Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 4 - Part 5 of 10

163 
night. I dont think I will risking anything 
in saying this much. The 3rd Brigade has 
been selected to act as a covering party for 
the landing on Gallipolli Peninsula. It is 
looked upon as a high honour. B&C B&D coys 
will be in front with A & D coy acting as 
supports. There will be a battalion each side 
of us, & one in reserve. Right ahead will be regimental 
scouts who include Blackburn Fisher & 
Smith. I missed it through being in the 
boats crew & knowing nothing about it. 
That is not to say I would have been one 
of them mind. The brigade's job will be 
to land, go inland a bit, entrench & hold on 
If we are unlucky & are discovered it will 
go hard with us. If we hold on in the 
face of much opposition we will make a 
name worth having. But the unfortunate 
part is that there won't be too many left 
to share the glory. "The path of honour leads 
but to the Grave. " How's that? I never dreamt 
I would I would get so sentimental over a job 
like this.
 

39 
There is nothing further official. 
I must say I haven't given up hope altogether. 
I haven't seen Rand from the 3rd 
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 Omdurmann (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 get 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 of 
com. etc for some time I think. There 
goes the 'Lights Out' Good night Darling 
Yours ever Tom

162 
the forces are further apart. 
It struck me after reading your letter you 
didn't like the idea of missing writing to 
me Sunday. If ever you have a chance to 
be away Sunday afternoon & evening don't 
let that stop you. I would sooner you 
were having a real holiday than that you 
should miss it on account of wanting 
to write to me. I will understand. So if 
you get the chance of a week end, & want 
to please me, take it & miss writing. 
The wind has gone down but we were 
not ordered out to-day. 
Do you know you missed saying anything 
about Molly in your last letter. 
We heard to-day the Liberals had been routed 
in the SA elections. The news came from 
London. It is something of a surprise to 
me. I haven't heard how the 6 o'clock 
pub closing got on. Nothing more to say 
except Goodnight Sweetheart. 
Thursday night Apr 22. Well it has come at last. 
The Colonel said in a lecture this morning 
that he expected we would be off to-morrow
 

40 
Mena 
No 16. Feb 26. 15 
Friday 

My Dear Sweetheart, 
We are to move Sunday 
according to the latest 'Mulga' The ninth 
& 11^th are not going ahead alone but the 
3rd 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 letter 
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 & dont 
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. 
6 The Brigadier & Colonel are fully aware 
5 of our friend's incompetence. Then again 
4 the 10^th are not the best commanded 
3 battalion in the brigade from what I can 
2 hear from headquarters and the brigadier 
1 is as careful as it any canny Scot can be

161 
You remember I used to hardly touch it but 
now I prefer it to anything. To-night we 
sup had a tin of strawberry jam for supper 
I scored it the other day at the Hussar's 
fle canteen. 
Patience is all the rage now Anywhere 
on the boat you can always find somebody 
playing. We unearthed a set of dominoes to-day 
so I suppose that will be the go in the 9^th 
Orderley room for a while. 
No more mail has come along yet. 
The Light Horse are still back in Egypt 
I believe & likely to stay there for a while 
much to their disappointment you see 
nowadays aeroplanes have done away with 
most of the cavalrys job scouting & reconnaisance 
All the British crack cavalry regiments have 
at times been in the trenches. Of course 
they could do nothing even without aircraft 
when the trenches forces are so close to-gether 
no doubt the Light Horse will be 
required when we are established in Turkey 
& cavalry will come into there own when
 

41 
From an officer just landed from 
England comes the news that half the Spring 
army from Britain has been successfully 
transported to the continent. This if true 
will make our chance of getting into 
the firing line rather remote for some 
time. 
How I hate to read of you tearing up any 
letters. Don't be afraid of any confusion there 
many letters being in one envelope. I 
absolutely love unravelling & piecing them 
together. 
The Australian P.O. officials have been 
very generous. It came out in orders 
when we landed here that postage 
on letters had to be prepaid & this still 
holds good as far as this end is concerned 
I was surprised in a way about the birthdays 
I thought the sequence was in March 
How I got that into my head I don't 
know. I will write a letter to your mother 
this mail though I dont suppose she 
will receive it until after Mar. 20 
It was delicious hearing of Mollies 
slang. She must be getting on wonderfully 
quickly. 
I cant think who Vera Rowe is for 
the life of me. I seem to know the name 

