Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 1 - Part 11 of 14

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Sunday. We probably wont be
off until next Saturday. Then
they have changed the duties
All fatigues, guards, & orderly
work is done by one platoon
each day. Our turn was to-day
so we wont get it again for
16 days
A big shed is going up for
a brigade canteen. The contractor
for the old canteen a well known
British firm, has been very
unsatisfactory through over-
charging for groceries. They have
only been able to get over the
contract now and we expect great
things from the new one
run by the military authorities.
I posted a small book of views
which struck me as characteristic
and the chocolate tin with
half the chocolate & some post
cards. The tin is quite an
artistic one & well worth
keeping. We had a surprise
 

41

for dinner today. Large tinned
plum puddings from subscribers
to the Daily Mail Fund! They It
were was delicious & plenty of
them.  They It seemed the finest
I have ever tasted.
Phil Robin's girl & her mother
arrived yesterday. He has been
lucky enough to get leave
practically every evening he wants
to. They had letters of introduction
to the Colonel and some a couple of the
higher heads. They came out
to day to see the Colonel &
when he invited them to
afternoon tea he in the 
officers mess poor Phil
had to stay out! It seems awfully
ridiculous doesn't it, but we
don't think it half so much now,
as we would have before we were
Tommies. I suppose it is quite
necessary from a strict
military disciplinarian point
of view
 

42

I have thought of a few
improvements of in our code
and while the opportunity lasts
we might improve them. What
do you think of the following
suggestions. As the use of the negative
in connection with "rumour" does
not get over the difficulty
of any censorship of names
of places, how about this?
In a general letter the information
I specially want to convey will
be found by taking notice
of letters or words written in
back hand For instance in
the rest of the letter I will
show the following sentence
"not leaving Egypt for 2 months"
I want to warn you about the photo.
I am sure you will not like it
a bit. I have grown a wee apology
for a moustache. I will tell you
later on why. I intend getting
one taken without it when
I get some money. Perhaps
 

43

I will have sufficient next
time I am in town. For an
ordinary sized cabinet they
want sixty piastres for 6 or
20 p.t. for one Most of the
photographers are French and
they are fairly numerous
That little bit has been very
laborious watching for the
letters.
I have one little bit of delicious 
news I have received for the
last. The War Office has asked
for a few Australians of the
right sort as officers for
the unimportant parts of
the Spring Army. The conditions
are that they must be privates
of a gentlemanly stamp or
something to that effect. They
have kept it very quiet.
Major Beevor spoke to our
select 7 & promised to recommend
Smith  Stokes  Fisher Blackburn
& myself. Robin & Jose are
 

44

not anxious for various
reasons but we five are.
As far as I know only
4 others, from Cap Oldhams
company, have been recommended
How many they exactly (in the Tenth) want
I don't know, or what chance
we have we can't find out.
I am not building much
hope on it however, I learnt
only too well not to do that
after leaving Andersons.
There is some satisfaction
in knowing that you are
thought enough of to be
recommended. Don't tell
a soul of this unless you
have received a cable before
reading this. It would entail
going into a special instruction
class either here or in England
I feel half sorry I have told
you as by the time this reaches
you you will either have had a cable
or it will all be off.
 

45

Well I want to write a letter
to Feo & Campbell & as I feel
tired I will close up.
Don't forget to send me
as much in your letters
as you possibly can, pages
& pages, I will enjoy every
line.
I am loving you more than
ever darling. The one thing
I constantly look forward
too is when we are married. 
I don't care a damn [[?]]
the war. It is I am all [[?]]
time thinking of you & build
castles in the air of the time
we will have when I get back
& we are married. We will be
able to make one another
very very happy.
Here's to the Reunion in May
Goodnight Darling. I adore
& worship you Sweetheart
Your ever loving
Tom
 

No9 
46
Mena Camp
Cairo
Tuesday Jan 12 '15

My Lovely wife,
It just struck me, I put no
opening address in the last letter.
I always leave it till last as you
never know who might see it but I
forgot this time.
I have just calculated that yesterday
you probably received my first
letter since reaching Cairo. It seems 
a terrific time & then another 3 
weeks of more before I can get a 
reply, oh dear it is heartrending.
The lucky five were paraded before
the Brigadier, Col. MacLagan, this
morning at least only four saw
him as that beautiful beast
Major B4 refused to recommend
Smith. He is in my opinion
an unforgivable sneak & dog.
Let me try to explain. Last
Wednesday our leave day Smith
& Fisher were late getting in
not a very serious offence. If you
 

47

get caught it never means more
than 2 days C.B. unless a frequent
offender. The passes did not come
in from the outer guard until
yesterday & B4 crimed them & gave
Fisher & a lot of others in the same
box 44 hours C.B. To Smith who
happened to be an hour later than
the others on a good excuse, he
gave 7 days CB: an outrageous
punishment considering it was 
a first offence. His object was 
to make the crime recorded, that
is, anything over 2 days goes into
your book & is entered on your
discharge. Why he has such
a set on Mickey is hard to imagine
The only conclusion we can come
to is that  it is he harbours
resentment for Smith getting
leave at Morphetville over his
head. Last night B4 told the
5 of us for Brigade Parade at 8.30
today. When we were lined up
 

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before the Colonel preparatory to going
before the Brigadier Beevor said
he could not recommend Smith.
Of the lot of us he is easily the most likely
to make a good officer. easily Why he couldn't 
didn't tell Smith beforehand he
was going to block him, brands
him as a sneak. It won't stop
there however. We saw Lieut Talbot
Smith & Cap Nott who both will 
speak to the Colonel & adjutant
& I wouldn't be surprised if B4 
got into hot water. He will certainly
lose all the little popularity
he has seeked since we left S.A.
There were half a dozen others
from the battalion went up to
the Brigadier with us & about
the same number from the 
9th 11th & 12th. He saw us separately
and asked us all sorts of questions
My age may go against me, 21
is the best age. Blackburns LL.B.
will probably pull him through.
I know no more of my chance
 

49

than I did on Sunday. As far
as I can gather from Col MacLagan
the commissions are fore the second
million of the Imperial Spring Army.
He laid stress on the information
that there was no guarantee if
successful they would see the front
They might be in garrison or sitting
in an office all through the war.
It goes against the grain a bit.
If it had not been for you I should
have refused point blank to go 
on with it. I feel like a coward.
Thursday. We have been at the ranges
all day to-day. They are three miles out
quite a long march in the desert.
We started at 7 AM, that meant
breakfast at 6.15 just as the sun
was rising. The range was only
30 yards but there were very small
targets. I did rather well. The first
5 rounds were group firing that is
all shots within a 2 inch radius
I got them within 1 inch The second
test was 10 rounds quick firing