Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 1

The Young Men's Christian Association
with
H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Eygpt

From - Corp Me.

7th Rein 7th Batt

Egypt

18 - 9 - 15
My dear Mum.
I am sick and tired of
wasting leather in the gritty paving
stones of Cairo. Egypt is all right
for a week, while everything is
wonderful an new old, but it
soon wears off, and everything
becomes a drag, so now I am
going to a place where monotony
is unknown, and a year seems
like one crowded hour of
glorious life, it is worth an age
without a name.
Here am I on the eve  of
entering the firing line, and
rejoicing like a strong man to
run a race,  don't for goodness
sake trouble your head about
me, I am fit enough to endure
all the fatigue and privations.
of trench warfare, so you can

rest assured. I am not going
to take any unnecessary risks,
but I am not going to hold back.
They say we make a great
sacrifice, well, I don't see it,

it is a great life, with a glorious
end. I feel just as if I were
about to row in the Head of the
River Races, but here there is
more to fight for, there, we battled
for our schools, here we fight for
our homes, and all we left behind
and so we have a grand feeling
of protection, while you, ought
to have a far deeper and grander
feeling of sacrifice.
I often think now, what a
grand life I have had, in a
happy home, and all the scoldings
and you have given me, and
sending me to bed without any
tea, has made me what I am
to day, but you have never beaten

me, as far as I can remember,
now dont feel virtuous, it is only
because you couldn't catch me.
I feel absolutely - with the
exception of one little corner, which
you can wipe away - as light
hearted as a school boy - all
you have to do is to think of
me as enjoying the glory of a
soldiers life to the utmost, and
not to sit and worry yourself
to death, no good ever comes of
worrying, and you can bet
your life that I will not stick
to my life with all my might,
and sell it very dearly, as a
matter of fact I think it will be
too dear for the poor Turk, but
he is a fair fighter, so it will
be all straight going, and I
will come home again to find
you the proud mum of four
athletes. Your loving son
Wally.
Remember me to Kate.

Article - THE ASTONISHING ANZAC EVACUATION. - see original document.

Age.   9.3.16

As Wally was in the 

trenches at Gallipoli

at 3am on the 20^th

December - he must,

by the above account,

have been among the very 

last Anzac Diehards

to leave the Peninsula.

Victoria Crosses have

been bestowed for less

heroic deeds than

that handful of men 

performed on the ace - last  

memorable two days

at Gallipoli

July 1915

Address

No 2492.

Corp W.M.F.Gamble.

7^th Reinforcements

7^th Battalion

Intermediate Base Depot

Egypt

My Dear old Dad.
I don't know how the crowd felt as it rushed up the
pier trying in vain to overtake the slowly but surely moving boat, but my word
I know how I felt, just the same as hundreds of other chaps - First of all the
anxious waiting and thinking "Will they never come;" then to see the
gates open,  just as the engines began to throb, and lastly, straining 

near the side, eagerly watching the leaders of the beach mass come along side.
but all the upturned faces were strange to me, and I was glad in
a wh way, when I saw a couple of women fainting, the rest rushing headlong 
forward, in a mad endeavour to get a last glimpse of "The poor beggars who go to 

war."  I am glad that I saw you all just before I left,  and that is more
than most of us can say. Well, here we are, we have had pretty rough
weather for about four days, and [[xxxx Turks?]] met us t now, I am thinking
the Australians would not keep up their reputation, they are good bushmen, but

very poor sailors.  You will be pleased to hear that the Detective chap at camp

has run Davidson to earth, he came round to me on Thursday afternoon,

and asked me to come over the hills and try my gun, he borrowed one for

himself and we started off.  Well talk about Buffalo Bill,  well he isn't in it. 

at the rate of 1 shot per second, he hit a match box 3 times at a distance of 35 yds

and then wheeled around without stopping and drilled three holes in a stump

200 yards away.  when we were coming home he told me he had got Davidson at last

and then proceeded to tell me how he did it.  No more here I will tell you next letter.

Wally.
 

PASSED SENSOR

A.I.F 64
Dr M. F. H. Gamble.
"Rothesay"
Wills St
Kew.
Australia  Victoria

July 1915
My darling old Mum
I hope you were not in that struggling
crowd which swarmed up the pier, last Friday. My
word Mum I am a bit of a sailor, for five days
we have had waves towering above the decks, and
chaps have been right out to it. but I have, enjoyed
every yard, I am in a beautiful "Troop deck," it is
the top deck between midships and the stern, it is
easily the best of the privates quarters, and was
originally meant for the Sergeants. I can't tell you
how, when, or where we are, but we are on our way.
Thank Dad for cigarettes, and thank you for the
peanuts, but they are all gone. The boys are beginning
to recover from their seasickness, for every night!
every spare place is made into a ball room, with
a couple of mouth organs and a concertina as
the orchestra.  so I think when they all get right, we
will have a very lively time.  Your loving son Wally

PASSED CENSOR

A.I.F. 64
Mrs Gamble
"Rothesay"
Wills St
Kew
Australia    Victoria

No 2942
corp. me.
7^th Rein 7^th Batt
Intermediate base Depot
Egypt.
20^th Aug 15
My dear old Mum
I missed the last mail on
board, and this is the first opportunity of
writing, I have had since.
We arrived at Port Suez at 2 am Sunday
morning last, but did not disembark till
Monday. w late in the afternoon. so we
enjoyed a beautiful ride in a tropical evening.
I had a seat on top of the train, and
saw all the wonders Egypt can produce.
I saw the sun go down far over the
desert sea, and the moon shine out over
a beautiful green oasis, with towering palms
in the middle of which was a little village
of perhaps thirty mud hut dwellings - the
low mud huts, the green undergrowth and
the towering palms, in the sunlight was
a wonderful sight. with the tractless desert
stretching as far as human eye can see
on every side.
In the day time Egypt is like an oven

the sand reflects the heat of the sun,
making a mirage which makes everything appear
parched and desolate; but in the evening
when the moon is shining there seems to be
a charm in everything - but when the moon
sinks everything is black - "black as Egypts

night.
Tomorrow, Malcolm, Ivan, and myself
are taking a trip round Cairo, with a
native guide, to see everything of note, including
the Pyramids etc, I will send you the
photoes I take with my little vest pocket
camera, that is, if the blooming thing will
work.
We don't know for certain when
we are going to the front, but if we
do not leave within a fortnight, we
will probably stay here for couple of
months.
It is grand to hear the adventures
of the returned wounded, - they are mostly
shot in the left arms and legs, and
the wounds are healing up, leaving no
ill effects,  so there is not much to fear -
the Australians are evidently wonderful