery of the place and our
surroundings in general ^it was very interesting to us
all, and top the lot the the temperature was
in the area of 110° and us all being in a soft
condition after our sea voyage and the marching
thrown in, we were all one mass of perspiration.
Our railway journey lay through some of the
most beautiful scenery one wishes to set eyes on
To a place called Kandy which was calculated at
90 miles from our starting place. At one minute
we were wizzing along through cuttings through the
rocky mountains and vegetation tapering
high above us, with the, thick clouds hanging
thickly in among the Mountain Tops, the next minute
we would look down hundreds of feet at the
inhabitants who looked like mere specks, working
among the lovely green pastures. Our journeys end found
us landed in a very pretty little spot, and there
we roamed around, firstly through a bazaar (as I’ll
call it.) which consisted of a number of fruit stalls
etc. and there we had our fill of fruits which was
mostly Bannas ect. To our hearts content. We then
wandered around among the inhabitants who interested
us very much. I next found mysef  myself
in a Park with lovely greenery all around me, and
at the bottom of the Park lay a lake, as pretty a spot as

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one would wish too see; our next news was, move along
To the Station our train is moving out at 6 oclock.
Well that ninety mile train journey seemed
To myself the longest train journey in my life, but it
came to an end and we soon found ourselves on our way
home arriving on board the ship at about midnight.
The next morning the natives who of course
are a coloured race, caused a good deal of amuse
amusement whilst they were loading the coal
bunkers, also the dealers, who were trying to sell
their wears; with a good deal of barracking from the
boys. At midday we up-anchored and away
we went, for about anock another seven days, our
next stop being at “Aiden”, but we seen very
little of, ‘Aiden’, as we only stopped there a short
time and we were kept aboard ship; away we
went again our next stop being at, “Port Suez”.
we then disembarked in tugs amid a good deal
of Cooe-ing and Farewells from the passengers
and we were landed on shore, hard and firm once
again. At 8 oclock we entrainted and after an
alright ride, we disentrained, and after about
a three miles march we arrived at Abbassia
Camp about four miles outside of Cairo. (date Dec 15
1915). Well the least said about Cairo the better
 

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as I know that you have had a good many accounts
of it. Our next move  was to Aoredrome Camp, just
on the outskirts of Heliopolis, which in appearance
was a very clean township. Next move being
on Feb 25. 1915 aboard the train, about 6 oclock again
detraining at Sarapium, up packs again, a five mile
march, w through the heavy sand, and at our journey’s
end we bivuoced for the night, our tea and breakfast
consisting of the very unacceptable bully beef and
biscuit, and our tongues parched, and hardly a drop
of water, for what we had we were frightened to drink
for we didn’t know where the next drop was
coming from; during the night we had a heavy
dew, which made it very cold and uncomfortable.
in the early hours of the morning away we went
again, for about another six miles, joining the Battalion,
right out in the depths of the desert, at a place
called Albeik Habieta. Well we (the Battalion) were there after we
arrived for about ten days, doing out post
duty of a night or else; making trenches, as it
was there that Jacko the Turk was supposed
to make his appearance; but of course we was'nt
exactly exempt from, Form Fours etc.
Well our next journey was up packs,
and away, across the the desert with the
sands above our boot tops, our noses ^were set for a bee
 

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line for Sarapuim a, lovely ten miles route
march. Well our stay there ran into a period
of about three weeks, our general routine being,
full packs (and lunch, lunch consisting if we were
lucky, of a slice of bread and jam or dry bread
or chunk of cheese) a Battalion Parade, and
then a nice trudge across the desert about two too
three miles, dump our packs and then carry on with
the general routine of the day, sloping an arms,
forming fours, pick up your dressing etc, which
day after day began to get terribly monotonous;
Then came smoke “o” with a lecture thrown in, whilst
we were enjoying our fags beneath the burning glaze
of the sun across the desert. Well the lecture generally
lay in the behaviour of the Australian
Troops also Touching on the subject that if we
did not behave ourselves much better in the
future, that we wouldn’t have the pleasure
of making our appearance in France, and
having a go in with Fritz in Flanders; then
came the general oppinion that we were bound
for France, and how too behave ourselves, when we
arrived there and found ourselves billet^ed among
the inhabitants too respect the people etc and
not to damage the billets, and Or when we found
ourselves in France, where did we find ourselves
 

