Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 2 - Part 4 of 12

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that you need at least 50 piastres to 
enjoy yourself in town. Instead I went
for a trip round the Pyramids. Blackburn
Jack Gordon & I climbed Cheops. It is
not extra hard. The view is magnificent
One side you see the Nile Valley, fertile
as any land can possibly be, about
turn, and nothing but the desert.
I can't imagine a more vivid contrast
The whole camp is in view from the
top and very regular and large it
looks. The biggest surprise was the
result of some excavations between
the [[triangle symbol for pyramid]] & the camp that we cannot see
from the ordinary level as there seems to be sand hills right
round it. I believe they are all ancient
tombs & graveyards. An American syndicate
have the rights & as it is all out of bounds
we have not been able to visit them.
Sunday Evening. On Saturday I wen afternoon I had
a swim in the baths & then went out
to the Heliopolis Sporting Club with others
to get some Crosses. A Lancaster Territorial
Regiment had lent us 15 sticks so we went
out to get them. This Regiment the 6^th has
about 60 Lacrosse players. and Manchester
is very strong in the game and most of
the best players enlisted in a bunch

32
We got wind of Lacrosse being played in
Egypt by the notice in a paper of a match.
We promptly wrote a letter to them asking
them for a loan of sticks which they were
kind enough to do. They were very anxious
to meet an all Australian team as they
had practically an all England team.
We got their letter on Thursday so posted
a notice in the mess sheds straight away
calling a meeting to form a 10^th Battalion
Lacrosse Club. Fifteen turned up. Captain
Nott was elected to the chair. The Officers
elected were Patron Col. Weir. (We thought
of electing Lord Kitchener) President Cap.
Nott; Vice presidents Major Hurcombe &
Lieut Eric Talbot-Smith (an old player) Captain
your humble servant Vice Captain Serg Gordon
Secy & Treas. RH White and the usual
committee of 5 & selection committee
of 3. We arranged a match for to-day
with the 9^th (Queensland.). It took
place this afternoon on a ground along-
side the train terminus. They were very
weak but had several Victorians to
help them. The Terriers had arranged
to come out at 3.30 with 9 more
sticks to make up the 24 needed. They
did not arrive until after 4 so we started

33
with 7 on our side & 8 on theirs. We quickly
threw 6 goals so I got our chaps to hang
off a bit & give them a chance At half time
the scores were 8-4. Before we started
the rest of the sticks arrived so we both
had full teams. We finished at 11 to 1.
For next Thursday we are trying to arrange
a match with the Victorians & next
Saturday the 3^rd Brigade V Manchester
if we can get leave. I expect I will
be very stiff to-morrow but I don't feel
tired yet. There was a chap from the
3^rd came over to see me to-day about
lacrosse matters Incidentally he was
able to give me some very useful
information about those commissions.
He has a friend, a major, attached to
Divisional Headquarters The information
is as follows. A batch of 42 Australians
will go to England within a fortnight
He is one of them A second batch of about
double the number a little later & then
a third. He is finding out to-morrow
if our 5 are among any of them. He
thinks he remembers Blackburns name
in the second.
Our little crowd will be getting smaller
Phil Robin was appointed a lance corporal

34
in No 4 Platoon Mickey Smith will
probably be transferred to a position
on Brigade Headquarters which Lieut
Holmes got for him recommended him for I don't know exactly
what it is but at anyrate he will
be pleased to get out of Beevors clutches
I think you know we arranged to keep
together & not take any non coms positions
but only commissions if offered. Of
course this thing the 5 of us put in for
broke all that up so Phil & Mickey were
free to put in for their positions.
A couple of photos were taken to-day
& if they are any good I will try & get
copies for you. I expect there will be
plenty in the S.A papers about the match
to-day as Rhodes Du Rien & the others
have all been writing long accounts of
it some of which are sure to find their
way into the papers.
You will have to be satisfied with a
short letter this week as there seems
to be a lack of news & as I want to
write several more letters to-night.
Everything is all right darling. I still
think of you all day long. The evenings
are the best as when I am lying in bed
I always smoke a cigarette & think hard of
you. Good night my darling Angel. Yours for-
ever Tom

35
Mena Camp
Tuesday

Feb. 23.14.
My Darling Little Wife,

What a day oh what a day. Think,
10 letters & 76 papers to-night! I can't realise
it. And your wonderful letter It has
been well worth waiting a fortnight for
It is now just after 9 and it has been was
announced 2 minutes ago that a mail
is being closed for Australia at 10 - a
French special I suppose. So don't expect
anything much.
I will have to leave answering your
letter until later in the week
The letters were from you, 2 from Ted,
Linda, Mother, Jack, Miss Hutchison,
Frank Gunn, Cecil Oswald & Syd Middleton.
The papers were 6 mails from Ted, which came
altogether, but which he said in his
letter were posted each week, and a Bulletin
from someone whose writing I can't recognise
There are hundreds of Bullys about all
with that famous cartoon.
Well to get on to the most exciting
news. We are off within a fortnight
Where to I cant tell. The Brigadier wouldn't
say & they evidently want us to believe