160 
knock to Beefvor. If our bit is successful 
Talbot Smith will make his name First 
in charge of the scouts on whom will depend 
nearly everything then in charge of the machine 
guns I reckon these two will be the most 
two dangerous jobs. And the boy is only 
21 but what a chance. For your sake I am 
glad I am not a scout nor in B or C Coys. 
Goodnight my Darling. 
Wednesday April 21 Still inactive with nothing 
out of the ordinary happening. Rumours 
persistently float round concerning all sorts 
of ridiculous ideas. Just for something to 
do somebody makes up some awful yarn 
& springs it on some simple believer & round 
it goes. I have started some myself & a day 
or so afterwards they have come back 
distorted & hardly recognisable. Something like 
this must be happening in Adelaide. 
Our fresh meat is exhausted so we are back 
on bully. I don't eat much meat nowadays 
but have a violent appetite for bread & jam
 

42
yet I can't remember any girl of that 
name. Perhaps she believes in Spiritualism 
or Bhuddism & it was in a former life 
she missed her chance. However I don't 
blame her. 
I have carefully read over Beans 
famous letter. I have an idea there 
will be trouble or lots of paper talk. 
It seems to create great resentment among 
the soldiers. Everywhere you hear 
condemnatory opinions about it. On 
a close analysis I can find very little 
that has not some truth in it but 
the whole thing creates such a false 
impression. I feel sure it will do much 
more harm than good. It would be 
grossly unfair to publish the names of 
those sent back & the reason. If they 
do there will be trouble I feel sure. 
Whoever the military authority is who 
asked 'But do all Australians drink quite 
so much' I don't know but I know 
this he is a wowser or an ignoramus 
Drunkenness has been comparatively 
very little in Cairo. Think of 20000 
men landed in a city like Cairo with plenty 
of money & no restraining influences 
and the dop liquor to drink. It has

159 
of a land force. The position of some of the forts 
in the narrows wont allow of their being 
shelled except at a close range in which 
the ships have a 1/8 of the chance of hits that 
the forts have Then the mobile masked 
batteries that take up a different position 
every night & the floating mines put the 
odds in favour of the forts as well. This 
war has shown that the fixed firing of 
fortifications will go the same way as 
the blunderbus. A mobile train battery capable 
of being masked & moved at will has every 
chance. Witness the holding out of Prezemysl 
& Verdun. Liege & Antwerp went in a few 
days. This is going to be a tough job but 
if Hamilton & Carden can't are willing to 
tackle it well something's doing. Oh I wish 
I could tell you some of the things I know 
& have seen, you would marvel at the 
ingenuity of man. This much I can hazard 
as far as the 3rd Brigade is concerned The 12th will 
be reserve 9, 10 & 11 in that order with 10 in the 
middle. B & C Coys in front & D & A Coy reserve. What a 
 

43 
all along seemed a marvel to me 
that there was not much more. 
Any lady travelling in the last trains 
to Mena would have found nothing 
to remark on except perhaps the crowded 
mess for the roofs are crammed as much 
as anywhere else. I have seen more 
disgusting sights on a Saturday nights 
train to Hyde Park than I have seen 
on the Pyramids train. 
The headlines the Advertiser & other 
papers have put in tr show it up 
in the worst line. Bean says only 
1 or 2% are responsible for all this 
unameable scandal. Well that is a very 
small percentage of wasters in any army 
And the heinous crimes they have committed 
consist chiefly of breaking leave Take 
the 10th battalion. Seventeen were sent 
back in the first batch, 10 as medically 
unfit most of whom will enlist again 
7 as discharged ie the wasters Bean talks 
about In the second batch 10 of each are 
been returned. Of these more than half 
are old hands that is South African soldiers, 
British regulars or many men mostly of them 
do joining this force as deserters & more 
than half are not Australians at all.

