Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 1 - Part 1 of 14

Miss E Champion 
C/o G. & R Wills & Co
Rundle St.

Renmark
Tuesday
Darling.
I was quite excited
getting all your letters. Two
at Kingston and one here
The only ones I have received
since I have been away.
I caught a boat at Waikerie
Kingston on Friday Sat. night
but it only went as far as Loxton
so I had to wait there Sunday.
It was a perfect night Sunday
st awfully still and a cloudless
sky. I went for a walk with
Morrie Claxton from Adelaide
& he th must have thought
me af very dull a or mad
as I was gazing at the stars
all the time. I was thinking
of you. I was quite sure you
were thinking of me too
at the time.

The boat was very late
getting here so I only got
your letter last night
I haven't had much luck
so far.  I leave here on
Wednesday night.  I have
to spend two days at Kingston
and two at Waikerie so
reaching Adelaide by Saturdays
train is out of the question
If you write this week
Waikerie Hotel will be the
best to address it to.
It is now 1.30 & the mail
closes at a quarter to & I
haven't had any dinner yet.
I will be going all the afternoon
and evening and all to-morrow.
I am beginning to like these
uphill arguments Its like
fighting a lost cause a little
success now and then keeps
you from getting too downhearted
but it is much more
interesting than if it was
all success. With love
I remain
Yours ever
Tom
 
This is a long one 5 minutes
& worth a page of small
ones.

Reply to Adelaide Y.M. C. A. Army Department

No  Coy.
England.

HMAS Ascanius
Oct 31 1914
 
Darling
Your beautiful letters arrived yesterday
I have been reading them at odd times ever 
since.  The first is the grandest I have ever 
received.  I am writing this on the wharf. 
I was on picquette duty yesterday afternoon
& will be on till we sail this afternoon
The WA troops are going on board now
There are 4 men of war in harbour now
Two cruisers from N.Z., A Japanese battle cruiser
& the Pioneer.  The Minotaur from N.Z is
at Albany with over 30 troopships. The
Frenchman is probably there too.
We heard last night that Turkey has joined
in the fray.  This may make some difference
to us as we may be detailed to Egypt as
that is what Turkey probably has her eye
on.  It all depends on how many troops
have been left there. That would probably
mean a very short trip.  I like the look
of the war this past fortnight.  The German
threat of an England invasion seems absolute
bluff & the a feeble attempt to rally her. 

Reply to Adelaide Y.M. C. A. Army Department

No  Coy.
England.
2

hard pressed Armies. I still am of the
opinion that even if we go to England
the we will be back about May. Kitcheners
spring army of over a million, all fresh
troops, will have the effect of routing
the Germans if they last out over the winter
let alone several a fresh Russian & French armies.
Germany must have her full strength
in the field now.   The effect of fresh troops
are against those who have been through a strong hard
campaign is marvelous, and as this seems
to be a war of exhaustion, there appears to
me, to be not the slightest doubt of the
result. The only purpose the enemy have
sprung is in their new siege guns which
have made artificial fortifications useless.
Kitchener always expressed his doubt in
the ability of the European fortifications.
The only fault of the stay here has
been the scarcity of leave.  I have only had
two hours which gave me a look round
Fremantle only.  Mrs Fearley came down
Tuesday afternoon when we were on
a route march to the ranges and went

Reply to Adelaide Y.M. C. A. Army Department

No  Coy.
England.
3

4 hours to see me.  Wasn't she a Briton
she had a letter to Cap. Lorenzo from
a captain friend of hers.  I didn't get leave
though. I believe Mjr B4 settled it.
Malcolm Smith got a day's leave through
a W.A. Major,  a friend of his & B4 was
very sore at some other leave that was
granted from headquarters without him
knowing about it he probably blocked
mine. I should like to have had a look
at Perth.  Of course the photo is out of
the question until I get to England or
I see yours every day. I like it better
every time I look at it. It is the
most perfect likeness ever taken.
I often think how wonderfully patient
& splendid you were all the time I was
chasing shadows after I left Andersons.
Dr Bollen was fortunately wrong about
the measles.  There hasnt been a case since
the first day & those are all up now
They will still be isolated for a fortnight 
yet.
The reason of the shortage of leave

Reply to Adelaide Y.M. C. A. Army Department

No  Coy.
England.
4

is because of the abuse some of them
have made of it, in overstaying.
I was on picquette duty last night in
Fremantle rounding them up.  If it hadn't
been for that I should probably have
had yesterday afternoon in Perth.
I am glad to say I didn't make any
mistakes when writing to Bessie & Aunt
Emily.
Its going to be awfull without you.  If it
wasn't for the general excitement & the being
kept going I am sure I would desert here.
I will tell you a secret. Parts of your letter
brought tears to my eyes & it takes a
lot to do that.
There goes the bugle to fall in & the mail
will have gone before I knock off
again. Goodnight Darling
Yours ever
Tom 

Letter No 3.
The Red Sea

(1)

Thursday Nov. 26 1914
Left Aden at 5 o'clock in the early dawn
We arrived there Wednesday morning & after
waiting a few hours in the roadstead went
into harbour & coaled. I was picked
in a crew of ten to row the Colonel & Adjutant
to several of the other boats. In spite of
the hot weather & coal dust it was quite
enjoyable. We spent quite a time at the
Orvieto. They have 48 German prisoners
aboard from the Emden including the
Captain and a nephew of the Kaiser's
The troops reckon the Germans have a better
time than they do. There are 43 aboard
the Omrah. What a fight the Emden put
up. The account written by the press correspondent
on the Orvieto was read to us this morning
I suppose it will have appeared in the papers
before this reaches you. It mentions nothing
about the Konigsburg, but the wireless operator 
told me I believe she was been captured about the
same time.
Well to tell you a little about Aden 

(2)

The troops from India sometimes spend
a year here after serving their time. A
Scottish piper while here, composed the
most sorrowful dirge on record called
'The Barren Hills of Aden'. I can quite
imagine it possible that a few months
residence would give the necessary frame
of mind. The barren hills of Aden. Great
towering desolate peaks rising from a
narrow foreshore of sand & rock &
devoid of the slightest vegetation. The
All the Arabian coast we have seen
is nearly the same. There are quite
a number of good sized houses in Aden.
Barracks, official buildings cigarette factories and a cool looking
club. The bay is alive with bum-boats;
dinghies dinghies with 4 or 5 dark looking Arabs
who take you down for everything they can
They throw up a fibre rope to which they attach
a basket & sufficient rope to let it be drawn
up. You put your money in & let it down
& they put in what you want. They always
aske 4/- for anything you can afterwards
buy for 1/-. Good Egyptian cigarettes were 1/-
per 100. Tobacco, figs, dates & tinned pineapples