36
it is France but I have my doubts
The news came yesterday evening.
Of course there was excitement and
cheers & bands the 9^th & 11^th are to go
Saturday in advance the rest to follow
within a week or fortnight. There are
three four places we might go to. The Persian
Gulf, Syria or Palestine, France, or England
I hardly think the former, though we have
heard nothing from that force for some time
which must mean that they are not
strong enough to take Bagdad or don't
want to, more probably the latter. Syria
I hardly think, because of something Major
Brand said when lecturing another company
the other day. It was about the recent
Canal engagement; when we had a
chance to settle the Turks completely,
but were ordered not to ala, for political
reasons. I will tell you more about it
next letter. France it may be but they
say we are to be re-equipped which
could be easier done in England as
well as transporting us with the others
To day we have been practising billetting
Streets lanes houses shops etc were
marked out with flags at a suitable
place near Tigers Tooth and we were

37
hed in. There was a turnout
e alarm and lectures. It wasn't
interesting. We are to get boots &
deficiencies in equipment to-morrow
Well I am glad we are to be on the
move though I should like to see
more of Egypt. But we came to fight
& thats what we all want to do, at
least we say so, though personally I
would jump for joy if peace was
to be declared to-morrow.
There is nothing but indignant discussions
every where about Beans letter. I haven't
had time to more than glance at
it. It is no doubt true in the main
but told in a way that seems exaggerated. 
No doubt the first outline came
from Headquarters. I have had several
discussions with old soldiers & I think
I express the general opinion of those
entitled to compare, that the troops
behavior, considering all circumstances,
is in no better than South Africa &
might be very easily, much worse.
The temptations are far greater, we have
been in one place for 11 weeks and
taking a broad view based on a knowledge 
of human nature things are better

38
than I expected. You needn't be frightened
about contagion Any infectious case
is isolated immediately & we all have
our own blankets which nobody else
uses. Every little while there is what
we call a short arm parade. When the
doctor examines everyone. We had
it at Morphettville. It is not really
necessary as anyone who tried to
escape isolation would soon be
dealt with by his tent mates.
I can quite understand the horror with
Bean's letter would be read with
narrow minded females, but if
only knew of what happens in
own country they would get
Then again these things alw
much worse in cold print
I don't think it will have the
effect which evidently is
things better with the f
cuts. They will soon
exaggerated in the
they won't believe
now as to the co
feel very wild
this be misund
though he den

39
There is nothing further official.
I must say I haven't given up hope altogether
I haven't seen Rand from the 3^rd
since I last wrote. I went over to-night
but he was not about. At any rate
you will have heard before this letter
reaches you if it eventuates.
I have been reading Sladens book
'The curse of the Nile'. It gives a
very fine description of the Battle
of Omdurman (accent on the last
syl.) The bits about Cairo are very
interesting to The Maxwell mentioned
as having charge of a brigade is
our own Sir John Maxwell in
charge of all the Egy troops in Egypt
to-day.
Everybody is well. My cold has gone
& I am feeling in great nick. I have
hardly been stiff at all after the
game of lacrosse on Sunday. We are
trying to set up a match for Thursday
S.A. v Victoria & NSW and for Saturday,
Australia v England. This early movement
may alter things somewhat though.
If we go to France we will be on lines if
com. etc for sometime I think. There
goes the 'Lights Out' Good night Darling
Yours ever Tom
 

40

Mena
Feb. 26.15
Friday

No 16.
My Dear Sweetheart,
We are to move Sunday
according to the latest 'Mulga' The ninth
& 11^th are not going ahead alone but the
3^rd Brigade. Perhaps this will be the last
letter you will get from Mena It seems
quite sad in a way
I suppose we must give up No 1 1etter
That chap must have lost it or forgotten
all about it. I will go over your letter
bit by bit & answer your many questions
Why do you ask about getting the Trousseau
to-gether. Most certainly I want you to & don't
ever say or think again that it might have to be given
away. I feel as certain of coming back whole
as it is possible to be. Moreover the more
I see of this army the better I like my chances
There is one thing certain A Coy of the tenth
will never get the dangerous jobs to do.
The Brigadier & Colonel are fully aware
of our friend's incompetence. Then again
the 10^th are not the best commanded
battalion in the brigade from what I can
hear from headquarters and the brigadier
is as careful as it any canny Scot can be