158 
The man cannot know what fear is. 
The wireless on his 'plane keeps the warships 
informed of any hidden batteries he 
spots & smoke bombs dropped enables 
the range to be gauged unerringly. 
We heard news yesterday of the destruction 
of 2 British submarines of the E class 
The appear to be too big for the work required 
These two were trying to get within striking 
distance of some shore submarine tubes 
when they were stranded. Sampson kept 
the Turks well out with bombs while 
the crews were rescued without mishap. 
He then settled the subs with a couple of 
bombs. 
Jane hit the nail on the head in Land 
& Water of Apr 3rd when he surmises the chief 
difficulties of the Dardanelles as the mobile 
batteries. The great error most people fell 
into when the outer forts were reduced so quick 
was that it would only be childs play to 
settle the rest. Now it is a job that can't 
be tackled by the Navy without the assistance
 

44 
This is I believe about the same as in the 
same as in the other battalions. Some 
of the wasters' would be the finest soldier 
in the 'world in the firing line but 
because they have more than once 
broken leave for longer than a day 
they are classed as deserters and after 
being o kept in detention here for 
periods varying from 7 to 28 days are 
returned. One man as an instance from 
our company. Scotty Robertson a five 
foot six nuggetty chap immensely popular 
with officers & men especially with Major Nurcon 
for whom he would do anything. Fourteen 
years in the Black Watch is Scottys record 
When he was on parade no neater, smarter, 
more soldierly man could be found and 
drill, he was a picture to watch. But 
Scottys only fault was booze. A few drinks 
sent him over & then arose his violent 
dislike to policemen. Luckily he to never 
did any harm as the Redcaps know how 
to deal with fights. He didn't reckon the 
native policemen worth calling such. 
Our "old woman" got her say' at last 
(though Harcombe was heard to say 
he wished he had a regiment of Scottys 
and Scotty is going to Australia to

157
What a touch of pathos is in the story one of
the Oceans crew told me of a sailor on the
Irresistible When the latter was sinking he
managed to bring off his canary. He with
others were transferred to the Ocean only
to sink again. The man & canary are
still alive & well.
Then there are ships that took part in the
fight in Heligoland Bight, Falkland Islands,
sinking of the Blucher & submarine destroying.
I have spoken to men who helped in
the defence of Antwerp, men who retired from mons
in the most wonderful rearguard action
the world has ever seen, advanced to Ypres,
that battle that will rank Sir John French
with any general & the British infantry as
the finest in the world & the B11 heroes.
Sampson is a wizard. I believe he insists
on going up every day more as a constitutional
than anything else. He can get too high for
their guns but still be of use in observing
He has been known to loop the loop when
a shell has exploded near, drop a bit
to garrison he was hit & after dropping
a few bombs as souveniers doffed his cap.

45 
hop into the next contingent by
hook or crook. This case is not peculiar
I am firmly of the opinion that
the heads who are responsible for
this returning are poor judges of
human nature. There was a real
rotter in this battalion who got 12
months in the Malta gaol (which
will not be unfamiliar to him) for
hitting Froggy Oldham. He was a cockney
regular & joined as a deserter.
The slovenly appearance of some men
is easily accounted for by the sloppy
& only uniform we had. Every man
has always been critically inspected
before going to Cairo but if his one &
only uniform has been showing the
result of 5 months constant wear,
who is to blame. It is all not about
old soldiers showing off. This alone
shows Bean off as being unreliable.
I have spoken to lots of veterans, we have
4 in A Coy who could be relied on for
an opinions worth having as to why most offenders are old soldiers. Our Sergeant
Major who has been a soldier all his life
& seen more than one campsaign put
the position this way. When a recruit
joins the Regulars discipline of the hardest

156 
first to the Minnewaska then the Hussar then
hunting for a supply ship for a couple of
drums of dynamo oil for the Ionians
dynamos. While we were alonside the supply
ship a gig full of Russian sailors from the
Askold were taking off flour. They are a
clean limbed fair featured type. One I noticed
had a slight Tartar type of face. I rather liked
the look of them.
I had a swim off the stern to-day but it
was too rough to enjoy it much.
It struck me to-day what opportunities exist
for a journalist in this place if the censor
would allow it. There are a few sailors on
board who will assist in the landing some
from the Reliance & some from the Ocean.
The Reliance has been in action more times
than any warship existing. She took a prominent
part in the bombardment of Tsing Tao. Then
the Ocean was in the Persian Gulf affair
afterwards taking part in the Suez Canal defence 
& then sinking after being practically sacrificed 
to draw the Dardanelles forts fire so that 
the masked batteries could be discovered
 

