Letters from Captain Walter Morris Felix Gamble to his family, 1915-1916 - Part 2

fighters, but as undisciplined as a heard

of savages, they charge, - are told to halt, and

then rush on all the fiercer, the Turks don't

mind the "Tommy", but when he sees the

felt hat of the Australian coming towards

him with a bayonet in front of it. he runs.

it is not blow, or skite, but a fact.

Our O.C. was telling us an instance, of

this the other day. Tommies were stationed

in the right of a trench, and Australians

in the left; they were facing a trench

gs   occupied by the enemy, the Australian

officer said to the Tommies officer. "You

can't charge" "Can't we?" said the

Tommy. - so it was arranged to attack

the enemy at the same time, each flank

opposing the opposite flank of the enemy.

They charged,- as the Australians reached

the trench, the Turks ran for their lif

lives, while the Tommies could not 

budge their wing, until they received

help from, the our boys. - The Turks

are good fighters, and fair, not one wounded

man has a bad xx word to say

against him, when an eight hour

armistice was agreed upon, shortly after

the landing, to bury the dead, no one was

to fire until the red flag came down,

two of our chaps were sitting a little

distance from the main trench, in on the

side of a dug out, they did not see the

flag go down, which meant commence

operations, but saw several Turks signalling

for them  to ged get under cover, and

did not open fire until they did, so I

think it will be a case of "honour while

you strike him down the foe that comes

with fearless eyes."

I suppose Dad is frightened to tell

the "pug" of the family - not to put so

much in his mouth -, and has he got

the kids howling all day trying his new

hits. I will try to write to them all

before next mail.

I am as fit as a fiddle, and would

not change this life for another, at

the present time, It is great! I haven't

received any letters yet. Hurry up !!!

Your loving son

Wally.

Received

14.9.15

Dear old Dad.

Since we left Fremantle

the sea has been gradually becoming

calmer, and the Sun hotter, until now

in the Red sea, "the ^heat would make your

bloomin' eyebrows crawl"

The ship doesn't seem to get much

cooler during the night, so Ivan,

Malcolm, and myself, sleep on

top of the canvas covering of the

Hospital, and get the benefit of what

little breeze there is

My job as Troop Deck Corporal.

the is the laziest a chap could

possibly have, bar none, during

the hot days, I read, eat tinned

Fruit, etc, in Malcolms cabin,

in the evening there is generally

a concert of some sort, and a

couple of real comedians, make

you laugh till tears wod come

into your eyes, then some love sick 

beggar sings a sentimental song; 

the laughing tears are still in

your eyes, and just as you

wipe one away, with a hard

rough hand - handkerchiefs not

being available - the stricken

one bemoans the fact that he

lost the sunshine when he lost

his "sweet heart"- I think he called

her, - but he did not mention

that he had found the sun with

a vengence.

I had a bit of hard work

to do one afternoon, it was about

120° in the shade, the N.C.O's of the 

7^th a had to pull the N.C.O.'s of the 8^th

Battalion, we beat them easily

enough, but the third pull, they

used the side of the boat for

foot holds, and we strained for

four minutes, ^before they were discovered

it brought back to my mind.

a quarter mile, and a boat race

I was just about done, when

some one started an argument

and a big officious sergeant

was blustering round and looking

as savage as he could, calling

out threateningly "Who said.

we put our feet on the side

of the boat" I having gathered

sufficient evidence, said " I did"

He advanced upon me and

called me a few names which

I can't write here, I told him

to smile when he spoke to me 

like that, he added a few more,

so I landed him a pretty left

hook to the jaw.

The ring was soon cleared

and ropes put up, hundreds

of chaps, eager to see a little

blood, were soon around the

ring, or on the rigging.

Ivan and an old professional

boxer were my seconds, while

Malcolm bet two to one in pounds

with the Sgt Major of the 8^th Btn

The bell sounded, and the

referee called out, "Fight on".

I did! at the end of the first

round his his mouth was

a big red splotch of blood, I was

sweating a lot.

In the second round he had

both his hands up to protect

his face from my left lead,

so I pretended to lead again with

the left, but drove my right as

hard as my shoulder could

send send it to the ribs just

below the heart, his face screwed

up, and he stood still, then the

bell went, and saved him,

Well! in the fourth round,

I was feeling very tired, for

I had be jumping about all

over the place, so I thought I'd

try to end it, I drove in my 

right, to the ribs, and he dropped

his guard, then I exerted all

my strength and left- right went

to the point, he dropped like a

log, and was asleep for half

an hour, while he was asleep

I had another tug of war.

I have a pretty good time here,

most of the officers are old

Public School boys, and know

Ivan and me from repute.

Dr. Blaubaum called me into his

cabin the other day. He told me

that he and uncle Leo were

great pals at school, and that Leo

started the great fight between

Grammar and Wesley, at the

St Kilda, He is also trying to

capture Bibs Benjaman, the girl

I met down at Barwon, my tennis

partner, by the way she knitted me

a scarf. and I told him, before

I knew he was thick. We are

to have a meeting of all the old

Wesley boys, to-night, there are

about fifteen on board.

We are issued with cholera

belts, do you think it advisable

to xxxx wear them?

I am sending Mona a post

card of the celebration of crossing

the line, it was very funny

but I learned the lesson of

keeping my hat on in the sun,

I had no hat on all the afternoon

and got a "touch o' sun" but

I was all right next morning.

I have never felt better in

my life, than I feel now, my

voice is quite all right again.

I have to write to Mum

now, and I have left it rather

late.

How is Fred getting on with his

boxing. I hope he is training

hard for the combined sports,

he could get into the Athletic

Team if he tried, although I

have never told him so.

Tell Horace, Herbert, and

Jack, that I will send them all

kinds of curios from Egypt.

I am looking forward to

receiving a letter from you

when I land

Your loving son

Wally.

The Young Mens Christian Association

with

H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Eygpt.

From  corp  me

No. 2492

Brigade 7^th Rein Divisn 7^th Batt.

Egypt

18-9-15

My dear Dad

I have been waiting anxiously every

day for a mail from home, but none has

come. I have not heard from anyone since

I left Australia.

I got another touch of sun, last week

I only had my hat off for about three

minutes, and it cost me a week in

hospital, but I am as strong as

ever again, I don't remember ever

feeling better, and my throat is quite

normal again.

Well tomorrow I leave for the

firing line, everyone is in the highest

spirits, and looking forward for a

bit on sterner work. than parading

the streets of Cairo.

I don't wonder at there being some

twenty chaps returned from Egypt.

in the Asylum; for a week I was

on the town picket picquet, which

means that, an officer, a sergeant

myself, and twenty men went round

all the brothels in Cairo, turning out

the soldiers, and to show a little bit

the extent of the trade, it took us from

9 pm till 2 am and later to do the

round going solid all the time. and

some of them were the rottenest holes

you ever set eyes on, and yet,

soldiers, were there - sober - no

amount of warning will stop them from

it. while the whole xxxx scene was

repulsive to my nature, and I am

damn glad to get out of it.

It is not myself that I am thinking

of now, it is you I have left at home.

You make the sacrifice, not me. here

am I, intoxicated with the excitement

and glory of it all, while you sit

at home and worry, but don't worry

I am as happy as a school boy on

the eve of a Boat Race. that is just

how it seems to me, and I can't

help thinking of the last few lines