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nowhere else, but in pig styes ^that we’d term in the good old West
or stuck away in old barnes or ramshackle
houses with rats jumping on us all night, and
the lice of course they don’t get a mention.
Well too carry on in the desert again;
after smoke O! came lunch or dinner whichever
you pleased to term it which lasted half an hour,
then up and at it again until about 2.30 pm,
pick up packs, (and we were bound for home as
we termed it,) which ^which by then was ^we were ^was beginning to
fell feel a terrible drag; then we were dismissed
to relieve ourselves of our equipment
which also had 120 rounds of ammunition in
the pouches. Well we had a spell then, for, say
a quarter of an hour, then the word would come
along, Fall in, with towels, swimming parade,
and away we would go again too the Cannal
which lay about ¾ of mile from our camp.
Well that was our most enjoying
part of the day, for one thing we could have a very
enjoyable swim, as in this particular part,
the other side lay about 200 yds across, and then
again we thought ourselves very unlucky if a
Mail Ship did’nt pass our way, and then too
hear our boys, who were there in thousand
along the sea-shore, Cooo-ing too the passengers
 

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aboard the ship and vice-vesa from the ship
was a sight to see and hear; we were then marched
home and dismissed, then came tea with a
bully-beef or probably if we were lucky a fresh
meat stew, and then our usual game of cards or
our replying to our correspondents, and wondering
if we could write such and such a thing,
frightened for fear Mr Censor ^would tear it out, and
leave our name to arrive home; and then
followed our Church Parade of a Sunday morning
with the afternoon and evening to ourselves
unless we were unlucky enough to strike guard
etc. Our next move was aboard train at
a railway siding which lay about half a mile
from Separium, and away we went about 8pm
on or about the 28 March. The train consisted
of open trucks; through the night we had
a heavy dew, and there we were packed likes
sardines and as cold as a frog, until we reached
our destination, (which turned out to be
Alexandria) at about 4am, disembarked
and had a good run-around. There we were
with the Sea spread before us once again, and
the “Corsican”, laying at anchor waiting to
to take us aboard; after we and the rest of
the troops and cargo was boarded, it was
 

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up-anchor and away again, and there we
found ourselves afloat on the deep blue sea
once again to our keen delight. Our next
stop which was only a few hours, was at Malta,
but all we seen, was what we could see from the
ships decks. Away we went again with
a little Destroyer gliding in and out about
a mile in front of us, looking for ^Submarines Torpeado’s 
which were supposed to be sweeping the Seas.
Still the days glided on with a lovely calm
sea, but poor tucker, and our slumbers disturbed
of a night which when it fell too our turn to mount
Submarine Guard etc.; then came our arrival
at Marseilles about April 5 after passing April
Fools day aboard ship. Our first news on our
arrival was that we had been sunk three days
ago by a Submarine, but there we were as
large as life, to the surprise of some of the
2^nd Div. lads, who happened to fall a f victim
to baggage guard, when there Div had
passed through, a short time before. We
arrived at Marseilles about dawn, and O!
what a glorious sight stretched before our
eyes, more especially after coming off the
glazing sands of the desert. Well we
were kept aboard the old “Corsican” until about sun
 

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set, but the scenery and our surroundings found
amusement, for us all through the long day,
and in the afternoon when we were issued
with Gas Helmets, they caused a good deal of
laughter and banter among the boys. Our
new next move was disembarkment, and after
a short march, we found ourselves at a railway
station, where we entrained, and about
8 oclock we were off again. Well that ride
lasted three nights and two days; whence
we arrived at a small village named Goedsveldt
at 6am thence we had a small route march to Strazeele
where we were billed in old barnes and ramshackle
houses, then started our first order first 
experience of Frenchie’s Frano’s, which our
boys’ didn’t take long to “Compre.’ During
our journey from Marseilles we passed
within 15 miles of Paris, and between the
people, whilst we were stopping at the Stations
and some of the most glorious
scenery that I have ever set eyes on, the
time passed away very pleasantly. Our stay
in Strazeele lasted about a fortnight, our days
programme being, a route march for full
marching order, (packs etc) about ^four times a week
which generally ran into something around

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ten miles, the weather generally being cold,
sleet and rain. Then came the day of our
departure, on shank’s pony with full
marching order and blanket, which ran into
the matter of about 11 miles, where we were
billeted in a ramshakle old place; and there
it was that we had our first taste of Fritz’s
shells, which went whistling through the shell  
air. very close above our heads and burying 
burning themselves in a paddock, with
splinters flying all round, we only lasted
there a short time as the night after our arrival,
it was found out that we were occupying
our wrong billets, so up kits again,
and after a mile and a half march we arrived
at “Sailly” in the middle of the night
with the rain pouring down. Well our
stay in Sailly which lay about six
miles behind the “firing line”, ran into
about five weeks, and during that too
a certain extent I enjoyed myself.
It was the night of May 20 that we the
3^rd Brigade took over from our 2^nd Brigade
the 9^th Battalion and our Battalion the 11^th
taking over the, “Firing Line”, and the