46 
sort is down on him from the
first hour If he is any good it may
slacken but the discipline is there as if
the commanding officers judgement in
knowing how to deal with men.
In this force it was quite the opposite
Discipline was very slack at first
& gar tightened spasmodically and
the officers did not know how to
deal with men. These old soldiers
of the unsteady sort took advantage
of any licence & the heads dontnot knowing
how to deal with them have resorted
to discharging them & inspiring
articles like Beans to shift the blame
If things are no worse than in any
other army (from what I hear we are
angels to streets above the Canadians) why do
all this harm by these flaring head
lines. Do they imagine they will improve
things this way? If they do I know
nothing about human nature.
They sent a circular to the second
contingent on their arrival at
Port Said which accused us of scandals
in a similar stream to Beans letters. When they
landed they found most of it
to be record exaggerated & what was

155 
The Minnewaska a 15000 Atlantic liner
with A & H of Army Corps headquarters on
board has 4 or 5 alleged Turkish spies on
board. They were arrested on the island.
I don't know the particulars.
There is a rumour that operations are suspended
for a fortnight. We may know to-morrow.
Tuesday Apr 20 An unexpected mail lobbed
late last night. About one this morning
Roy White threw over a couple of letters for me
Yours of the March 19^th one from Lex. There was
only 2 bags but more is expected to-morrow
so I may get further. I can't understand how
my letters could have missed the mail
so consistently You should have received
No. 13 by Mar 13 then each previous one seems
to have been a week or fortnight late.
I answered your letter to-day in C10. This
mail is going to the A&H of Army Corps headquarters
boat to-morrow so it may be going to Egypt
by a transport.
Yesterday & the day before were dead calm
but to-day was too rough to go out.
We had a long pull yesterday afternoon 

47 
the result. They were more 2^nd contingent
drunks in Cairo their first week of
landing, than in the first week of
the landing of the first, 3 times their
number.
Then these unmentionable diseases. Egypt
has been notorious for venereal disease
since history began. The many ancestors
of these people were the ones who helped
to introduce syphillus into Europe
through the Crusaders. They are supposed
to be under control of the authorities
& medically examined but they are not.
The semi respectable demi-mondes seem to be the worst
& the result is that the proportions of
officers bitten is as great as the men.
These diseases can be prevented to a certain
extent, but the authorities did not take 
steps in time.
Well I feel much better having got all
this off my chest At any rate you will
be able to size up the truth of Beans or 
any other article for yourself.
I am enclosing 2 photos taken at
last Sunday's lacrosse match. The
group is the 10^th battalion team & reading
from left to right show Top Du Rien
(referee) Edwards, Whyte, Nott, Gordon, Edwards

154
The tucker is still fair. We havent had
to open any bully for a long time. I noticed
a peculiar flavour in the boiled mutton
to-day & discovered afterwards it was goat.
I suppose they have exhausted the Soudan bullocks
& couldn't get enough sheep on the island.
We are still in the 9^th Orderly room & no
talk of having to move. Plans must have
been altered.
I reckon it will be a world's record will be
established in weight carrying when we land
Our ammunition pouches are full 150 rounds
in addition we have 50 rounds in our haversack
Besides the usual luggage 3 days rations are
carried (biscuits & 3 tins bully) and 2 days
emergency rations (2 tins bully, biscuits &
2 little tins containing tea, sugar & enough oxo for 2 cups.)
A waterproof sheet is strapped on the pack, in
my case 2 so I will be right if it rains.
The whole equipment with rifle must weigh
100lbs. Once we are established packs will
be taken off but it will be hard work
climbing hills with that load. 
 

48
& Blackburn. Bottom row Kent, White AH,
White RN, Gower, Fordham & Rhodes. The
duet is supposed to represent me in
a characteristic attitude 'humming
cigarettes' I am not quite as black
as the photograph would have you believe.
You can just see the a Mena tram
in the background of both. The trees
are on the Pyramids road. We could
not show the do. as a background
on account of the position of the sun.
I got hold of some interesting particulars
of the fighting on the Canal. Major
Brand & some other officers went down
to have a look round afterwards &
this is from his lecturette to #4
Platoon whom he happened to come across
in the desert.